On Location with Jared Platt: Lighting Tips and More

October 20, 2014

By Laura Brauer

This Wednesday, October 22, Profoto presents “On Location with Jared Platt,” a free webinar for all photography and lighting professionals and enthusiasts. “Each month we find a lighting challenge on location and tackle it with Profoto‘s powerful and portable B1 Off Camera Flashes,” explains Arizona wedding and portrait photographer Platt, who also writes features for Rangefinder. “This month we will take people behind the scenes of real weddings and discuss the lighting scenarios and challenges at each wedding. Webinar attendees will see how we got our shots in more complicated lighting scenarios as well as scenarios that are so simple, I shot them completely on my own without an assistant.”

We asked Platt to share some tips with us (and the gear he likes to bring on location) as a preview to what he will be discussing during the webinar (Profoto.com/webinar). He was also kind enough to share some images and the lighting setups for each one.

Jacqueline Tobin: What are your top five tips for lighting on location?

Jared Platt: You can spend a lot of time lighting a shot, but on a wedding, that means taking people away from the purpose of the event. So I operate within self-imposed rules of efficiency when I light on location:

1. Keep your kit small and portable, and don’t bring too many options with you. More equipment and more options mean more fussing.

2. Start your lighting scenario by following the natural or ambient light that already exists. Competing with naturally existing light means you need more equipment and more setup time. Use the light you already have and then augment with your lights.

3. Wherever possible, one light is better than two. Less equipment, less setup, less fuss is always better on a wedding. Keep your clients in the moments and minimize the attention on yourself and your crew.

4. Do not assume that your flash must always be used as a fill light. Many times, the most beautiful use of an off-camera flash is as a back light.

5. You don’t always need to light your subject. The most important rule of lighting is to know when to turn it off. Capturing a moment is far more important than lighting it just right; if you are going to lose a moment or a feeling by setting up the shot, for heaven’s sake, don’t! Just shoot with the light that exists.

JT: What equipment do you typically use?

JP: The equipment I use is determined by the power and control I need as well as the constraints of efficiency. In most cases, the Profoto B1 Off Camera Lights are the tool of choice. They are powerful enough for almost everything I do and portable enough to go almost anywhere. However, I never leave home without a set of my Canon Speedlites. When I need to be in a fast-paced documentary mode, and there is nothing more important than the moment, having an on-camera flash that I can quickly bounce off a wall or point directly at the subject for a hint of catch lights in their eyes, is invaluable. There is no one-size-fits-all piece of equipment — each job has a set of tools — but since I started using the Profoto B1 Off Camera Flashes, I have not even touched my other studio light kits.

JT: Right now you’re on your way to the Grand Canyon to shoot a wedding portrait on the edge of a cliff with your off-camera flashes. What else is typically in your gear bag?

JP: I always bring the following on location with me:

– B1 Off Camera Flashes with Air Remote TTL

– Canon 600EX-RT Speedlites

– A small bag of sync cords and pocket wizards (just in case)

– Two Super Clamps for mounting flashes in strange places

– Stands with sand bags filled with buck-shot (wind can kill flashes, so weight is important)

– Spider Holster to hold my cameras on my hips (I hate camera straps)

– Tripod (even though I rarely use it)

– Monopod for my assistant to hold the mobile B1 head

– Granola bars!