Backyard Practice, Need Inputs

windpig wrote in post #17680794
1. Nonsense, learn to shoot in full sun, just like the last image.
2. Hss does not preserve colors
3. More power gives you more modifier and flash to subject options, but for now I'd learn to use an unmodifed speedlight as fill in full sun to get a natural look. Learning this will make shooting in other lighting situations a piece of cake.
4. Sun never for fill, only for rim (I'm talking full sun).

Comment 2 is in response to somebody saying that ND filters may cause color casts.

Jiggo0109 wrote in post #17680742
Thank you guys... Really helped me a lot... So here is my recap...

1. Shoot during golden hours.
2. Use hss to preserve colors.
3. No need for stronger strobes to make a decent lighting against the sun, but powerful strobes are beneficial, if dialed down to match a
full powered 300 watt strobe, when recycling time is in concern.
4. Use the sun as fill or rim light of the subject.

If there is something I missed, please feel free to add a note.

Thanks.

1. helps but not essential
2. some ND filters alter color more than others, honestly, unless you are super critical of exact color reproduction i don't think it is much of an issue.
3. just use what you have, if you find it isn't recycling fast enough or you need more power, buy more gear. what you will find is that when you add more people and need to bring the light source back, that is when you will probably start thinking about more power.
4. not fill.

let me re-phrase #4... sun for fill during sunset or sunrise using strobe as the key light. Rim light during sun in harsh condition. Hope I made sense...

I tried to practice with speedlites before (430ex ii and yn 560IV) but I found it easier with my 300 watt strobe modified by its standard reflector. Don't know why but maybe because it's bigger light compared to squared (bare) speedlites.