Sometimes you just take an outdoor snap and get a great photo. Most of the time you need to pre-scout the locations, and time of day you want to shoot. Is this a busy location and a lot of people around. Do you want people in the shot or are you trying to take a nature or architectural photo? What time of lighting are you looking for? Are planning to shoot in mid-day sun, a cloudy day, the golden hour, the magic hour, just after dark or late at night?
In photography, the "golden hour" is the period of daytime shortly after sunrise or before sunset, during which daylight is redder and softer than when the Sun is higher in the sky.
The period of time right before sunrise and shortly after sunset is called the "magic hour," especially by cinematographers. During this time, the brightness of the sky matches the brightness of streetlights, signs, car headlights and lit windows. Also, during this period of time there are no sharp shadows because the sun has set. The magic hour is actually closer to twenty or thirty minutes.
Of course, with any outdoor activity weather plays an important role. Is it unbearably hot or cold? Is it to windy or raining? These weather variables will also affect the mood of the photos, as well as the above-mentioned lighting questions.
I always pre-scout my outdoor locations and take not of the weather, time of day, and the traffic, both people and transportation. Then I go home and plan my outdoor photo shoot.
* How do I have to dress to be comfortable?
** What time to I want to do the shoot?
*** What day do I want to do the shoot?
**** Am I looking for a certain mood to the photos?
When you are shooting a model, you must also plan around their schedule and take into consideration the model’s comfort in the elements as well as their wardrobe.
Once the first 4 questions are answered I move onto the technical preparation for the photo shoot.
a. What equipment will I need for the outdoor photo shoot?
Remember you will most likely be walking around so you might not want to bring everything but the kitchen sink.
b. Camera and extra batteries – batteries drain faster in colder weather
c. Which lenses do I need to bring with me? – I carry a 50mm prime lens, a 24-70mm lens, and a 70-300mm. Some photographers like to have a 35mm prime wide-angle lens and an 85mm prime lens. [It is all a personal preference and what lens you feel most comfortable using.]
And let’s not kid ourselves camera lenses are expensive and we all do not have a closet full of lenses to choose from. If you are doing a paying photo assignment you may want to figure in the cost of renting a certain lens to your price.
d. Will I need a tripod? – think about the size and weight when you purchase one
e. Do I need to bring external light sources? -- Some Camera’s have built in flash for basic lighting needs.
Because the built-in flash is literally built into the top of your camera, you will always have the flash with you. Batteries are included. A built-in flash relies on the camera’s battery for power. That means you don’t have to buy extra batteries of a different type than your camera. It stows and goes.
Most manufacturers offer three tiers of external flashes for you to choose from: entry level, mid-range, and professional. You can shop for compatible flashes made by another manufacturer. External flashes are more powerful than their built-in counterparts. When you compare guide numbers (a measure of how strong the flash is at a certain distance and ISO setting), external flashes can be up to three times more powerful.
All but the most basic external flash heads tilt and swivel. This means you can bounce the flash off a ceiling or wall to create indirect lighting. Do your research to decide what is the best option for your photography needs. And remember external flashes are run by batteries – bring extra!
Will I need other types of lighting for an outdoor Portrait setup? Quite often, that great lighting will come from the sun with outdoor photos. Again, do your research and see what the best solution for your photography projects are.
Now that we have done are planning as photographers, we take the pictures and make it look easy. Our audience marvels at the results and the aim is to make it look spontaneous and unplanned.
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