Outdoor people shoot - advice please!

[Mike Bell]

I'm looking for advice for a paid shoot this weekend. I hope you can help! :)

I am primarily a landscape photographer - mostly amateur but last year I got a contract with the local tourist board to shoot promotional images for a trail they want to promote. They are very happy with my landscape images but now want me to shoot a specific image for the trail brochure front cover. It has to be of a young couple visibly enjoying the trail. It must be in portrait orientation with the top third consisting of sky (where they will place text). They would like it to "look like summer" and "have a nice out-of-focus green background behind the couple". They have lined up the models and we have chosen part of the trail which goes through a coniferous forest - because the only green stuff in Scotland in February is coniferous vegetation! :lol:

The forecast is for sunshine - they are delighted about this, I'm worried about the high contrast. :confused:

OK ....... some specifics:

I think I will use my 5D II and 70-200 f2.8 IS L. Do you agree?
I might need fill flash to kill the shadows. Do you agree? Or maybe a reflector? I have a small Lastolite one.
Flash on the camera or on an off-shoe cord with an assistant to hold it? Should it be held above or to the side generallly?
What (approximate) settings should I use? Av mode? f2.8? f4? Flash on ETTL?
If it is bright and the shutter speed (at say, f2.8 and ISO 100) is faster than 1/200sec would that preclude the use of fill flash? If so, is there a workaround?
As you can tell I'm a bit out of my comfort zone, especially on the flash front. I would appreciate some advice to get me started on the right track. Obviously I will take plenty of shots, check the LCD, and improvise on the day.

[Haru]

1. I would be concerned the 70-200 might be too tight. But that depends on the distance you like to keep from your subject. For me, two people with a reasonable amount of distance between them (you will be shooting them hiking, not just posing right?) the 70-200 wouldn't be wide enough.
2. I think a large reflector should do. Consider fireing the flash into the reflector for fill.
3. Generally moving your flash off camera looks better.
4. AV and ettl don't play well together (from my experience) I would go manual - ETTL, or if you have the time manual - manual. ETTL will sometimes get confused when you start bouncing it around or shooting through things.
5. The 5Dmk II can sync up to 1/250 if im not mistaken, You could up the Aperture, although seeing as your clients want a nice OOF background, those may start to conflict. You can use an ND or CPL filter over your lens. You could also wait until later in the day when the light isn't as bright.

In this case it may not be a bad idea to do a test shoot first. Go up their or to a similar area with some friends or family, and see what works.

[form]

Long focal length and full frame are both useful for blurring the background.

Don't know the situation yet; how are trees and sky both going to be in the picture?

On camera will probably yield flat features, which is why I avoid it unless absolutely necessary. To have the most control over light a powerful strobe and large softbox would be very useful, but that requires battery power source, money, etc.

No idea what settings you'll use; off camera flash is usually on manual.

Bright daylight plus fast apertures at flash sync speeds require a ND filter or other light cutting tool. I think a great option for this would be a full ND filter 2-3 stops for the shutter speed/aperture, and a graduated ND filter for the sky. Both are available from singh-ray and will fit a cokin p-filter holder.

You have two white balances in daylight: Direct sun and Shadow. Direct sun is always lower temperature (more orange) than shadow, afaik. Waiting later in the day will make the sun's white balance difference grow larger: direct sun will be more orange and shadows will be bluer by comparison.

[mmishkin]

If you're using wireless triggers you'll need the ND filter to achieve the 1/200 sync speed. If you're using a sync cord you could get away with the high speed sync setting.

[Mike Bell]

Thank you all for such detailed and thoughtful input! :)

It seems I know a lot less about flash than even I thought! I think I may stick to using a simple relector if I can.

I'll take the 24-105 and 70-200 lenses and shoot at several apertures to vary the OOF background.

[njwoods]

hello all,
Yes, some great advice here----the reflector should do the trick for you. I like the idea of an off camera flash for back up as the light can be tricky so early in the year too.

For sure use the 24-105 lens, I adore my 105 lens for people shots. I am more into the scenery stuff too, but it is a great lens for the people shots. You can be close but not in their face with it.

[howzitboy]

try get one of those graduated nd filters. the ones where top is dark and bottom clear so u can get nice exposure on sky and dont lose details in foreground.
70-200 is kinda long, id rather have wider lens so my flash wont have to travel as far to light up the couple. errr if u even need flash. overcast days rock.

[Mike Bell]

Thanks guys. I ordered a big 32 inch reflector and it arrived today. The ND grad idea could be good to get that 1/3 of sky at the top that they want ...... or there's always Photoshop! ;)

[tdodd]

I know this is nothing like the setup you have described but as an example of people out and about in the countryside I quite this first shot below. I think the dog really sets the scene off nicely as well. It was shot at 400mm on a 30D (= 560 mm FOV on full frame).

The second shot is at 105mm on a 40D (= 168mm). Again the composition is nothing like the one you need, but I think the focal length has potential.

The third shot is at 150mm (= 240mm) on a 30D.

I don't think 70-200 on a full frame body is necessarily too long. I'd take options along with me.

400mm (560mm)
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4_R8TkwT74w/Sao5yyXlvjI/AAAAAAAA-yY/OgqWBD461Ug/s800/20070707_131646_LR.jpg

105mm (168mm)
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4_R8TkwT74w/Sao6M8cmXPI/AAAAAAAA-y0/Rg1doZvOHto/s800/20080615_123139_5669_LR.jpg

150mm (240mm)
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4_R8TkwT74w/Sao5zpD-8kI/AAAAAAAA-yg/4Y1Z1eO2WCk/s800/20070722_175647_LR.jpg

As for the lighting, you could bracket exposures and paste in a less "overexposed" sky, if you need to. If the sky is clear blue then you may have less to worry about. Backlit clouds or haze are the nasty things to contend with. You might want to take some sky shots separately, as library shots for yourself, to paste in above the ground scene just in case the sky is not playing nice on the day.

[Valjoy]

They are great shots...

[tdodd]

They are great shots...
Cheers. They are all candids. I don't know the people in the first shot. The second two shots are friends, but not posed in any way, just snatched opportunities.

Here's one more, this time at 330mm on a 30D. I had sneaked ahead trying to stalk rabbits in a field and I turned round and saw the mob watching me over the gate. How could I resist snapping this precious scene? :)

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4_R8TkwT74w/SaqxOaV-D8I/AAAAAAAA-zo/U9By26ZtjQA/s800/20070722_174629_LR.jpg

I'm just posting as another idea for a scene of people out enjoying themselves while out walking.