I'm a TOTAL beginner and want to know what the essentials are as far as outdoor photography. I currently have: CANON T1I 18-55mm 75-300mm Again, I'm not talking about extra batteries or something..I'm talking: reflector, flash, whatever you guys think.

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I'd get a different lens. 50 mm f 1.4 or 85 mm f 1.8 If your budget doesn't allow it, then 50 mm f 1.8 No direct flash for portrait.

Other than another lens, don't forget your props and an umbrella, or parasol. It helps eliminate bright sun on your subject and adds to the "effect" of your picture.

Natural light? It's summer, if you're a beginner all you need is a camera. Do not use a flash! It makes the picture look gaudy and washes out the model. The most important aspect is the idea, remember that fashion photography is more than putting someone in jeans and a tank top. Buy a Vogue magazine, have a look through it and take some of the ideas with you.

You didn't say what kind of outdoor photography you're talking about.... scenics, outdoor portraiture, architectural, etc. If you plan on doing outdoor portraiture, I recommend reflectors to soften shadow areas in bright sunlight. For full length portraits a 41" x 74" oval reflector from Photoflex is what I use. One side is white, the other side is gold/white for warmer skin tones. For just head and shoulder portraits, a 22" round reflector should suffice. You might also consider a translucent disc of the larger size for softer illumination out in bright sunlight. You place the disc between the sun and your subject. When using a translucent reflector, try to shoot towards an area with dark to mid-tones to avoid bright spots in the background that might distract attention away from your subject. There are folding portable backgrounds too that you might consider. I have a 5' x 6' black velvet folding background from Lastolite which can be used indoors or outdoors. Both companies also make backgrounds in chromakey green and blue as well as normal background colors. Hope this helps for outdoor portraiture. Your 75-300mm zoom should be used for most portraits. Watch your depth of field which changes with aperture setting. For scenics, you have the 18-55mm zoom which is a perfect range. As an accessory, you also might considering getting a Lensbaby for your lenses. Check out the effects they have on your images at their website. If you have an external speedlight, get a softbox like the Ultimate Light Box when using fill flash both on and off camera. Avoid using any flash built into your camera. Fill lighting with built-in flash doesn't look natural. Joseph Nowak http://www.flickr.com/photos/joe_nowak/

I did a lot of flash photography with outdoor portraits, but, it was very calculated and exact. Here's how: Get the flash off of the camera, use a bracket and sync cord, or buy a flash with a bracket, Stroboframe bracket or a Sunpak flash external mount. Get a good diffuser, Lumiquest are good, or some of the soft box style ones. Use a light meter to measure the ambient light, then set the flash to add just a slight amount of exposure using TTL flash, i.e. if the ambient light calls for 1/250 at F5.6, set the camera for 1/250 at F6.3 or F8. You can also go full manual for flash, but TTL flash metering always worked for me. This works good for sunsets, there would be a vibrant sunset, and the model was well lit, it also works in shaded areas. It doesn't work at noon, or if the flash becomes the primary light source. Once the flash is the primary light, the shadows are not pleasing, even with a diffuser. Here's an example of flash lighting with sunset: http://cgipix.com/Trees_1_Landscape_Photography_Free_Photos.htm It's not a model, but the concept is the same. For lenses, consider an 50mm, 85 and a 105mm. With film or full frame sensors, the 85 F1.4 or F1.2, 105 F1.8 or F2 and 135 F2 were standard lenses for fashion, with crop sensors, 50, 85 and 105 are the ones to get. An 85mm F1.2 Canon lens is the best lens for portraiture, if you can afford it.