I want the orange glow for a portrait at sunset at the beach? HOW?

<p>I have been inspired by many glamour photographers such as Jay Pierce & the late passed Onyx Photographer. Their work is amazing first & foremost. <br>

I have been wanting to learn how to shoot outdoor shots in dim lighting. I don't have a super low f stop but I can get down to a 3.4. 18-55mm wide angle lense w/ a Canon 30D. <br>

I want to try and get a shot using this camera, this lense, a fill flash, & a reflector. I cannot post an example of the photo look I want but I hope that I can describe it well enough to where you can understand what I am asking.<br>

It's sunset at the beach and I want to have that orange hue glow to the photo. Orange colored sky with clouds, dark water, and lit subject in a beautiful orange color! This is one of my favourite lighting techniques in a photo but I want to learn how to achieve it. Can anyone help? Thanks</p>

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<p>You're right that you can't post an example here ... but you <em>can</em> post a link to one (or several).<br /><br />It's difficult to know specifically what you mean when you refer to the "glow" (is it similar to lens flare?). Assuming you're just refering to getting your fill flash to match the late-day ambinent light, you're looking at either putting a gel on your flash, or using a reflector that has a warming cast to it (like the soft gold variety). Meter for the background light you want to preserve (making sure that you're using a shutter speed at or below your camera's flash synch speed), and then add fill flash until you get just what you're looking for.<br /><br />This calls for manual exposure setting, and manual flash power setting. And you have to re-evaluate that quickly, because at that time of day, the sun is setting quickly.<br /><br />Are you able to get your flash off-camera?</p>

<p>Hi Erin,<br>

Another thing--if your lens only opens up to 3.4 at the 18mm end, you don't want to use that wide of an angle on a human subject, because you can get alot of facial distortion that way. I'd stick closer to the 55mm end.</p>

I *think* I understand the look you are going for: something like this

 

The deep saturated orange sky is caused by underexposing the ambient light and the subject is lit with flash gelled with CTO (orange) gel. The flash isn't fill flash, the subject is lit mostly with flash (especially as they will be backlit by the sunset).

<p>One more point, perhaps obvious, perhaps not, is that if you want to have an overall color cast, and if you want to control it, then AVOID auto white balance. Set white balance manually. One starting point would be to set it to the daylight default, or you might want to use something more precise like a specific Kelvin color temperature. I'm not sure exactly what options are available for manual white balance on a 30D, but my point is that if you use auto white balance, it may undo any work you did to control the color of your lighting.</p>

<p>Definitely daylight white balance and shoot in raw. I would gell the flash cto, correct to orange, for the warmth on the subject. To quote a great description from Matt last year, then gently "tease up" the orange in the sky in photoshop. Will be doing a similar shot in 3 weeks and will try the color efex plug-in for the sky work. </p>

<p>I have accomplished this look directly off the camera by using lens flare. When outdoors i.e. a beach with lots of open sunshine. Simply put the model with the sun at her back. Set you camera for 2 -3 stops under exposed with the sun facing almost directly at the lens. Use the model or something to block direct sunlight to the lens and use you speed light or other strobe to light model until you get the look you want. The orange colors come from the sun being diffused by the sky (atmosphere) and the camera's aperture being closed down almost until under exposed. Obviously this will make the model really dark as well this is why you need the strobe. The brighter the day the more powerful strobe you will need because you will have to close down more. A circular polarizer or other lens filter may enhance this affect.</p>

<p>http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/photo.php?pid=30978856&id=1084512156</p>

 

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<p>"...and lit subject in a beautiful orange color!"</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Easiest way: as Bob Bill said, gel the flash with CTO. Some strength of CTO (color temperature orange) would be in order. CTO gels come in 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, full, and double strengths. As he said, be sure to use daylight WB. You'll need to experiment with strengths to get the exact look you want. </p>

<p>There are a few ways to pop the sky. The easiest is to underexpose it 1 stop or so. This will also give you the dark water foreground. Be aware that underexposing the flash will make the CTO look more intense. Other things that'll pop the sky colors orange are tweaking them in post, using 81 or 85 series filters, or if you're already using rectangular or square filters, a sunset filter will work well, too.</p>