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location lighting
I'm asking both for myself and for a good friend who is just getting into photography. When your shooting on location (and don't have a whole bunch of people or equipment), what is the best way to get good lighting? Are there specific times of day that are best? What kind of equipment would you say is a must for something like this? Any advice is greatly appreciated. Apr 17 06 06:08 am Link Easiest way is a fill flash. Synco sun can make good images any time of the day or night. Just put the main light behind the model and aim the flash at the front of the model. Expose to equal the light if you want to see the background and if not make the flash brighter. Often tiems, like in shade, all you need is a small burst form the flash to do the job. Color corrects too. Other than this a reflector is good IF you have someone or something to hold it for you. Like maybe a second model or an assistant..or a light stand. Mike Apr 17 06 06:18 am Link I'd say a reflector is a must but is often hard to deal with without an assistant.. some people prefer to use a fill flash because the extra hand(s) aren't needed. Best time to shoot would be the "golden hour" which is basically the first and last hour of daylight (up to an hour after sunrise and an hour before sunset). Apr 17 06 07:02 am Link Belle OHara wrote: I hate flash,,and prefer a reflector..but as said..without a spare set of hands can be a fustration..When thats the case..I start looking for open shade and Custom White Balancing. Apr 17 06 07:29 am Link Belle OHara wrote: Be attentive of the sun & how it shines upon the subject. Belle OHara wrote: I prefer sunrise & a couple hours afterwards but my models usually don't. A couple hours before sunset often works to. Belle OHara wrote: I like to try & use a reflector. 9 times outta 10 though, it almost never happens because it requires arranging a shoot around a 3rd person & its hard enough coordinating 2 competing schedules let alone 3. Apr 17 06 07:32 am Link If you look for the suns rays then you dont need reflector or flash unless its partly cloudy I use only silver or white reflectors with a stand if needed Apr 17 06 07:38 am Link I once heard that shooting on an overcast day can be good lighting for outdoor shoots...any truth to this? Apr 17 06 07:39 am Link Just me, the model, and the camera. I like sunset because I hate getting up early. Apr 17 06 07:43 am Link Belle OHara wrote: Yup, for the same reason that overcast days are good for shooting flowers. The clouds act as a giant diffuser. You get super soft light to work with. Apr 17 06 07:45 am Link Depends on what you want your shots to look like. Overcast skies give very soft, flat, even lighting. Not a lot of drama or contrast, but not a lot of pesky, difficult-to-deal with shadows on the face, either. If you want a soft, even look, overcast skies are great. If you want more drama and contrast, you need some direct sun... or you need to provide artificially what the sun naturally provides with some form of lighting. In the studio, photographers often use softboxes, octodomes, etc to simulate the effects of cloudy or hazy sunlight. The 2 most important things when using natural light are to LOOK at the light, especially through the lens as you "see" your picture. And, of course, meter so you're making best use of it. (That's a whole other ball of wax, technique-wise.) Apr 17 06 07:45 am Link VirtuaMike wrote: I'm with you on that one, though I might considar staying up late just to get some good sunrise pics, lol. Then again, I am totally nocturnal. Apr 17 06 08:00 am Link |
