What do I need and how to set up the lighting equipments for outdoor shoot?

[Zeguang Dave Tan]

Hi all,

I am an enthusiastic amateur and I will be doing various photoshoots outdoor,
mainly for my family and various friends for free whether as couples or solo shots to gain experience.

Hereby I would like to have some tips as well as lighting set-ups that you may like to enlighten me.

Below are my equipments:

1. Nikon D7100
2. Nikon D5100
3. Nikon 35mm f1.8g
4. Nikon 18-55mm F3.5-5.6
5. Nikon 18-200mm F3.5-5.6
6. Tamron 70-300 F4-5.6
7. Nikon 10.5mm F3.5 fisheye
8. Tokina 11-16mm F2.8 uwa
9. 3 light stands with umbrella and flash holder
10. 2 shoot thru umbrella
11. 1 silver reflective umbrella
12. 2x Nikon SB 700 flash
13. 1x Yongnuo 560 Mk III flash
14. 4x Yongnuo 622N wireless transceiver
15. 2x continuous strobes (need a power supply so I render it useless because I think a power cell is far out of my budget)
16. 2x soft boxes for strobes above

Below is a diagram what I intend to do:



I'm thinking of using the sun as back light, behind subject.
I will use a flash with diffuser attached on my camera as main light.
An additional shoot thru umbrella with flash from an angle of approx 45 degrees on subject's front right. This is my fill light.
Will add an additional flash from subject's behind at the left side without diffuser, projected at a parallel direction as where the subject faces to produce a highlight outline on the subject's left side to make him/her stand out.
All using Nikon i-TTL because I don't know how to manually control my flashes to get right exposures.

Do hope to hear your enlightenments!
Thanks in advance!

 

[Zeguang Dave Tan]

Hi all,

I am an enthusiastic amateur and I will be doing various photoshoots outdoor,
mainly for my family and various friends for free whether as couples or solo shots to gain experience.

Hereby I would like to have some tips as well as lighting set-ups that you may like to enlighten me.

Below are my equipments:

1. Nikon D7100
2. Nikon D5100
3. Nikon 35mm f1.8g
4. Nikon 18-55mm F3.5-5.6
5. Nikon 18-200mm F3.5-5.6
6. Tamron 70-300 F4-5.6
7. Nikon 10.5mm F3.5 fisheye
8. Tokina 11-16mm F2.8 uwa
9. 3 light stands with umbrella and flash holder
10. 2 shoot thru umbrella
11. 1 silver reflective umbrella
12. 2x Nikon SB 700 flash
13. 1x Yongnuo 560 Mk III flash
14. 4x Yongnuo 622N wireless transceiver
15. 2x continuous strobes (need a power supply so I render it useless because I think a power cell is far out of my budget)
16. 2x soft boxes for strobes above

Below is a diagram what I intend to do:



I'm thinking of using the sun as back light, behind subject.
I will use a flash with diffuser attached on my camera as main light.
An additional shoot thru umbrella with flash from an angle of approx 45 degrees on subject's front right. This is my fill light.
Will add an additional flash from subject's behind at the left side without diffuser, projected at a parallel direction as where the subject faces to produce a highlight outline on the subject's left side to make him/her stand out.
All using Nikon i-TTL because I don't know how to manually control my flashes to get right exposures.

Do hope to hear your enlightenments!
Thanks in advance!

 

[Shizuma]

diffuser merely attenuate flash power.
there is also nothing for the diffused (side way light ) to bounce off because you're outdoors.

you can try using your side the umbrella as key and the second umbrella flash on axis as fill.

I think later I'll write article in Guides subforum on how to muddle up manual flash setting through trial and error

 

[paulboh87]

watch some youtube videos

 

[one eye jack]

The only way to learn is to try your setup to see the results. After that try my suggestion.
Instead of umbrella on the left side of camera use a soft box and adjust distance for effect.
Your back light remains the same for highlights. No flash on camera just the trigger. Meter for the subject. Use either 18-200mm or 70-300mm at 85 - 135mm or even close to 200mm focal length.I think you will like the results.If lighting is insufficient use the 2nd. soft box but I think one will suffice.If possible zoom with your feet and not the lens.

 

[kandinsky]

One tip I read early on: Umbrellas turn into potential sails outdoors with the slightest breeze. Unless you have VALs (voice-activated lightstands aka assistants) to help you, you'll need sandbags/weights.

Might want to try simplifying. See what you can do with one light (e.g., Could be multiple flash units in one source, depending on how much you want to overpower the sun), then add as you need/go.

 

[daredevil123]

Looking at your diagram, I seriously do not know what you are trying to achieve. But as a learning session it is good. You can see the outcome and realize what you planned makes no sense.

 

[Zeguang Dave Tan]

Looking at your diagram, I seriously do not know what you are trying to achieve. But as a learning session it is good. You can see the outcome and realize what you planned makes no sense.

hi all thanks to your replies! appreciate your help and definitely understand the part that i must try to get results!
@daredevil123 hi sir, my set up is based on this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGoCc6F2XJ0 and perhaps when you are free you could check it out and leave me some comments? thanks!

 

[catchlights]

Over enthusiastically set up, does your subject have that much of patience waiting for you to try until you got it?
Doubted it will work, you don't have assistant to work with you, just keep it simple. Don't understand what am I saying, just go YouTube to look for outdoor portrait flash light set up tutorials.

And do not post same topic in more than one forum, that is spamming, you will not get more information but only the attention from moderators.

 

[catchlights]

The set up in YouTube's video is for over cast day, and it is set up at a open shade area, that is not the same as your diagram you shown.

 

[daredevil123]

hi all thanks to your replies! appreciate your help and definitely understand the part that i must try to get results!
@daredevil123 hi sir, my set up is based on this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGoCc6F2XJ0 and perhaps when you are free you could check it out and leave me some comments? thanks!

What they are doing in video is clear what they are trying to achieve. Your's doesn't make sense.

You cannot just throw in someone elses' lighting setup and expect it to work. You need to understand light, and why you do certain things, and what the result would be.

 

[Zeguang Dave Tan]

Over enthusiastically set up, does your subject have that much of patience waiting for you to try until you got it?
Doubted it will work, you don't have assistant to work with you, just keep it simple. Don't understand what am I saying, just go YouTube to look for outdoor portrait flash light set up tutorials.

And do not post same topic in more than one forum, that is spamming, you will not get more information but only the attention from moderators.

ok i will note my post.

 

[daredevil123]

The set up in YouTube's video is for over cast day, and it is set up at a open shade area, that is not the same as your diagram you shown.

+1.

Plus in the video, the key light is the overcast sun. In TS's diagram, the sun becomes the rim light. So why the need for another flash rim light?

And on camera flash? Really? I thought the reason to use off camera flash is to get the flash off the camera.

TS, you need to learn the basics first. Practice with one light first.

 

[daredevil123]

Start with this video. Learn one light first and where to place the light.

[video=youtube;uH84-pA7p-c]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uH84-pA7p-c[/video]