My preferred flash units are Vivitar 285 and Metz 45 series, both of which
I mount on a Redhawk stand that opens automatically when you set it down
on a hard surface. I know they’re both relics of the ’70s and ’80s, but since
I use them on manual, I don’t need advanced electronics. They’re also pretty
cheap, so when I lose one, it’s not a catastrophe—
and losing them is an occupational hazard, since I
use them near waterfalls, rivers, bridges, construc-
tion sites, etc. I must also note that not once in
over twenty years have I had a client look at an image and say, “Hey, you
used that cheap flash on this one!”
The beauty of this setup is that it allows you to put the light wherever you
need it. To trigger it, I use a radio slave. There are a lot of good ones on the
market, but I’ve had the best luck with the Quantum systems (I prefer the
4i). Like the flash units, they’re older, yet reliable. The slaves are basically an
on/off switch, so I don’t need sixty-four frequencies; sixteen will do.
The Flash as Main Light. Understanding where your light is coming
from outdoors is just as important as in the studio. And, as in the studio,
you have different lights that perform different functions. More often than
not, I use the flash unit as a main light—but even it’s only one light, I’m re-
ally working with multiple sources. Under sunny conditions, for example,
we have three: the sunlight, the ambient (shade) light, and the flash.
In bright sunshine, most women’s eyes can’t take the intensity of the sun
as a main light, resulting in a pained, squinty expression. In this situation,
most photographers head for shade. I don’t. I like to use the natural sunlight,
instead, as a separation light. To do this, I turn the subject’s back to the sun.
This makes her hair look great, separates her from the background, and helps
her avoid squinting. You don’t need to get the sun directly behind her. That
causes flare, even with a lens shade. Instead, get it at an angle behind her.
Then place your flash on that same side, so the resulting main light—even
though it’s generated from flash unit—will look very natural. The ambient
light will be your fill.
While I could use a reflector, and some will argue it’s more natural, in
bright sunlight, the reflector is almost as blinding as the sun. The human eye
is just not capable of reacting to the short duration of the electronic flash.
Flash Settings. To determine your flash setting, begin with the Sunny 16
Rule, a rule designed to provide a correct exposure when shooting in bright
sunlight. According to this rule, you should set your aperture to f/16, then
select the shutter speed that is the closest inverse of the ISO. For example,
at ISO 100, the closest shutter speed would be^1 / 125 second; at ISO 200, it
would be^1 / 250 second, and so on.
So, let’s start by setting your ISO at 100. Based on the Sunny 16 Rule,
with our subject posed so that her back is to the sun, we know the separa-
tion light will be f/16 at^1 / 125 second. I prefer, however, to use a wider aper-
ture and the highest shutter speed I have available, usually^1 / 250 second. This
gives me f/11 at^1 / 250 second.GLAMOUR ON LOCATION 73Losing flash units is a occupational hazard, since
I use them near waterfalls, rivers, bridges, etc.In bright sunshine, most women’s eyes can’t
take the intensity of the sun as a main light,
resulting in a pained, squinty expression.