Hey Photogs!

Today I’ll be breaking down how I shot a particular image so that you all can get out there and try it for yourselves.  I know that lighting can be somewhat intimidating when you’re starting out so I’m going to share a very simple setup that I frequently use when shooting engagement sessions and wedding portraits at sunset.

I was asked last week by a client, how do you get those dramatic shots with deep blue sky when you’re shooting directly into the sun?  Well my friends this breakdown will show you how.

Below is the photo we’ll be breaking down, have a looksy.

The setting sun was gorgeous up on Camelback Mountain after Sarah & Trevor’s intimate ceremony so we took advantage of the natural light for a couple of shots which you can see below.  But I wanted something more dramatic, as usual.  So, I added some off camera light for a little drama to achieve the above photo. These two images were taken exactly 3 minutes apart, so this shows you what a difference some off-camera lighting can make.

For the above photo I was exposing for the subject, giving them a little hair light from the setting sun behind them and overexposing the sky for a light and airy feel.  But to achieve that drama from the photo we’re breaking down, I exposed for the sky and added some light.  With these two photos, you can see the difference between exposing for the subject vs. exposing for the sky.

Here’s the breakdown to achieving a dramatic sky using off camera lighting.

Image specs:

• Shot with Canon 5d Mark II
• 24-70mm 2.8 lens at 24mm
• ISO: 100 Aperture: 6.3 Shutter: 1/160
• Lit with one Vivitar 285 flash at 1/4 power  More on these lights later.
• Vivitar held by my Voice Activated Lightstand (VAL) pointed at the subject from a 30 degree angle to the right of me and my camera.
• Vivitar fired with 2 PocketWizard Plus II Transceivers

Steps for success:

1. Expose for the sky

• In this particular instance when you expose for the sky your subject will be in shadow and therefore completely underexposed.  But, your sky will be blue!
• Know your camera’s maximum sync speed to avoid those pesky black bands from appearing when you attempt to sync your flash at too high of a shutter speed.  More on this subject later!

2. Because you’re exposing for the sky, your subject is underexposed.  Let’s fix that!

• Turn your flash on manual!

• Get it off your camera.

• Connect one pocket wizard to your flash and one to your camera.

• Choose an appropriate output power from your light source (full power, 1/2, 1/4, 1/16, etc.).  If you’re overpowering midday sun you’ll need LOTS of light (generally full power), if you’re balancing your flash with dim dusk light you’ll need less power (usually 1/16 is a good starting point).  Assess your lighting situation and choose an appropriate output.

• Point the light at your subjects’ faces from as high as your VAL can reach at a 30 degree angle from the camera.

3. Make adjustments to ensure your light is balanced evenly.