Sunset Bridal Portrait Session questions

[fuccisphotos]

<p>Hi All, </p>

<p>So this Sunday I have a couple who has asked that if possible, could we do a shoot at sunset. They heard that you can get good pictures at the location at that time. I said sure we could give it a go. I've looked up the sunset time to be prepared to get them out of the reception for that. <br>

Previously I only had available to me my on camera flash/on bracket flash, and every once in a while I'd try using canon's optical slave system. But I recently got some pocket wizards, a softbox, and a light stand. Now I'm of the mind set that you should only use a tool if the situation calls for it, not just because I have it in my arsenal. <br>

Previously I would have exposed so that the colors of the sky were very nice, perhaps just slightly over exposed (and then I'd bring them back down in post with a graduated filter) so that the skin tones would be a bit better, and then use fill flash from my 580 to bring up the light in their faces.<br>

Now that I have the pocket wizard set up, do you think I should use it for the sunset shoot if time allows? And if so, how do you think I should use it?</p>

<p>In that same vein, the ceremony is supposed to be outside in this same location as well at around 5pm. I went out to the location to check out the lighting then, but a storm rolled in and it started to rain, so my only sample I have right now is what I have attached with this post. It's a southern exposure so luckily the sun won't be directly behind them during the ceremony. Here would you suggest sticking to just my typical fill flash, or do you think I should use the pocket wizard set up, without the soft box for sure! If so, how would you suggest using it? </p>

<p>Thanks so very much for any suggestions you might have!</p>

<p>-Vail</p><div></div>

[picturesque]

<p>1. Sunset shoot. Ideally, it will not be windy and you can use your flash with softbox. However, against bright light the speedlight and softbox will not be very strong, which means you have to use it closer to the couple. This is not a bad thing, because the bigger the light source the softer. However, you have that distance/inverse square law thing going too.</p>

<p>If it is windy, I would not take any chances with the speedlight falling over. Still, I would do what I could to create directional light on the couple instead of just flat, on camera light. Including holding the flash in my hand--it isn't much off axis, but it helps a little.</p>

<p>As far as exposure is concerned, I don't overexpose the sky with the intention to bring it back in post. It is a valid method if you are only able to use light fill on the subjects. However, if you can use flash to light the couple, why not just balance it with a fully saturated sky? This is what I do when photographing sunsets with wedding couples.</p>

<p>2. Your gazebo ceremony location. If it is sunny, your light will be coming from the west, so I'd treat the ceremony like I would any sunlit outdoor ceremony. Determine how much of the subject is being lit by the sun and deciding whether the sunlit parts are important enough to expose for detail. Seems they may be in the shade, which would be nice.</p>

<p>Things change if the couple and officiator will be standing inside the gazebo, though. Best to find out beforehand. Usually, they aren't.</p>

[dmcgphoto]

<p>Keep in mind that sunset, the best images that is, are when the sun is down below the horizon. It's called "nautical twilight" its the time when the sun is more than 5 degrees below the horizon. It's at this time that the sky is more colorful and you aren't battling against a bright source.<br>

Be aware that the sun falls quickly so you had best do a test shot or two with a stationary guest or assistant.<br>

Best bet is to set up the strobe on light pole, with softbox-held by assistant. if you can create a gobo around the light to focus it on the couple, that's the best. just a little beam of light. have your assistant hold the light pole...**tell them to hold it from the most expensive part....the flash itself" if your assistant knows how to dial down the power then call out those adjustments during the shoot.</p>

<p>What will be hard is if they are in the gazebo, which I encourage you to get them to avoid, it creates a huge technical difficulty and is usually best played as an abstract geometrical point. However if you must use the gazebo, go inside with them, and either bounce the flash off the wall behind you to soften up the light, or have the assistant to hold the light. What makes the sunset fill flash successful is when it surrounds the subject in a delicate directionless glow. I've seen tons of harsh fill flash because of lights set to high power, or just to dang close to the subject.<br>

Remember, you want to expose for the sunset, a little dark is better than a little light, and use the flash to illuminate the couple smoothly. Again, this is a situation that all portrait photographers are familiar with when battling for time.. set up a model to pose in the light, make adjustments, insert couple, remember the falling light may want you to raise the power of the strobe..don't, increase ISO, or slow the shutter speed, keep the light constant.<br>

Good luck, and post those results.</p>

[michaelmowery]

<p>just use your on camera strobe and the KISS system. keep your camera in manual mode and take test shots and change your settings to make the sunset sky look slightly underexposed or more. Then turn your flash on and take a test shot to see how the skin tones look. Use your plus or minus compensation to adjust flash intensity.</p>

[mariosforsos]

<p>Problem with optical slave systems is that, sometimes, outdoors, in bright light (and there is no standard as to what constitutes "bright" light in such systems - some fare better than others but even then without any consistency whatsoever) they do not work as intended. For example, for a shot one of your strobes may not fire while it will in the next.</p>

<p>Using your PW will help massively. Assuming (like Nadine said) there is no wind (but, even if there is a slight wind, you could simply hang your camera bag from the stand as a weight and counter that!), I would expose for the sky, underexpose by, say 2/3 of a stop and then simply light the couple with my strobe. Whether I would use my softbox or not would depend on the look I was looking for. If I had another light (which I do...;-) I'd position another slightly behind them and opposite the main light, to act as rim/accent light. Simple two-strobe setup almost guaranteed to work everytime.</p>

<p>As for trials, I usually go to a location the day or a couple before and do test shots so I know fully (thank my iPhone for that) the time I have and how each set up would work. It takes an extra hour but it ALWAYS pays off on the day.</p>

<p>As for the ceremony, personally I'd look at shooting them LOOKING towards the west and have that amazing setting sun light them and the gazebo behind them and MAYBE, place a strobe on the floor infront of them, 1/4 CTO, just to fill in potential shadows and throw that sparkle in their eyes. Also, I usually cheat when I count for the image - I tell them I'll count to 3 and then shoot at 2 or at 4...that gets me real expressions, laughter and, believe it or not, mostly open eyes...;-)))</p>

[fotografz]

<p>Sounds like the request is a sunset portrait session as opposed to the ceremony.</p>

<p>If the subject is posed in front of the Gazebo it will be softer indirect North light hitting them and slightly backlit by the sun camera right as it heads for the sunset in the West ... so you could take the B&G out a bit eariler to take advantage of that fact, then segue into the Sunset shots. Just a thought.</p>

<p><strong>Based on your directional diagram:</strong></p>

<p>IMO, just using an on-camera flash to keep it simple will result in flatly lit subjects that look like cardboard cut outs pasted on the background . You have the gear, why not use it?</p>

<p>I'd use a two light scenario once the sun has begun to set. Get your background exposed where you want it , have an off-camera directional light fired by the Pocket Wizard sender hooked into the camera's sync port and set up that light camera left since the sunset will most likely be somewhat camera right. Then, use a second speed-light in the hot-shoe for fill and a catch light in the eyes. I frequently just set the shoe-mount flash on TTL and ride the compensation controls to get just the right amount of fill in relation to the Key directional light.</p>

<p>Keep in mind that to do an "environmental portrait" and make the sunset a key part of the image, you will have a somewhat wider field-of-view ... meaning that the off-camera light will have to be out of frame and be a bit of a distance from the subjects, so I wouldn't modifiy it at all with a diffuser or softbox. At distance all they do is lower the output. Speed-lights are pretty weak, maybe 75 or 80 w/s at best when set on manual and full power. Also, start with a bit higher ISO to help them out.</p>

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