Sunset portrait directly to the sun

[nas-matko]

My goal was to create a portrait in sunset on the beach, balanced with flash, but it looks like subject was pasted in the picture in post processing. I can provide you with the RAW file, so you can better understand post processing. It wasn't much, just adjusted exposure on the sky, lifted up shadows in subject and added some yellow to the right side of the image.

Technical details

How to shoot this kind of scene so the subject looks as natural part of the scene, not pasted later. Thank you for your tips, how to improve this.

 

[smoke665]

Welcome. On the composition that large plant blob on the right needs to go away. I'd remove or crop the image, as it's competing with your lovely model.

You can obviously raise the shadows post, but the best method is to balance the DR in the scene, by adding supplemental lighting on the subject. Adding a large white reflector to bounce the light back on her can work well and not create temperature issues. You can also use a speedlight, but be aware you'll need to gell the flash and adjust your camera WB setting to balance the temperature difference between the sun and flash.

 

[nas-matko]

Thank you, so its a problem of different color temperatures of sun and flash? Stupid me, I know that flash is usually calibrated on daylight, not sunset, but didn't realise this is causing that problem. Btw I

used 65 cm heaxagonal softbox.
Could that be at least partially fixed in the post?
I cropped it as you suggested and shifted her balance towards yellow little bit, I think it helped, but is there a way how to find out a right amount of flash? I used high speed sync because of direct sun and short exposure and my flash meter is unable to measure high speed sync.

 

[KJ_North]

I changed the tones a little just as another example

 

[Jeff15]

The edits are for me ...

 

[Thiophilos]

Thank you, so its a problem of different color temperatures of sun and flash? Stupid me, I know that flash is usually calibrated on daylight, not sunset, but didn't realise this is causing that problem. Btw I View attachment 278471used 65 cm heaxagonal softbox.
Could that be at least partially fixed in the post?
I cropped it as you suggested and shifted her balance towards yellow little bit, I think it helped, but is there a way how to find out a right amount of flash? I used high speed sync because of direct sun and short exposure and my flash meter is unable to measure high speed sync.

Your edit looks great to me. It is much better than the original photo in my opinion.

The balance between ambient and flash is a matter of taste and will vary depending on the subject and background and photo and viewer, and how dramatic you want the photo to look. You can judge the balance on the LCD of the camera... but in the heat of the moment, it can be hard to decide. Anyway, it can be altered later in post. I think it looks successful here.

The subject has a yellow cast in this version, and you said you added yellow. I think it works in this image. Yet if it was my photo, I would try different color casts. Maybe you already did this.

It is a nice pose, but I would have turned her a bit so she is less square to the camera, and tried different hand positions. Her raised hand looks a bit awkward. Hands are often a problem in photos. Her left hand could have been turned a bit to make it look smaller. But these are details and probably not important to her friends and family.

 

[smoke665]

Thank you, so its a problem of different color temperatures of sun and flash? Stupid me, I know that flash is usually calibrated on daylight, not sunset, but didn't realise this is causing that problem. Btw I

A flash is not calibrated to daylight, the temperature of the light it produces can vary from 5k to 6k but generally accepted to be in the range of 5500k. Daylight on the other hand covers a wide range.

Any lighting can impart a change of color on the subject, as can reflections off a painted surface. Where you have two different temperature (flash/ambient), you have to balance them by using CTO or CTB gells on the flash, and adjusting the Camera WB. While you can correct some post if you take the time to select and isolate, it's far easier to do it up front. Plus, unless you're really knowledgeable in selections you can lose the micro transitions that keep it from looking like a cut and paste. Here's a good tutorial on using gells.



On the crop, I suggest more room on the right, for two reasons. First it gives a more balance image, and second, if you print and frame this you burn a 1/4" off all edges, so you'll be encroaching on her arm.

find out a right amount of flash? I used high speed sync

With HSS, switch to shutter priority, and use your camera EC to adjust your exposure. It's also a good idea to limit your ISO range.

 

[JoolsW]

Personally I think it has little atmosphere, perhaps in the search for photographic perfection? As you say the girl looks as though she has been cut and pasted onto the background because of the 'flat' flash fill.

 

[Woolsocks]

Funny. I don't think it looks like a cut and past job. Two things. I noticed without zooming in. Two jpg's uploaded. How you missed this is anyone's guess. If you had this printed.......

 

[JoolsW]

It's inevitable that it will look somewhat artificial with the frontal flash on the subject, against a sunset background. (No natural lighting would be like this), Particularly because the plant, that is on the same plane as the girl, is silhouetted, not highly lit like the girl.
Personally I would have conspired to lower the flash strength so the girl is much darker, blending into the background more and adding more atmosphere. This where a non-camera mounted flash can come in handy, so you could angle the flash away, so that it's not so full-frontal.

 

[smoke665]

It's inevitable that it will look somewhat artificial with the frontal flash on the subject, against a sunset background. (

Respectfully disagree with the word "inevitable", it's only that way if you don't take the time to think through your lighting, and plan accordingly.

 

[nas-matko]

It is a nice pose, but I would have turned her a bit so she is less square to the camera, and tried different hand positions. Her raised hand looks a bit awkward. Hands are often a problem in photos

Thank you, so many things to keep an eye on, as an amateur probably no chance to get it at professional level, but I am trying to get close.

 

[nas-matko]

A flash is not calibrated to daylight, the temperature of the light it produces can vary from 5k to 6k but generally accepted to be in the range of 5500k. Daylight on the other hand covers a wide range.

Sorry my bad, what I meant is that typical flash has a color temperature of average clear day, but sunset is heavily shifted to yellow/orange, when mixed this is indeed causing that unnatural look on subject.

On the crop, I suggest more room on the right, for two reasons.

Thanks for composition tips, its so tight to get rid of that cactus without too much cloning required, but probably I will have to recrop, you are right as usual.

 

[nas-matko]

Personally I think it has little atmosphere, perhaps in the search for photographic perfection? As you say the girl looks as though she has been cut and pasted onto the background because of the 'flat' flash fill.

Yes, I lost it while struggling with lights, was not paying that much attention to subject.

 

[nas-matko]

Funny. I don't think it looks like a cut and past job. Two things. I noticed without zooming in. Two jpg's uploaded. How you missed this is anyone's guess. If you had this printed.......

That's my lousy job in removing a bit of that cactus, that was touching the subject. I will redo it in final picture.