Outdoor Portraits - Advice on eliminating shadows

[ddt0725]

You might want to try one of the flashes, on a stand (bare) on the shadow side. Basically, you'd have the power set to offset the shadow as much as possible. If that doesn't work, then you might try an umbrella really close with a tighter framing.

We may give it one more try tomorrow morning alittle earlier and I will bring one flash w/stand. If it isn't windy, I will try the umbrella.

I did use one flash tonight on camera but not much luck of the shots being any better, first I tried it with an on-camera small soft box and then without.

[ddt0725]

Take a look at Syl Arena's Speedlighter's Handbook, it has an amazing wealth of advice. I have tried one of the techniques, which is to underexposse the ambient light and manually zoom the flash for fill.

I do have his book around here somewhere! I will try a couple things tomorrow hopefully and see if I can get something to work!

[clemmb]

Denise,
I am not the best at this but here are a couple of examples.
Jayson suggested turning her so her back is to the sun and use on-camera flash dialed down a bit. This was just that, ETTL.

IMG_0057 by clemmb60, on Flickr

The next one is also turn her back to the sun. The flash is bare bulb on light stand. Flash at full power.

IMG_0153 by clemmb60, on Flickr

This last one is with the sun more to the side. Flash bare bulb on light stand. Flash on full power.

IMG_0007 by clemmb60, on Flickr

These are not my best work by any means. I do prefer to use the flash on lightstand with softbox. I have pretty much given up on using an umbrella. It takes very little wind even om my heavy stand with weights to blow it over. I have broken a couple of flashes and damaged a couple of umbrellas.

Do you have a good flash meter to help you balance the sun and flash?

[ddt0725]

Very nice shots, Mark! I am hoping to get to the lake early enough tomorrow before it gets too hot and try this. I do not have a flash meter but we'll see how it goes without one. I am going to try on camera first but if my daughter will let me, I will set up a softbox also. She doesn't like too much attention brought to the whole thing but if it's early enought maybe nobody will be there yet.

[ddt0725]

If I am trying to enhance blue sky, reduce reflection on the water and reduce the chances of blowing out the white on my dog but not do too much damage to IQ, would the polarizer be best or an ND filter? Did you use a filter on your last shot, Mark?

[Jayson]

Just using a flash will work, just expose for your background and then use the flash as fill. Here is a quick 2 min video that should help out from Bryan Peterson It's about mixing ambient with flash.

[clemmb]

Did you use a filter on your last shot, Mark?

No filter here. A little PP to bring out the sky.

[ddt0725]

Just using a flash will work, just expose for your background and then use the flash as fill. Here is a quick 2 min video that should help out from Bryan Peterson It's about mixing ambient with flash.

Thank you very much for the link, Jayson! I did get a chance to watch it before heading to the lake this morning.

[ddt0725]

No filter here. A little PP to bring out the sky.

I didn't see this before heading out this morning and I ended up bring a polarizer filter with. From what I can see, I must have been more concerned with the flash then the filter because the sky still looks pretty blah in the results and need pp.

[clemmb]

I didn't see this before heading out this morning

I slept late