2008

A Basic Field Guide for the

Outdoor Strobist

Outdoor Strobist uses the outdoors as location and backdrop,

supplementing natural available light from various sources like direct
sunlight, cloud diffused light, street lights, and others. “Flash” or
“Strobes” are used to “fill” or “fight” or “invent” light, with the desire to
create a more dynamic photograph.

By Bernie Ledesma
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bernieled/
 A Basic Field Guide for the Outdoor Strobist
by Bernie Ledesma

Outdoor Strobist uses the outdoors as location and backdrop, supplementing natural available light from
various sources like direct sunlight, cloud diffused light, street lights, and others. “Flash” or “Strobes” are used
to “fill” or “fight” or “invent” light, with the desire to create a more dynamic photograph.

· Some Equipment needed: (technical’s not discussed here)

o Camera
o Flash (with manual power level controls)
o Wireless Flash Trigger and Receiver
o Batteries for Flash, wireless trigger, and receiver
o Light stands
o Light Modifiers (umbrella/soft box)
o Adapter, Light stand to Hot shoe

· The three “zones” that you will have to consider:

1. The Main Subject (model, car, bike, pet, kids, athlete, etc)
2. The Backdrop or Location (road, walls, sea, trees, mountain, fields, buildings, etc)
3. The Sky (white fluffy clouds, blue sky, sunset, sunrise, midday direct overhead sun, etc)

· General assumptions
o The Flash will illuminate the Main Subject
o The Sun will illuminate the Sky, Location, and the Backdrop
o Strobes will be set manually, triggered wireless
o You do not own or will not use a dedicated light meter
· General workflow would be:
1. Set camera on Manual exposure mode(M) (so we can control the exposure on the zones)
2. Set camera to lowest ISO (ISO 100?) (just to have a common starting point)
3. Set shutter speed to its highest sync speed (this varies for each camera)(safe general setting 160-200?)
4. Set flash to 1/4 power (as a general starting point)
5. Take a meter reading (half press the button) of the backdrop/location to find suggested aperture
and set camera to that suggested aperture
6. Take a test shot and chimp (look at the image and/or histogram in the camera LCD)
7. Analyze the image, If the subject (lighted by the strobe) is too dark, either:
· Adjust aperture, lower the value (3.5?) to have a bigger opening , this
will allow more light from flash to enter. This will incidentally affect the
overall exposure from both flash and the ambient. Test again.
· Increase flash power (from ¼ to ½ and so on) this will throw more light
to the subject, then test again.
· Physically move the flash nearer or closer to the subject
8. If the subject (lighted by the strobe) is too bright, either:
· Adjust aperture, set a higher value (22?) to have a smaller opening ,
this will cut down the light from flash. This will incidentally affect the
overall exposure from both flash and the ambient. Test again.
· Decrease flash power (from ¼ to 1/6 and so on) this will reduce the
light emitted to the subject, then test again.
· Physically move the flash further or away from the subject
9. After setting the exposure for your Main Subjects, analyze the Ambient light on the
shot, if the background (lighted by the sun) is too dark, either:
· Adjust the shutter speed slower (from 160 to 100?) to allow
more ambient light in
· Adjust ISO to higher value (from 100 to 200 ISO)to make the
sensor more sensitive (this is a last resort adjustment as it will
affect your main subject settings as well. Its use will be more
apparent when the shutter speed goes beyond hand holding levels,
like 1/50)
10. If the background (lighted by the sun) is too bright, either:
· Adjust the shutter speed faster (from 160 to 200?) to decrease the
ambient light coming into the camera
· Adjust ISO to lower value (from 200 to 100 ISO) to make the sensor less
sensitive (this is a last resort adjustment as it will affect your main subject
settings as well. Its use will be more apparent when the shutter speed goes
beyond hand holding levels, like 1/50)
Ø Other factors to consider
a) Some lenses have variable apertures; they are marked as "3.5-5.6" or something similar. That
means that as you zoom, your widest possible aperture opening varies. If you are using a variable
aperture lens and zoom in and your aperture changes then your flash exposure will change. The
wider, the more light will enter.
b) Some flash units do not have “Manual” power settings. You will not be able to control their output,
c) Canon and Nikon has their own proprietary method of communicating and controlling remote
strobes using IR maintaining their ETTL properties. This system is automated but it will be harder
to creatively control as it has a mind of its own.
d) Some flash have a power saving option which shuts itself off after a few minutes, make sure to
turn these off so you can work continuously.
e) Some Flash units have “zoom” heads, on these types of flash, zoom range will affect exposure. if
you focus the light by zooming in, the amount light hitting the subject will be stronger.
f) Flash units have different maximum intensities or power. Guide numbers will give a clue to your
flash power, (ex: Canon Speedlite 430EX has Guide Number 141 ft./43m (at ISO 100); flash head at
105mm zoom setting and the 580EX II has a Guide Number of 190 Feet / 58m (at ISO 100). Always
use the same ISO rating when comparing) The higher the guide number the more powerful the
flash is.
g) Light Modifiers such as a soft box or umbrella will eat flash power or intensity, so you will have to
consider this when you use super thick diffusing materials.
h) The distance of the flash unit with the light modifiers will not only affect the intensity reaching the
subject but affect the “softness” or the “hardness” of the light as well. The closer to the subject,
the softer the light. The further the distance of the light, the harder the light on the subject.
i) The size of light source will also affect the “softness” or “hardness” of the light. The bigger the
surface area, the softer it becomes. Putting the light closer to the subject is another way of making
the light source “bigger”.
j) Know your cameras “Sync Speed”, this is the fastest shutter speed the flash can synchronize with,
if not you will have half of the image dark as the flash was blocked by the closing shutter.
k) The higher you set your flash power to, the longer waiting or recycle time it will require. This will
also drain the battery faster, which means less overall shots can be taken.
l) Flash is generally balanced with sunlight at 5500 Kelvin, but White Balance is proportionately
affected by the amount of ambient light hitting the subject. Set it so you get good skin tones, it is
more acceptable to have the sky for example to have different warmer tones, while skin should be
as natural as possible. If the flash is predominant, then use about 5000k, if the ambient light is in
shot and is of high percentage then use a White Balance setting balanced for that source;

a. Light Sources Color Temperature in K :

i. Clear Blue Sky 10,000 to 15,000
ii. Overcast Sky 6,000 to 8,000
iii. Noon Sun and Clear Sky 6,500
iv. Sunlight Average 5,400 to 6,000
v. Electronic Flash 5,400 to 6,000
vi. Household Lighting 2,500 to 3,000
vii. Candle Flame 1,200 to 1,500
 Ø To Review the concepts
Ø changing the aperture lets in more light (flash& ambient) or lets in less light (flash& ambient)
Ø changing your shutter speed affects your ambient (sunlight)
Ø flash can be adjusted with its power setting , zoom setting, and distance
Ø do not set shutter speed beyond “sync speed” or too slow to hand hold
Ø distance and size of light source affects the “softness” or “hardness” of the light.

Disclaimer
This Field Manual was produced by Bernie Ledesma. The information contained within this/these document(s) are solely advisory. , You should not rely
on this information as absolute. All materials should not be used for commercial purposes.

Should the information in this document prove to be false, misleading, I will not be liable for direct, indirect (including, but not limited to any loss of
business or anticipatory profits), incidental, or consequential damages resulting from your reliance on the information contained herein, even if the
information was false, misleading, or in contravention to law, statute, or regulation, and even if I have been advised of the possibility of such.

ver 04.21.08