How To Backlight A Snow Scene With Off Camera Flash
Why you should exist using flash outdoors: 5 Incredibly simple means to create huge impact
past Leah McLean | 44 Comments
Like most photographers, I'm obsessed with the lite around me — be it the dominicus, the moon or the stars. But, I want to talk near why I'm also in love with the humble fiddling flash in my camera pocketbook. Off-photographic camera wink (OCF) has become a primal component of my creative process. It's reassuring to know that I can always create light when I demand it, plus OCF allows me to create outdoor portraits that match my creative vision, regardless of the natural light bachelor.
I've talked to many photographers who are intimidated past OCF, merely there's actually no reason to be overwhelmed or hesitant to learn. Using off-camera flash outdoors really can be integrated easily into your workflow with a minimum amount of fuss and gear. This small tool tin brand the impossible possible and in my opinion is the most powerful asset yous can accept in your bag.
Using OCF on-location will open up a whole new world of lighting possibilities and the best office is, it is incredibly fun! Here's how to get started:
1. Learn the 2 basic components of off-camera flash.
The two bones components you demand for off-camera flash (OCF) are a speedlite and a trigger. That's information technology. I recommend keeping it simple while you're learning and just practice with these two components until you're comfortable creating the look yous desire. Leave the sandbags and modifiers at home until you feel confident with OCF.
When you become out to accept photos, keep your fully charged speedlite and triggers in your camera bag, right alongside your favorite lens. That way you are always prepared and you lot can create the light you desire.
Example of a elementary two-component OCF setup:
For the paradigm beneath, I had a friend hold the blank wink pointed down at the model's face up. The concluding prototype would have been impossible to create without my trusty speedlite. I could take shot this with no flash and used a wider aperture but so I would have lost the sun's starburst effect I wanted to include. I also would have lost the detail of the roots of the copse as the flash was providing the light on the roots.
Adjacent, TRY MODIFIERS:
One time you are comfortable with your wink and triggers I recommend y'all grab an inexpensive umbrella-manner modifier and a lite stand. The umbrella will give you the ability to create softer lite that will easily blend with almost ambient low-cal. The light stand will permit you lot to take off-camera wink photos without an banana/friend holding the flash.
I always continue a collapsible umbrella in my camera handbag along with my triggers and wink. Remember, proceed things simple and don't overwhelm yourself with a agglomeration of expensive and unnecessary gear. Trying to cart tons of gear on location could make y'all desire to give up before you even get started.
2. Know when to use wink on location.
It isn't necessary to use flash for every image, only information technology is a very helpful tool when the vision in your mind cannot be created with natural low-cal alone. If you just haphazardly identify your flash with no real intention, the images will reflect that. You should always accept a vision in heed when creating light for your photos.
There are a few mutual situations that lead me to pull out my speedlite. The most obvious is when there is just not enough low-cal to have a well-exposed paradigm of my subject. This can happen at any time of the day depending on the available light.
Here's an case of using OCF to achieve a specific vision:
For the photo below, I was in dense forest at the end of a pocket-size bog. I wanted to take the paradigm from this bending with the logs and water visible behind my subject and likewise maintain that subtle rim low-cal around her. This angle had her backlit and facing a thickly wooded area that was bouncing no light back toward her. I knew that by increasing my overall exposure I would still not be happy with the quality of light on her confront and I would lose the detail in my background that I wanted to maintain. I positioned my flash with a beauty-dish style modifier at about a 45-degree angle from my discipline at camera right. I loved the resulting image and information technology matched what I had envisioned from the start.
An example of using OCF to properly betrayal the sky and subject field:
Another common situation for pulling out my off-camera flash is when I desire my sky to be exposed properly besides as my subject. For this example, I wanted to showcase the amazing clouds higher up my daughter, so I chose my camera's settings to expose for the clouds. This left my subject field entirely as well dark. I then added in wink to the desired amount to create Rembrandt style light.
three. Find the right balance of flash and natural light.
Mixing OCF with natural calorie-free is an extremely useful skill to acquire, as well-nigh of your outside work volition include some corporeality of ambient light. By learning to mix the two, you'll have the choice to maintain a natural look or add drama to the scene past the settings you lot choose with your camera and flash.
I recommend that yous first set up your exposure for the ambient light before even turning on your wink. Once you have the desired background exposure, add in your flash at a low power setting for just a touch of light to augment the scene. If your discipline looks besides light or night, then arrange your flash power accordingly.
When dealing with flash, a good rule of thumb is that your shutter speed controls your ambience light/background while your discontinuity affects your discipline/expanse lit by flash.
An example of using flash to create a natural look:
Oft when choosing to supplement the natural low-cal with flash, I just desire to add a small amount of low-cal to create catchlights or add together dimension to the scene. In this example, I wanted to maintain the background and golden light while also adding a tiny amount of sparkle to my girl'southward face. I used the aforementioned camera settings for both images simply added a very small amount of flash power for the image on the left.
An example of using OCF to mimic the existing light:
You can utilize flash to subtly mimic the existing natural light. I placed the flash to fire from the same management as the overcast dominicus to add a picayune dimension to the scene. The solar day was breezy, and then my trusty assistant was playing a very important role in keeping my calorie-free stand grounded. A big drawback of umbrellas is that they love to take flight in a potent (or slight) breeze.
An example of using OCF to crate drama:
You tin besides choose to use flash settings that volition provide a more than dramatic effect. These images were taken just minutes later the pictures shown above but I exposed to retain the details in my sky with a smaller aperture. I added in my flash at a stronger power to increase the drama.
4. Don't be afraid to use off-camera wink in total sun.
Some other manner to get dramatic lite is to shoot in full sun. Despite my reluctance to shoot in this situation, life happens in harsh sunlight but as often as it happens during the aureate hour. Cover the light that you have and take advantage of what full sun offers; information technology is a great opportunity to employ smaller apertures to become starbursts from your light sources and to use darker shadows for a dramatic image.
Your speedlite may accept a difficult time competing with the bright lord's day. Try using information technology bare and at full power in order to become all the light that y'all tin from information technology.
five. Use flash to evidence move.
One of the perks of using OCF is that you can create images that would otherwise exist impossible. 1 example of this is using wink to freeze and prove motion. Without flash, you might not be able to push button your photographic camera settings enough to freeze movement, light your subject, and create the artistic look you want. Luckily, nosotros tin can create the light we demand with OCF.
An example of using OCF to freeze movement:
For this paradigm, I had a bare flash right behind my daughter's head to backlight the falling snow. Note: To take this picture, you may need a 2d light source to ensure your subject's face is well lit. The second lite could exist another flash, the sun, or a whatever other light sources you may have handy.
An example of merging 2 OCF images to create a specific look:
In this epitome, I wanted to show the movement of the rushing waves while keeping my daughter free of motility blur. For this situation, I decided to capture two separate exposures and merge them together in post-processing to create the image I envisioned.
Photography is all most light and there are few things more reassuring than knowing yous accept great light available no affair what situation you find yourself in. I promise this encourages yous to take your flash with y'all the next time you lot are traveling near or far. At that place'south no reason to be fearful of flash, and information technology can exist an incredibly helpful tool for achieving your artistic vision!
All photos past Leah McLean
Source: https://www.myclickmagazine.com/using-flash-outdoors/
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