Natural lighting

Peach

Peach

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Sharleigh
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Yo!

I've been asked to do a few family portrait type shots....but have no lighting equipment, just a speedlite.

Can this be done or just be a disaster?!

It's not for a job but I don't want to let the family down if they're expecting a few shots to keep for their home.

Thanks
 
Some of my bestist portraits for friends and family have been done in natural light. But then a majority of my pics would be 'deleted in camera' by most of the toggers on here ;)
 
Hi peach

I had a similar problem some time back, I also only had 1 speed light. I managed to buy a umbrella with a stand and fire the flash into the umbrella... worked great.

Set your on board flash to commander/master in the menu settings, and set your flash unit to slave... with a bit of luck your on board flash should trigger the flash unit without any wires needed.

Depending on the group size you can move the stand and umbrella where ever you want.

Hope this helps :)
 
Thanks for that :)

I'll probably get some lighting equipment sooner or later as I'd like to have a crack in a studio... but I guess it's a lot to invest in if your not 100% ... so it's like a trial run.

It's a family of 3 so hopefully won't need to make much of an impact with the lighting :)
 
window light is KING

are you shooting individually or in groups?

if individual find nice BIG window sit subject next to window, note face goes from light to dark shoot as is for moody have an assitant (children are good at this) hold a big bit of white card on the shadow side for subtle fill or wrapped in tinfoil for a sparklier fill

a window on an overcast day is a softbox for all intents and purposes, if you need to fake the window light buy a radio slave put translucent material over the window and bang speedlight into it, instantly upped power

I'd try to keep the light as is (maybe with fill) and shoot with say a 50mm prime (crop or an 85 on ff) focus on the eyes shoot below f2 and voila

window light on flickr
 
just saw last post same goes for separate shots, go with the theory and work something similar out for the group
 
Nothing wrong with window light and a reflector.
And I hate to say it but good old sun and net curtains up at the window to diffuse the light works pretty well. Largest softbox you can get.
G
 
Thanks for your advice!

I'll be at my mums.... she's got patio doors in her lounge and magnolia walls .... so I'll just use it as a mini studio.
Hoping to get shots of my 6 month old niece :) mummy and daddy too :)
 
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