Tis the Season - On Location Senior Portraits in So Cal
My good friend Blanca is FINALLY graduating from UCR this year. I say "FINALLY" not because she has taken the 7 year college grad plan, but because the last 4 years have felt like an eternity. Blanca is one of my favorite models, but our planned shoots would almost inevitably be cancelled or indefinitely postponed because she would suddenly remember a final she didn't for which she forgot to study. Well, not only is that all over, but we actually got to shoot together last weekend in the form of a Senior Portrait session shot on location at the University of California, Riverside.
The UCR Clocktower provides a nice backdrop for Blanca's Senior Portraits
The set up here was pretty simple. We met at 4pm, so we timed it right to have good light. However, sometimes the good light is not coming in the right direction when you are jockeying for a spot amongst other grads with other photographers, all trying to shoot in the same spot.
No problem though! It was late afternoon, the light was cooperative and at a level that would allow us to use strobe for a really well blended natural look. This was our go-to set up:
The reflector panel here serves two purposes, to provide shade from the sun, which would be too harsh in this direction, and to grab some of the strobe and fill the face a bit.
I used my handy LumoPro LP180 with a 1/2 CTO gel from my Rogue gel set to mimic sunlight, since the sun was not coming from a direction that would work for us. I used a large reflector to put Blanca in shade, but also catch light from the LP180 and fill her face a bit. Dial my exposure in and Voila! For some added flare, I can move the speedlight more into the frame and have the light beam right over her shoulder.
Fake Sun, brought to you by the LumoPro LP180 and a 1/2 CTO gel
I love this set up so much. At this time of day it gives me so much flexibility in shooting and when paired with a Pocketwizard Plus III, I can easily subtract the flash and shoot natural only, and vice versa. Typically this set up means I can travel light, but luck favors the prepared right? So I still dragged all this stuff with me
This may become a regular thing for me, it worked really well. Locking wheels FTW!