Flash Photography: How to Create Fake Golden Hour (Easy Tutorial)

Summary

In this tutorial, Vanessa Joy demonstrates how to create the illusion of a sunny day during a cold New York City shoot. Using the Canon 1DX Mark II, a 50mm and 135mm lens, and Profoto B10 lighting with CTO gels, she explains how to achieve a warm, golden glow in the images. She also shares tips on adjusting exposure, white balance, and using high-speed sync for a more realistic sun effect. Vanessa guides through the setup, retouching in Lightroom, and offers practical advice on posing the subject to capture the perfect shot with a beautiful sunburst effect.

Takeaways

• 😀 Vanessa Joy demonstrates how to create a warm, sunny look during a cold New York City photoshoot.
• 😀 The camera setup includes a Canon 1DX Mark II, 50mm 1.2 lens, and a 135mm 2.0 lens for various shots.
• 😀 A Profoto B10 light is used with two CTO (color temperature orange) gels to warm up the light and simulate sunlight.
• 😀 White balance is set to 6600K to create a warmer tone for the skin and overall setting.
• 😀 High-speed sync is enabled to shoot at shutter speeds faster than 1/250s, necessary due to the bright environment.
• 😀 The light is placed behind trees to create a natural sunbeam effect, ensuring the light feels realistic.
• 😀 Vanessa emphasizes the importance of lens choice, switching to a 135mm lens to compress the scene for a more natural look.
• 😀 Exposure settings are ISO 320, 1/1000s shutter speed, f/2.0 aperture, with a 6600K white balance for a warm image.
• 😀 Retouching in Lightroom includes adjusting exposure, removing blemishes, softening expressions, and brightening the image.
• 😀 The same sunburst effect can be achieved with other lighting equipment, such as speedlights, as long as orange gels are used.

Q & A

What camera and lens is Vanessa Joy using for the shoot?

Vanessa Joy is using a Canon 1DX Mark II camera with a 50mm f/1.2 lens. She also switches to a 135mm f/2.0 lens at a later point in the shoot.

How does Vanessa achieve the warm, sunny look in the photos despite the cold New York weather?

Vanessa uses a Profoto B10 light with two CTO gels to simulate the warmth of sunlight. She places the light behind trees for a more natural effect, creating a soft glow around the subject.

What is the purpose of using a CTO gel on the Profoto light?

The CTO gel, which stands for Color Temperature Orange, is used to warm up the light, making it appear as though the sunlight is coming through the trees, giving the image a warm and sunny feel.

Why does Vanessa prefer using manual mode on the light during the shoot?

Vanessa switches to manual mode to maintain a consistent exposure from the light, as TTL (auto mode) can fluctuate in brightness, which would affect the desired lighting effect.

How does Vanessa adjust her camera settings to get the perfect exposure?

Vanessa sets her ISO to 320, shutter speed to 1/1000th of a second, and aperture to f/2.0. She also tweaks the white balance to 6600 to achieve a warmer tone and sometimes raises it to 6800 for an even warmer look.

What role does the 135mm lens play in the shoot?

The 135mm lens helps to compress the scene and make the background elements, like the trees and sunlight, appear closer to the subject, enhancing the realism and depth of the image.

What technique does Vanessa use to enhance the overall brightness of the image without adjusting the aperture?

Vanessa increases the ISO to make the overall image brighter, which also helps make the simulated sunlight from the Profoto B10 appear more intense.

How does Vanessa ensure the photos have a natural sun flare effect?

Vanessa intentionally positions the Profoto B10 light behind the trees and adjusts the angle to catch the sun flare. She also uses a longer lens to create a softer and more realistic sunburst effect.

What was the final ISO setting used by Vanessa during the shoot?

The final ISO setting Vanessa used was 800, combined with a shutter speed of 1/1000th of a second and aperture at f/2.0, all while maintaining high-speed sync.

What other lighting equipment could be used to achieve similar results?

While Vanessa uses the Profoto B10, the same effect can be achieved with other lighting equipment, such as a speedlight or a Profoto A1, as long as an orange CTO gel is used to warm up the light.