Advice how to get good light when the sun is right above the subject

DC Fan wrote in post #12868955
As previously mentioned, fill flash is the technique to use. Actual examples:

| Byte size: ZERO | Content warning: NOT AN IMAGE

| Byte size: ZERO | Content warning: NOT AN IMAGE

See the shadows at the subjects' feet? Those shadows would have completely enveloped the subjects had a flash (a Sunpak 383, in this case) not been used as the primary illumination. Getting the flash settings right may take some experimentation, but it can be done.

Thanks for the tips but for my taste the light is to hard... but maybe an large softbox or umbrella could fix it.

Curtis N wrote in post #12869344
Someone needs to ask this.

Why would you want to shoot a person in a chair outside when you know the sun is going to be right above the model?

I want a special background outside and I have only a hour to take the picture and yes it's one person sitting in a chair.

Use a scrim/diffuser to create shade, then use a flash (softbox/BD/umbrella/e​tc) to light your subject with soft light that complements the sunlight in the background.

The scrim doesn't have to be anything fancy. Two assistants holding a white bedsheet above your seated subject, should do the trick. For a headshot, something smaller will work - I've used my Lastolite Tri-Grip as a diffuser/shade.

I think the fill flash in post #6 is dreadfully overdone. The proper amount of fill flash on a sunny day will simply lift the shadow areas, not obliterate them. With the hard-edged shadows still there it will still look natural.

When we see a pretty girl in the sunshine, we don't say, "Gee, the sun makes her look ugly!" Fill flash in sunshine should help create an image that approximates how our eyes perceive the scene.

Click the link in my signature for more info on how to use flash outdoors.

Curtis N wrote in post #12870682
I think the fill flash in post #6 is dreadfully overdone. The proper amount of fill flash on a sunny day will simply lift the shadow areas, not obliterate them. With the hard-edged shadows still there it will still look natural.

When we see a pretty girl in the sunshine, we don't say, "Gee, the sun makes her look ugly!" Fill flash in sunshine should help create an image that approximates how our eyes perceive the scene.

Click the link in my signature for more info on how to use flash outdoors.

I both agree and disagree.

Personally, I like hard shadows, as long as they don't take over the entire photo. I like the natural look that they bring to the photo.

In fact, I did a outdoor shoot with a beautiful young model last saturday, where pretty much every shot has hard shadows. That was part of the idea and it works very well.

But I would go as far as to say, that the "natural look" is the only right way to go. Sometimes that may not be what one is looking for and in such cases, I see no problem with completely killing the shadows. If what you want requires a full studio setup in the woods, go for it.

Taste differs, of course, but as long as you get the result you want (or your client wants, there are no "right" or "wrong" way to do it.