Using Off-Camera Flash for Outdoor Portraits

In this video I’ll be showing you how to use an off-camera flash to shoot outdoor portraits.

I will be using different settings to balance the ambient light and flash exposure, which will result in different types of dramatic looking shots. Here is the video:

This video is from our Off-Camera Flash for Beginners Course, which has 33 videos and 4 hours of video content. You can access the full course using the link below:

Off-Camera Flash for Beginners Course

Video Summary

This video demonstrates how to use High-Speed Sync (HSS) with an off-camera flash to create dramatic outdoor portraits with a shallow depth of field.

The Two-Step Process for Outdoor Flash Portraits

1. Set the Ambient Exposure:
   • Start with the flash off to lock in how you want the background to look [00:52].
   • To achieve a blurred background (bokeh), use a wide aperture like f/1.8 and a base ISO 100 [00:18].
   • In bright daylight, a standard sync speed (like 1/200s) will result in an Overexposed background at f/1.8 [01:04].
   • The Solution: Use High-Speed Sync to increase the shutter speed (e.g., to 1/500s or 1/1000s) until the background looks dark and dramatic [01:41, 04:33].
2. Add the Flash Exposure:
   • Once the background is set, turn the flash on to light the subject [02:37].
   • Note on Power: When using HSS, the flash loses some of its output power. You may need to use a higher power setting, such as 1/2 or full power, especially if using a modifier like a softbox [02:49, 04:46].

Increasing Contrast and Drama

To make the subject pop even more, you can increase the contrast by further darkening the background with a faster shutter speed (e.g., 1/1000s) while simultaneously increasing the flash power to keep the subject properly lit [04:11].