When shooting portraits on location, you are dependent on the ambient light—unless you bring your own lights. I decided to use flash to overpower the ambient light. This approach allowed for more variation during this portrait session. Let me explain how.
Many beginning photographers don’t realize how much control they can have over light with the use of flash, even during a daytime portrait session. Even photos with a nighttime appearance don’t necessarily have to be shot at night.
While reviewing the Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM II, I asked Sanne to join me for a portrait session on location. I used two Profoto B10 lights and a remote trigger designed for the Canon system. By changing the trigger to the X-sync setting, it became usable with the Sony a7CR. You can find the review of the Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM II by following this link.
I want to describe the decisions and choices I made during this portrait session. It may help those who want to try something similar but don’t know where to start. More experienced portrait photographers might take different approaches or make other choices. Feel free to share your methods in the comments below. We can all learn from each other.
The Location
Since the location I chose had many tall buildings, I knew there would be limited sunlight in the late afternoon. However, I found a spot with a white wall with some spots of sunlight reflected from nearby windows.
It wasn’t the most ideal situation, but with the camera set to a slight underexposure, the reflection could stand out just enough. I used the Profoto B10 with a translucent umbrella as the key light, overpowering the ambient light. Since the flash was used to get a proper exposure of Sanne, I could dial in almost any desirable exposure for the surroundings.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t use the umbrella for long because it acted like a sail in the wind. The wind nearly toppled the light stand since I hadn’t brought a sandbag—a valuable lesson for next time. I switched to a Profoto OCF Magnum Reflector instead, which would not catch that much wind. However, it will produce light that is more harsh in appearance. It also improves efficiency a bit, offering almost one stop more light.
Turning Day Into Night
The second location featured a much darker brick wall. My idea was to create a bright light on the wall with Sanne silhouetted against it. The second flash would add directional light to lift the shadows.
I turned down the exposure to register almost no ambient light. Then, I placed the first Profoto B10 behind Sanne, directed at the wall. However, this didn’t give the effect I wanted, so I set the camera’s white balance to tungsten. This adjustment turned the image blue, simulating twilight colors up to some extend.
I added the second Profoto B10 to the left of Sanne. To prevent light from spilling onto the wall, I used a grid. Since the camera’s white balance was set to tungsten, this light also appeared blue. A full CTO color gel counteracted the color shift, resulting in a more balanced color in the image.
I created a variation at the same location by rotating the backlight 180 degrees to face the back of Sanne. This acted as a rim light. The second flash was positioned at a 45-degree angle in front of Sanne. There was just enough spill light to slightly illuminate the wall behind her.
The Power of Flash and White Balance
It’s easy to underestimate the impact flash can have. After the dark brick wall where I turned day into night, we moved to a corridor for the next session. The sun was about an hour away from setting, casting warm light on the tall buildings in the background. Although the corridor itself wasn’t lit by sunlight, it provided a promising setting.
The third setting: walking down the corridor. As a reminder, this is close to the ambient light present in the previous setting. A flash is added to offer a better quality of light.
I used flash to add extra light while Sanne walked down the corridor. It took a few attempts to capture the perfect moment where she was positioned exactly in the flash’s light.
Since the buildings in the background were bathed in warm sunlight, I wanted them more prominent as a backdrop. I underexposed the ambient light to darken the corridor and Sanne slightly. The flash, placed to the left, mimicked the sunlight’s direction and was fitted with a full CTO gel to match the warm tones.
Next, I chose a different angle, incorporating the lines of the corridor’s structure into the background. I set the camera’s white balance to tungsten again, turning the background blue. This time, I didn’t underexpose the ambient light as much but ensured Sanne stood out.
Using Existing Light and Reflections
The last location was another corridor, featuring large window panes with vertical lights behind the window posts. I used the same technique with ambient exposure, relying on flash to light Sanne correctly. This setup posed challenges due to the flash’s reflection in the windows. I also had to avoid distracting reflections from the surroundings.
To manage this, I held the camera almost against the glass, capturing Sanne’s reflection between the vertical lights. Other issues arose, such as the reflection distorting her body and face. Finding the perfect position to achieve the best reflection while minimizing unwanted ones required patience.
What Would You Do Differently?
This article describes the process and decisions behind the photos I captured. It’s not the only way to use flash on location, and some things could perhaps be done differently or better. However, the end result is what truly matters, not the technical process itself. The best way to improve technically is simply to practice. Go out, experiment, try new things, and don’t be scared to make mistakes. Just take your time to figure out what went wrong and correct it if possible.
Perhaps you can help in this process as well. How would you do things differently? What could be improved? Please share your experience in the comments below. I look forward to your thoughts.
