Trying Strobes Outdoors...It's Difficult... :(

[rexbobcat]

So this evening I took by AB800 outside to practice portrait lighting and such. Well...I just don't know...

At first I had a shoot through umbrella and I prompting said "Oh God this is horrible!" And I switched to my reflective umbrella. I have gotten MUCH better results...yet not really that great...

These are the best two I could come up with. The bottom was shot JPEG, because I wanted to see what a little PP did to the photo, so I wouldn't waste my time in PS on images that are completely crap.

I know that the compositions aren't that great, the location isn't that great, and...wait...Why does he have his shirt half off. I was trying to test the strobe on his skin to see where it hot spots with this umbrella. I caught him halfway and it turned out to be the best lit of the shots. Go figure.

All in all, I'm very discouraged. I've seen various examples firsthand of someone using a simple setup and shablam, easy money so to speak. Then I try to do the same and of course it doesn't work out. It would be much too easy if it worked out. I guess I'll have to do some studying and, don't hate me for saying this, gear searching. I really think some of it has to do with the modifier. I really think that having one of those HUGE softlighters would allow more even and direct results. It seems that with my level of skill, umbrellas are wild cards in terms of light control...

 

[MK3Brent]

Interesting that you have a hard time with it...

I think the hardest part is in direct lighting getting your sync speeds under 1/250... usually I have to go with a ND filter for those.

Keep fauxing with it, you'll get it.
Are you shooting TTL?

I recommend you go manual right out of the box.

 

[rexbobcat]

Interesting that you have a hard time with it...

I think the hardest part is in direct lighting getting your sync speeds under 1/250... usually I have to go with a ND filter for those.

Keep fauxing with it, you'll get it.
Are you shooting TTL?

I recommend you go manual right out of the box.

It's manual. It's not a speedlight so it doesn't have it. Yeah, TTL is too random.

 

[MK3Brent]

Your exposure looks okay, you could adjust the white balance in post to warm it up a little.
You can experiment with different lighting angles to add more depth to your photo.

 

[raphaelaaron]

It seems that with my level of skill, umbrellas are wild cards in terms of light control...

bingo. depending on the style you want to accomplish, i would not use an umbrella period. soft boxes or things like the PLM from Mr. Paul Buff himself work way better with control. the reflective umbrellas are even harsh as i can tell from your shots. at first i had to double read to make sure you even had a modifier to begin with---could've fooled me if it was just some strobe with a piece of plastic.

anyway, just keep at it. look at strobist shots and copy them. it's sad to say, but that's how people can become inspired sometimes. once you start getting the feel of altering light and shadow, you'll begin to culminate your own style altogether.

besides maybe picking up a more decent modifier, i'd watch what i spend. many times photogs just think the solution is to blow more cash on equipment, but the real solution is to hone your skill with what you have. i know one photographer who used nothing but speedlites attached to this contraption he made, and because of his ingenuity turned out some great shots. it can be done, and the best feeling is when you do it with little resources.

best of luck.

 

[Derrel]

Whoa,whoa,whoa...slow down....you're sort of throwing the baby out with the bath water here...It's not quite clear what it is,exactly, that you were hoping to accomplish...although I "think" I know what you were hoping to achieve I am not sure...the issue is not that your umbrellas are at fault..and the issue is not that PLM's are somehow "better" than other types of umbrellas, or that softboxes are "better" than shoot through or reflecting umbrellas...it seems like you've made a post and are so busy telling us how 'bad" it is (not in so many words, but your disappointment is coming through loud and clear)...cough,cough...have you tried converting these images to Black & White????

I think there's quite a bit that can be learned from looking at these results with a bit more distance (as in time distance from shoot), or as in distance from "another person's point of view"...

Again, not 100% sure exactly what lighting effect you were hoping to create...but I am wondering if your dissatisfaction is not from the 2,500 to 3,500 degrees Kelvin disparity between the ambient light and the flash's color temperature, as shot through your umbrella(s)??? You have really warm ambient, and ugly, cold flash-tube light on the dude. What was the white balance set to? Have you tried B&W converting these?

 

[Derrel]

The flash tubes need to be GELLED to warm them up to match that sunset light if you want this to look more-natural...AND you need to make sure there is no pure,raw "hot" light coming from the flash tubes...do you have the proper reflector on the monolight to SHIELD the subject from raw, hot, direct, flash-tube spill light???

Somebody just PM' me about gels and this thread... here's a QUICK brief article http://thediscerningphotographer.com/2009/10/11/how-to-use-light-balancing-gels/

 

[rexbobcat]

Whoa,whoa,whoa...slow down....you're sort of throwing the baby out with the bath water here...It's not quite clear what it is,exactly, that you were hoping to accomplish...although I "think" I know what you were hoping to achieve I am not sure...the issue is not that your umbrellas are at fault..and the issue is not that PLM's are somehow "better" than other types of umbrellas, or that softboxes are "better" than shoot through or reflecting umbrellas...it seems like you've made a post and are so busy telling us how 'bad" it is (not in so many words, but your disappointment is coming through loud and clear)...cough,cough...have you tried converting these images to Black & White????

I think there's quite a bit that can be learned from looking at these results with a bit more distance (as in time distance from shoot), or as in distance from "another person's point of view"...

Again, not 100% sure exactly what lighting effect you were hoping to create...but I am wondering if your dissatisfaction is not from the 2,500 to 3,500 degrees Kelvin disparity between the ambient light and the flash's color temperature, as shot through your umbrella(s)??? You have really warm ambient, and ugly, cold flash-tube light on the dude. What was the white balance set to? Have you tried B&W converting these?

The WB was 5000K. I cooled it down in post because he seemed kind of red, but I think my monitor (which is calibrated) is just inherently a bit warm for whatever reason.

I didn't like the shoot through, because there was so much spill everywhere. It was almost impossible to get any depth in the shadows no matter what angle I put it at. I'll try the b&w conversion. I see the difference in luminance and contrast in the first one so I think it might convert well - the second maybe not as well, but I'll see.

I want a softlighter, because when I was helping an established photographer he used one a lot and the amount of control and diffusion that he could accomplish was insane. He also used a very simple setup, because he's editorial and shoots mostly environmental portraits. I KNOW it can be done, but I'm just frustrated trying to figure out HOW. lol

 

[tirediron]

I don't know what you're moaning about; these are not that bad at all. #2 is pretty darn good (we won't discuss the fact that your subject is sitting on a sidewalk... ) and while the lighting there isn't perfect, it's pretty darn good. You've got your strobe about 2/3 stop over ambient, minimal spill, good illumination. Not bad at all.