In all these photos I have used a speedlight for both practical and creative reasons. All these photos have a strong back light on them so key lighting was needed to balance lighting contrast. These photos are from the same day shot in the same location so the lighting conditions where there was quite harsh sunlight made the shoot challenging, glad I brought a speedlight with me that day.
The first photo is taken with the speed light mounted on the camera. As she is facing the camera I wanted the light to fill in the shadows created by her hair in the sunlight.
In the second photo the speed light is held by an assistant, from a high position left of the camera to mimic sunlight; as this shot was taken in a shadowy area. A more creative use of the flash.
The last photo is another example of using the speedlight practically as a fill flash. Mounted on the camera again as the subject was facing me. I put a diffuser over the flash as wanted the light to be soft.
In these photos I have used a reflector to bounce and use natural light. The natural light present during this shoot was quite soft making it great for portraits. I noticed that this particular dress she wore had a lot of reflective elements in it. I wanted to add shine and shimmer without using a flash. This worked very well in the first photo. I used the golden side of my reflector to add warmth and because the dress itself was yellow/golden. This successfully added that shine to the dress I wanted and adding more life to the portrait.
In the second photo I asked my assistant to hold the reflector to bounce the sunlight on her face and hair. This was done because her hair kept adding unwanted shadows to her face that using a reflector eliminated. The golden reflector also complemented her hair and this dress very well, adding pop to the portrait.
No flash 
Flash from front 
Flash from left 
Flash from above 
Flash from right 
Flash from below, behind
Here are six different ways to light the same subject. I used the flashlight on my phone as a light source. I also had diffused light from the window as a backlight so the key light would have maximum effect. My favorite picture is the one with flash from above. It mimics natural sunlight the closest and it produces pleasing shadows. My least favorite photo is the one with front flash. The lighting is very flat and unnatural, making the basil look artificial.
3.2. Pre-visualise the final image
For my final task in this project I plan to go on another street photography shoot as the previous (fruit vendor) series was successful.
I plan to go to parks and walk along busy city center streets. Importantly I have to shoot in public places otherwise I need permission from the location, and people in the photos.
My plan for when I go out and shoot photos for this project. Equipment wise I will use my DSLR and just take a 40mm lens with me. This is so I know what my frame is, as I will have to be quick when I spot a portrait I want to take. I won’t use a speedlight as I want to be discrete when shooting. Other than that extra batteries and water to keep me and my camera going. I plan to go out during the evening to catch the golden hour for dramatic lighting in my portraits.
ariasendesign.wordpress.com 