High Noon Shootout at the Alamo

I am going to be taking some head shots in front of the Alamo (white facade). They want the Alamo in the background. They want to shoot photos at noon. It will be sunny. I have tried to convince them to shoot later in the afternoon, but that won't be happening.

I plan on putting them in the shade to minimize squinting and harsh shadows, but am concerned about overall exposure.

Should I expose for the background and throw on a flash with diffuser? Or focus on proper exposure of the individuals and correct the background with photoshop?

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

Shoot 'em both ways...

I have a hunch fill flash with proper background exposure will give the best results but try both (if you have the time...)

recommendations for flash settings and/or gels?

I was thinking of using a gary fong diffuser with some gels.

a 'headshot' with an identifiable background?!....sounds more like an 'environment portrait' than a headshot!

I would expose for the main subject and try to drop the background down so that the focus of the observer is to the subject, not the background! If subject and background are in similar light, that says you need lights for the subject so that it can receive more exposure than the background.

Gary Fong diffuser in the outdoors in daylight....[Sound of retching]...sorry but you want lights off camera, not on the camera and non-flattering to the model. And you do not want to waste light (which the Fong does by casting light all directions where most of it is wasted) because outdoors in bright sun does not afford the luxury of any wasted light.

The 'headshot' or environmental portrait, will be composed on the right 1/3 of the photo (portrait) while the Alamo will fill up the left 2/3 of the frame.

While I would like to do some off camera lighting, that is also out of the question. I have approximately 15 minutes to shoot three people. No setup time on this one: jump out of the car and start snapping. I guess I will just try all focal lengths and some flash. The diffuser I thought would help soften the harshness of the flash.

Thanks for the help.

As far as lighting, I'll second Wilt's suggestion to tone the background down a bit and, at noon, you really will want to use fill flash because the sun will cause harsh shadows on the faces, while brightening up the light-colored building (check out this pic and this pic for light references for the building.

As far as composition, I don't know how you could pull off a head shot with anything meaningful and recognizeable of the Alamo in the background! Good luck, but if I were you I'd also get some at a wider angle with them standing or sitting some distance away.

If you look at the first pic above, imagine them sitting on the grass, and you crouching or even laying down with your camera and a UWA lens at f/8 or so...it could be interesting!

'headshot' is mostly 'just a head showing'

Fong and soft lighting...achieved mostly due to light diverted up to a ceiling, which becomes the very large source of soft light. Outside, the Fong will have a bit of benefit in softening because its surface area is greater than that of the flash lens. The closer the better for soft light. If you were really shooting a 'headshot' you would likely be close enough to make a difference.

Since the shot is more of an 'environmental portrait' you need to back off a bit with greater distance, to avoid wide angle induced perspective distortion. My suggestion is rather than on-camera flash unit is to have the three people serve as assistants when they are not the subject in front of the lens, and use a reflective panel to cast more light to one side of the face for facial modelling. However, that technique won't allow you to 'dim down' the background. The magic of digital PP can overcome that issue, however.

Or use an off-camera shoe cord!

I have been to the Alamo...why the hurry? You can park the car and walk over in front of the Alamo and shoot, not at a frenetic pace...

Wilt wrote in post #5485666
I have been to the Alamo...why the hurry? You can park the car and walk over in front of the Alamo and shoot, not at a frenetic pace...

three executives in business suits with tight schedules.... and it will be 98 degrees...

I'll try a reflector also. Thanks for the advice.

thievery wrote in post #5486415
three executives in business suits with tight schedules.... and it will be 98 degrees...

I'll try a reflector also. Thanks for the advice.

Oh, the "I'm too busy to waste much time" clan!

Forget the Gary Fong outside and in bright sun. Might as well try to put Niagara Falls through a garden hose.
Check the stickie in the flash section.

First, I'm not an expert at lighting by any means....but what about a diffuser panel? I have a 5-in-1 reflector that has a translucent panel. Since you're only doing a head shot couldn't an assistant hold this up correctly to diffuse the harsh light while still staying out of frame and messing up the alamo?

sevillafox wrote in post #5491290
First, I'm not an expert at lighting by any means....but what about a diffuser panel? I have a 5-in-1 reflector that has a translucent panel. Since you're only doing a head shot couldn't an assistant hold this up correctly to diffuse the harsh light while still staying out of frame and messing up the alamo?

Nice idea under the right circumstances. Unfortunately, shooting around high noon would require the Jolly Green Giant for an asistant to hold it overhead high enough!

Wilt wrote in post #5491327
Nice idea under the right circumstances. Unfortunately, shooting around high noon would require the Jolly Green Giant for an asistant to hold it overhead high enough!

Yeah, I figured. But, I wasn't sure if the angle of light might be changed enough by daylight savings to make a difference in how high one would need to be. He could always throw the assistant up on a ladder.

So is a permit of any kind required for a commercial shoot on Alamo grounds?

sevillafox wrote in post #5491353
Yeah, I figured. But, I wasn't sure if the angle of light might be changed enough by daylight savings to make a difference in how high one would need to be. He could always throw the assistant up on a ladder.

Better yet, bring a portable folding stool and sit the subject down...properly composed, you would never know when looking at the final print!