trying to understand flashing to compensate bright sunny days.

[Kai]

I think I understand the concept but can't really word it or fiqure out how to do it. .

So if you have a shot you are doing under a tree with sun spots coming through what would I need to set my flash to to avoid sun spots on my people. I tried this at a wedding and I think there were too many people my flash wouldn't cover them all. Here is a copy of what I am trying to explain. I didn't pp so I am not trying to get c&c on pp. I will probably not show this picture to the couple as I am not pleased with it but I am glad I tried it. I think I shot AV.

Thanks.


http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x169/audrabuchanan/IMG_6294lra-2ab.jpg

[picturecrazy]

The biggest problem with your setup is that you have some people in dark shade, some in partial shade. You gotta get everyone into the same kind of light. That is the starting point. With one on-camera flash, it is difficult to properly light up a grouping like that.

[Kai]

Thats what I thought. So what if I only had the bride and groom and could not avoid a sun spot? There were really no other options outside to photography unless I shot in complete sun... that scares me. I need more practice.

[picturecrazy]

You can help avoid sun spots by putting their backs to the sun. You can even do this in full direct sunlight. If you put the sun to their backs, the only way to light them up well is to flash them, which means you have 100% control of how much light they get. Try it in direct sun... it works.

[Scott_Quier]

Thats what I thought. So what if I only had the bride and groom and could not avoid a sun spot? There were really no other options outside to photography unless I shot in complete sun... that scares me. I need more practice.With on-camera flash, you need the subject(s) to be all in one "type" of light, either all in shade or all in the light, whatever - it just needs to be all the same.

When you have off-camera flash and more then one, then you can be a little more creative about the amount/quality of the ambient light. It's a lot more difficult to mess with different lights, but can be more creative.

Since time is usually an issue, one will probably not have the time to be that creative.

Also, like Lloyd says, don't be afraid of the full sun. Use it, but put it behind the couple. This can create nice effects, but will also tend to silhouette the subject(s) (D'oh). That's why/where the use of flash comes in - and, you get to control the amount of light on your subject.

[Jon Rouston]

Thats what I thought. So what if I only had the bride and groom and could not avoid a sun spot? There were really no other options outside to photography unless I shot in complete sun... that scares me. I need more practice.

The buildings around where you are taking pictures are casting solid consistent shadows, I'd be tempted to use them.

[Kai]

Thanks all. I will try to use the sun more. You are right jon. The right side had some shade and I did use it. I just could not spread the people out like I wanted.

[fraggle_rock]

I thought the positioning of the people was very good, maybe not the Peeking-out-behind-a-tree, but the rest very balanced.

[cosworth]

I tried this at a wedding and I think there were too many people my flash wouldn't cover them all.

First thing, you need to take more than one flash to a wedding. I take two 580s and an ST-E2 with a 430 as backup.

I would have flashed them from both sides and very little at that. Enough to not see any hard shadows. I probably would have pulled out the 17mm diffuser as well.

Both flashes would look at the ST-E2 or I'd have used my pocketwizards to flash the left one as master to the right slave on M.

Be mindful placing people where they have sun on them. Try to get people iniformly placed with shadows and sun even.

[Megapixle]

One other thing that nobody has mentioned yet is that the light from your flash falls off dramatically as distance increases (1 / distance^2). Since you posed your b&g at the front, they got probably 2x as much flash light as the people in the back. So not only are the people in the back in darker shade, they're only getting half as much supplemental light. So they have 2 strikes against them.

~mp

[howzitboy]

not that bad a try, i bet with some pp, u can get the "dark" people to match up with the rest.

[adblink]

i tried to take a similar photograph but of less people (5) and everyone here gave me the advice to stay away from lighting like this when at all possible, lol

[tim]

If people are different distances from the flash they won't be evenly lit. If it was properly exposed that'd have been a great photo. The advice you've received so far is good so I won't add anything else.

[viet]

Believe it or not, but the red wall that has enough shadow would be a beautiful background for a group shot, get them under the shade and fill in with your flash if you don't want to fight with the sun.

[Jonny]

First thing, you need to take more than one flash to a wedding. I take two 580s and an ST-E2 with a 430 as backup.

I would have flashed them from both sides and very little at that. Enough to not see any hard shadows. I probably would have pulled out the 17mm diffuser as well.

Both flashes would look at the ST-E2 or I'd have used my pocketwizards to flash the left one as master to the right slave on M.

Be mindful placing people where they have sun on them. Try to get people iniformly placed with shadows and sun even.

What amazes me is how you get the time to set all that up before people get pissed off!

[cosworth]

When you break out the gear and get to work, know what your doing and EXPLAIN why you are doing it, people will sit for a long time to get a good shot of themselves.

Remember, be professional, act professional and never rush the photographer. Images come out better that way.

[Jonny]

You can help avoid sun spots by putting their backs to the sun. You can even do this in full direct sunlight. If you put the sun to their backs, the only way to light them up well is to flash them, which means you have 100% control of how much light they get. Try it in direct sun... it works.

Lloydd or Tim

When photographing in to direct sun can i ask what settings you would typically use?
I have had little problems with it however i must admit i have struggled to fully understand what i am doing. I suppose i have had plenty of luck in bright light.

the problem i have had is that when metering for the background/blue sky the camera wants to give me a shutter speed greater than my flash sync speed, even at f22. As i use a metz i do not have the luxury of HSS.

A brief description of your settings would be cool.

[picturecrazy]

My standard go-to setting for bright direct afternoon sun is ISO100 F/8 1/250. Just about all my sunny outdoor ceremonies are shot with this setting.

[Scott_Quier]

My standard go-to setting for bright direct afternoon sun is ISO100 F/8 1/250. Just about all my sunny outdoor ceremonies are shot with this setting.And, amazingly enough, that fits with the "Sunny 16" rule quite nicely!:D