outdoor portrait light

[verneille_tassin]

<p>i need advice on outdoor portraits- i have a canon rebel xti camera and 380ex flash<br>

i would like to invest in a portable outdoor light kit around ($100-$200)any suggestions? also - can my 380ex be

used with a portable softbox or would i have to buy a whole new kit -</p>

<

p>thankx</p>?

[mike_bisom]

<p>I don't think $100 to $200 is going to really do much for you. FIrst thing I would check out is stobist.com:</p>

<p>http://www.strobist.blogspot.com/</p>

<p>But even at the high end of your Budget you would only get a Vivitar 285 (maybe 2), stand and a few modifiers. You wouldn't be able to trigger anything wirelessly at that budget and you would be shooting in manual. Nothing wrong with that, just something to be aware of. If you only have a 380ex flash, I would first recommend getting something like a 580EX II. And that alone will run you over $400. But you will have more power & better integration with your camera (e-ttl).</p>

[picturesque]

<p>Mike--the 380EX works fine in ETTL, but it can't do Canon's wireless flash.</p>

<p>The 380EX will be somewhat underpowered for a softbox, and especially outside where it has to go up against brighter light. Softboxes fall over in the wind anyway. I avoid using them outside unless you have a dedicated assistant to hold it.</p>

<p>For that money, you could get a Vivitar or Sunpak used flash, a stand and stand adapter, but you'd need wireless triggers unless you want to deal with sync cords.</p>

<p>I suggest you start reading the site Mike shows. And then figure out what you can do re flashes.</p>

[bob_bill]

<p>For outside in daylight, first I'd get a used 5 way reflector, about 42 inches, for about $50 to help you harness one light, the sun. It multitasks as a sun reflector of various colors, a diffuser to create shade/diffused light over the subject, or to shoot through to diffuse the flash or double diffuse a shoot through umbrella. That BOB, big orange ball is a free light. Learn to find good backgrounds with overhangs-roofs, tree canopys, large open doors- to create directional side light and have a VAL, voice activated lightstand-a helper- hold the reflector. Bang it in from the sun side for more contrast-the closer the reflector the stronger the bounced light, fill from shade side for less contrast. Can use the tree trunk or black wall to block light from one side to add contrast. And you thought you didnt have a gobo(goes between light, and subject). Dont forget a VAL holding some black velvet. Use the different reflector colors for the warmth you like. If you have a helper, have him hold a lightstand with the legs not deployed mounted with a light stand holder and white shoot through umbrella . Take a look at Kelby on line training for the wedding classes by Ziser. Thats how he shoots weddings( I think he uses a monopod, but the lightstand multitasks ). 20 for umbrella, 15 umbrella holder, 60 for 6 foot lightweight lightstand that will accept the holder, and an ebay trigger and receiver for about 35. velcro the receiver to the flash. Get a white sheet $12, and bounce the light into it back into subject. same with a white wall, or colored wall with the sheet gaffer taped to it. Painters masking tape can work. Add low fill with light bounced into sheet or white reflector on ground. Can bounce on camera flash into the reflector or sheet or shoot through them as well. Light on stand shooting through a helper- held sheet or translucent reflector. If no ebay trigger, 15 foot cord would do. See flashzebra.com. In full sun, have helper hold translucent reflector over subject between sun. Pop flash in from stand as main light to create desired shadows or if not enough power to ovecome the ambient(often the drawback with speedlights), use sun as main(creating shadows) and flash as fill. With shoot through umbrella for soft, no umbrella for hard light. Get a pack of jells to color that light for as little as 3 at b&H Couple of A clamps from Home depot, about 5 each can clamp that sheet or reflector to limbs, lines, over fences or furniture, instant bounce surface or shoot through. This is one inexpensive, light weight kit that packs alot of options. If low wind, could use the stand/shoot through umbrella as main and hand held reflector as fill. You can sand bag the stand with your camera bag. An ebay remote camera trigger for 45 eliminates the VAL if you have a tripod. Want glamour, shoot through umbrella high direct at face so small butterfly shadow under nose, subject or helper holds reflector about subject waist high. Work and build your shots. Shoot, adjust, shoot, change, shoot. that should keep you busy for a while with a range from 50 - about $200. That 200 in lightng gear will do way more for the wow factor of your photos than 8 times that for a new lens. You have the right idea, lighting is so important. If you find you like lighting with this inexpensive kit, you may want to pull out the stops and credit card and invest in some studio gear. Enjoy. </p>

[jim_stewart3]

<p>I have a medium photoflex softbox that I can use with hotshoe flashes but I rarely use it outside, its a bit too big and it takes too much effort to set up compared to a simple brolly. It also isn't really bright enough for use in daytime but OK for evening/night. I use it more indoors. I used to use brollys but have since moved to using a 20" Broncolor beauty dish with custom mount. Its more resistant to the wind! Umbrellas are a good place to start, they are simple and cheap.</p>

[tim_ludwig2]

<p>Verneille,</p>

<p>I am from a different generation and a different frame of mind regarding outdoor portrait lighting. Most people who have responded are advising addative lighting by throwing so called fill flash at the subject. That is totally opposite of how I learned and, at least in my way of seeing and working, dead wrong.</p>

<p>Fill flash often does little more than blast a flash at the subject and show that new light in dreadful ways on the face. In a phrase, it is usually awful!</p>

<p>The method I was taught is call subtractive lighting and it works by realizing that you have an over-abundance of natural light that needs to be controlled. This can easily be done by moving your subject under an overhang such as a building eave or (much better) the leafy branches of a tree. This subtracts the scatter light that comes from one side and from overhead, thus allowing only light from one side and the front of the subject to illuminate the face. </p>

<p>There are often no trees or buildings near at hand or they are away from the background you wish to use, so a brilliant gentleman named Leon Kennamer came up with a subtractive lighting system back in the late seventies/early eighties that incorporated a weighted light stand with one six foot black reflectasol along the side and a 40 inch black reflectasol across the top. This could be easily placed alongside the subject to completely control the outdoor scatter light and to create a near perfect light pattern on the face. Sometimes this is supplimented with a gold reflecter bouncing light into the face from the side, sometimes not.</p>

<p>Kennamer was often associated with Larson lighting products who are still in business and who still sell the reflectasols. They used to have a nice little brochure of Kennamer's techniques which might still be available. If so, it will teach you everything you need to know regarding true control of outdoor portrait lighting.</p>

<p>One of the big benefits of this technique is that you will actually see the effect of the lightning pattern. This is simply a by guess and by golly situation with the fill flash system, one of the reasons that those portrait often have poor to disastrous results. </p>

<p>If you can't find one of those brochures, I have a siplified chart that I made for a portrait lighting class I once taught. Send me your email and I will be happy to forward that to you.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

<p>Tim</p>

[picturesque]

<p>The new Westcott catalog also has a few items for subtractive lighting. It is a great technique but not particularly fast to accomplish, plus you need assistants if you are shooting in any kind of wind. When I shoot outdoor portraits I try to use subtractive lighting, but if I can't make found lighting work (also, California Sunbounce and Lastolite have products good for subtractive lighting), I do resort to fill flash and add on flash. Sometimes you just have to.</p>

<p>By the way, Tim--I tried finding anything I could on Leon Kennamer online and there is very little, if at all, unfortunately.</p>

[tim_ludwig2]

<p>Hi, Nadine. <br>

Unfortunately Leon passed away some time ago and his legacy is not as popular as I sincerely think it should be. There are a few samples of his work in an older (1970's) Kodak book on portraiture, the book has an all red cover design and is strongly horizontal. Sorry I don't have the actual title as my copy is on loan to a friend and it's too late to call him.</p>

<p>I am hopeful that Larson may still have something of his work and techniques in a format that can be accessed, but I haven't personally checked.</p>

<p>I am in agreement that found lighting , if you really know what to look for, is the best. Take a look at the work of Linda Lapp for the absolute master of found lightning technique.</p>

<p>One more thing, I too have resorted to fill flash outdoors, but I recognize that it is basically crap lighting and used only in the direst of emergencies. The human face deserves artistry and I'd rather postpone the shoot for better lighting conditions or location, than to not do the very best work that I know how to create.</p>

[nathan_stiles]

<p>Your budget is really small, and while I like a 42" reflector, using it w/o an assitant is a pain. Lastolite makes a 36x72" scrim, if memory serves, w/ legs to stand (optional, I think in case you want to hang it on C-stands-- which you don't). Get the aluminum one though-- my plastic was fine, until some wind put too much pressure on it and cracked a joint.</p>

<p>Later you'll need some sand bags. If you are shooting at a beach, you'll want the sand bags right away, as the breeze off the ocean use all bounces as sails and whip them around.</p>