Tattoos and Umbrellas

I have been shooting direct flash when shooting outside, not using any kind of light modifier.

I really like using my flashes with outdoor portraiture, the extra light highlites the eyes, gives separation, and

just gives an extra umph to the photos. The direct flash makes a bit edgier photo, due to the harshness of the light.

We were shooting under a canopy on a walkway in downtown Macon. The harshness of the light added to the ambiance, with the strong shadows. I thought about using an umbrella for this and stuck tot he direct flash.

We moved down tot he River Walk, and shot with  different outfit. This photo really had to have some fill to keep the detail. I opted for my umbrella on this one. The softer, more even light really worked well. The umbrella spreads the light across the models whole face, and is really easier to place than direct flash.

In the photo below, the shadows on her face are almost too much, in the wrong place.

The direct flash does work in this one because I didn't want the light to spread beyond my subject.

The walk area stays fairly dark.