Using the StarFlash Outdoors
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Using artificial light in outdoor settings is one of the most useful techniques every professional portrait photographer should know. There is a common belief among some photographers that artificial lighting is best suited for a studio setting, and mostly impractical in outdoor situations. Often this idea is born from the idea that portable power systems are expensive and hard to locate.
In this lesson we will demonstrate how we used a Photoflex StarFlash 300 kit to create this portrait of Paul Figueroa, the executive director at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History.
(Click on any image below for an enlarged view.) |
Topics Covered:
- Preparation
- Using the Umbrella
- Using the Medium LiteDome
- Adding a Fill
Equipment Used:
 Figure 1 |
Preparation
One of the most important things to do before taking any photographs on location is to go see the location well in advance. This will enable you to see exactly what the natural light is doing at the time you want to photograph your subject. This allows you to plan ahead and bring any additional lighting gear you may need to your shoot.
After our initial consultation with the client, we made an appointment to scout the location. Mr. Figueroa personally gave us a tour of the entire museum and allowed us to take some snap shots to use for planning our shot. [figures 1 - 3] |
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When we got back to the studio, we were able to review each of our interior and exterior shots to see which angle was the best for our subject.
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 Figure 4 |
We chose the outdoor courtyard and fountain in front of the main entrance. This seemed like the ideal setting for our shot. We had the museum logo and title above the door and the fountain added a nice foreground element.
Using some basic painting tools in Photoshop, we sketched in our subject in order to visualize how to compose this image. [figure 4] Doing this helped to direct our efforts during the actual shoot. The more planning and pre-production you can do before the shoot, the faster, smoother, and more enjoyable the job will be. |
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Arriving on Location
The setting was the outdoor courtyard in front of the entrance to the building. The ambient light was mostly flat due to the large open shade provided by the tall buildings on either side.
One of the challenges in photographing a portrait such as this is that the subject (the museum director, CEO of a company, or any public figure) is not often willing to spend a lot of time on the set. Some may only give up about 15 minutes of their time to take a picture, if they're being generous. Therefore, preparation, consistency, and the right lighting tools are crucial to achieving a good result.
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 Figure 5 |
We arrived on location about an hour before we were scheduled to shoot so that we could set up our equipment and do any necessary tests prior to the shoot. We set up a 300-watt StarFlash with a 43-inch silver umbrella. Then we positioned a 39x72" LitePanel on the opposite side to bounce light back in as a fill. We had our assistant stand in for the model, so that we could do some lighting tests. [figure 5]
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One of the biggest advantages of using strobes over hot lights is that the strobes are daylight-balanced (5600K). This allows you to effortlessly mix ambient daylight with artificial strobe light. Also, remember that daylight is usually much brighter than any continuous light. Therefore, it is necessary to use strobes to match or exceed the light intensity of the outdoor light.
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 Figure 6 |
We were able to borrow some electricity from an adjacent café to power our strobe. We remembered to bring plenty of extension cords just in case the nearest power outlet was farther than we expected. [figure 6] |
 Figure 7 |
The image on the left was our best result from the lighting test. [figure 7] The umbrella gave us a nice soft, yet directional light on the subject and the LitePanel added just the right amount of fill on the opposite side. |
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We knew that we had to use a small aperture (f/16 in this case) in order to maximize depth of field. Doing this also enabled us to use a slower shutter speed (1/15th of a second), which caused the water in the fountain to have a nice, elegant blur.
At this point we were confident with our setup and exposure. Now we were ready to bring in the director and carry out a few lighting variations in the short time we had available.
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 Figure 8 |
Using the Umbrella
For the first shot we decided to use the umbrella, but leave out the fill. [figure 8] We positioned the model in about the same place as we had our assistant. We asked him to raise one foot on to the step of the fountain in order to add a bit of a casual feel to this portrait. |
 Figure 9 |
The umbrella produced excellent results. [figure 9] The light was soft and covered the entire subject. The direction of the light produced some good shadows, which helped to add dimension to an otherwise flatly lit subject. Some of the light even reached the fountain behind him and added a bit of a sparkle to the wet surfaces.
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 Figure 10 |
Using the Medium LiteDome
Next, we wanted to compare our result with the umbrella to what we might get using a Medium LiteDome. [figure 10] |
 Figure 11 |
The quality of light produced by the LiteDome is different from the umbrella. [figure 11] The LiteDome has a narrower spread, which means that the light reaches only the subject and not the fountain. Moreover, only the upper portion of the body is fully lit and the light drops off towards the lower torso and legs. |
 Figure 12 |
Then we brought back the 39x72-inch LitePanel to add some fill light to the shot. [figure 12] |
 Figure 13 |
The LitePanel produced just a slight amount of fill light for the shadow side of the subject. [figure 13] This has reduced the contrast of the light on the model just a little bit and helped the artificial light blend a little better with the ambient light. |
 Figure 14 |
Adding a Fill
We still felt that the LiteDome was a little bit too soft and diffused for this situation. With the ambient light being so flat and diffused already, we wanted to create some sense of depth in the shot. Based on our previous result with our stand-in assistant, we decided to switch back to the umbrella while leaving the LitePanel in the same position. [figure 14] |
 Figure 15 |
This combination felt just right. [figure 15] The umbrella spread the light nicely across the subject and the fountain. The extra bit of contrast provided by the silver umbrella interior added a sense of depth to the photograph, which is exactly what we wanted. The LitePanel added just enough fill to the shadows so that the lighting would not seem too directional or too artificial. |
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Shown below is a comparison of our results [figures 16 - 19]:
- Shot using a single StarFlash 300 with a 45-inch silver umbrella [figure 16]
- We switched the Umbrella to a Medium LiteDome [figure 17]
- We added a LitePanel for fill [figure 18]
- We replaced the LiteDome with the Umbrella and kept the fill in place [figure 19]
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As mentioned above, we prefer the result attained with the umbrella and fill. However, we still liked some of our other results for other reasons. For example, the narrow spread of the soft box provided a more natural, or less obvious kind of lighting, which might be preferable to some.
As you can see, many studio lighting tools and techniques can greatly benefit the photographer in many outdoor situations. When consistent results are a must and time is limited, make sure that your system is dialed in and predicable. This way, your shoot will proceed smoothly and your client will thank you for your professionalism.
Click here to visit The Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History.
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Equipment Used:
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