STICKY: How to photograph a high school Senior

Love this shot Mike.

Scooter650 wrote in post #15077337
Great smile and photo! Weathers changing here to, snow on the horizon.

We had 101 deg the day before.

Nick Porcaro wrote in post #15062921
I always tell my seniors to bring props if they mean something. This one brought her marine...

LOL, now that was funny.

umphotography wrote in post #15078515
Yesterday afternoon at 2:00PM full daylight. Love the Beauty dishes for shooting in full F/16 lighting.

What flash/power were you using? I need to practice more in bad lighting conditions, it would open up more time slots during the week for me.

Scooter650 wrote in post #15077337
Great smile and photo! Weathers changing here to, snow on the horizon.

Thanks!

bobbyz wrote in post #15078589
Love this shot Mike.

+1

jb_browneyes wrote in post #15077532
wow 2 different eye colors.

Yes indeed, just like David Bowie.

GerryDavid wrote in post #15078722
What flash/power were you using? I need to practice more in bad lighting conditions, it would open up more time slots during the week for me.

OK.. Here is the down and dirty trick to get perfect exposures

Equipment:

1.Strobe that will get you to F/16.. I use an AB1600
2. Triggers.. I use pocket wizards
3. Beauty dish- I suse Paul Buff 22" white dish
4. modifier for the dish.. I use a #30 grid or a sock for full length shots
5. Light meter-- but you can chimp with an current accurate camera

A. Put your camera in TV mode. Aim into the area behind your subject and get a meter reading... in the photo i just posted it was F/4.0 @ 1/200... but i had a 4x ND filter and a circular polarizer stacked and the sky was at F/13 @ 1/125.

B. Return your camera to Manual mode and set it to what the camera meter said in TV mode.

c. set you light output for the highest ambient light reading.. this is where the light meter comes in handy but you can chimp and raise the output of the strobe to match your ambient

D.. your done.. take the shot

The camera meter is very accurate but it can be fooled, but not very often, especially on the newer cameras. The 5D3, 1DMK111,1DMKIV and the 1Dx are deadly accurate so i cheat with the TV trick, especially when your on the move at wedding and o location with seniors

I prefer the beauty dish because the fall off of light from the subject is awesome for outside work.

umphotography wrote in post #15078515
Yesterday afternoon at 2:00PM full daylight. Love the Beauty dishes for shooting in full F/16 lighting.

Nice shot. Not sure if I like the fist to the face but overall, the shot turned out well.

I really need to get a ND filter. Thinking about the Singh ray variable.

Im using Hoya and B&W 2nx and 4nx for just about anything i shoot anymore. I have an 8 nx and rarely use it. For me, its critical to get them on the lens along with a circular to bring down the ambient,,especially shooting primes wide open.

We have had about 30 seniors in the last 4 wks so im gonna put a bunch of stuff up as they make their selections,,,30 kids still deciding..priceless.. anyway, i got ND's for my primes. This was shot at about 430PM in afternoon sun. He was cross lit so i would guess it was somplace near F/8.0 behind him. Stacked my filters to get the ambient how i wanted it and shot this at F/2.2 @ 50/iso with a 135L. I accidentally put a vignette on it when i imported into LR,,but other than the vignette,,this is straight off the camera...i have not done anything to it. I want my lighting like this when im shooting wide open with a prime and your not gonna get it unless you use ND's and circulars. I will have minimul work to do on this,, all 88 files are lit about the same. It really pays off to get it right in the camera and to be very honest, I wont shoot any other way when im outside anymore. Forget reflectors, cant get this kind of light with them

straight off the camera,, stacking NDs and circulars lets you do this

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nice Mike. I don't really know much about beauty dishes, but can you tell me why (other than size) they would be better outside than my bulky softbox?

jb_browneyes wrote in post #15079826
nice Mike. I don't really know much about beauty dishes, but can you tell me why (other than size) they would be better outside than my bulky softbox?

Wind is the biggie. They wont fly as much. I just think you get a brighter and better spread of light and fall off with a dish. But if wind was not a factor, i would probably use an octo, the deep octo that pham uses, or my favorite would be a 64" silver parabolic.

Nice work with the AB, Mike!

umphotography wrote in post #15079840
Wind is the biggie. They wont fly as much. I just think you get a brighter and better spread of light and fall off with a dish. But if wind was not a factor, i would probably use an octo, the deep octo that pham uses, or my favorite would be a 64" silver parabolic.

I Had a heck of a time today with that darn 32in softbox today in the wind!
Beauty Dish here I come! Would you recommend a silver or white?

jb_browneyes wrote in post #15081870
I Had a heck of a time today with that darn 32in softbox today in the wind!
Beauty Dish here I come! Would you recommend a silver or white?

I went with Paul Buff 22" white. It comes with a sock. I also got a #30 grid. Problem with the grid is that it narrows the throw so when shooting seniors you need to keep your sock in the camera bag. When you move back for a full body shot, it wont work well. but for 1/2 body and head shots, ive got the sock off,, beautiful light.

the kacey is nice but twice as much as paul buff. Ive had mine for 2 yrs with zero problems.......i have a silver as well..stay away..to hot and when you use a prime you wont be able to get the light output low enough.

jb_browneyes wrote in post #15081870
I Had a heck of a time today with that darn 32in softbox today in the wind!
Beauty Dish here I come! Would you recommend a silver or white?

Look into the Kacey. It's more expensive but well built. The Buff will not hold up well. It'll be bent up before you know it, at least the 2nd Gen one will. If you can find a first Gen, they are better built. With the sock and grid for my Kacey, it was around $325 shipped.

For outdoors you won't need the grid much. I love kacey dish BTW. Not sure about their grid. I hope they fixed their grid issues.