Beach Portraits on Hilton Head Island

One of the many benefits of having a studio on Hilton Head is easy access to one of the best outdoor locations for portrait photography - the beach ! What makes the beach on Hilton Head particularly appealing for portraits of families, couple and children are the natural sand dunes and natural accents and backgrounds provided by flowing sea grass and palmetto. The following are some of the images from a recent portrait session with a family vacationing on Hilton Head. Brian, Tracy and Anna were referred by a friend and previous client of mine back in Dayton, Ohio. For more information on beach portrait photography on Hilton Head please email me or call 843-842-9200.

Old Favorite | It's What Moves You

Old Favorite, originally uploaded by jimcrotty.com.

Not many people react to this image but for me it's special. Something about the light that was coming through that old church on that day in spring, several years ago during a photo outing in Cade's Cove. For me it communicates the lingering spirit of the place through texture and shadow. Something remains and as a photographer I am thankful for the opportunity to tell its' story.

Light for Portrait Photography | The Big Difference

Harbor Town Portrait Photography by Jim Crotty, originally uploaded by jimcrotty.com.

Last week I was providing a lesson on location for two local photographers here on Hilton Head Island. They wanted to know more about lighting for outdoor portraits. We chose Harbor Town (which was packed with the summer tourist crowd) as our location. My model was my daughter, Emma. 

The two images clearly show the difference when it comes to lighting, not only with the source of the light but in time of day as well. The first images was lit using a on-camera flash - in this case the Canon 580ex, with a diffuser. It's nice but it lacks the dramatic effect of a professional portrait at sunset. Next I used the same camera but with the light source off to the side. In this case the light was from an Alien Bees 800 strobe, powered by the AB Vagabond portable battery by Lightgear USA. The light was diffused through an attached translucent umbrella. The only thing I may have changed was to provide a reflector on the other side to fill-in the shadows just a touch on the right side of Emma but the improvement in the quality of the light is clearly evident. 

Another lesson is time of day. There was perhaps 20 minutes between the time of the first and second image. Notice how much the light and color had changed in the background. Outdoor portraits in the summer - especially here in South Carolina - are always going to be best right at sunset and even better for a good half hour afterwards. The key is to provide and direct additional light that is evenly diffused and soft on the subject.

Via Flickr:
Outdoor portrait photography by Jim Crotty on Hilton Head Island noting differences with light as to time and light sources

October at Rose Lake | Autumn Workshop in Hocking Hills

October at Rose Lake, originally uploaded by jimcrotty.com.

I'm currently working on the details on a weekend photography workshop at The Inn at Cedar Falls in Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio, either in mid-October or early November. I will be guiding and leading a group of no more than 20 photographers to my favorite locations for fall nature and landscape photography in Hocking as well as providing in-depth instruction on digital editing and workflow. Please email me if you would like to be added to my first to notify list for the details and date, which should be released within the next couple of weeks.