AB800 with Softbox Outdoors-I Need Help!!

I recently purchased the Vagabond so I can take my Bee's outside. I have been trying with 1 B800 with a medium softbox.

Can anyone PLEASE help me with the basics?
I feel pretty stupid right now
I've never had this sort of problem using my 580EX outside.

How far shoould I set the strobe away from the person? How high? What angle.....direct or feathered?
What power setting do you normally start at? What do I meter, the person or the background?

I have done fairly well at using the Bee's in my studio, but when it comes to using them outside, I just plain don't get it.

I have tried some shots with the strobe about 6 feet away at a 45 angle, softbox straight on to person. Using about 1/16 to 1/8 power.

My pics don't look anything like the ones I see posted on here. Mine just look flat, and usually waaay HOT. I have tried this in the shade on a sunny and cloudy day. I try to keep the SS around 200, using f4-8 in the shade.

I have a young gal coming over on Sunday to help me figure this out, but I could sure use a few (or alot) of pointers to get me started in the right direction.

Please help!!!!!

Thanks, Kath

i think you need to have the softbox closer to the subject. I have seen it as close as 18" as long as it does not show in the shot. You may need to increase the power, you want it to equal the ambient light but not overpower it. Scott Kelby's books The Digital Photography Book 2 & 3 discuss this in length. You may also be able to do a search on POTN and find the info also. Good Luck.

It sounds like you need to learn to balance ambient light with flash. If you're shooting outdoors at f4 @ 1/200 in the bright sun, that could be a reason why your pictures are overexposed. (assuming sunny 16 is close- you should be closer to f/11 @ iso 100)

You need to figure out the ambient exposure first- then add the flash to light the subject. Usually underexposing the daylight by a stop helps to add separation.

A B800 in a softbox outside at 1/16 power isn't doing anything for you! You're going to have to turn the power way up and get the softbox really close.

If you meter the ambient light at f/11 @ 1/125, stop down to f/11 @ 1/250 and meter your flash for f/11 on your subject. Make sure you're not seeing the shutter at 1/250 when using the strobe... depending on what you use to trigger may restrict you down to slower shutter speeds.

Always remember- shutter speed controls ambient, aperture controls both ambient and flash.

What I have been doing is metering the background and then going 1 stop under for the subject.

What I don't know is where to set up the stobe, height and distance and then the power. I have been mostly in the shade.

I have not gotten the strobe closer than 4 feet from the subject. Maybe that is my problem?

Also, I tend to shoot around 4:00 or so. Would it be better after that?

Thanks, Kath

sunnybeach wrote in post #8501697
What I have been doing is metering the background and then going 1 stop under for the subject.

What I don't know is where to set up the stobe, height and distance and then the power. I have been mostly in the shade.

I have not gotten the strobe closer than 4 feet from the subject. Maybe that is my problem?

Also, I tend to shoot around 4:00 or so. Would it be better after that?

Thanks, Kath

Get the strobe closer- Distance & power cannot be told to you. It will change for every location.

Height can also vary, but as long as it's higher than the subject you should be ok.

sunnybeach wrote in post #8501237
I recently purchased the Vagabond so I can take my Bee's outside. I have been trying with 1 B800 with a medium softbox.

Can anyone PLEASE help me with the basics?
I feel pretty stupid right now
I've never had this sort of problem using my 580EX outside.

How far shoould I set the strobe away from the person? How high? What angle.....direct or feathered?
What power setting do you normally start at? What do I meter, the person or the background?

I have done fairly well at using the Bee's in my studio, but when it comes to using them outside, I just plain don't get it.

I have tried some shots with the strobe about 6 feet away at a 45 angle, softbox straight on to person. Using about 1/16 to 1/8 power.

My pics don't look anything like the ones I see posted on here. Mine just look flat, and usually waaay HOT. I have tried this in the shade on a sunny and cloudy day. I try to keep the SS around 200, using f4-8 in the shade.

I have a young gal coming over on Sunday to help me figure this out, but I could sure use a few (or alot) of pointers to get me started in the right direction.

Please help!!!!!

Thanks, Kath

the farther the light source, the harder the light is...

I am going to practise some more tomorrow after work.

I did have the strobe 4-8 feet away and YES, the light was harsh!!
I will get up close and see what happens.

Thanks, Kath

What size softbox are you using? General rule is (yeah I know rules are meant to be broken): size of softbox = distance it should be placed from subject to maintain the quality of light (soft light, the reason you are using a softbox). So in general let's say you have a 36 inch softbox, it should be a max of 3' from your subject for quality light. If your subject is brightly backlit (say f/16) you are going to want to get that light nice and close so you can get the proper exposure on your subject without blowing out the background. Also, remember that shutter speed controls your ambient light and aperture controls the light from your flash/strobe in this situation.