Valencia Photography: Stratus Clouds and No Flash!

The more I study photography the more I realize how important lighting is. Actually, light is one of the most important things in photography. Too much of it and your photographs will be blown out, too little and you will lose detail.

Finding the perfect balance of light sometimes involves flashes, strobes, umbrellas, High ISO's, Low ISO's, fast shutters or wide open apertures. I've been known to carry and use all the light modifiers, off camera flashes, sand bags, and other "enhancers" of light in the past. I did this to a fault. I was not confident in my understanding of light, so I decided I would blow up the scene with a speedlight @ 1/4 power, an umbrella, and a prayer. I have come to realize that there is a time to use flash, but sometimes, YOU JUST DONT NEED IT!

I was out taking pictures of my boys the other day at a park 2 miles away from my home in Sugar Hill, Georgia. Me and my wife were getting everything and everyone out of the car when I stopped to look at the scene I would be shooting. What does the light look like? Where are the clouds? Where are shaded spots and where are the hot spots? What angles can I get? What angles seem impossible due to direct sunlight? These are questions I ask myself BEFORE I ever get behind the camera. These important questions help you figure out what equipment you will need to bring to the shoot. That day was a perfect day for photography. There was a stratus cloud covering the entire sky. The diagram below will give you a visual on what a stratus cloud looks like.

The stratus clouds are low to the earth, thin, and are amazing for photographers. Think of them as giant umbrellas diffusing the sun's direct light.

I was able to get all of these photos while using NO flash.

The Lesson Learned: If you see clouds that give you continuous "diffusion of light" - - Take Pictures! Forego the flash!

SETTINGS:
ISO: anywhere between 200-300
Aperture: 4.5
Shutter: between 400-640