Portrait Tips

Yesterday was one of those days when I needed to make a portrait quick.
I was making a brochure for our church and thought I had everything in order. That’s when I realized I had somehow forgotten one of my couples.
Panic mode!!!
All the pieces were due, now!
Fortunately, the couple were more than accommodating and agreed to meet me within the hour.
Sigh of huge relief!
I set up two lights for this quick portrait.
The background was a speedlight at 1/4 power directly facing a light gray wall about 3 feet away.
The main light was into an umbrella at 1/4 power at about a 45 degree angle.
I made one exposure of the background light to see how much exposure I was getting at about f8 and 1/200 of a second.
I then moved the couple directly in front of the background light to block it and about 5 feet from the umbrella.
My thought is to have the background exposure about 1 to 1 1/2 stops above the main light source on the subject. That ratio is nearly achieved by having the main light source bounce into the umbrella and having the umbrella further away than the background light. Easy? Right?
I made one exposure of the couple at about f8, then adjusted to f11 and 1/160 of a second and I was done.
3 exposures and about 3 minutes counting set-up time and I had made my quick portrait.
I don’t recommend taking so little time with your subjects normally, but when it absolutely, positively has to be done now, that’s how I roll.
Be inspired!