When shooting outdoors, it’s always important to be prepared for changing weather conditions. You can plan all you want for a sunny outdoor shoot, but when the weather changes, grey overcast skies can prevent you from getting the image you want. Conversely, if the weather is very bright, you need to be able to tone this down in your shots.
There are ways around this with the help of ExpoImaging’s range of flashbenders, gels and accessories to broaden your creative horizons with flash photography on the go
Create Artificial Sunlight with the ExpoImaging Flash Gels
It’s tricky to predict how bright and sunny the weather is going to be, but if you’ve got the Rogue Flash Gels with you then you’ve got a great solution at your disposal. Using the orange warm toned gel over your flash, you can create a realistic sunlight effect. Positioned in the right place, your flash can replicate the warm glow that we usually get from a low sun.
By experimenting with different coloured Rogue gels and the positioning of your flash, you can even create the look of a sunrise or sunset. Rogue gels are also great to experiment with when shooting landscapes. Using a green gel for example will pick up pink and purple flowers in a field. The joy of Rogue gels is that you can continue to experiment with different colours, subjects, locations and lighting.
Modify Light with FlashBenders
Shooting outdoors typically creates harsh shadows around your model, which can result in flat images and sharp lines on the face. However, using a FlashBender allows you to soften that light to produce a shot that results in a much more natural look. Like with all ExpoImaging products, you can take advantage of their versatility and experiment until you capture the perfect image.
Photographer, Tim Engle, offers a great example of how you can easily create soft lighting that looks incredibly natural using the Rogue Flash XL Pro kit. Notice how there are no harsh lines or shadows on the models’ face.
Balance Out Sunlight
If the weather is brighter than you expected, you could end up with washed out images and dark eye sockets. You can correct your camera by attaching the ExpoDisc White Balance Filter. This is also a necessary tool for ensuring your models skin tone looks natural rather than washed out or discoloured.
A simple yet very effective tool, the ExpoDisc can save you a lot of time when you come to edit your photos as it calibrates your camera for the entire shoot, whether you’re shooting outside or in the studio.
Versatile and Portable Flash Accessories
Earlier this year, ExpoImaging launched an updated range of their Flashbender v3 reflectors and soft box kits, which are now designed to fit a wider variety of strobe shapes and sizes. Every product is lightweight and portable and can be easily folded down to neatly store away in your camera bag. This makes it so much easier to take your flash reflectors out and about with you, without having to worry about carrying heavy loads.
So, get outdoors this summer and see what you can create by experimenting with ExpoImaging’s range of flash and camera accessories!
