Cutting down light with out using ND filters?

This site was recommended to me and I hope I putting this post where it should go.  Moderators, please move my thread if it's in wrong area.  


My question - 

I'm trying to take a portrait with 50mm f/1.4 and using Octobox with strobe.  My goal is to take the photo with the lens wide open at f/1.4  The problem here is things are completely blown out.  I have my strobes on the lowest power setting and are using just a a little fill light.  Aside from having to buy some ND filters, is there any way around this? 

You control light via

1) shutter speed
2) aperture
3) ISO
4) external stuff like strobes and ND filters

If your ISO setting is at its minimum, your only other choice is shutter speed. And with a strobe you should not be limited to 1/200s, assuming you are not trying to use TTL.

Suggest: in manual mode, ISO 100 and f/1.4, get a good shot by shortening your shutter speed until you are in the right range. Then add the fill light back in (again, non-TTL... you want to learn to do this manually anyway). If you are only adding a bit of fill light you should not need to change your settings from whatever works without the flash.

If, however, you are in auto mode, well, then it's no wonder. The camera doesn't know you're triggering a flash. Your options include exposure compensation, but for me it's just easier to learn to work in manual mode. That way you can dial in everything the way you want it.

To that ^^ I will add:

5) distance from light source to subject.

Since you are providing the light, you have total control.  Light intensity falls off with distance not linearly but by a factor of the distance squared.  That gives you a lot of flexibility ... double the distance and you've cut the intensity by 4X.  You could also turn your lights around and bounce them off something.

Do you have a polarizer? You can use that to tone down the light as well with the above good suggestions.

6.  Gel for your flash

Geospiri wrote: sorry jumped in too soon also grab a white sheet I assume that you're using soft box or such and drape the sheet over themto kill some more light.

Just a question why are you restricted to the wide open stop?

I don't know what the OP has in mind, but wouldn't you shoot wide open for one reason only:  Super shallow DOF?

Joe Peterson wrote:

Geospiri wrote: sorry jumped in too soon also grab a white sheet I assume that you're using soft box or such and drape the sheet over themto kill some more light.

Just a question why are you restricted to the wide open stop?

I don't know what the OP has in mind, but wouldn't you shoot wide open for one reason only:  Super shallow DOF?

Yes that is true. But the OP has not given us an idea of what they are actually shooting. Also DoF is affected by distance as well. If you move far enough from a subject then DoF effects become less detectable. Part of the problem with giving advice here on the forum is most of the time questions are pretty generic. So you give the best advice on what is common practice to do things.

Joves wrote:

Joe Peterson wrote:

Geospiri wrote: sorry jumped in too soon also grab a white sheet I assume that you're using soft box or such and drape the sheet over themto kill some more light.

Just a question why are you restricted to the wide open stop?

I don't know what the OP has in mind, but wouldn't you shoot wide open for one reason only:  Super shallow DOF?

Yes that is true. But the OP has not given us an idea of what they are actually shooting. Also DoF is affected by distance as well. If you move far enough from a subject then DoF effects become less detectable. Part of the problem with giving advice here on the forum is most of the time questions are pretty generic. So you give the best advice on what is common practice to do things.

Well, the OP gave us some clues.  He's shooting a portrait.  With a 50mm lens ... which, depending on camera, would make the working distance very short for a typical portrait.  He refers to strobes (plural) ... which suggests the lights are off-camera ...which is what prompted my suggestion to put more distance between lights and subject.

I have no idea why he's shooting wide open, though.  A typical portrait working distance with a 50mm is going to give you a very thin DOF.

hghlndr6 wrote: I have no idea why he's shooting wide open, though.  A typical portrait working distance with a 50mm is going to give you a very thin DOF.

Hm. You say that like it's a bad thing? Says the fan of shallow DoF.

The downside of moving the light sources away is that it results in harder shadows.  Double-edged sword and all that.

I really think the OP is using off-camera flash in a non-manual mode and must learn to compensate.

garyrhook wrote: Hm. You say that like it's a bad thing? Says the fan of shallow DoF.

LOL.  No, not a bad thing at all.  But ... see my avatar/selfie.  That was shot with a 50mm on full-frame with a working distance ~4 ft.  At f/4, DOF was a little over 4 inches.  Shot at 1.4, maybe I'd get an eye, or a beard, but not both.

Why wouldn't you want to use a ND filter, it works?