Flash frustrations when shooting outside - Please help

I've shot models several times outside recently, and am having quite a few problems with all the issues you have to deal with, as opposed to shooting in the studio (where first I learned).

I have a basic understanding of lighting, histograms, exposure, and a lot of the technical aspects of the shot, but seem to spend an inordinate amount of time taking test shots & chimping. It seems like every time I make an adjustment that helps something, another aspect of the shot screws up, and it's getting frustrating. I think the models tend to notice my nervousness/frustratio​n, and I also start babbling when I get nervous. Needless to say, it doesn't help anyone relax, nor get good shots.

Today, I shot with another photographer outside who barely tested his shots, and seemed to just move from location to location with ease. He used to be a professional, so he has much more experience and a more intuitive sense of how to adjust settings given the situation than I do.

What I need are just some basic rules or a routine I could kind of use as a baseline and vary from it depending on the situation, rather than starting at a random settings and adjusting willy nilly from there. For instance, the newest issue of Popular Photography gave the tip when shooting someone backlit by bright sunlight, start dialing the camera's exposure compensation down in about half-stop increments until the background looks good, then start upping the flash exposure compensation until the subject is well-, but not over-, lit. I can't wait to try that tomorrow.

I'm almost afraid to use my 50mm f/1.8 at a low aperture because every time I do, I blow the heck out of the shot. I must be doing something wrong, and would love outdoor photography much more if I could get some basic pointers.

Sorry for the long-winded post, but I just got back from one of the most frustrating shoots I've done, and I'd really appreciate any help anyone could give me. Feel free to check out some of my shots on my Model Mayhem page too.

your model mayhem outdoor photos look good to me. are you using off or on cam flash?

Thanks jermego, I only post my good images. I can get great, well-lit shots once I get everything set up correctly, I just am saying that I spend WAY too much time taking test shots. I'm looking for some tips & tricks to help speed up this procedure so I can spend more time focusing on the model and not on my camera.

To answer your question, most of my shots are with a strobe off camera shot through a white umbrella.

you have to start somewhere... try to start at ISO 100, 1/200 at f/4 or 5.6 and just adjust accordingly from there. just turn on your blinkies and check histogram.

Buy a light meter?

Titus213 wrote in post #7918213
Buy a light meter?

i didnt even think of this +1, get a light meter.

That was my first reaction. Either that or go ETTL.

Titus213 wrote in post #7918213
Buy a light meter?

rushnp774 wrote in post #7917864
I'm almost afraid to use my 50mm f/1.8 at a low aperture because every time I do, I blow the heck out of the shot.

A quick look at the EXIF of those shots will reveal that your shutter speed is at X-sync (1/200 or 1/250 depending on your camera).

High speed sync is an option, but it sucks power and has limited range. Set your shutter at X-sync speed, adjust the aperture for the ambient exposure you want, then dial in the flash power you want.

Experience will help, but you need to capitalize on your mistakes by analyzing those shots to logically figure out what went wrong.

First set a manual exposure that suits your background/ambient light, without flash, and making sure you do not exceed the flash sync speed. In bright conditions you may end up stopped down a long way. e.g. on a sunny day you would need something like 100 ISO, 1/250, f/10 for a "correct" ambient exposure. If you want to throw in some extra lighting to make your model pop then you might need to stop down a little more than that. If you're using a Rebel or 5D then your sync speed is only 1/200 so you'd need to be at f/11. On a 1D3 you might squeak f/9 at 1/300.

In less bright conditions you can start opening up the aperture a bit, but to use f/1.8 and remain within the sync speed you will need fairly subdued ambient light conditions - over 6 stops dimmer than full sunshine. If you want shallow DOF in brighter conditions you might consider ND filters, but then your flash will have to be powerful enough to battle through the filters too. Of course, battling through filters is no different to battling through a narrow aperture, but one way or the other you will need to reduce the light coming into the camera.

If you're using speedlites then, as Curtis says, high speed sync is an option, especially if you want to open up that aperture in bright conditions. Looking at the example of bright sunshine again, at f/2 and 100 ISO, for example, your shutter speed would need to be around 1/6400. I don't know what sort of reach a 580EX has when used at 1/6400 but you can be sure it is less than on full power at the sync speed - probably only half power at best, maybe quite a bit less than that.

Whether you use high speed sync, stop down or use ND filters, sort out your ambient exposure first and then add in and adjust the flash to taste.

EDIT : I don't shoot models/fashion so my advice is based on shooting weddings, where I don't have time to be fiddling around experimenting and measuring. I need to have my ambient dialed in correctly and then flash provides my fill/accent and is controlled simply with a quick adjustment to FEC.

I'm in a very similar boat to the OP, but I believe I have just moved on from that position.

Here's the logic I applied which now seems to work, although it's slightly difference to the above advise.

Work out the output of your flash will give you (after modifiers), ie Manual mode at 100% power, through white umbrellas at ISO 100 at a distance of 12 foot. Lets say for example that is f11. Right that's the flash exposure sorted. Give these parameters the output from the flash rig will ALWAYS be f11 ... now that's your constant start point any shot using the flash setup.

Camera into manual mode ... ISO 100 f11

Now to the ambient bit ... adjust shutter speed to get the correct ambient light exposure. Use the camera's meter as guidance ... but try around 1/125 or 1/250 if sunny.

The problem comes if the ambient is too much and you need to raise the shutter speed above 1/250. In which case you'll need to start at f16 and move the flash closer.

I prefer to do it this way balancing the ambient with the flash rather than visa versa as it avoids running up and down the flash adjusting output.

This is just the way I work ... I'm not saying its correct ... it's just my prefered method that I thought I would share.

rushnp774-

The key to good outdoor pictures is good metering technique. Before you start with flash, I would start with AV Mode, centerpoint focus, and partial metering. Focus on the eye/check, and recompose for your shot. Partial metering works best when the subject fills the majority of the frame. When your metering is consistent, you can use EC to make adjustments to the overal exposure.

After your exposure is consistent, you can add flash in eTTL and FEC for consistent use. HSS is neccessary for faster apertures. With this technique, you can easily use any lens at any aperture. I use f1.4 to f2.8 all the time outdoors with great results.

To shoot with flash and big apertures in bright ambient light, try a 2- or 3-stop ND filter.

Don't just get a light meter... Get a dummy of come type. Best is the shop front modelling type... They don't complain when you spend 40 minutes pfaffing with lights!

You can really get a great idea of what the lights are doing, and spend days experimenting.

Check out the video in the first post of this thread - https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=684587

A great masterpiece requres 1% of talent and 99% of sweat. Every photoshoot will require less time than the previous one if you excersize persistence. You already have much more experience than the vast majority of advisers who gather the information on the internet and the most photoshoots they do is testing, testing and testing again. So you are on the right track and should be giving not asking for advises arelady