Tips for outdoor shoots

[bill_johnson18]

<p><br /> <!-- message --> <!-- google_ad_section_start -->Can anyone give me any tips on shooting outside? I'm a pretty advanced photographer but I've mainly worked in the studio where I have full control over the light sources. I have done some outdoor shoots but results have been mediocre at best. <br /> <br /> I am on vacation and I only have my Nikon D70 and one small photoflex reflector at my disposal and only the crappy built in on camera flash. I had some decent results on cloudy days or at dusk using slow shutter speed to pickup some neat backgrounds and a softbox on the model but unfortunately i don't have anything like that at my disposal this time around.<br /> <br /> Any tips for me?</p>

[Matt Laur]

<p>You might be surprised at how well that crappy little pop-up flash can work to gently fill your foreground subjects. Consider putting it in manual mode, and taking complete control over the ISO, shutter speed, aperture, and the power of the strobes, so that you can keep it all reigned in. You might scround around for something you can put over the strobe to warm the color of the output just a bit (I've even used a bit of tan-colored plastic shopping bag) so that it gets along better with a background sunset, etc.</p>

[bill_johnson18]

<p>Cool thanks, maybe this will help. Would recommend always using the fill flash? How will I know what kind of exposure settings to go with in this secenario? Obviously in the studio I would just use a light meter but I'm not sure how to measure for the fill flash. Also isn't there control on the on camera flash power - do you recommend doing anything with that?<br>

Any tips for shooting without the flash?</p>

<p>A friend is setting me up with a decent model and I don't want to look like an amatuer idiot so i'm trying to get my ducks in a rowe in advance.</p>

[Matt Laur]

<p>Well, if you want to get the background looking right, use your camera's meter for the background, take a shot, chimp it on the display to see if you're in the neighborhood, and note the exposure (who knows... ISO 200, 1/30th, f/4 or something like that). Then, switch the camera in [M]anual mode, and directly set up at those settings. THEN, go into the camera's menu system, where it allows you to set up the pop-up flash's behavior. Take it off of TTL (though you might also want to try that, just because), and set it, also, to [M]anual. When it's in manual mode, you can deliberately choose its power output...say, 1/4, or 1/8th power... whatever seems appropriate, and looks good when you review the shot.<br /><br />Obviously, this isn't going to be the same as using studio lights, and not even the same as getting yourself an SB-600 and using it off-camera.<br /><br />I almost hate to ask, but are you on vacation someplace where you CAN get a speedlight? A Best Buy or similar retailer will have SB-600's in stock, and you can use the D70's commander mode to do wonders with that strobe off-camera (even bounced off of your reflector). If not, just stick with the pop-up, and keep it dialed down for just enough fill to do the job. It's not ideal, but it can really help.</p>

[bill_johnson18]

<p>No I'm in Europe right now and being a student I don't really have a budget. What do SB-600's go for though out of morbid curisioty? I didn't know Best Buy carried that kind of gear. </p>

<p>What's camander mode? I never even heard of that. I have quantum radio slaves. Maybe I screwed up my camera model number - I have the old 6.2 megapixel one - isn't that the D70?</p>

[Matt Laur]

<p>The D70's pop-up flash can be used to remotely control Nikon speedlights that support the CLS protocol. So, SB-600, SB-800, SB-900. You have to actually look in your camera's menu system, and drill down to the settings that tell the pop-up flash how to behave. You can change it from Manual, to TTL, to Commander, etc. In commander mode, you use the camera's menu to remotely control how the slave strobes fire during the exposure. It's quite useful. <br /><br /><strong><a href="http://www.momentcorp.com/review/nikon_d70_commander_mode.html">Here is a somewhat random link</a></strong> that shows you some menu screen shots.<br /><br />If it's a D50 you have (not the D70), then no commander mode. However: it's not very useful if you don't have a CLS strobe like the SB-600 or higher. The SB-600 sells for around $220 in the US, and should be available pretty much anywhere in any camera store that carries Nikon DSLRs, including their entry-level units. Do NOT get an SB-400 if you're leaningn towards this sort of thing.</p>

[bill_johnson18]

<p>It's definitely the D70 I have i just checked. Thanks for all the tips.</p>

[bill_johnson18]

<p>It's definitely a D70 I have.<br>

This SB600 looks like an on camera flash for the hot shoe. But they way you are talking about commander mode it sounds like you are suggesting placement of it elsewhere and it would be triggered by the built in on camera flash through "commander mode" - is that right or did I misunderstand you?</p>

<p>Thanks for all the tips.</p>

[Matt Laur]

<p>Yes, the SB-600 CAN be used (and works great) in the hot show, on the camera... straight on, bounced of the ceiling, etc. But you can also put it into CLS slave mode, remove it from the camera, and put it on a stand (or even use the little table-stand that comes with it, which will also help you attack it to any tripod), and then have it serve much like you would a studio strobe. Obviously you still have to think about the best way to modify the light from it... bouncing it out of an umbrella, or off of a wall, or through/off of your simple reflector to diffuse it if you want to.<br /><br />But even if you use it without any modifiers, you can have it off-camera, providing light from a more flattering angle, and then set your in-camera pop-up flash to provide just a little bit of fill to even things out. It's incredibly useful, once you get the hang of it. The main thing is understanding how to use the strobe's menu to put it in slave mode, and then how to use the camera's menu to put <em>it</em> into commander mode. The rest is just creativity (have plenty of batteries!). There are tons of online tutorials about how to use Nikon's CLS system, once you have the hardware in hand.</p>

[luis_g]

<p>Bill, you don't have to go and buy a new flash to make great portraits. The little on-camera flash can be quite useful, as can your reflector. All that you know about light in the studio applies to available light. North light can be your friend, whether in windows or the shady side of a building or porch. Apply what you know to where you are.</p>

[Matt Laur]

<p>Right, I'm not suggesting that new hardware is the only way to go, here. But if you need to light a subject against a background that's going to otherwise cause problems, then a strobe is very helpful. The pop-up flash can do a lot, and a more powerful strobe can do more (and differently).</p>

[bob_bill]

<p>Bill, you can start by finding full shade under a tree, overhang or patio. Move to the edge and you have directional light coming in from that the sun side. You can use your reflector to increase contrast, by reflecting from that side or reduce contrast reflecting from the shade side. Or using a coat or even someone on the shade side can subtract light. I carry a piece of black velvet in the back of my vest. It can be used to subtract light or as a black bkgd or something to pose on seated. I like the ability to adjust the warmth of the light with a 42 inch 5 way reflector because the reflector is translucent, white, silver, gold, silver/gold stripe. Can also diffuse light from the sun side or if have a flash diffuse through it. Can use the white to bounce flash off of for neutral light where wall or floor is colored. Really versatile tool. And like someone said above, window light alone can be sweet, then tweak it with the reflector and perhaps use the flash for a catchlight. Increase contrast by moving subject closer to window. Here's a window light shot.</p><div></div>