Nikon D3, 14-24mm, ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/1000
Flash Outside
I love to use two different Flash systems outside.
1) I use the Nikon SB900 with SU800 on my Nikon DSLR or on my Nikon P7000. I also use the Radio Popper PX system to be sure the signal consistently fires outside.
2) I fire the Alienbees 1600 with a Vagabond Mini Lithium battery and the CyberSync system.
The first photo was taken with the SB900 to shoot the images. I could quickly shoot the picture, fill-flash with the hot shoe flash, and move around. The flash had to be very close to the people outside to be useful.
Walk-and-Talk
The following two photos use a technique I learned from Jeff Smith, a corporate photographer, years ago. I was shooting film back then, and this is easier to do with today’s flashes.
I like having the subjects walk side by side, talking to each other. Sometimes, as in the first photo, they walk straight at me, and other times, like in the last photo, they follow the path of a sidewalk, for example.
I have an assistant carrying either the Nikon Speedlite system or my Alienbees system. The advantage of the Alienbees is that I can have the assistant further away and still have the power of this flash fill in easily. Ultimately, the Alienbees are firing at 1/16 or 1/8 power.
The assistant walks off to the side, usually lighting them at a 45-degree angle to the camera. Eye walk just outside the picture frame and keep an even pace with them as they walk. For this technique, you need to hire an assistant who can walk and chew gum simultaneously.
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| My portable system for Walk-and-Talk. AlienBees 1600, Vagabond Mini, CyberSync radio remote control |
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| CyberSync Radio Remote Control |
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| Vagabond Mini |
I like the Walk-and-Talk technique because it gives the subjects something to do. This not only helps me focus on them, but after a couple of times, they tend to relax, and I get great expressions.
Tip
If you use this Walk-and-Talk technique, I recommend that you tell them to walk close enough to each other that they feel each other occasionally touching. In addition, I recommend that one person talk and the other listen. Last, I ask them to look into each other’s eyes or at each other’s faces. People tend to look at the ground or somewhere else. I want them to look interested in each other.
