Beach wedding setup - aka how to get great images on the beach

• AB800 (though I'd like a 1600 or an Einstein)
  
• Vagabond Mini Lithium
  
• Skyport kit.
  

Did you use a light meter or eye ball it as far as setting the power on the strobe after exposing for the blue sky? Just curious how you work.

Full power baby, and if I had it I'd have used another stop or two of light. Camera on M metered for the background.

I have a light meter, last thing I used it for was hammering a nail into a wall, I don't even take it to weddings these days.

tim wrote in post #14232536
Full power baby, and if I had it I'd have used another stop or two of light. Camera on M metered for the background.

I have a light meter, last thing I used it for was hammering a nail into a wall, I don't even take it to weddings these days.

Ah...I re-read and you used the AB800.

Nice work. Always enjoy seeing behind the scenes angles...

tim wrote in post #14232146
Carting the lot down there through the dunes was a bit annoying, but the results were totally worth it. Plus my assistant did the carting anyway

Photo of my setup

Tim, two questions.

1. In your setup photo here, it looks like you're still getting decent light on the spectators even though they are not being hit by the strobe. Is this something you'd ever consider shooting without the use of flash? I know you would lose the deep blue in the sky but you'd also lose the telltale "flash" look on the wedding party. I also realize it would require much more work in post to rebalance the exposure. So I guess my question is: was this flash use more for style or more for post-production efficiency?

2. Totally not light-related: did you wear sandals? I have my first beach wedding this summer and I was wondering if I should bring a pair for the ceremony. Or just go bare feet.

joe

charro callado wrote in post #14232720
Tim, two questions.

1. In your setup photo here, it looks like you're still getting decent light on the spectators even though they are not being hit by the strobe. Is this something you'd ever consider shooting without the use of flash? I know you would lose the deep blue in the sky but you'd also lose the telltale "flash" look on the wedding party. I also realize it would require much more work in post to rebalance the exposure. So I guess my question is: was this flash use more for style or more for post-production efficiency?

2. Totally not light-related: did you wear sandals? I have my first beach wedding this summer and I was wondering if I should bring a pair for the ceremony. Or just go bare feet.

joe

Nevermind on the first question; I just read your sticky on your workflow and I think this answered it:

But still curious about the sandals

charro callado wrote in post #14232720
1. In your setup photo here, it looks like you're still getting decent light on the spectators even though they are not being hit by the strobe. Is this something you'd ever consider shooting without the use of flash? I know you would lose the deep blue in the sky but you'd also lose the telltale "flash" look on the wedding party. I also realize it would require much more work in post to rebalance the exposure. So I guess my question is: was this flash use more for style or more for post-production efficiency?

2. Totally not light-related: did you wear sandals? I have my first beach wedding this summer and I was wondering if I should bring a pair for the ceremony. Or just go bare feet.

1. It's mostly about the style. I like bright, colorful photos, showing the people and the background. The alternative is a blown out white background and poor contrast, which some people can pull off but I just don't like. I might even get myself a nice little in between camera with a medium size sensor that can sync at higher shutter speeds, then I might not need the big strobes for these situations.

2. I wore my big waterproof Merrell tramping shoes! US link here. I don't like sand in my shoes. Massive things they are, they will have looked a bit weird, but function over form some days. I wore suit trousers and a black polo, my usual get up, less casual than I used to do but more practical. I changed to black leather business shoes

Great picture. Did you use an ND filter?

mesakid wrote in post #14233937
Great picture. Did you use an ND filter?

Nope, I don't own an ND filter. I might get one for next season, a few stops off could be really handy at times, taking me down to more reasonable apertures and making it easier to get inside the sync speed, but of course it won't reduce flash power needed.

Thanks for the set up Tim. I like the look of the final image

Tim

Its the only way we shoot outdoors anymore. Screw the speedlights. They cant get what you did right there. We use vagabond minis, 1600's, and 36x48 softboxes. Your example is perfect. good job

Also
a 1600 gets you that extra stop or two and a circular really helps

How far away was the light from the couple? It looks like 10 feet?

Not sure how far away they were, around 3-4 meters I guess. I'm at about 16mm for that image.

AB1600 gives you one stop over an AB800.