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Tangents

photography using the available light

June 21, 2010

photography using only the existing light

Instead of a photo session where I had to rely on off-camera lighting to give some color and snap to the photos, I want to show a photo session where I used no additional lighting or reflectors.  Just the available light.  This photo session was shot in same area as the previous one, but a week later  with different light and a different couple, Kristy and Tom.  They were just as great to photograph with tons of personality, making my work easier.  But I still had to look for opportunity and great backgrounds.

Using off-camera flash makes a photo session relatively easier, since you can have fantastic light on the couple pretty much anywhere you place them.  Then it is a simple matter of finding an interesting or complementary background, and then try and capture some element of your subject – in this case, some part of the couple’s relationship with each other.

For this photo session however, I decided to work on my own,
and rely on finding great existing light …

Details for the image at the top:
1/250 @ f3.5 @ 1600 ISO
Nikon D3; Nikon 70-200 mm f2.8 AF-S VR II … at 100mm

Details for the next two images:
1/160 @ f2.8 @ 1600 ISO
Nikon D3; Nikon 70-200 mm f2.8 AF-S VR II … at 70mm

The high ISO was necessary for these images, since the light, even though it looks very bright in the top image, was starting to get low.  And I needed a relatively high shutter speed to stop their movement.  I don’t get much digital noise with the Nikon D3 and will happily push the ISO up higher if need be – the idea is that it I can fix digital noise, but I can’t fix an unsharp image.

When I mentioned looking for ‘great light’ in relation to portraits, I’m generally referring to not having dark eye sockets, or harsh uneven light on my subjects.  So in a case like this, with the hard sunlight on them, I posed the couple so that the light falls evenly on their faces.

1/200 @ f8 @ 400 ISO
Nikon D3; Nikon 70-200 mm f2.8 AF-S VR II … at 70mm

With backlight, it becomes a lot easier.  The open shade gives soft light, while the light from behind gives rim-lighting, which helps separate them from the background.

1/250 @ f4 @ 400 ISO
Nikon D3; Nikon 70-200 mm f2.8 AF-S VR II … at 120mm

So much of the photo session’s success depends on the energy of the couple.  The photographer can’t fake it or force it.  If a couple has dynamic personalities and easily interact with each other, then the session can only have great results.  Now it just depends on the photographer’s composition, use of light and timing.

1/400 @ f4 @ 1250 ISO
Nikon D3; Nikon 70-200 mm f2.8 AF-S VR II … at 150mm

I easily let the lens flare, giving that warm golden glow.  The image then needs adjusting in post-production though to bring the exposure down, and increase the contrast.

1/400 @ f4 @ 1250 ISO
Nikon D3; Nikon 70-200 mm f2.8 AF-S VR II … at 200mm

1/320 @ f4 @ 640 ISO
Nikon D3; Nikon 70-200 mm f2.8 AF-S VR II … at 200mm

If this setting here might look familiar, it is because I used the images I took of Kristy here as illustration for the article on choice of the camera’s white balance.

1/160 @ f3.5 @ 1600 ISO
Nikon D3; Nikon 70-200 mm f2.8 AF-S VR II … at 175mm

1/200 @ f4 @ 1000 ISO
Nikon D3; Nikon 70-200 mm f2.8 AF-S VR II … at 150mm

Here I specifically wanted a similar pose and image as I used the week before with the other couple. Mostly because it is a cool background, but also as a comparison to the photo where I used flash in a softbox to clean up the light.

1/250 @ f4 @ 1250 ISO
Nikon D3; Nikon 70-200 mm f2.8 AF-S VR II … at 125mm

1/160 @ f2.8 @ 1600 ISO
Nikon D3; Nikon 70-200 mm f2.8 AF-S VR II … at 180mm

For the final sequence of images, I wanted the yellow New York taxi cabs in the background.  For color, but also for their headlights creating interesting patterns and shapes .. and providing some rim-lighting.

1/160 @ f2.8 @ 1600 ISO
Nikon D3; Nikon 70-200 mm f2.8 AF-S VR II … at 185mm

For the closing image, I chose one where I waited for the taxi cab’s headlights to reflect in the cobblestones behind them.  That accent of warm color helps break the monotonous grey paving.

1/100 @ f2.8 @ 1600 ISO
Nikon D3; Nikon 70-200 mm f2.8 AF-S VR II … at 160mm

As a final note, I want to make the observation that by observing the existing light – the quality and direction of the light – it was possible to come up with a variety of images that would please my clients.  In taking care during the shoot to look for good opportunities and great light, it was possible to set up the photos so that the images needed a minimum of post-processing work.  No need to remove ugly shadows and casts.  Just the use of the existing light, carefully considered.

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Also join us on the Tangents forum for further discussions.

If you need more direct help or instruction on flash photography,
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If you find these articles interesting and of value, then you can help by
using these affiliate links to order equipment & other goodies. Thank you!
 

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