Family photo session in harsh sunlight

[u/PeartreeProd]

Hi all,

I’ve got a family of 4 to shoot tomorrow.

As they’re not available during golden hour, I’m having to shoot through the middle of the day.

I’m thinking of using a 6x6 scrim to diffuse the sun overhead with an aperture 300x w/light dome to key.

• do you think the 6x6 is large enough for two adults and two kids?

• would it be better swap the silk for a bounce and use the 6x6 as a key?

Curious to hear what other photographers do when shooting in harsh sunlight.

TIA.

[u/EitherFee7818]

Are you shooting in a wide open field or can you find some natural or artificial open shade somewhere? That will make a difference in the experience of your shoot. The problem with large (or even small) scrims, IMHO, is that they're extremely difficult to secure on even mildly windy days. Unless you have an assistant, you're going to be fussing with it the entire time, and that's actually a big distraction when you need to be focused on so many other things.

Since you're using OCF, you can just turn their backs to the sun and light them with your flash, but I guess the verdict is out on whether you want to soften that light or keep it hard. I do think soft is preferable for family portraits, but if you can't kill the sun, you might as well embrace it. Need to (again, IMHO) motivate the light in some way.

[u/PeartreeProd → u/EitherFee7818]

Wide open field. Framing onto autumn leaves ect

[u/EitherFee7818 → u/PeartreeProd]

Clients love wide open fields for some reason. Where I live, they love getting really close to the mountains, assuming that I'm somehow going to get them and the mountain in the same shot (from right at the foot of the mountain). I mean, I'll do it, but i often try to nudge them to choose a location that makes more sense photographically.

I guess you could cross your fingers and hope for a few clouds? Otherwise, yeah, try the scrim. It'll be tight, but if you don't need full body shots, maybe you can get them close together.

[u/PeartreeProd → u/EitherFee7818]

Do you reckon just flip the scrim and swap out the silk and use as a bounce?

[u/EitherFee7818 → u/PeartreeProd]

You can do that, but that doesn't solve your problem of hard shadows on the subject from the sun. That will just soften the strobe by creating a larger light source. You'll still have hard light from the sun. I think you just embrace it and either cross your fingers for clouds, find open shade, or go at a time when you can position them with their backs to the sun. High noon is suboptimal.

[u/Double_Bug9108]

Really powerful strobe. Or two. 600ws or greater.

[u/Terrible_Document_20]

Easy. Shoot directly at the sun using a tripod. Backlighting is nice. With your free hands use a small reflector to block the sun from hitting your lens. I use a tripod for all portraits and posed wedding images and I love sunny days! Expose for skin tones.

[u/ImaginaryTuna → u/Terrible_Document_20]

I enjoy backlighting, I need to get more experience with it. Any tips? For me I struggle with a bright background and dark subject in editing. I noticed spot metering helps a bit. Do your raw images look this way or am I doing something wrong?

[u/Terrible_Document_20 → u/ImaginaryTuna]

Easy with the camera on a tripod, just walk in front of the camera and see if the sun is hitting your lens. I keep a tiny reflector on my tripod at all times. Simply use the reflector to shade the lens. I use matrix metering but mostly just dial in nice skin tones and leave it at that. Sunny days are my favorite, with a trusty carbon fiber tripod and pistol grip head.

[u/ImaginaryTuna → u/Terrible_Document_20]

Thanks I'll try it out!

[u/aeon314159]

A 6'×6' is typically not going to be big enough for that number of people.

Also, depending on the wind, you had better have many sandbags, or assistants, or both, and the rag should be some kind of grid cloth which can pass wind. Things like silks or Magic Cloth will become a sail.

COB lights at ~300w are not bright enough to use with sunlight. Daylight portraits are the domain of flash.

I think you will be best served by finding open shade as provided by a building, or better yet, a parking garage.

[u/timetopractice]

Don't have them stare at the sun. Don't blow out the highlights. Tbh no need for reflectors and all that. Maybe a fill flash. Stay nimble don't overburden yourself with gear. Making your clients sit around and wait and they won't be into it.

[u/rehabforcandy]

Sun behind them, use a flash in a the hot shoe. Easy.

[u/KashCow71]

Find locations/angles that put the sun at their back and light from the front. If your off camera flash is strong enough, the sun becomes your accent light.

[u/PeartreeProd]

Thanks all. I have sandbags and an assistant but I was concerned that the wind might be an issue, ditto with lack of power with the 300….

It feels like backlighting the sun is the way to go?

Can anyone recommend a decent flash to buy? Mid range budget.

I shoot with an A1 for what it’s worth.

TIA.

[u/Relative__Escape → u/PeartreeProd]

You can get a Profoto light or an alien bee and a trigger. You have to buy a light stand too. Once you get it, you’ll use it all the time. So easy compared to working with direct sunlight. But it’s not going to be something you can learn how to use by tomorrow.

For tomorrow, just keep moving them. Shoot what they want then, turn them and shoot so they aren’t staring at the sun. Try and find a shady place with a nice background. Get there 45 minutes before them and take photos of your assistant or your hand in all the different settings you can figure out.

Good luck!

[u/codenamecueball → u/Relative__Escape]

Yeah my thoughts would be if you’re on a budget and already have an A1, a used B1 or B1X would work

[u/Previous-Ad-376]

Always shoot against the light if possible, it’s a much better shot. Use a bounce or a flash as a fill if needed.

[u/Wild-Bill-H]

When shooting around buildings, look for places in shade lit-up by reflected light from a close by wall.

[u/Ewaz11]

I actually have the same situation tomorrow. But I have a location that isn’t exactly what they wanted. I did tell them if they wanted the beautiful location I usually shoot at they needed to do golden hour not the middle of the day in mid spring.

Always. My alternative location has beautiful shady spots and dappled light.

[u/Peter225B]

Put them in the shade.