Best modifier for family portrait

[seragram]

<p>35” Octaboxes<br />64” PLM<br />22" High Output Beauty Dish<br>

What would be best choice for X1600 to be used at beach for family portraits.<br>

Sergio</p>

[steve_levine]

<p>Conditions on most beaches are usually too windy for any of the devices you are asking about. Even with a human anchoring them, any type of light modifier is like a sail in the wind. These are all used mainly indoors. Does your light run on batteries or only AC? How will you power it at the "beach"?</p>

<p>Most beach shots that I've taken of people, they had their backs to the sun. And I filled their faces with either a reflector, or a bare bulb flash.</p>

<p> </p>

[seragram]

<p>Steve thanks for reply. I will be using a X1600 with Vagabond battery pack. I too use two 550EX and use the sun as back light. But like to start using studio lights outdoor for maybe more coverage and better quality light when shooting 3,4 persons group.</p>

 

[steve_levine]

<p>I would simply meter the faces (sun behind,back lit bodies). And I'd add about 1.5 stops of flash, this opens the eyes (fills their shadows), and adds catch lights to them. My usual equipment for small groups, was a Sun-Pak 120 with bare bulb. This was placed about 18" above the lens. I metered with a Minolta IV flash/ambient meter.</p>

<p>Your mono light could be similarly employed with just it's normal reflector, and a bare bulb.</p>

[ric_kasnoff]

<p>Just remember that by switching to the mono light you're giving up the fast sync capabilities of the speedlights and will be limited to your native sync speed ... don't count on there being much texture/color in the sky unless you get a cloudy day...</p>

<p>my favorite set-up in that situation is a Kacey Beauty Dish with a Quantum Trio on a "C" stand with photoflex water/sand bags...</p>

<p>...Ric<br>

www.ricphoto.com</p>

[seragram]

<p>I plan to <em>overpowering the sun. And shoot at 50 ISO.<br /></em><br>

<em>If I need 1/200 f11. I will shoot at 1/200 f16 by under exposinng by 1 stop I mantain detail in sky.</em><br>

<em>I just have make sure my sensor is clean!<br /></em></p>