Sunset Shoot in Maui
Here are some shots from our sunset shoot in Maui last Thursday (click on any one for a larger view).
I was lucky enough to have my buddies Joe McNally and Anne Cahill join me for this second shoot (we were all guests of photographer Randy Braun who put the shoot together), and when the sun started to set, I pulled out my Nikon SB-800 Flash unit for some location lighting. (Joe, Annie, and I all had one, but we only used one flash at a time). I set mine to Wireless mode, so I could use the flash off camera, and control it right from my camera, using the Nikon D300’s pop-up flash to trigger the wireless unit (when you do this, the pop-up flash doesn’t light your subject—it just sends out a light pulse that fires the wireless SB-800).
We each started out using the flash with just a diffusion dome to soften the light a bit, and then later as the sun went down, Joe put a yellow gel (a half cut of CTO) over the head of the flash (attached with black gaffer’s tape) to make the flash look more like the setting sun. From that point on, we were basically working to just balance the existing light with the light of the flash. We underexposed the sky to a stop to a stop and a half to make the sky look a little darker than it actually was. Then we kept dialing down the power of the flash until it looked about right.
Having Joe McNally, the master of location flash at the shoot, was amazing, and once we moved over to the rocks, Joe brought out a large gold reflector, and used it like an umbrella by firing the flash directly into the reflector so the light bounced back onto our subject. This worked to spread the light from the flash and make it softer, and of course, it worked wonderfully well (that McNally guy knows what he’s doing, eh?). Plus, Annie (who works for Nikon Professioal Services), was showing me all the cool new stuff in the D300. I was just lovin’ it! 
The rest of the shoot had the three of us trading off shooting, and basically just controlling the power output of the flash, while Randy took shots of us shooting and was so gracious to put up with us shooting until after the sun had set). All in all, it was a beautiful night (the weather was perfect), and anytime you shoot with Joe McNally you can’t help but learn a lot, and I certainly did. Thanks to Randy Jay Braun for hosting the shoot (and for sharing the bottom three shots of us shooting live—that’s Randy with the white ball cap on), and to our model, Tricia Dong, for being so patient and fun throughout the entire shoot.
One last thing: the photos were just processed in Lightroom; no Photoshop at all (not even sharpening).
Some nice shots indeed, Scott!
In your book, ‘The Digital Photography Book’, you drill into our heads that shooting off a tripod is very important (especially in low light), but here, you are not using one. Can you explain to us your reasons/times you choose not to use a tripod?
Scott,
A couple of questions about the SB800….You mention using a gel atached with gaffer’s tape. Do you recommend using something different than what comes with the unit? If so what are the gels? Also when you mention using a diffusion dome, is it the one that came with the unit or do you recommend something like a Gary Fong diffuser?
Thanks
Appologies for my other “B” post!
The photos are beautiful! The colors are amazing. Did you use a tripod for the 3 photos on top? Did you change the white balance setting on any of the top 3? The third photos is my fav! Really really beautiful
Were you all shooting with the 300? DId you shoot in jpeg, raw or both? Is jpeg ever you preferred mode?
Hi Everybody:
The reason I didn’t use a tripod is really silly; I didn’t have the right plate with me to mount my new D300 to the Quick Release clamp on my tripod (the L-bracket from Really Right Stuff isn’t available yet for the D300), so I couldn’t use one. I’m pretty fanatical about using a tripod, so if I could have used one, I would have.
As for the white balance setting; it was set to Auto for the beginning of the shoot, and then later I changed it to Cloudy to make it a little warmer. I also tried a very blue white balance for a few of the shots (Fluorescent), but I didn’t post any of those shots.
Take care,
-Scott
As for File Format: I was shooting Raw. I don’t generally shoot Raw + JPEG (it takes up too much room on my memory card, and if I want JPEGs I’ll have Lightroom or Photoshop just make them for me).
However, I learned (from Anne Cahill), that with Nikon’s new Wireless unit for the D300 and D3, if you shoot Raw + JPEG, it lets you send your Raw photos to the card, and then send just the smaller JPEG files over to your computer wirelessly (which would be faster than sending the whole Raw file by quite a bit), so at that point (when I get a wireless adapter), I’ll probably go with that.
By the way; I have no problem whatsoever in shooting in JPEG mode, but if I think I might not nail the exposure right on the money (which sadly, is most of the time), then shooting in Raw gives me more flexibility that way.
Hope that helps.
-Scott
Wow oh Wow, these are just beautiful!!!!! I love the second and third picture – just amazing!!!! Thanks for sharing the lighting technique!
Thanks for the reply! I am shocked how great the photos came out with out a tripod at sunset. Did you use a high ISO?
Of course after reading your books I became a tripod fanatic, that’s why I asked
Would you share what aperture, shutter speed and ISO you used for one of those photos? I’m curious how you were able to get those amazing results without a tripod.
thanks and happy shooting!
As for the tripod at sunset; remember—-the flash freezes your subject, so that keeps your subject from being blurry.
The ISO for all these shots was 200. They were shot with a 14mm lens, at f/5.6 at 1/100 of a second (if it falls below 1/60 of a second, you really can’t hand hold and get really sharp shots (well, at least I can’t).. I had my exposure compensation dialed down around -2 1/3 stops, which is why the background looks so dark, but that’s the look I was going for. So, it’s not as dark in real life as it seems in the shots (see the shot of us shooting on the rocks; it wasn’t as bright as it shows there, but it wasn’t as dark as the background shows either).
-Scott
That’s right, you used a flash.. thanks for all the info! Not many photographers like to share what aperture/shutter s. they use when shooting.
Thanks so much for the info on the format you used, and why; it is helpful. I’m looking forward to learning more about the D3 and D300 as you share your comments and tips.
Scott, That shot of the dancer with the pink sky in the background is beautiful. You continue to amaze me with your abilities in all you do. If I had 1/4 of your talents I would consider myself to be great. Thanks for all the teaching you do.
Hey Scott! Awesome photos! These are the times I wish Canon had Nikon’s Creative Lighting System available from their cameras. Maybe I should switch! I hope you covered Canon shooters in your vol 2 of the Digital Photography book especially on the creative lighting/wireless flash topic
Hi Mike:
Many thanks for the kind words.
As for covering the Canon wireless flash; you betcha! Canon is well represented throughout the entire book, and everything I show how to do on Nikon, so show for Canon’s 580 EX II as well.
Not only that; I did some mini-tutorial videos (just for people who buy the book), on how to set up both Nikon and Canon flashes for wireless off camera flash.
Take care,
-Scott
Scott,
Any recommended settings you’d care to share for the D 300 since you started using it? I bought a D300 on Black Friday last month, and promptly sold my D80 and its accessories on E-bay.
I haven’t had time to delve into the D300, but I’m amazed by the light metering on the D300 so far. Quantum-light years ahead of what the D80 could do, IMHO.
Looking forward to your comments!
regards,
-Ade
HI Scott,
FANTASTIC PHOTOS!!!!! Just love the colours and the composition … really great stuff.
Can’t wait for the volume 2 of you digital photography book
)
Keep it coming mate cos this is really inspiring stuff!!!!!
All the best to to you and yours,
Glyn
Nice photos Scott. How cool is that… you get to be in a photo shoot with Joe McNally!
Hey Scott, great shots! What a lucky man you are to have these amazing opportunities, but then again, it’s not luck, it’s something you’ve worked very hard over many years to achieve so congrats!!!
I have a quick question that will hopefully get answered.
How would you measure the D300 Vs. D2Xs?
The reason I ask is because of the investment, how much more quality they put in the D300 for the same price as it’s predecessor.
Thank you so much for sharing the knowledge. A true teacher…
Best Wishes,
Carlo M
Joe McNally as your VAL? Not too shabby, I’d say!
Great stuff as usual!! Never a disappointment.
Looking forward to the release of your new book (digital photography 2)!!
-BD
Great photos! Like the 3rd most!
Thomas.
Scott,
Great work! I have really enjoyed learning through your books, blog, NAPP, and more. Your 7-Point System is superb and I am anxiously awaiting Vol. 2 of The Digital Photography Book! Thank you again for your inspiring all of us!
Happy Holidays,
Stephen
So, when I opened up your blog and saw the second shot in the series, I immediately thought of one of Joe McNally’s great shots. It is a man with some sort of fire baton, the last in the “commercial” section of his portfolio. The lighting was just so Joe. Then, I scroll down your blog and I see that Joe was, in fact, on the shoot! Having spent a week under Joe’s watchful eye out at the Santa Fe School, I know that shooting in his style is no easy feat even with the master right there. But, when you get it right, WOW. Great shot. Congrats.
Hey Scott,
Oddly enough, I had a very nice carbon-fiber, ball-head tripod, AND a mono-pod sitting in the back of my car a few feet away from where we were shooting on the beach! I have become a minimalist over the years and try not to haul a ton of gear. But I am ALWAYS prepared.
Funny, but it never crossed my mind to use a tripod. I was actually trying to figure out how to add a bit of blur, or motion into those particular images. I wasn’t sure if the cameras were able to “drag” the shutter as the dancer moved a bit. That might have been a nice variation to add “motion”. I think the second posted image is stunning and should find it’s way into your seminar samples.
As I worked with you, and Annie and Joe, I made two important observations:
1) You all are STILL in the process of trying to learn more about photography, even though you are at the top of your profession.
2) You all are tenacious — not about to settle for a good image as long as there is enough light to try again for a better one. (And we were there until a flashlight was necessary!)
The weather on Maui that week was the worst I had seen in 20 years.
It is amazing that we all came together and got some fun shooting in, between the bolts of lightning.
You guys are welcome in my home again next time you visit this paradise!
A hui hou kakou!
~randy
Hey Scott,
Some nice shots you got here. You gotta love Joe his just brilliant I have had the luxury attending a class with him ones when he was in Denmark.
Not often we get the chance to look over the shoulder of such a great guy and as you say, one can only learn loads.
I am a Canon shooter just got the new 1dsm3 and to everyone out there, you can learn alot even though you are on another system.
Its the ideas and ways to go about it that does it not the stuff you use for shooting.
Aloha Scott:
As another pro on Maui & friend of Randy Jay Braun’s I have to say you captured the “mana” (the life force) of Maui in these images. Randy has brought the beauty of Maui & hula to the world through his books & images. Even in the midst of the worst storm in 20 yrs on Maui Randy was able to orchestrate an amazing session for you. You did a wonderful at capturing your own Maui magic.
Even though the beaches of Maui are our studios & offices, I hope these fantastic images inspire other shooters to find the “mana” in their own backyards & create images as beautiful as yours & Randy’s.
a hui hou, malama pono (until next time, take care of yourselves), Stephen