Mix ambient light with flash

[boldcolors]

When I shoot on location (for example office environments) I usually use ambient light/window light and a big fat aperture. Mostly because it is easy to work with and if the windows are big enough it gives very nice shaping light.

But that is not always the case depending on the room itself, windows, time of day, weather etc. I would like to get better and consistent control. I wonder how those airy, well lit office (think stock office) portraits have been made? The ones where the entire scene is well lit and matches the exposure of the client.

Using studio strobes and soft boxes up close for soft light doesn't really work since the flash power even on lowest settings usually is way stronger than any ambient light and the focused spread of the softbox is too narrow and the falloff makes it look very "Flash" with the background being darker.

Should i just use a weaker flash (like a regular speedlight) and a big shoot-through umbrella and go TTL?

I know this is basic stuff and I should know about it but I have never ended up in a situation where I actually use it. But would like to.

 

[ampimagedotcom]

When I shoot on location (for example office environments) I usually use ambient light/window light and a big fat aperture. Mostly because it is easy to work with and if the windows are big enough it gives very nice shaping light.

But that is not always the case depending on the room itself, windows, time of day, weather etc. I would like to get better and consistent control. I wonder how those airy, well lit office (think stock office) portraits have been made? The ones where the entire scene is well lit and matches the exposure of the client.

Like you say, a lot will depend on the room itself as well as the look you are after - but I would often use 2 lights: one to help light the room behind them and the other to light their face...


(William Liddell - Associate Partner with Templeton Robinson)

.. and would try to keep both lights on the same side if possible.

-
Creating images to tell a story... just for you!
Cheers,
Ashley.

 

[jlafferty]

Much of this is done with constant lights these days, though with strobes - at least the models I use - you’ve got the option of 1/512, and HSS reduces output even further. Then there’s always bounce and/or feathering. ND sheet as a last resort if necessary.

 

[Don89]

Depending on your flash trigger you can play with aperture and shutter speed to gain balance. Shutter speed handles ambient while aperture handles flash

 

[Jacques Cornell]

Nicely done! Looks totally natural.

 

[antares103]

When I shoot on location (for example office environments) I usually use ambient light/window light and a big fat aperture. Mostly because it is easy to work with and if the windows are big enough it gives very nice shaping light.

But that is not always the case depending on the room itself, windows, time of day, weather etc. I would like to get better and consistent control. I wonder how those airy, well lit office (think stock office) portraits have been made? The ones where the entire scene is well lit and matches the exposure of the client.

Using studio strobes and soft boxes up close for soft light doesn't really work since the flash power even on lowest settings usually is way stronger than any ambient light and the focused spread of the softbox is too narrow and the falloff makes it look very "Flash" with the background being darker.

Should i just use a weaker flash (like a regular speedlight) and a big shoot-through umbrella and go TTL?

I know this is basic stuff and I should know about it but I have never ended up in a situation where I actually use it. But would like to.

Slowing your shutter speed will add ambient without altering the flash exposure. You can also try adding ND filtration to the flashes to lower their output. You can also bounce the light off the room (thus diffusing the light over a larger area, effectively lowering the output). Speedlights are an option, as is continuous lights (maybe even the model lamp). There are also monolight flash units that can dial very low.

 

[ampimagedotcom]

Nicely done! Looks totally natural.

Praise is bread to an artist - so thank you for your kind words.

Shot about 20 years ago - but from memory, I shot each of the Partners / Directors in different locations and on different days too - so I turned all the room lights off each time, and I kept the lighting simple...


(Denis Templeton & Patrick Palmer of Templeton Robinson)


(Beth Robinson & Keith Mitchell of Templeton Robinson)

.. by basically doing what I suggested.

1500 in the background, which I would have fired either onto a wall or onto the ceiling & a 750 at close to minimum power in the foreground, which I would have fired into a large white umbrella.

20 years on, as you can see...


(Marie McMillen in the sitting room of her 1960s period-style detached house near Holywood in County Down)

.. I still basically do the same thing, because I want it to look natural or like I didn't have to use any lights because it was naturally well lit... every time - rain, hail or snow.

-
Creating images to tell a story... just for you!
Cheers,
Ashley.

 

[Gato Amarillo]

When I shoot on location (for example office environments) I usually use ambient light/window light and a big fat aperture. Mostly because it is easy to work with and if the windows are big enough it gives very nice shaping light.

But that is not always the case depending on the room itself, windows, time of day, weather etc. I would like to get better and consistent control. I wonder how those airy, well lit office (think stock office) portraits have been made? The ones where the entire scene is well lit and matches the exposure of the client.

Using studio strobes and soft boxes up close for soft light doesn't really work since the flash power even on lowest settings usually is way stronger than any ambient light and the focused spread of the softbox is too narrow and the falloff makes it look very "Flash" with the background being darker.

Should i just use a weaker flash (like a regular speedlight) and a big shoot-through umbrella and go TTL?

I know this is basic stuff and I should know about it but I have never ended up in a situation where I actually use it. But would like to.

Echoing some of the others, first try stopping down and going to a slower shutter speed -- you may find it easier to balance the flash to the ambient. How powerful is your light? Most studio lights will go low enough to balance if you stop down a bit.

Rather than the softbox I like an umbrella. If you work it right you can get good modeling on the subject but have enough light spill bouncing around the space to smooth the transitions and pick up the background a bit. Or skip the modifier, go with a smallish reflector and bounce off the ceiling (if it's white, as most are).

Finally, you may need one or more extra lights for the background, especially if the office lighting does not match the color of your flash.

As to setup, I get an exposure for the overall office without the flash, then turn on the flash and adjust the power to balance. I would typically be around f8 with a shutter speed set for the ambient exposure, then control the flash exposure with the power setting.

Gato

 

[boldcolors]

Thanks you guys for feedback and helpful comments! I ended up using a regular speedlight on radio and a medium sized white umbrella. Ambient exposure @1.2, 1/200 and ISO 160.

Yes, that selection of super aperture makes it tricky but in this case my speedlight was weak enough to match the exposure and give proper fill. Yes, lowering the shutterspeed to maybe 1/60 would give me a bit more headroom in the power scale of the flash but I am sure a regular studio strobe would be way too powerful even at its lowest settings.

 

[Ellis Vener]

But that is not always the case depending on the room itself, windows, time of day, weather etc. I would like to get better and consistent control. I wonder how those airy, well lit office (think stock office) portraits have been made? The ones where the entire scene is well lit and matches the exposure of the client.

Would it surprise you to learn that a lot of those are composites?

Yes, you could light the entire background for each different setup - if you and your client have the budget and time -- but it is often more cost-effective to shoot "plate shots" of the background exposed and processed to have that "bright. airy" look -- and then photograph the people in the same setting with the camera position locked down and light them to match the overall feel.

Ellis Vener
To see my work, please visit http://www.ellisvener.com
I am on Instagram @EllisVenerStudio
“It's not about the f-stop." -Jay Maisel
Don't be "a photographer.” Be photographing. (Paraphrasing William Faulkner's advice to writers.)

 

[boldcolors]

But that is not always the case depending on the room itself, windows, time of day, weather etc. I would like to get better and consistent control. I wonder how those airy, well lit office (think stock office) portraits have been made? The ones where the entire scene is well lit and matches the exposure of the client.

Would it surprise you to learn that a lot of those are composites?
Yes, you could light the entire background for each different setup - if you and your client have the budget and time -- but it is often more cost-effective to shoot "plate shots" of the background exposed and processed to have that "bright. airy" look -- and then photograph the people in the same setting with the camera position locked down and light them to match the overall feel.

Ellis Vener
To see my work, please visit http://www.ellisvener.com
I am on Instagram @EllisVenerStudio
“It's not about the f-stop." -Jay Maisel
Don't be "a photographer.” Be photographing. (Paraphrasing William Faulkner's advice to writers.)

It wouldn't actually... I have done that a couple of times but find it a bit limiting since I need to place the model in the same camera position as the composite plate. It does work but makes it a bit of a challenge if different positions is needed.

Basically what I do is to first take a picture of the model standing in position X. Then I switch to manual focus to keep the same DOF/focus area, ask the model to walk out of the frame and take another shot of the empty scene and adjust my exposure/lighting accordingly. Then back again to the model. But then again, they all need to stand in the same-ish position. But yeah...it works. And I tend to use larger apertures for this since a creamy background might hide potential glitches.