Hello All,

This is my first post. I hope to make many more in the future, and possibly someday be able to answer someone elses questions.

Okay, here's my situation. I've been asked to take some family and individual portraits this weekend at the beach. This will be my first real session at the beach.

I mean, I've done portaits before, but they were all done in the park or some other wooded area.


I've been searching and emailing all weekend in hopes to get some good advice on how to handle the lighting for these shoots. What I have found is that everyone has their own opinions on what to use and how to position the subjects. I've seen everything from use reflectors and have the subjects face the water, to use a softbox for fill light and have the subjects face the sun. Do it early in the morning. Do it in the afternoon. Do it at sunset. Just use your speedlight. Dont use your speedlight. Just use the reflector you have for the inside windshield of your car. You get what I'm saying.

To be honest, the family portrait may be somewhat formal, but I am sure the parents are going to want me to get candid shots of their kids, not anything rigid or formal.

I will have my canon 20d, my 24-70 2.8L, my 70-200 2.8L, and my 580ex speedlight.

I wont have the room to pack a softbox (if I even had one) so, I am on my way to the local Ritz to purchase a reflector kit in the morning. I am looking at either the PhotoFlex MultiDisc Collapsible 5-1 or the Lastolite TriFlip 8-1 Grip.

I suppose I am looking for advice on what to use and how to use it. Not specific posing suggestions, but rather tips on where to position myself in relation to the reflectors, my subjects and the sun. And anything else anyone would like to suggest.

I am looking at these posts ...

http://www.opensourcephoto.net/forum/index...c=14474&hl=

and

http://www.opensourcephoto.net/forum/index...c=14492&hl=

and I am in awe. I would like to be able to produce like Kari and Nick.

Thanks in advance for any help.

both of those guys could have used additional light sources, but I think with finding the light right, you could recreate all of those photos just existing on the beach.

I LOVE backlighting groups. (then again, I love front lighting them too, but it's sorta mean, and they tend to squint a lot...)

Sounds like you've gotten a lot of advice already... what exactly are you looking for advice wise now?

Me... I'd show up with my camera, my flash (my flash would in all likelyhood stay in the bag) and I'd just shoot away, finding the light as I go...

Hopefully that's somewhat helpful? but maybe not at all??

May I suggest: http://www.flashflavor.com/ Full of inspiration and technique to get it.

Also: http://strobist.blogspot.com/ for plenty of flash technique.

Otherwise: I'd get what I could without the flash, and then try to equalize the setting sun and post sunset with my flash - off camera wireless if possible.

Using the reflector: I'm hoping you will have an assistant to help with that.

Take the days you have remaining and experiment as much as you can every night!

Please post your results. I'd love to see what magic you reveal.

Aaawe! I was just reading this post, and I came across my name! You just put me on cloud nine! Thanks for the compliments!

Well, I can tell you how I shoot at the beach. For the most of the images in that post, I was actually shooting in the shade. The beach I go to has a small sand area that has some trees, and i try to start out shooting in the shade there. A couple of those images got just a touch of backlight on their hair from the sun, while they were still in the shade. I was so excited while I was taking them, because I could see that back light on them and I knew it would be nice!

Then, if I am not shooting in the small shade area, I try to shoot the last hour before sun set. The light is very nice and golden. It is not harsh. I tried to shoot at the beach a few times earlier in the day, and it was not near as nice! I usually back light, or side light my subjects with the sun. With a group you have to be very careful about the side light. It can cast shadows on the person's face next to them. So, I will then make sure the group is back lit by the sun. The only time I front light with the sun, is if the sun is very low and golden.
When using the sun as a back light, you need to decide how much flash you want to use. You can expose for their faces, and use minimul flash, but the sky behind them might blow out. If you expose more for the sky, their faces will be too dark if you do not add flash.

So, you need to decide how much flash you want to use, and how much you want to expose for the sky. Sometimes if it is only one or two people, I'll use a wide aperture and expose for thier face with no flash, and let the back blow out. But, with a group, I'll expose more for the sky, and flash the group to light them up. I try to end in a few silhoette images with the sunset a touch underexposed to bring out the color, and the people very under exposed to make the sillhoette. Here are a couple examples of that...

heeheee beach flash - my favourite topic....... *everyone groans* lol







All of these were done using a single bare 580EX - but it really depend on what look you are looking for I guess.

I love Kari's shots in that link you posted.

I think you're lying



Maybe I'm just jealous cause my bare flash never looks so good.

but you do this so well.....i have seen this images a bunch of times but they are still interesting to me! I need to practice.

Yeah, Brent... I think we all need an island of the long white cloud workshop

Yup, those images are great!

These are great!
(Thanks for the compliment!)

Well if you're not sick of these yet, don't go to http://strobist.blogspot.com . . . . . .


(sets timer for 15 minutes aaaaand *click* Fame countdown starts now)




where did that new guy go anyway?

Hi There!
I absolutely love the look of your images. How the heck are you getting these results? I know lighting is a big part of the package but is there some post-processing/actions going on that you would be willing to let us in on. Even a little??

Hey Keri,
Thanks for the compliment. There were no flashes, or reflectors used in that shoot. Tim Halberg nailed it on the head. Go there and "find the light." Once you learn to "see the light," then your photo life will be much easier.

Before you start working with flash...work with reflectors. Hell, most of my shots that appear to have flash, are really reflectors.

Keep shooting, and good luck with the shoot.

Hi Jen, thanks,

I can, with hand on heart, say that the only post work I do is straighten horizons, clean dust marks and resize for web.

I don't have any actions and my PS skills are almost nil

Wow - that's pretty amazing. Sounds like it really is your lighting skills, composition, and ability to catch the moment instead of post processing in PS that gets you those results. I do love the look of your work - to me it is a bit surreal or other worldly. When I have the time and some extra cash to spend, I'll be getting a pocket wizard to see what I can come up with. Thanks for sharing.

Hello All, New guy is back

First, thanks to everyone for the advice and examples posted. I did purchase a reflector (5-in-1) but as it turned out, I didn't get a chance to use it.

I only ended up with one session on Saturday afternoon. It started raining just around 6:30 which is the time my session was booked. The families wanted to go ahead and do the shoot quickly because they did not want to reschedule. I shot a lot of frames with several different poses and group breakdowns, but I did not get what I was looking for. The storm came up too fast and they weren't comfortable waiting, we called it after about 5 minutes of shooting.

I don't want to say that I was pressured into pushing forward with the shoot, but I could tell from the looks of their faces that they didn't want to try to set it up again for the following morning.

I think I have a few good shots. Nothing great. Nothing like I wanted. Nothing that stands out. Nothing that pops. Nothing candid. Just standard group family poses. I can't even bring myself to post any of them here for you to look at.

I am seriously considering calling them to see if they are all really going to be at the beach all week. If so, I may ask them if we can set up another time to do another shoot. Thats another 2 hour drive (time and gas) for me, but I don't see myself printing what I have and presenting it to the client as "my best".

Just curious ... what would you do? Would you set up another session and go from making a little to losing money because you weren't satisfied with what you got?