Senior Prom Photo Help

I have just been asked to take photographs of four couples (two of the couples feature my kids) around 5pm today. I plan on using a 5d3 (or my 60D), a 430X flash and plan on using a Sigma 35 1.4 along with a Canon 70-200 2.8IS II.

I mostly photograph baseball, birds and nature, I take lousy people photos and almost never use flash. I typically shoot with auto iso and use manual shutter speed and f stop. These photos will be outdoor on my front lawn, in the backround there will be plenty of shrubs, a few flowers and a red maple. The house will block the sun that will be starting to set in the back yard. I can also go to the backyard where there is more sun and a white six foot tall fence if that is a better setup.

I assume that I should use flash as the subject will be in the shade (house will block direct sun). Should I mount the flash on the camera, if not where? Which lens do you prefer for full body portraits and what camera (and flash) settings do you suggest? I realize that this is last minute and not so easy to get great photos without decent gear and much more knowledge than I have.

Any advise is appreciated.

Thank you,
Scott

I'm sure others here will offer suggestions as well...but for what it's worth...

You may not have to use flash if the lighting outdoors is adequate (even in the shade), but it would certainly help for fill. If you have the flash on-camera, I suggest it would be best to just use as fill light...probably have to dial back the flash exposure compensation to keep away from the distinctive on-camera-flash look.

If you can, it would certainly help to move the flash off-camera. If you do that, what do you intend to use to trigger the flash? Do you have any modifier (eg umbrella or diffuser)? Do you have a light stand or some way of mounting the light? You could tie it to a tree or just have someone hold it if necessary. For positioning, it would really depend on where the main light is (likely the sun). Often lights are positioned above lens axis and to one side. So basically pointing slightly down on the subjects and slightly from one side. Without knowing the specifics of the location it's hard to give exact recommendations. Perhaps it would be best to try a few with the flash on-camera and vary the flash exposure compensation and then have someone hold the flash and move it for a couple different shots. Try a few things and see what works best in your situation. Best thing about digital is if you don't like it you can just delete it!

Stephen

I'm fearful the photos will be dull without the flash. I have a large white foam board that I can setup overhead and bounce the flash off. Not sure what height I want the board to be, I guess about 8 feet? Obviously I have no experience with portraits and very little experience with using flash. I am pretty handy and could easily mount the flash off camera (ladder, tripod, tree limb, etc). I was under the impression that the camera could automatically trigger the off camera flash, I guess I'm wrong.

Keep in mind a newbie at this camera setting and flash settings would be helpful as well.

Thanks for the tips, keep them coming. I promise to post a photo or two if they turn out decent.

You can use the 60D to trigger the 430 EX flash.

Your 60d can trigger your flash, but the 5d3 cannot. The 60d uses the pop-up flash on the camera to send a signal to the flash. So it can basically only be used line-of sight....meaning the flash sensor will have to be in front of your camera. I believe Canon gives the range outdoors as approx 23ft within a 80degree arc in front of the pop-up flash. You might want to try this out before hand to make sure you are familiar with the controls for wireless control of the flash as it can sometimes be confusing. The manual for the flash and camera should explain the operation OK....I've used it when I had my 7d and didn't have any real problems, but it is not exactly intuitive.

Using the foam board would definately help. You can basically use that as a reflector. Aim the light direcly at the board and you will essentially make your light source as large as the board (this is a good thing as it softens the light). Note that you may have to increase the strength of the flash. Also, don't forget to angle the board towards your subjects for best effect. Above and to one side of your subjects is definately a good place to start. If you are in direct sunlight for any shots, you could also place the board below and in front of the subjects to reflect upwards and help fight any deep shadows.

If you want to use the 5d3 with the flash, keep in mind that you can mount the flash on the hotshoe and swivel the head to fire towards the board above the subjects.

If you have time, it would definately help to go out and try a couple shots to see the different effects of moving the flash and board. Even if the lighting changes before the final shoot, at least you get some idea of what to expect and practice controling the flash. At least it is family so they should be patient!

Good luck and don't forget to post the results!

Stephen

I took some prom pictures recently with the 1DX and Canon 35mm f/1.4L

I intentionally looked for a slightly shady spot to avoid harsh light and I used the 580EXII flash on camera just for fill. I set the flash to manual on a very low setting like 1/32 power. It worked very well.

http://joeleadephotography.zenfolio....94658818-4.jpg

Joel,
I cannot see you photo "Content Protected by Owner." I'll set the flash to 1/32 and give it a shot. Being that the Sigma 35 is similar to your Canon 35, I'll use it. I gather it would be best to have my subject (group or one couple at a time) closer to the camera than the back-round (house). Is there a rule of thumb, say six feet from camera and twelve feet from the house that I should try to follow?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Always Looking

Joel,
I cannot see you photo "Content Protected by Owner."

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But look at the wonderful lighting on that Content Warning. It's got a great gradient. Did you shoot that warning with a softbox, Joel? Feathered, maybe?? :-)

I clicked on the link below Joel's post, saw a couple on a bridge but I needed a password to view the link. While browsing his site, I did notice a bird photo or two of Joel's private bird sanctuary in his backyard...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Always Looking

I'm fearful the photos will be dull without the flash. I have a large white foam board that I can setup overhead and bounce the flash off. Not sure what height I want the board to be, I guess about 8 feet? Obviously I have no experience with portraits and very little experience with using flash. I am pretty handy and could easily mount the flash off camera (ladder, tripod, tree limb, etc). I was under the impression that the camera could automatically trigger the off camera flash, I guess I'm wrong.

Keep in mind a newbie at this camera setting and flash settings would be helpful as well.

Thanks for the tips, keep them coming. I promise to post a photo or two if they turn out decent.

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I like the foam board idea if you don't have any other type of diffusion. You might have someone holding it above/in front of the subjects and bounce the flash off the white foam board using the Canon 60D to trigger the off-camera flash. It's a bit finicky as far as a setup is concerned, but I think it's doable.

I've used off-camera flash once or twice....I liked the results. ;-)

This is the image I was trying to post

http://joeleadephotography.zenfolio....94658818-5.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sean setters

but look at the wonderful lighting on that content warning. It's got a great gradient. Did you shoot that warning with a softbox, joel? Feathered, maybe?? :-)

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ha ha ha....;)

Well, I made many mistakes with my first ever prom photos. Since joining this forum about two years ago I always shoot Raw, I was taking snapshots of my son's baseball team recently and instead of having to convert the photos, I decided to just shoot Jpeg and send the unedited photos to his teammates. I forgot that the camera was still set to JPEG. I used the white foam board but never got to experiment. You can easily see the dark shadow on the left side of my son's shoulder (tall kid with crew cut). To add to the drama, my daughter's (blue dress) date was about an hour late due to poor communicating. Nothing like rushing for something you've never done before. Don't see professional photography in my future.

Anyway, these are the better photos. Not up to par with most of you guys and gals, but certainly better than nothing or a cell phone photo. I was laughing to myself the entire time as the relatives, parents and neighbors were getting in front of me taking snapshots half the time I was shooting. Now I know how you guys feel at a real shoot. It was a great experience and was asked to shoot my nieces prom next week. Learned a lot thanks to you people, thanks for the advise.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/always-...n/photostream/http://www.flickr.com/photos/always-...n/photostream/

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Originally Posted by Always Looking

http://www.flickr.com/photos/always-...n/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/always-...ream/lightbox/

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So, what setup did you go with?

Oh, and a how-to for embedding photos from flickr:

1) Click the "Share Button" on your flickr photo. A window will pop up with embed HTML code.
2) Click the radio button beside "BBC Code"
3) Choose an appropriate size, then copy the code.
4) Paste the code into the reply window.

Sean

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5453/8...2e042056_o.jpg
AIT Prom 20130001 by Scott Secor, on Flickr

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5338/8...1e6a7d70_o.jpg
AIT Prom 20130002 by Scott Secor, on Flickr

Sean,
Ended up using the 5d3 with the 70-200 2.8 is with the 430 flash mounted to the camera. Bounced the flash off the foam board as best I could (board was about eighteen inches above flash). Left flash settings automatic and camera set up on manual. Son with date shot at 1/200, F6.3, 400 iso, 75mm, evaluative flash metering. Daughter with date shot at 1/160, F4.5 400 iso, 115mm, evaluative flash metering.

I accidentally learned that you really need set up time and lots of practice. I also noticed that it helps to know your equipment before the day you plan on shooting. Shadows are a little better on my daughter than my son, probably due to the fact that I was a little further away.

My thoughts:

I'm not sure that the foam board was placed high enough for optimal light on the subjects, and I don't think it was set powerful enough to provide enough exposure on the subjects.

If you look in the first picture, you can clearly see the shadow cast by the flash. It's just slightly offset from the subjects, meaning it's not far enough off-axis to look natural. Also, the board seems to have been placed very close to the flash, meaning the light didn't spread much before hitting the board. No matter how big the board was, the flash wasn't striking a large portion of it translating to a relatively small source of light. This caused a shadow (on the background) that was very hard and conspicuous.

Second, I personally prefer flashes to be my main source of light on a portrait. And no matter what the camera's ETTL tells me, I generally like a small bit of overexposure on the face. Opinions may differ in that regard, but I like the face to be brightly illuminated under most circumstances like this. Therefore, if you were using ETTL, you might have wanted to dial in some flash exposure compensation to provide a more powerful mainlight on the subjects.

What that said, you may want to invest in a small off-camera flash setup. All you need is a lighstand, an umbrella swivel, a white umbrella, and a sandbag. You can use your 60D to trigger your off-camera 430EX wirelessly.

I used the same setup for this picture (except I was using a 580EX):

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8125/8...4be1c7c2_z.jpg
Bobbi Jo Maternity Series by budrowilson, on Flickr

You'll notice that the flash power is a little hot on the subjects, but it doesn't look bad. I purposefully underexposed the ambient light to let the flash's output draw the viewer's eye to the couple.

Sean,
Makes sense, looks like I have to invest a few dollars and get the flash off camera. I rarely use flash, but I'm starting to learn the benefits. I certainly can see the faces are almost 'highlighted' in your photos. I use to wonder why some professional photographers prefer their studio as compared to outside, I am finally beginning to understand, they can control the lighting, back round, etc.

Thank you for your advise.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Always Looking

Sean,
Makes sense, looks like I have to invest a few dollars and get the flash off camera. I rarely use flash, but I'm starting to learn the benefits. I certainly can see the faces are almost 'highlighted' in your photos. I use to wonder why some professional photographers prefer their studio as compared to outside, I am finally beginning to understand, they can control the lighting, back round, etc.

Thank you for your advise.

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You got it. Being able to control the light plays a huge part in making a photo "pop." It isn't easy, though, especially outdoors...

My setups aren't always this complex, but they can be...

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7178/7...5dec41cf_z.jpg
Jordan Chitwood Setup by budrowilson, on Flickr

However, the gear I listed for the maternity shot I showed didn't cost an arm and a leg. You can get a decent lightstand for $40, an umbrella swivel for less than $20, a decent umbrella for around $20, and you can make your own sandbag for next to nothing.

So, we're talking less than $100.00 to give you a good off-camera light source? Well worth the money, in my opinion. ;-)

For future reference, if you want to get into using your flash a little more check out http://www.strobist.com This site is AMAZING! He walks you through using your flash in simple easy to understand terms and shooting assignments. Once you go there find the link to "Lighting 101"

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mcarriganphotos

For future reference, if you want to get into using your flash a little more check out http://www.strobist.com This site is AMAZING! He walks you through using your flash in simple easy to understand terms and shooting assignments. Once you go there find the link to "Lighting 101"

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Indeed. That's where I started. ;-)

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