How to control direct sunlight and create images with strong colour and even tones
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Direct sunlight is far from the best light for outdoor portraits. The strong contrast creates bright highlights and deep shadows, while the lack of options to reposition the light source places limits on how it can be controlled. Unfortunately, as photographers we often have to work with what we are given, and if the sun is shining at our location of choice and rescheduling is not possible, managing sunlight is an essential professional skill.
For bridal portraits, such as this one, the problem is compounded by the bright dress easily becoming overexposed to pure white, or the subject’s face becoming greatly underexposed. In order to balance the exposure we must use fill flash. However, the aim for this technique is to maintain the bright, punchy look of the natural light.
This technique involves exposing for the environment and then calculating the perfect amount of artificial light to reduce local contrast where this is proving unattractive – across the face, for example. This approach is perfect for summer weddings or location portrait shoots, where you can’t place the subject in the shade. A single flash setup is often sufficient, although multiple speedlights may be necessary at higher shutter sync speeds – as the shutter speed increases the flash output per unit falls, so additional flashes can be used to compensate.
Let’s look at the technique you need to control that harsh outdoor light…
Inset
UNFLATTERING SHADOWS
BEFORE IN ORDER TO PREVENT OVEREXPOSURE OF THE DRESS AND SKIN, THE SHUTTER SPEED NEEDED TO BE INCREASED, BUT THIS UNDEREXPOSED AREAS IN SHADOW
1
CONSIDER LIGHT DIRECTION Select how you would like the sunlight to illuminate your subject. Ideally the sun will be placed behind the subject, but the background here doesn’t permit this. For this shot, therefore, the sun is being used like a spotlight.
2
POSITION YOUR LIGHTS To fill the shadows, place a diffused flash on the opposite side of the subject from the sun, aiming towards the subject’s face at 45 degrees. Vary the height to control shadows as needed. Use radio triggers to make speedlights wireless.
3
METER THE BACKGROUND In Aperture Priority mode, set your desired f-stop, and meter the background exposure. Use an aperture of at least f/11 to keep the shutter speed as close to 1/250sec as possible – the maximum flash sync speed.
AFTER
PAINTERLY BALANCE
BY CAREFULLY ADDING FLASH TO THE SUBJECT, THE BACKGROUND EXPOSURE CAN BE CONTROLLED INDEPENDENTLY, ALLOWING AN ALMOST HDR-STYLE PAINTERLY EFFECT THAT’S
POPULAR IN MODERN PORTRAITURE
6
ADJUST FLASH POWER Starting at around 1/16th power, vary the output setting to overpower the sunlight with flash and flatten contrast, while ensuring that the flash light is not too obvious. At faster exposures you may need to use higher settings.
4
SWITCH TO MANUAL (UNDEREXPOSE) Put the camera in Manual mode and enter the measured settings to prevent these from changing between frames. Close the aperture by another 1/2 stop to slightly underexpose the background for greater saturation.
5
ADD THE FLASH Activate the flash, and if your shutter speed has increased above the max flash sync, switch the speedlight to high-speed sync mode. This will enable you to use the flash with any shutter speed, albeit with a reduced output.