When everything goes wrong...

[PaulKami]

Hi,

I'm a newbie in photography, currently learning how to strobe lighting both indoor and outdoor.

If I could have advise from the professionals on the following scenario. Perhaps it could be the location, perhaps it could be the occasions, the moments or what, where everything just doesn't work well.

Some of the scenarios I encountered:

1) Celling too high, wall too far away, nowhere to bounce light (except floor), I've only got a speedlight with me and a diffuser, no umbrella, softbox or anything. I know if I gonna take this photo, it'll turn out to be quite artificial no matter what I do...

2) Bright sunlight outdoor, no shade, nothing interesting at background even doing bokeh, I've got umbrella and reflector. Subject may turn out alright, but not the background...

Will you at this situation look elsewhere, or to be creative and use whatever available? Assuming you're working with models and not event photography which you've no choice after all. Will you ever take those 'urgh' shots, or you'll just move on with another better option elsewhere (aka, change location)?

Thanks in advance

 

[ismokeweed79]

1) Get a bounce card.

 

[willdoang]

for number 1 get a wider bounce card, for number 2 try to meter on the background and let the diffused flash illuminate ur subject though it takes a lot of practice to do this it's quite a trial&error technique

 

[ST1100]

Case 1 i would bump the ISO up and expose on ambient, with the flash as a minor fill or catchlight. If it's a direct flash illuminated picture, esp portrait, i probably wouldn't even bother to take the camera out of the bag, unless it's just to document the occasion.

Case 2, well i personally prefer uncluttered OOF backgrounds, so i'd probably stay put unless there's a better location a few minutes away.

 

[allenleonhart]

i'll use auto mode if i cant judge what to do at the moment, shoot a while, find the limitations and then seek a creative way out.