Lighting How To

Some photographers are a bit intimidated by using off-camera flash outdoors, especially if they do most of their shooting with available light. If this sounds familiar, watch the five-minute video below and learn how to easily improve your portraiture in the field.

Nashville-based portrait photographer Jeff Carpenter explains that “Off-camera flash gives me a lot of leeway to move around and compose my shots the way I want,“ adding that this technique also provides great flexibility for positioning your light where it will be most effective.

In the following video Carpenter demonstrates this technique for shooting models in sunlight and in the shadows, and he explains how to correctly balance ambient and artificial light for natural looking results. You can find more helpful tips on Carpenter’s YouTube channel, and be sure to look at our recent tutorial on making great portraits under harsh midday light.