Outdoor portrait tips & tricks needed

[mikeboy]

Hello, I have arranged a session with a model for next sunday 25th, I gave a week's time to prepare.

The session is going to take place in a park, at a very nice spot where there is a really beautiful waterfall. She will be wearing a loose shirt, a pair of jeans, and under a bikini.

It is kind of a poorly lit environment, since it is covered by trees and loads of foliage, but light does get trough. I am not certain, but I believe that studio lights are out of the question (no A/C outlets). I was thinking about getting a wind blower to play with her hair, but again, no power.


do you guys have any tips on how to improve light on a subject in poor lighting conditions?
how about tips on composition in the woods?
about photographing people and water?


that would really help me out
Thanks in advance

[Benji]

"Do you guys have any tips on how to improve light on a subject in poor lighting conditions?" Add more light (flash) but balance the flash to the ambient light. Off camera flash is more pleasing.

"How about tips on composition in the woods?" Use the natural trees and rocks etc., to sit her on, lean her up against, stand her on, etc."

"About photographing people and water?" Slow shutter speeds (1/2 second) will blur the water but she will be blurry if she moves during that same time. You MUST use a tripod with long shutter speeds like 1/2 second.

Benji

See my free posing and lighting tutorials at:

http://www.photocamel.com/forum/tutorials/16516-rules-good-portraiture.html
http://www.photocamel.com/forum/tutorials/14669-portrait-head-shoulders-image.html
http://www.photocamel.com/forum/tutorials/14779-1-3-2-posing-technique.html

[Saralonde]

Perhaps there is something here that could help:

http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/category/portrait-photography/

[mikeboy]

thank you very much for your tips, Ill be using most of them and Ill show you end result!

Thank a lot! :D this forum is great for amateurs like me!

[Saralonde]

Can't wait to see your shots. Good luck!

[23pixels]

Thank you for posting those links they are very helpful

[Tiberius]

An assistant holding a reflector would be good to let you use bounce flash. Don't get an expensive reflector, go to a cheap $2 store or something and get one of those things you put across the car's windscreen on a sunny day. They work fine.

For wind, try getting a sheet of cardboard or a thin sheet of ply and just wave it at the model to get a breeze.

[terryjoey]

Never thought of the windshield reflector, great tip.

[Tiberius]

A couple of other tips...

With water, use a polarising filter to cut down on the glare and reflections.

Use the flash if you have dappled light. this will make sure that there isn't too much contrast between the highlights and shadows, and you'll keep a lot more detail.

In a forst, compose your shots so you can't see the forest floor if the ground is messy.