Mid-Day Fill Flash. Which Method?

Hello There,

I have an outdoor portrait session in a few days. The people can only do it at noon, so the sun will be bright and high and the shoot is down by the ocean's edge so I predict there won't be much shade.

I'll be using a speedlite mounted on the camera hot shoe for a little fill flash. Question is should I use the flash straight on with lots of negative FEC dialed in? Or.... I also have a Demb Saucer Flip-It. Option 2 would be to point the flash straight up and have the Demb sharply angled forward so it throws most of the light towards the subject. Which method do you think will yield better results?

The easiest thing to do is ask one of your family or friends to be a model and experiment with your flash and modifiers you have.

What is the shooting environment going to be? Will there be fill from any reflective surroundings?
This was shot with a fairly reflective environment (concrete) using on bare on camera flash. Shot at max flash power from about 20 feet away.

I would use none of the silly plastic thingies, you are only going to loose power.

The demb doesnt make the light appreciably softer in this circumstance as the light source isnt larger. Go with direct flash. Because the fill is close to the ambient, shadow edges are less problematic, in short hard light is less of an issue.

third vote for direct flash.

in the example windpig posted, the sun is a bit behind the subject. Hopefully you will be able to do something similar. If the sun is in fact directly over head (happens probably less than you might think at noon) you will have shadows in the eye sockets, under the nose, chin, etc. You're flash probably will not be able to over come that situation so try to see if you can position the subject with their back to the sun.

Or, you can arrange for an assistant to hold a diffuser over the person's head.

i came across this video the other day that might help, although i admit i didn't watch it all.

https://www.youtube.co​m/watch?v=prC516rC5_4

Another vote for direct flash with the subject's back toward the sun. In such light, most Canon flashes (all the EX models, I believe) will automatically dial in -1 FEC for you. I don't think I've ever used more (less?) than -1/3 FEC on top of that. The sun makes a great hair light, but will ruin shots if it is shining on their faces. Shoot manual, expose for the faces, let ETTL-II do its thing. Oh, and getting some practice on-scene and in similar light should be very informative.

While experimenting, try exposing for the ambient and using your flash in ettl and camera set for Av. You will probably need to set your flash to HSS. This will help stop the background blowing out.

This was taken shortly after noon with full sun directly behind subject with on camera flash in ETTL and HSS. It could have used about -1/2 FEC.

shadowdancer wrote in post #17595749
While experimenting, try exposing for the ambient and using your flash in ettl and camera set for Av. You will probably need to set your flash to HSS. This will help stop the background blowing out.

uh-oh, the HSS suggestion. Let us assume Sunny 16 conditions, ISO 200, 'normal' lens FL, FF camera, and analyze we we're working with...

1. Shutter speed 1/200, f/16 for ambient light
   
2. ETTL flash has usual non-HSS GN195 for 50mm FL coverage angle at 1/200 ISO 200
   
3. If we go to 1/250 this causes flash to go into HSS and GN drops by -2EV (or more, for some units)...to GN98
   
4. If we take the shutter to 1/500 and f/11, we lose an additional EV of flash range in HSS... down to GN69
   
5. At GN69, with -1EV flash fill the flash is good out only to 8.6' with lens set to f/11 and FEC = -1EV
   
6. If we take the shutter to 1/100 and f/8, we lose an additional EV of flash power in HSS... down to GN49
   
7. At GN49, with -1EV flash fill the flash is still good out only to 8.6' with lens set to f/8 and FEC = -1EV
   

GeeMack wrote in post #17595912
This was taken shortly after noon with full sun directly behind subject with on camera flash in ETTL and HSS. It could have used about -1/2 FEC.

Hosted photo: posted by GeeMack in
./showthread.php?p=175​95912&i=i191977571
forum: Flash and Studio Lighting

this close to the subject, some kind of bounce card thingy would be a significant difference in apparent size of the modifier and softened not only the edge of the shadows but the specularity of the highlights.

Here are a few different ways to deal with Shooting at high noon.




Hope it helps.

Craig Beckta

If you want to use the speedlite for fill distance is the major determining factor. Too far away and its won't have the power required for HSS.
I've found that the Canon distance scale on the back of a 580EXII or 600EX-RT is reasonably good estimate for distance. I've also found that its sometimes necessary for minus FEC. My guage for FEC is seeing a shadow from the fill behind the subject on the ground. If I can see the shadow I apply minus FEC.

On the beach your only real hope is to but the sun behind them and then use the flash, or a reflector for fill. The advantage a reflector offers is being a much larger light source.

One additional tool is the develop module in Lightroom or the camera raw entry point for raw into photoshop. The shadow slider is an effective tool for opening shadows. Combined with the highlight slider and exposure slider it offers a lot of processing options.

This is a shot from an event yesterday. As you can see sunlight from behind. The dark skin added to the fill requirement. This was shot with a Fuji XT-1 and processed in Lightroom.
Mainly the highlight, shadow, white and black sliders.

I wouldn't go into a portrait session expecting to fix backlit subjects in Lightroom, the reflector or fill flash option is much more powerful. But Lightroom has come a long way with it processing tools as well.

I see neither of your flashes listed in your gear are capable of high speed sync flash. With that in mind, you are going to have keep your shutter speed at probably 1/200 or below to utilize your flash. You can shoot in manual or an auto mode, just dial your FEC up or down to get the effect you want. I too look for flash shadows to adjust my fill flash.

I would forget the flash and learn to utilize natural light. I'd find some cover and shoot in open shade or if you have to shoot in the sun, turn the subject from the sun and backlight them.