Fill flash in difficult light?

[srwatters]

How do you set up for a mid-day outdoor photo when no open shade is available and you have no other choices? My daughter's soccer team needed a team shot during the break between two games of a double header on Sunday. The fields where they play (Blue Sky in The Colony) has literally zero shade. I set them up with their backs to the sun and used a hill as the BG. I know the crop is terrible, but they had only 30 minutes between games and still had to eat then get ready for warm-ups for the second game. Here's what I came up with...



I used aperture priority and center weighting to shoot at f/11 and 1/80. Manual flash compensation set to -2/3 stop on the SB800. How would you have done this?

BTW, my daughter is the brunette in the middle behind the ball. They finished the season with a 5-2-1 record, after losing the first two games of the season, the went undefeated 5-0-1!

Maybe this is why they lost those first two games


Thanks!

[PeteQ]

Hey Scott, not too bad to start with and that is very similar to what I had been doing. Lately though I have gone to more of a fill overpowering sunlight kind of thing. Yeah, the sports portrait guys always do it, but it works.

Here are a couple examples that explain the technique far better than I could. And his images are certainly better than mine. Still more tweaking to get it down pat, but I like not having to rely on shooting into a background all the time.

The group may have made it a bit more challenging, but with the SB-800 or two and an umbrella or so it would have given you another option.

http://www.dg28.com/example.53.html

http://www.dg28.com/example.3.html

[Badge]

white shirts, back lighting, varous skin tones
I think you did a great job as is
Badge

[srwatters]

Thanks for the links Pete. I should have shut down to f/16 and let the sb800 do some more work. The next time I do this, I'm going to set it up better and bring an Alien Bee with the Vagabond. I'm so used to shooting at f/4-f/8, I just don't 'think' about the other half of the lens range. Live and learn.

BTW, the parents are thrilled with these shots. My quality bar just won't let me accept that

Thanks for the compliment John. I find this type of photography far more challenging than my studio work.

[bfphoto]

Scott, you really did well with this shot. What I miss most in not shooting medium format now, is the faster shutter speed to have more control over the background in situations like this. There are ways to control this type of lighting, but it always involves more equipment than I now want to carry around.
BTW, beautiful daughter.

[PeteQ]

Yeah, it's interesting when you need to get into that f11+ range for groups and stuff. Man, I love my tripod.... Working the SB's against the light is fun and it can really help out in those type situations. Especially the singles as their outdoor portrait then looks like the one they have seen on SI!

BTW, how do you like your Vagabond? I didn't know anyone here was actually using one. Any comments, good or bad?

[mivy00]

On the first picture the girl on the top row all the way to the right looks photoshopped in.
I feel like i should be able to see her legs between the two girls on the bottom row

[mivy00]

Originally Posted by PeteQ

http://www.dg28.com/example.53.html

http://www.dg28.com/example.3.html

Good info Pete Thanks

[srwatters]

Originally Posted by mivy00

On the first picture the girl on the top row all the way to the right looks photoshopped in.
I feel like i should be able to see her legs between the two girls on the bottom row

Trust me, I'm no where near that good with Photoshop n

That's Jennifer the head coach of our academy team and the Plano West High Lady Wolves. She was indeed there for the photo, but had to scrunch down so I didn't get any sky in the shot.

[srwatters]

Originally Posted by PeteQ

BTW, how do you like your Vagabond? I didn't know anyone here was actually using one. Any comments, good or bad?

The Vagabond belongs to Greg and I've only used it once. For a single head it seems to work quite well with decent recycle times and it lasts pretty good on a charge. It's reasonable to carry, but I wouldn't want to go for a long hike with it...

It seems to get good reviews too, but don't take my word since I've only used it once. That may change though as I'm looking at doing more location fashion shoots. I just need to find locations

[Hogleg 44]

Originally Posted by mivy00

On the first picture the girl on the top row all the way to the right looks photoshopped in.
I feel like i should be able to see her legs between the two girls on the bottom row

Looks like an adult to me, who is probably on her knee like the guy on the left.

Edit...Oooops, didn't see Scott's explanation!

[Clint_Smith]

Vagabond is my friend too. use it along with an AB 800 for all my team images.