Flash Photography For Portraits 2023 EASIEST METHOD!

Learn the EASIEST method for balancing flash with ambient light on location! The best part is that you can recreate this technique using just about any flash. Check it out and tag me on IG with your results!
Gear Used (Amazon affiliate links):
Westcott Manny Ortiz Beauty Dish amzn.to/3wYs2BA
Westcott FJ400 Strobe amzn.to/3t7Tcnr
Westcott Universal Flash Trigger amzn.to/3JPEo3G
Westcott Bowens Speedring amzn.to/3sk6Ftu
Sony A1 amzn.to/3m6yEsl
Sony 70-200mm 2.8GMII shorturl.at/vEGL3
Sony Battery Grip amzn.to/2F7LuR6
Since so many people asked about my shirt, here's the one I'm wearing amzn.to/3zxrAN2
#ocf #flashphotography #portraitphotography
Thanks to Westcott for sponsoring this video.
Model: Katelyn Tuck
/ _katelyntuck_
Follow Miguel Quiles!
Instagram: / miguelquilesjr
Facebook: / miguelquilesphotography
Twitter: / miguelquilesjr
Web: www.miguelquiles.com
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/ improveyourphotography
Sony Portrait Shooters! Share your images for a chance to be featured by hashtagging @sonyportraits!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. Thank you for supporting my channel!

[@thesupport4963]

Bro... i dont know who you are but i sure as glad i came across your chanel!! After watching your vid, i immediately went out with my equiptment and tried it out. Uhhhhh, yeah.... it worked great! very impressed with how easy you put it. SUBSCRIBED!! EQUIPTMENT: Sony a7r4, Sigma 105mm 1.4 DG Art lens, Godox V1 with Godox Xpro-s trigger and Godox soft box.

[@MiguelQuilesJr]

I'm glad to hear it! 🙌

[@sidehustlers336]

I also have the magical 105 art. Glad I found this video too

[@riothero313]

@@sidehustlers336 I just recently picked up a 85mm 1.4 art and don't know why I didn't buy the thing with the camera, it's amazing.

[@edross2826]

This is Sr. Quiles man. He always has good stuff.

[@regispirard2955]

Hey, i have the same gear (a7r4 and sigma 105). Are you happy with your flash (looking to buy one)

[@sanjayt5633]

Your approach to this setting was down to earth and informative. Thank you very much! 📷📷

[@Eruvadhor]

Worth pointing out I think that a lot of strobes use a doubling sequence in stops, so 1/256 ... 1/64, 1/32, 1/16 ... 1/1 etc, to indicate power output, not just a scale of 1-10, so don't get confused by that, the same principle applies, just adjust power up or down according to what you need.

[@thesupport4963]

facts!

[@marcuschan1679]

And in between the stops. Some brands have 1/3 stops for you to fine tune the exposure as well.

[@Veectory]

what could i search up to read more about this?

[@holdmyown32]

@@Veectory look up Gavin Hoey at adorama he has a bunch of videos you can watch about flash and Mike Wallace. Like this comment said most strobes use fractions of power so 1/1 would be full power and 1/256 would be the weakest power, use the same principles in this video and apply it. 1/1 (full power), 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32, 1/64, 1/128 and some go down to 1/256 power.

[@Thatbrandfilm]

This is really helpful 👌thanks for sharing

[@slowestrider4918]

Awesome. Very logical, easy to understand. thorough and complete. Thank you.

[@josephchan4198]

I try to keep around that setting and adjust when necessary also. Thanks for sharing your expertise.

[@leonardobaldenegrodiaz4503]

Beautiful model and great work.

[@tcvaldez]

Great video. Excellent breakdown on the explanation. Thank you very much.

[@DiviPhotos]

Great video thanks for sharing

[@unpatel1]

Nicely explained, thank you!!

[@tophatmediacamp5146]

You explained this in a way I could comprehend it. Thank you 🙏🏽

[@jeffkilgo2143]

Excellent video...used this technique today with good results.

[@flikac_com5310]

Greata video. RAW files out of the camera don't need any post. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. BTW I love your t-shirt. 🤣

[@MiguelQuilesJr]

Thank you!! I was wearing it the other day and a kid told me it was the most "dad shirt" he'd ever seen 😂

[@Agoranih]

Great video thank you ❤

[@Jwitherow1964]

Good refresher

[@garyadams5201]

This is another GREAT and solid fundamental video! I enjoy reviewing basic techniques! Thanks Mr. Quiles! Please keep them coming!

[@kaiimani]

Thanks for explaining this simply and in an encouraging way

[@keithbarrett4586]

Nicely done!

[@veselinvasilev9362]

Thanks!

[@Joysingod]

Very good info. Thank you.

[@sastrydasigi7010]

Great explanation, great video. Thanks, Miguel!

[@scottsater]

Super helpful, Miguel! Excellent fundamentals video that will be very helpful to me :)!!

[@andrewbyrne9924]

This was incredible. Thank you!

[@MiguelQuilesJr]

Thank you for watching!

[@relaxwithme3266]

Your work is inspiring. The model is very talented as well. I’m doing film portraits myself and find your tips helpful.

[@jasonrossrealty]

I am just stepping into learning how to work with light sources, flashes and all of that. This video was SUPER HELPFUL! Especially the idea of exposing for the background and THEN adding the light, and THEN figuring out where the power level should be! Super super helpful. Thanks so much!!

[@jordanrice498]

🔥🔥🔥 appreciate the nuggets Miguel!

[@kmiggs]

You explained this so well. Thank you

[@MiguelQuilesJr]

Thanks!! 😁🙌

[@hectorsantiago8221]

I am getting ready to head out to a shoot outdoors and the conditions today are like in the video. I cannot express how much more ready I feel now after watching this a few times and taking notes. Haha. I will update you on how it turned out. Thanks again for the amazing, informative, and educational content.

[@jamiemesser1990]

Great explanation! Excited to try this.

[@MiguelQuilesJr]

Thank you! Look forward to hearing about your results 📸

[@carlossouthward8578]

I always like to learn about flash. Thank you and your model is Very Pretty.

[@Veectory]

pretty good video thnx

[@JMarT96Dx]

Thank you for this tutorial!!

[@MiguelQuilesJr]

Thanks for watching! More to come 😁📸

[@aceentertainmnt9249]

Wow, nice & informative. Subscribed of course.

[@pasashots]

Thank you

[@MiguelQuilesJr]

Thank you for watching! More to come 📸

[@frederickc3507]

Thanks for the detailed presentation of the shoot

[@MiguelQuilesJr]

Thanks for watching! More to come very soon 📸

[@rolandsaunphotography]

Always on point

[@MiguelQuilesJr]

Thank you!

[@sidetrackbeatz5431]

Great video

[@paulross3075]

As a beginner photographer, the one thing I didn't know much about was OCF. Miguel, you just summed everything up in this awesome video. Thank you.

[@rickymundy8663]

Outstanding tutorial very easy to follow. Thank you for sharing it really helps. Thanks again!

[@MiguelQuilesJr]

Happy to hear it! Thanks for watching, more to come 📸

[@juanmoncler9272]

You are the Greatest. Thank you🤝🏾

[@MiguelQuilesJr]

Thanks for that! 🙏

[@chequegarcia76]

thank you for doing it manually....i see pros using TTL now.... thank you for the video

[@trini938]

My Brother , you did it again. Great preso

[@michaelanderberg]

Really great video, thank you! And I love that t-shirt! :)

[@MiguelQuilesJr]

Thank you Michael! Much appreciated 🙌

[@itsgreg72]

I been on the Westcott team for a few months now and every once in a while I like to refresh myself with these types of videos just to make sure there wasnt something I missed along the way. Well done. Also I need to get that shirt lol.

[@Tuttle64]

Thank, great video, love your shirts

[@MiguelQuilesJr]

Thank you!!

[@Tuttle64]

@@MiguelQuilesJr where do you get your shirts

[@alejandromelesio7509]

ive had my off camera flashes for a while now but they just sat in storage because I wasn't sure how to use them ive watched at so many videos to try and better understand it and they confused me even more . Thank you for this short 11 minute video that covered the basics and was straight to the point with no confusing numbers .

[@alexisboat]

this was a great video, it was very simple and easy to understand! thanks!

[@MiguelQuilesJr]

Thank you for the feedback! More to come soon 📸

[@AmeenDurani]

"Bro, eres lo mejor, disfruto muchisimo tus videos, gracias"

[@rochiellebevans1783]

Great video.

[@MiguelQuilesJr]

Thank you! 🙌

[@larryb0315]

Great information, Miguel! So glad I found your channel! Thanks for sharing your knowledge! I subscribed immediately!

[@MiguelQuilesJr]

I appreciate you subbing! 🙌

[@MartinV.]

Great Video!!

[@MiguelQuilesJr]

Thanks!!

[@andren.5126]

Great Tutorial. It would be nice to see a video at the beach with the sun behind the subject.

[@omegaman1409]

I learned this approach many years ago and the pictures come out great. One thing changed is starting out with speed lights and now use a flashpoint Xplorer 600. I do suggest getting a strobe for outdoors. It is more powerful and easier than ever with built in battery, receiver, and even built in fan. Back then those luxuries were separated and expensive.

[@wanneske1969]

I love your t-shirt :-)

[@amazingreviews876]

Great VIdeo!

[@MiguelQuilesJr]

Thank you!

[@josefrodriguez7441]

I recommend Baldwin Park as well if you have not already shot there. There are few bridges that are sandwich in between the million dollar homes. On Baldwin Blvd there is a small walking path which has plenty of trees. Great video.

[@marcomark8]

Love the shirt! HAHAHAHA. Thank you for showing the SOOC and not a completely retouched photo. I don't know what it is, but there is just something about Katelyn. I think it's her confidence.

[@baardegil]

Great videeo:) Any thoughts on wether to use a so called Beauty Dish vs "normal" softbox?

[@marphoto]

Thanks for the video. Can I ask what type of rolling equipment cart you are using in the background?

[@kevinking217]

Hi Miguel Quiles. Thanks for sharing this fantastic flash portrait. I really enjoyed the video. And I noticed that there was a trolley for carrying your equipment, can you tell me where you got it and what made and model it was? I think it is pretty handy for me. Thank you 🙏👍👍👍

[@albertoreyesayllon7715]

Hi Miguel, Is there any speedlight you would recommend for the Sony A1 (to use in portraits)? I am having a hard time finding recommendations for this camera. Thank you! Great video!

[@Biz_Kellam]

Excellent video, thank you! Oh, and I have a similar t-shirt in pink, the cheeses are different but the photog is saying "Say People" :-)

[@sapardue]

Amazing skin tones. Did you set white balance or use auto? Picture profile?

[@Skranus]

Instalike for t-shirt (love it!) , then for video's tips! :D

[@thokozanihlatshwayo5328]

Thanx for taking the time to do it, most of us are lazy to watch long videos but the process for us nubes is extremely confusing and we tend to need all the info. we can get... thanx for the mentorship

[@MiguelQuilesJr]

So happy to hear it! I hope this helps make the process easier 📸

[@brandonjames3603]

This helps a lot I just need to upgrade my camera body (canon t7i) to something 4k but im broke lol ... and I love your "old school" info because that's where I'm at currently but thanks great video

[@saragrant556]

Wherever you are shooting is gorgeous I love Spanish moss

[@MiguelQuilesJr]

Thank you! It's one of my favorite local parks in Maitland Florida.

[@saragrant556]

@@MiguelQuilesJr sweet! I’m in south FL so I don’t get that vibe here. Also thanks for the video!

[@victorrivera6375]

Trial and error is the best way to learn. Great video! I have to ask but are you shooting in Florida?

[@noguisolano]

Hola Miguel excelente videos gracias, generalmente yo uso mi camara en manual todo excepto el ISO que lo coloco en auto con diferentes rangos pero para este tipo de fotos con flash y luz ambiente tengo que colocar tambien el ISO manual porque es como logro controlar uan exposicion correcta dime si es asi como debo hacerlo o si hay otra forma gracias lo felicito es UD un Fotografo professional Excelente!!!

[@deborahgarner1584]

Hi Miguel thank you for your great videos but where did you get that T.Shirt, I love it

[@MiguelQuilesJr]

Thank you! Here's the shirt amzn.to/3zxrAN2

[@cgrealestateproductions]

Great video, thanks for it, can I ask you what is the light stand that you are using ?

[@MiguelQuilesJr]

Thank you! And great question. I made an entire video discussing the light stand as it's been a favorite of mine from day one! kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3m9eoisZqqSkJY

[@romainvoeller]

thanks for straight forward approach to outdoor flash portraits. Question, when you're setting exposure where are you focusing, on the face, the shirt, the background?

[@MiguelQuilesJr]

Thank you, and great question! Setting exposure and focusing is 2 separate things in this situation. When I'm taking a portrait, I'm always focusing on the eye of the subject that is closest to the lens. Exposure is usually dialed in by metering the entire scene. If I do that, the scene is exposed nicely but the subject usually falls into shadow. That's when I add that fill flash to light them up like I show in the video. Hope that helps! I've got a few more videos on this topic on my channel featuring the same model. Check them out for more context. :)

[@gurayoanriveraortiz5478]

Thanks Miguel Quiles for such great video content. I have a question regarding the distance from you and the model... does it have any impact after you have your settings to move from where you got them?

[@MiguelQuilesJr]

Thank you! Great question. Yes, any changes you make will change variables in your shot. Once you move from that spot, sun or cloud cover arrives, you or the model moves, all of that can change your exposure. You then just start from step one to build it back up. 👍

[@urselfandtom]

How cute is the lizard at 10:40? Also, great video, so easy to understand, thank you!

[@arminbaldon5347]

Great Video! Is this the Beauty Dish with the white or silver interior?

[@MiguelQuilesJr]

Thank you! This one was with the white interior.

[@BARSSTUDIO]

Nice video Miguel!. When model is gorgeous you don't need any retouching...

[@MikeAnthonyPhotography]

i would love to see you do a video on best fj400 light stand for mobile outdoor photos ....i see alot of ppl use diff ones and wanted to know which ones are good to buy and which ones ppl should not waste money on

[@gvilla6638]

Thank you Miguel for your OCF videos! Question, while trying to get your ambient settings, do you start off first under Aperture Priority (under your desired aperture setting) with a fixed low ISO (100-200) to get a Shutter Speed/balanced exposure reading? Once you get your Shutter Speed reading, you would then transfer those exposure settings over to complete Manual Mode? Then tweak the Shutter Speed to your liking? I do have HSS on my flash so I don’t have to worry about going past a certain shutter speed. Thank you again for sharing your knowledge! Keep up the great work!

[@MiguelQuilesJr]

My pleasure! I hope you find them helpful. As for your question, I only use manual mode when I'm using a strobe. Its much easier for me to dial in the settings manually and then adjust the flash power to my liking. Keep in mind that even though your flash supports HSS, you will be greatly reducing the amount of output that it can put out. On certain days with a lot of ambient light it could end up not giving you enough output and severely cutting down the battery power. I have a bunch of HSS and OCF videos line up for the next 2 months that will shed some more light on this :)

[@jeffchapman6280]

Thanks Miguel - really like your videos. Can you explain how the light meter would be used to dial in a specific level on that flash (in this case a number 1-10)?

[@JohnMacLeanPhotography]

You take an incident flash meter reading from your subjects position and it shows you the aperture value of your flash's brightness. Dial the flash power up or down to get the meter reading to match your camera's aperture setting, in Miguel's case it was f/5.

[@giftmagaso7842]

I think that strobe is jinbei branded to westcott nice gear

[@rayc2137]

Hey, what cart is that, I need ideas for c-stand I just got?

[@mattcav07]

Great Video! Easy to understand for a beginner like me! How do you determine the distance of the flash to the subject?

[@MiguelQuilesJr]

Thank you! So happy to hear it. In regards to the distance, it depends on how much of the body you want to light. Bring it 2-3 feet away for headshots, and maybe 5-6 feet away for full body shots 👍

[@Chris-ey7zy]

Distance = guide number / f stop. Compensate for modifier

[@ronald7482]

Nice video. Happy to found you What if I want the background blurry and will use F 2? Will the Flash still works?

[@anthonyreid7221]

Yes using high speed sync or an nd filter.

[@emilolguin3087]

Interesting that your final setting for flash is identical to the ambient setting (f/5 @ 1/160). The unknown variable here is the focal length setting of your zoom lens. I suspect it's somewhere between 105mm and 150mm which would explain using a shutter speed of 1/160.

[@stevey7505]

Awesome video! I have the FJ400 as well. Question... if I wanted some bokeh in the background and switch to F1.4, can I simply change the output of the strobe to balance the exposure?

[@pekamotion2286]

You could use ND filter as well. At daytime 1.4 will probably overexpose

[@RoadTriipFlip]

Man... I'm super new to flash, I've watched countless videos around "exposing for ambient light first." Your video literary just makes sense to me. Somehow it just clicked, and now I understand so much better. Your camera and your flash need to work together. Thank you very much.

[@MiguelQuilesJr]

I'm so happy to hear it! This is exactly what I try to accomplish with my tutorials.

[@RoadTriipFlip]

@@MiguelQuilesJr now I finally get it. I’m so pumped!

[@socksonfeet8125]

You showed the raw untouched photos, that alone gets a sub from me!

[@MiguelQuilesJr]

Happy to hear it! I've been testing that out in my latest videos and will continue to do it moving forward. 😁👍

[@williamebert6047]

Love ur work! But what watch are you wearing?

[@MiguelQuilesJr]

Thank you! I am wearing the Galaxy Watch from Samsung.

[@ArmandoN]

Do you set your white balance to match the flash? or do you AWB?

[@joe2guns]

How about this type of set up with godox v1 I've seen 2 videos eith that one what do you think of itml.

[@mbc-92]

It’s always cool to see locations that I recognize from back home. It seems a lot of photography content creators are from there right now. Why is that? The sun? The skies? The foliage?.. The gorgeous women?? Either way, I’m a little homesick. Thanks Miguel! - for the education as well as the nostalgia

[@MiguelQuilesJr]

You grew up here too? I spent most of my life here up intil 2014 when I moved to NJ. I moved back just to be closer to family. Low taxes and not shoveling snow is also a bonus 😂

[@lynnwhyjae]

always awesome work, but please tell me you sell this t-shirt? 🤣🤣🤣Also, I noticed it was windy, how much weight did you use to anchor down your modifier/light stand?

[@clarkconway8796]

Miguel, How did you originally come up with F/10??? You said you were shooting in full manual. Would another way for a beginner be to set your camera in aperture mode and using shutter speed of 1/160 and ISO 100 let the camera choose the aperture for you, and then plug that into your manual settings. And then work the strobe level from there? Thanks!

[@JGZphotography]

Why not take advantage of the Westcott FJ400 Strobe's hi-speed sync and balance power exposure at 2.8 for ISO at 1/500 sec to experiment for a shallower depth of field. Good bokeh is much better than a snapshot and take advantage of the higher focal length of the 200mm lens. I might have picked a better background to minimize the sunlight hot spots. Just about all off camera strobes today are hi-speed synce featured for the advanced photographer that the beginners can learn about.

[@MarcusMuller77]

Thanks for this Video! Which white balance did you use? My problem is, that my model is very white because of the strobe and my background has the nice colors.

[@MiguelQuilesJr]

Thank you! Outdoors I typically use a custom white balance to match the time of day, or I use AWB if I'm using the Sony A7RV. It has strangely accurate WB in that kind of situation.

[@MarcusMuller77]

@@MiguelQuilesJr i use the sony a7iii. Thanks for answers! I trie it😊

[@patriciagillard9423]

What light stand did you use

[@adriandayphotography]

Great video as always Miguel …keep up the great work.. stunning shots … also Did anyone see the extra little model run in to the scene at all !! Or was it just me? Bottom left of video at 10:40mins running out the bush

[@MiguelQuilesJr]

He wanted his time in the spotlight! 😂 Thanks for watching 🙏

[@adriandayphotography]

You’re welcome! Your work is always worth watch ! He definitely wanted his five seconds of fame 😂

[@AJ-pr6er]

Will these principles apply if you’re shooting in a studio? Do you expose for the ambient lighting in the studio (similar to how you exposed for the background outside) then light your subject. Or are the principles for working with a flash in a studio (indoors) different? Awesome video.

[@MiguelQuilesJr]

Thanks! And great question. I made an entire video about that topic. You can see it here kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpupqpqgjrGsi7M

[@pauldhadialla]

TBH the initial shot without flash with just a slight bump to shadows in post - would look perfect :)

[@ChrisGower]

Super helpful. My only question would be if I want to shoot at f1.4, presumably the only option we're talking about here is an ND filter on front of the lens?

[@MiguelQuilesJr]

Thank you! And yes, either use an ND filter or use HSS. I have some videos about it on my channel 👍

[@ThorPhotos]

very nice video can I please have the name of the song playing @ 9:33