Lighting questions for outdoor shoot

I am doing an engagement shoot this Saturday and starting to, once again, freak out over what is coming up. I am very inexperienced in flash and I am afraid that may hurt me a lot on this. I have the following that I will be using:

Nikon D200 and D40
50mm f/1.8
24-70mm f/2.8
70-200mm f/2.8
105mm f/2.8
SB-800 and SB-600 speedlights

That's it. I have an extra tripod that I will be able to put one speedlight on along with diffusers and a Gary Fong Lightsphere but I don't have any kind of umbrellas, soft boxes, or even reflectors. I have done some outdoor portrait shots before for a friend and used just the Lightsphere. They turned out ok. Would it be better at this short notice to try doing the same with this shoot? I am tempted to run out and get reflectors and soft box and umbrellas and stands but honestly I would have no idea how to use them properly and think it might be better if I didn't. I fear I would spend a lot of time looking like a complete idiot. The bride to be is the daughter of a co-worker by the way and they do realize that I am not a seasoned professional at this but I still would like to do as good a job as I possibly can.

I have also been surfing the net like crazy just trying to get some posing ideas. I usually photograph birds, alligators, and flowers, not blushing brides to be and their fiances. I will have my wife assisting me so hopefully she will be the creative one in that respect. We will be shooting on the Texas A&M campus. Any advice, tips, suggestions, or warnings would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
James

Flash advice

Flash: cross-lighting almost always works - front to back, side to side, top-side to bottom-side, hard, soft, it always seems to work.

Here's a quick, simple explanation from the man: http://strobist.blogspot.com/2007/12/christmas-game-plan-results.html

Posing... well, hopefully someone chimes in there... I'd like to hear what advice they have

Thanks Edward but the link took me to a lighting setup indoors for Christmas morning. Is that the one you meant or was I to look somewhere else in that site? I will be shooting outdoors, sun and shade, with no ceilings to bounce off of. That's a great site though so I will look it over in the next few days.

Hi James
though I'm not a portrait photg (however it happens to me to do some), in order to help (try to):
what is the context?
what does the assignement says?
who (students? teachers? parents? party?)
what for?
what kind of weather can you expect?

Nikon has one of the best flash system (the only thing I regret since my I went to Canon some years ago), specially for fill.
But if you're not confident with it, set the iso higher and forget flash or just use it indirect thru a reflector than an assistant (your wife) could hold… then you can keep your concentration and creativity on framing and instant to press the button.

Keep us updated!

[EDIT]
Reading Kathy's post just below, I understand my misunderstanding of "engagement" shoot.
OK, now it's more clear! sorry for my dum questions!

Back to the lighting, if the sun is with you, consider it as your best friend (otherwise it could be your best ennemy!) a large reflecting 3x5 feet panel will bring that natural light where you want!

Be aware that people won't face the sun, otherwise you'll get closed eyes and non smiling faces!

For the rest, Kathy's and other pro wedding photogs will be of much better advices! However, try to keep YOUR feeling of what you see or what you would like to be seen.
A matter of style…

Good luck!

Engagement shoot posing

With an engagement shoot, you are trying to capture the emotion of the soon to be married couple. What shines is when you capture the connection between them as if you were not there.

So some poses that you might do would be :
1.them facing each other, gazing into one another's eyes, or
2.her sitting on his lap, looking at him and him looking at her.
3. Them walking down a path toward you. Use low depth of field just to get them and forget the background.
4. Show their personality - have them talking to each other and snap the natural conversaiton.
5. Is there a bench to sit them on some where? Use it - Maybe her standing behind him, arms down around his neck, hands on his chest or her holding her own hands and them looking at each other.
6. On the bench, you can be creative - maybe him with his head in her lap, laying down looking up at her?
7. Sit them on the grass, back to you, far away, and shoot them wide, maybe near a tree?
8. Use a building entrance/exit or a brick wall and have them leaning against it.
9. Ask them to pretend they are slow dancing...

Watch for the little things, like her hair falling across her face or tell them to dress comfortable - not too tight on the top - if it wrinkles it will make her appear fat - even if she is little tiny. No straight on facing you poses - fat again. Look carefully for things out of place on them - shirts not straight. Use what they give you in their interaction. If it bends (elbow, wrist, knee, neck) - make them bend it Ask them to wear clothes without any writing on it because that is where the eyes go. Darker colors work well - white draws the eye - avoid it. Think about triangles - heads tilting towards one another. There are volumes written - I can only give you a few short paragraphs.
So hard not seeing the couple or the campus...but...maybe these will inspire you somewhat.

For lighting, one flash and the Gary Fong will work for fill. Use the top on it and test it. Then take the top off. Set the camera to {gasp} AUTOMATIC and then the flash will be automatic - you won't have to worry about any settings - make sure the flash is set to Through the Lens (TTL)
I don't know Nikon flash so maybe a Nikoian can help with those settings. Make sure you have extra batteries because the Fong Dong causes the flash to eat more power + more batteries.

Here is one I did that might work as far as a pose:

Thank you, thank you, thank you. This is what I really needed. Sorry Nicolas that I didn't clarify what an "engagement" shoot was. I know the Nikon i-TTL flash system is very special. I do understand the basics and how to control it. I have just never used any of the extra things along with it. I do plan on getting more involved with that but for this shoot, I do believe I will stick with the flash and the Lightsphere diffuser and also get one reflector for the wife to control.

Kathy, your advice is exactly what I was looking for too. Thank you. I now at least have a list of possible poses to try that I think will work out nicely and also some things to watch for that I might not have otherwise.

I am not stressing out now nearly as much as I was earlier. I don't know how you professionals do it sometimes. Especially with something as important as weddings. Engagement photos are one thing because they are more casual and relaxed and you have plenty of time to do different things over again. Weddings...now that's a different story I'm sure. I am trying my best right now to stay away from that. Way too much pressure.I got into this for the pure fun and pleasure of just trying to create images that I can enjoy. It is starting to expand now into something different. I have 3 more shoots lined up after this. One is a portrait session with a woman trying to find her soul mate. One is cataloging the activities of 4 women as they participate in a triathlon. And another is a corporate session again at my wife's work that is to create images of their operation for both print and the web. I like these challenges and look forward to them plus it feeds my hunger for new equipment.

I'm rambling now so I better get to work. Thank you again for the help and advice. I think it's exactly what I needed to get through this latest assignment.
James

There are more posts there about cross lighting, some of them have examples from outdoors.

The concept was simply illustrated in that post I sent. Here is a better example for you: http://strobist.blogspot.com/2007/07/simple-light.html

I did the shoot yesterday and I think it went fairly well. Thank you all for the help and advice. I spent hours and hours trying to do a crash course in lighting beforehand and thankfully was able to retain and use some of what I learned. I realize that lighting is the most important aspect in photography. That's what we are doing right? Capturing light? So I also realize where I need to focus a lot more of my attention and learning. There is so much more to learn that it sometimes overwhelms me. I keep plodding on though and it gets more interesting and more fun the further I get.

As I said, the shoot went really well. I met the young couple, Catherine and Josh, and was extremely pleased at their enthusiasm for what we were about to do. Being around them was the breath of fresh air that I really needed. I have a lot more confidence in our young people than I did before yesterday. This was the most fun I have had shooting ever and it is really just because of them and their new, sunny, positive outlook on life. I am so glad I took this challenge. If I had known how good it was going to make me feel, I would have done it for free. Getting paid is just an extra bonus.

Four hours, three wardrobe changes, and over 350 exposures later, we were finished and said our goodbyes. Now the work part of this deal really starts for me and the fact that I am getting paid becomes more important! Just as with lighting, I am in my infancy with regards to post processing and getting the most out of my images after the fun part is done. It is taking me some serious time and effort just to get everything looking the way I think it should. But I am getting there and so far have been pretty pleased with results. I believe the young couple as well as Daddy (who is paying) will be pleased as well. That's what really matters in the end isn't it?

Kathy, thank you especially for that list of posing ideas. I had it printed out and in my pocket. The kids actually had some very good ideas and certain things they wanted to do but after all of those were done, I pulled out your list and was able to give them some more that they had not planned on. It worked out very nice. My goodness I was exhausted when it was all over and done. Now today I will continue going through the images and hopefully get most of it done. I want to show Daddy his little girl as soon as I can. Thanks everyone again for this great group of people and all of the wonderful experience and help that is offered up here for someone like me.
James Newman

Well, not just Daddy...

Can we see too....? Always a pleasure to pass on what others have graciously shared with me.

Sure thing Kathy. Here are just a few that I have done so far. You'll probably see what I was talking about concerning my ability or lack thereof in post processing. I know thay can be a lot better. I just have to keep learning and trying.

A good place to start...

You've started off nicely. I like the concept of the groom in focus and the bride being in the background - I hope you did one reversed too. Something a wedding photographer taught me - it's all about the bride!! The groom is just an accessory.

Now you have done one session, time to practice more and more. It gets easier and the lighting will improve, your concepts will too.

The third image, the bride looks a bit off guard or scared. You got her back side - not usually a good angle for girls. We like to hide our posterior.

Find a willing model or two and keep at it. Practice makes perfect - almost.

Thank you again Kathy and I agree with you 99%. (She has a nice posterior and 30 years from now she may want to look back at this photo to remember that) Remember I normally shoot alligators and egrets so this thinking like a bride is all new for me. She was a bit scared in that picture but the actual act was her idea. She did a number of things on her own, like sitting on the edge of a railing and on top of Josh's shoulders, all her ideas, yet had a very frightened look on her face and was squealing the whole time. She was a lot of fun. I am just giving them all of the photos I took to let them do with them as they please. I don't think this would be your normal "engagement" photo shoot. At least it is different from most I have seen or looked at on the net. It was more a fun, very casual, morning out with a couple of kids in love doing what young kids do at their school. I was glad it was this way too and not so formal.

I do have shots of her with him in the background also to go along with that 1st shot. I also need to do some more PS work on the second one to remove some shadows around the eyes. I have to get my book out again though to find out the best way of doing that. Here are a couple of more shots. I will be giving the first half of the shoot on CD to the Dad this morning. So I will be able to tell right away if it is what he was expecting or not and whether he liked the outcome. Thank you again for all of your help, input, and advice. It is very much appreciated and is being etched in my brain for future reference.

James Newman said:

It was more a fun, very casual, morning out with a couple of kids in love doing what young kids do at their school. I was glad it was this way too and not so formal

Click to expand...

Well done James, you've really captured their youth and enthusiasm, it shines through, very touching to see such a young couple so happy, you should be very proud of what you've achieved here for a first attempt I think it's outstanding.

I prefer the second batch of photos you've posted, especially the one with them stood facing each other, they have such lovely expressions, very well done!

Hiding the good stuff

Those in the 2nd batch are wonderful. You did a lovely job!

Hi James,

I really like the last shot in the archway. The setup brought out their interaction and flatters her figure. Like I said, I like that one quite a bit.

I looked but didn't find evidence of flash-fill. I thought I might see faint traces in the first photo, but couldn't quite be sure.

Did you use fill in any of these?

PS: sorry for not chiming in earlier, i haven't been feeling well (flu), but i'm back on my feet once again!

Thanks again everyone for the help and input. No Edward...there was no flash used on these particular ones. I did use flash this day but probably only about 1/3 of the time. It was so hard for me to really judge the results I was getting that I tried covering all of the bases with and without flash. I try trusting my ability to evaluate histograms but sometimes I still don't trust myself fully yet. I'll get over that. I think I just need more experience. I gave the father the first CD (120 photos) and they were very well received. Due to my real job I have not yet had time to finish the other half yet. I hope to have everything done this weekend.
James

Oh yes...hope you are feeling better now Edward.

Thanks for the well wishes James. Now our boy has the stomach flu so who knows whats next! =)