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Tangents

shooting in bright sunlight with flash

August 15, 2011

shooting in bright sunlight with flash

One of the most challenging lighting scenarios we’ll most likely encounter, is bright harsh sunlight. There are a couple of steps we can take to make things a lot easier for ourselves …

If we can move our subject so their back is to the sun, we can get away without using flash. We make sure our subject is not unevenly lit with sun, and then we just let the highlights blow out as a rim light.

further discussion with examples:
- taking photos under the mid-day sun
- photographing in hard sunlight, with or without flash
- shooting in bright sunlight (wedding)

If we can use flash (whether off-camera or only on-camera), we’d still ideally move our subject so that their back is to the sun, and make sure they aren’t half-lit by sun and half in shade. But even if we can’t move our subject, this easy algorithm is the best approach:

When using flash with bright daylight:

1.)  use your lowest ISO 
We don’t need 1600 ISO in bright sunlight, so take your ISO immediately down to 100 ISO or 200 ISO. If you really need the extreme depth-of-field of f22, then you can raise your ISO. You would risk image softness due to diffraction though. But that is the option.

2.)  go to your camera’s max flash sync speed
There is a reason why we’d go to the maximum flash sync speed,
a.) and not lower (for then our aperture becomes smaller and our flash needs to give more output),
b.) and not (immediately) higher than max sync speed (for our flash loses power and range in high speed flash sync.)

3.)  find the aperture
Ideally you’d use an aperture where you don’t lose important detail in your subject. But we don’t want to get too caught up in controlling all our highlights, for rim-light helps separate our subject from the background. So that controlled loss of detail where the highlights blow out, is a good thing. And also, sometimes we have to compromise and accept that some detail will be lost.

4.) now, for that ISO and aperture combination, dump as much flash as is required (or your flash is capable of).

The recipe is as simple as that. And it is an easy enough approach to keep things on track when battling under pressure in hard sunlight.

A couple of further notes:

If you find you have the flash range / energy / power to spare at max sync speed, and you’d like the shallower depth-of-field that high-speed flash sync (HSS) affords us, then by all means go to HSS mode. But it is a good idea to start at max flash sync speed if you’re unsure, because at max flash sync speed you have the most likely chance of success in adding flash to bright sunlight. If you can’t do it at max sync speed, you can’t do it at any other shutter speed.

Most often, when we’re working in the f11 region of apertures, and using a softbox or some light diffuser, then we’ll be at our flash’s maximum output. So then we’ll move our flash closer or further to give us correct exposure.

Using a light meter is the easiest and most sure way of getting right exposure of your flash. But, this isn’t an absolute. With the image at the top, I checked the back of the camera’s preview and estimated how close I need to move my softbox to my subject to get the correct exposure. I know, it’s strobist heresy.

Back to the image at the top:

My camera settings here: 1/200 @ f11 @ 100 ISO
Canon 5D mk II (B&H);  Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS (B&H)

I wanted a dramatic wide-angle pose against the sky, including the sun. But I wanted to retain some detail in the sky, so I needed to add a lot of flash.

Now, I could’ve used direct off-camera flash to give dramatic light here in the sun.  But I like the look that a softbox gives. But this means having flash with lots of power.

My usual kit when I need to shoot in this kind of situation, is the 600 Ws Profoto AcuteB 600R lighting kit (B&H) with 2×3 Profoto softbox such as with this photo session with Sarah and Mark. Using a speedlight with a softbox (and using only one baffle) is also an option in overpowering the sun with flash … but you have to work close-up to your subject. So the extra power of a larger unit does help.

This time though, I had an interesting lighting kit on hand that B&H had sent to me for review.

review: Impact LiteTrek 4.0 DC Monolight & Battery Pack Kit

The Impact LiteTrek 4.0 DC Monolight & Battery Pack Kit (B&H), is a 400Ws monolight kit. So it has more than twice the amount of power of a speedlight. (There isn’t an easy way to translate Ws to the Guide Number.) In comparison the Quantum T flashes have a rating of 150 Ws.

The Impact Lite Trek kit is priced attractively for a monolight kit. It comes with the head, the battery and the aluminum case. You’d still need to add a light-stand and a softbox.

The softbox I used was the Impact 24×32 softbox (B&H). It’s a softbox. It is fairly easy to set up … as easy as it is to set up a softbox with the 4 rods and a speeding. Ultimately, a softbox is just a softbox. (Unless it is something as unusual as the Lastolite softboxes.) It works.

Interestingly, I also got to use the Impact Powersync 16 transmitter and receiver set (B&H). I really liked them in that they were compact, super-easy to use … and the price is attractive. (Currently, $95 for the receiver, and $65 for the transmitter. The combined set is $150)

The Impact Lite Trek kit doesn’t allow high-speed sync. It is at this point where the decision swivels around the need to balance the need for power that a monolight offers, with the possibility of buying a number of speedlights instead to give the additional power to match a monolight … but then have the capability of high-speed flash sync.

The Impact Lite Trek does offer a fast flash burst, giving a very short flash duration, just like a speedlight used at low power settings. But the Impact Lite Trek obviously gives off much more power than the speedlight. This mode isn’t useful outdoors or anywhere one shoots in bright light … but it would be useful if you’d shoot high-speed images in the studio. Droplets falling and apples exploding. That kind of thing.

The battery is rated to give 650 pops at maximum power. So this unit would work well on location, giving you enough juice to shoot for quite some time. Of course, a spare battery always makes sense.

The mount for the head is Bowens bayonet-mount compatible, so it is possible to expand this as a system.

Ease of use – it couldn’t be simpler. The controls and display just make sense.

Build quality isn’t of the standard of equipment like Profoto, but it is priced more attractively than such gear. It’s all in the balance.

And there it is – an affordably-priced medium-high power monolight unit for on-location shoots.

related articles:

- overpowering hard sunlight with flash
- overpowering the sun with flash (models: Sarah & Mark)
- photographing in hard sunlight, with or without flash
- using direct off-camera flash
- shooting in bright sunlight (wedding)
- taking photos under the mid-day sun
- max flash sync speed
- tutorial: high-speed flash sync
- off-camera fill-flash in bright sunlight

index of articles on flash photography techniques

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If you find these articles interesting and of value, then you can help by
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