photos in open shade

[NicoleScraps]

I have read time and time again on this forum to take photos in open shade for best results. And yes, I have managed to get decent results in shade as far as not having funky shadows across my subject. However, the colors seems kind of dull and flat in this situation.

Here is an example of what I am talking about. These three photos are from a photoshoot I did this weekend with a teenage boy.

This one was taken in the shade.



This one was taken out in the sun (at about 5:30 pm)



The color is much much better, but he has that shadow on his face.
So I had his mom hold up a reflector and I ended up with this.



I feel this was my best shot of the day. It just really pops.
So how do I get this kind of color in the shade? Do I need some sort of off camera lighting? I think that is the answer. I really need to get some sort of portable lighting/flash unit to use with the reflector. Am I am heading in the right direction as far as what I need? Would a speed light with or without a soft box be my best bet for outdoor use?

[SusanH1970]

What white balance did you have your camera set to?

Also, in the first one, he's not completely in the shade. There's a patch of harsh light hitting the left side of his head. When I shoot in open shade, I put the subject right at the edge of the shade, facing the light.

[NicoleScraps]

Originally Posted by SusanH1970

What white balance did you have your camera set to?

I had started a thread a while back discussing white balance and took suggestion of many to just leave it on auto. So that is what I used.

[candidrachel]

I find keeping my white balance set to cloudy even in bright sunshine warms up skin tones nicely.

I found your last photo he looked quite orange at least he does on my pc. I refer #2.

Nice set though!

[PnwGuy]

Originally Posted by NicoleScraps

Do I need some sort of off camera lighting? I think that is the answer. I really need to get some sort of portable lighting/flash unit to use with the reflector. Am I am heading in the right direction as far as what I need? Would a speed light with or without a soft box be my best bet for outdoor use?

Yes, off camera lighting will make a big difference. The second shot would have come out better if you had some fill light to address the shadows.

My last outdoor shoot I used one 580EXII in the hotshoe as a master, no flash, only as a trigger, and my daughter stood close to the subject holding another 580EXII (with a diffuser) set as a slave. I could have used a light stand, but you can't move them around using voice commands. :-)

[SusanH1970]

OCF when shooting outdoors is nice, but certainly not necessary. Learn to see how light hits your subject and learn to utilize reflectors well. There are plenty of pros who use natural light only and don't even rely on fill flash, let alone OCF. I'm not trying to say OCF or fill flash is bad at all. Just saying it's not necessary.

[KimberlyH]

I've never used OCF outdoors so I can't really add anything to that question, but I have to agree with SusanH on this one. I don't feel like fill flash is necessary, either. I've never been crazy about the way it make the subjects features look. I know in some situations you just don't have the option of having a nice shady area to work in, but I try to stay away from fill flash as much as possible.