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Tangents

lighting for on-location photo sessions – pick your battles

May 20, 2012

lighting for on-location photo sessions – pick your battles

When doing a photo session with a couple on location, I mix up the lighting often. With some photo sessions I may:
- shoot available light only;
- or I may decide with a photo session to use direct on-camera flash,
with some sequences available light only; or
- with some photo sessions I use off-camera flash with a softbox,
with some sequences just the available light.

Even in varying the way I may use the available light and flash, I still aim to have a consistent look to it all. My specific style has to be apparent. Or perhaps, in the way that I work, my style becomes apparent. The one way that I help make things easier for myself, and remain consistent, is that in working with the available light; or working with the available light and flash (both on-camera and off-camera) … I pick my battles. I don’t try and make *everything* work. Rather, I specifically choose where I pose a couple, or what I have as the background.  All of this in relation to the existing light and my flash.

camera settings for the image at the top:
1/250 @ f/4.5 @ 100 ISO … TTL flash, off-camera

With these photos of Licet and Daniel, taken at different spots in Central Park in New York, my approach was the same – shoot against a background that is back-lit, with parts of it blowing out. Then I use off-camera flash with a softbox to bring the expose of the image up to the correct level. The softbox helps give me studio quality lighting on location, pretty much every where I place the couple.

camera settings for this image:
1/250 @ f/5.6 @ 400 ISO … TTL flash, off-camera

By turning them against the light from the sun, I get some rim-lighting, and I let the TTL flash pick up the exposure. In this photo, parts of her arm is over-exposed, but this doesn’t bother me. It is more important for me to capture their expressions and how they interact with each other. At some level it is even more important for me to keep the flow of the photo session going, rather than micro-adjusting my settings and how they are positioned.

Nikon D4 (B&H); Nikon 70-200mm f2/2.8 VR II (B&H)
Nikon SB-910 Speedlight (B&H);  Nikon SD-9 battery pack (B&H)
Lastolite Hot Shoe EZYBOX Kit (24″x24″) (B&H)
(PocketWizard TT5 units for radio triggers) – TTL output

With this image, the compression of the 70-200mm lens at the longest focal length, helped. There were also groups of people in this part of Central Park, but by laying down on the ground and shooting up, and using the long lens, I was able to eliminate distractions and simplify the composition. This way, it looks like they were the only people there.

The long lens and off-camera flash help to give the photographs some snap.

camera settings for this image:
1/250 @ f/4.0 @ 200 ISO … TTL flash, off-camera

For all three preceding images, the exposure metering for the background weren’t too specific. There’s about a 2 stop leeway in terms of what would’ve looked good. So if a test shot looks good, I’m happy. I don’t drive myself nuts trying to meter for a background that has large bright areas. They can blow out.

Then I let the TTL flash take care of the exposure for the couple. TTL flash really helps in making a photo session in various locations move faster.

While looking for interesting backgrounds and good spots for the images, I am very aware of what the available light is like … and if it works, and I don’t need additional light from my flash, then even better.

Here I had Licet and Daniel under the arches at Bethesda Fountain. The available light is coming in from a perfect angle. No need to do anything to the light.

camera settings for this image:
1/250 @ f/4.0 @ 400 ISO … available light only.

Deeper in under the arches, the light is very even. But the light levels are much lower.

camera settings for this image:
1/125 @ f/3.5 @ 1000 ISO … available light only

Posing Licet and Daniel at a 90 degree angle to the direction of the available light, gave more dramatic light. But it did need subtle posing to make the most of it.

The photo above is one of the two images I selected from this sequence. The image below is one of the steps working towards this. I liked the light, but Daniel’s shoulder was blocking the light on Licet’s face. So with that pose, I quietly asked them not to move … don’t change a thing … then I told him to pull his shoulder back by an inch or two. That subtle movement opened the light on her face. Perfect.

camera settings for these images:
1/100 @ f/2.8 @ 1000 ISO … available light only

Nikon D4 (B&H); Nikon 70-200mm f2/2.8 VR II (B&H)

Again, with this image on the steps, I used the longer focal length to eliminate clutter, and simplify my composition.

In posing them, I started by positioning Daniel … and then adding Licet, by having her lean against his leg. I usually start with only one person first, when I pose a couple. Then I add the second person.

In terms of lighting – simplicity again. It’s a Lastolite softbox and a speedlight. I used TTL flash.

camera settings for this image:
1/200 @ f/6.3 @ 800 ISO … TTL flash, off-camera

Nikon D4 (B&H); Nikon 70-200mm f2/2.8 VR II (B&H)
Nikon SB-910 Speedlight (B&H);  Nikon SD-9 battery pack (B&H)
Lastolite Hot Shoe EZYBOX Kit (24″x24″) (B&H)
(PocketWizard TT5 units for radio triggers) – TTL output

Here is the pull-back shot, and the photo without flash, just for comparison.

From Central Park, we explored a little bit of the Upper West Side, visiting the areas they know, as a backdrop to their photos.

The main idea here in this article is that, while I look for variety in the images I give a couple, it works in my favor if I keep it fairly simple and consistent in terms of my lighting. The simplicity helps me in working faster. The consistency helps in maintaining my style.

I’m able to keep it all quite consistent, by specifically “choosing my battles”. I don’t try to make everything work. I just make about a dozen setups work, with different angles and poses … and then move forward.

 

More images from this photo session:
- Licet & Daniel – Central Park, New York – photo session
- Facebook album: Licet & Daniel – photo session in Central Park

equipment used during this photo session:
Nikon D4 (B&H); Nikon 70-200mm f2/2.8 VR II (B&H)
Nikon SB-910 Speedlight (B&H);  Nikon SD-9 battery pack (B&H)
Lastolite Hot Shoe EZYBOX Kit (24″x24″) (B&H)
(PocketWizard TT5 units for radio triggers) – TTL output

 

related articles

- top 5 tips on shooting engagement photo sessions
- posing normal, everyday people for portraits
- the next step – going beyond just posing people
- the flow of a photo session
- making your images pop – through choice of lens
- why I love TTL flash
- “using the available light” is not random
-  photographing in bright sunlight – find the shade!
- off-camera flash – bringing sparkle on a rainy day
- why I love off-camera lighting
- technique – using lens flare for effect

- examples of engagement photo sessions

 

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