Full Body Shot With Single Flash

Can anyone give me some tips on a good starting point. I have one off camera 580EXII, a 43" convertable umbrella, and a small white/silver grip reflector.

I have messed around a bit, but can't seem to work out a decent full body arrangement with my limited gear. I'm not looking to pick up any more gear right now, just use what I have to the best of my ability.

Post an example of a photo and tell us what you think is wrong with it.

Here is my firs t shot w/ off camera flash:

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=530840

Things don't get any better as far as full body light when the flash is my only light source.

I'm not sure why you are using f8.0. At 17mm that is a bit of overkill. check out theDOF calculator and you will see that f2.8 would probably have been fine.

Titus213 wrote in post #5851767
I'm not sure why you are using f8.0. At 17mm that is a bit of overkill. check out theDOF calculator and you will see that f2.8 would probably have been fine.

Thanks dave, I wanted everything in focus; however I do see that f/5.6 would have accomplished that using the calculator.

I had more flash power, so thats not the problem (I think). I set the flash so that the guys face was at the exposure I wanted. I believe that my problem is with position of the stobe. Perhaps moving it farther away would have lit him more evenly at the expense of harsher light. What height and angle for (for the flash) would be a good starting point for this type of shot?

Would be better to have a stripbox or large softbox for full body.

Not so sure the 580 can make it happen.... but... this might get you going in the right direction.... example here... http://www.zarias.com/​?p=91

Hatch

Titus213 wrote in post #5851767
I'm not sure why you are using f8.0. At 17mm that is a bit of overkill. check out theDOF calculator and you will see that f2.8 would probably have been fine.

In order to use a flash outdoors and balance background exposure with flash, I really don't see how 2.8 plus max x-sync would be possible outdoors, daylight, sunny. Unless I am missing something.

ND filter, Cpolarizer.

doidinho wrote in post #5851721
Here is my firs t shot w/ off camera flash:

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=530840

Things don't get any better as far as full body light when the flash is my only light source.

I shot this with one flash off camera. I shot at f/22 and had my flash bare on a stand pointing at the subject key right.

It is possible, and I do not subscribe to the theory that you need to shoot the widest aperture possible and never shoot smaller that f/8. F/22 was a tool that I used to accommodate this shot and it worked wonderfully in the effort to balance ambient and flash.

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With a strong ND filter you can produce an effect that is not possible without reducing the light passing through the lens. You can generate narrower depth of field and more background blur with wider lenses, which is good for focusing on the subject and overall composition in some instances.

Didn't think of ND, that makes sense.

rabidcow wrote in post #5853414
In order to use a flash outdoors and balance background exposure with flash, I really don't see how 2.8 plus max x-sync would be possible outdoors, daylight, sunny. Unless I am missing something.

The exif on the OP's image:

Camera Make: Canon
Camera Model: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XTi
Image Date: 2008:07:03 19:34:20
Flash Used: No
Focal Length: 17.0mm
CCD Width: 2.97mm
Exposure Time: 0.025 s (1/40)
Aperture: f/8.0
ISO equiv: 400
White Balance: Manual
Metering Mode: Matrix
Exposure: Manual
Exposure Mode: Manual

indicated that he did not need f8.0 for light control since he was at ISO400. I was pointing out that at 17mm he had adequate DOF to accomplish the shot at f2.8. ISO 400 on a sunny day is not normally recommended. And I was thinking flash would have an easier time at f2.8 assuming he could stay below max sync speed.

Gotcha. I did not read exif, and made the assumption that there was plenty of daylight.