Create that triangle with your flash, camera and subject to improve your photos outside

 
 
Nikon D4, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, Pocketwizard TTL system with Nikon SB-900 ISO 100, ƒ/ 2.8, 1/3200
 

Photographing this year at the Fort Worth Stockyards, I encountered a noon-day sun combination with cowboy hats.

The hats are supposed to shade, which means you don’t see their faces unless you add some flash. So I said the off-camera flash to fill under those hats as done here to make the faces pop out.

Nikon D4, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, Pocketwizard TTL system with Nikon SB-900, ISO 100, ƒ/ 2.8, 1/2000

Just compare what flash can do by looking at the cowboy on the other horse in the background. You cannot see his face like the buy in front.

Here is an earlier post going over the technique. Get the camera, flash, and the subject to form a triangle. Here the flash is held to the far left off the camera and zoomed to 200mm to create a shaft of light to just light the cowboy’s face.

Nikon D4, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, Pocketwizard TTL system with Nikon SB-900, ISO 100, ƒ/ 4, 1/1600

Flash is a great way to improve the photo of the cowboys because now I see their faces.