I want to shoot some pictures outdoor, w/ the Visatec kit that i just bought. The shots will be during daylight, and I just want to fill the shadows on the side. What is the best way to meter for the scene w/ a Sekonic 508? Are 2:1 ratios encouraged outdoors, like they are in the studio?

Ryan

-- Ryan Fox (rfox9@hotmail.com), May 11, 2000

Answers

For fill light I usually set my flash one stop below the ambient light. If the ambient light gives me a reading of 125th at f16, I'll set my set my flash for a proper exposure at f/11. This is a generalization, of course, as lighting conditions vary and the amount of fill needed varies. On days when the lighting is less harsh, such as when there are high thin clouds, I often fire the flash at two to three stops below the ambient light. If you're shooting in full strength sun, the 2:1 ratio works fine.

-- Darron Spohn (dspohn@photobitstream.com), May 11, 2000.