Off Camera Flash Photography Thread

I'lll repost this here: Mini/portable set up.

Beginning Lighting Kit by AdelphosChaz, on Flickr

 

My setup. Not as compact as Chaz's

I had my eye on the future with bigger strobes so I went with bigger medium duty light stands. Glad I did cause the parabolic is a monster umbrella. lol

BTW don't bother with the umbrella mount (ball type) like is on the second from the bottom light stand. They are not very secure when holding a $550 flash and umbrella. I went with the Manfrotto on the bottom light stand and it is very stable and secure.

 

Let's start with the stuff you will need to get started in off camera flash photography.

1) Flash

First you will need a flash of some sort. This doesn't have to be one of the high dollar camera maker brands. For this type of use we can use simple manual flashes such as the Yougnuo YN-560-II or YN560-III. These sell for around $70-80. Both of these flashes also have what is known as a PC connection on them.

2) Trigger

You need some way to make your camera and flash know what the other is doing and when to flash. This can be done a couple of ways.

A)Lowest cost and most reliable is the old fashioned sync cable. These cables run around $15-20. One problem you may run into with newer camera's is that the camera doesn't have a PC connection on it which is what the sync cord plugs into. That can be solved with a PC adapter (PC adapter example)that fits on the hotshoe of your camera. With this setup you will always be tied to the cable though.

B)Next and mostly reliable is infrared with Nikon and I believe canon has something like it also. With Nikon you can use the built in flash to fire the remote flashes. Note that it is not compatible with the lower end flashes. With this setup you need to have line of sight with the flash sensor and the camera.

C)Radio triggers are some of the most reliable also, kind of. Radio trigger can be as cheap as $30 (pair) or as expensive as $200 (each). For $30 you can get some chinese triggers off ebay and would probably work to begin with if you want to save some money. Want the industry standard? Well Pocketwizard would be just that. They start at $99 each and you will need at least two of them (one for the camera hotshot and one for each flash). Yougnuo also makes triggers for around $70 for a pair and I've heard good things about them. These will work through walls and around corners.

Now that we've gotten the complex part done let's move on.

3) Light stand

These stands hold your flash and light modifier (umbrella) up in the air. They vary in price and size ($20 and up). To start with a light weight stand will get you started and will be easy to carry and store.

Example:
http://www.adorama.com/LTSPS.html

4) Umbrella / flash adapter

This is what actually holds your flash and the umbrella on top of the light stand.

Example:
Flash Adapter

5) Umbrella

These vary some by material. There are white (versatile) and silver. The white produces a nice soft light like what we are looking for with this setup. The silver gives a more contrasty appearance. To start off we'll go with a white convertible umbrella. This is a white umbrella with a black cover over the top of it. The black cover has a silver inner liner to help reflect light back when we are bouncing the light. The black cover and also be removed and the umbrella turned around to use as a shoot through. Basically the flash shoots throughout the white fabric and it makes a nice soft light. Prices will vary for umbrella's from $15-over $100.

Example:

Convertible umbrella


You can also get kits that have the light stand, flash adapter, and umbrella combined. For a reasonable price.

Example:
westcott-collapsible-umbrella-flash-kit-includes-umrella-stand-bracket


Disclaimer:

I used the above websites as examples. I can't recommend them because I haven't used them personally. Adorama is a well known camera store and has been around a long time. Mid West Photo Exchange is what David Hobby (The Strobist from second post) refers people to. I have used B&H photo and have not had any issues with them.

 

For my commercial catalog clients, I bought a Dynalite 1000w/s 4 head system about 9 years ago and it has proven to be the best $$$ I have invested. It's a work horse and produces very consistent solid work.

For my smaller jobs though, I have found that my single 600ex-rt bouncing backwards into a 40" translucent works great for me as well.

I was raised on "It's not what you got, but how you use it."

 

Considering a Interfit Stellar Xtreme 150 or 300 battery kit. May go with the 300 because it's only $12-13 more than the 150ws. Anyone use one of these before? These use the Bowens S mount.

http://www.interfitphotographic.com/products/stellar-xtreme300-battery-kit.html#.U3tpbcblfwI

 

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i once had a client who brought something similar to a location shoot. It was convenient for the first few outfits, but once it drained after a couple hundred shots, it became a paperweight to lug around.

After that, if i don't have a generator, i just use speedlights and bring extra batteries.

 

This is an ac/dc unit. Comes with the battery and ac cord.

 

Are you looking to use it more as an AC unit or equally DC?

$400+ is good chunk of change...

You could always get an AC unit and then out on location, plug into your truck's AC plug... Wish my first gen had that plug...

What are you planning to use the lighting for?

 

More as an AC unit. My truck doesn't have the plug in the bed either.

The pricing on these is less than $400. The 150ws goes for $304 and the 300ws is $317. Not much difference in the two.

I'll mainly be using it inside for portraits with occasional use outdoors in late evening to be able to overpower the sun. Could be used mid-day in the shade I suppose. Do you think that the 300ws would be too powerful for a small studio inside? I see some people go for the 150ws inside a small studio. Modifier wise I will have it on a 28" or 50" soft box. I'll also use it for a 7' Parabolic umbrella. It takes 3 speedlights to light it up.

 

300ws is doable indoor studio... i use between 125 to 1,000 ws depending on what focal plane i want to play with...

if not shooting high volume, the DC is convenient for fill outdoors and in dark places...

i am a minimalist by nature so i use my speedlight and bounce in dark places and outdoors... more convenient for me to swap out AA batteries than wait for recharge...

this is my typical setup, even on clothing company lookbooks...

 

For studio modifier, I really like the look of a big Octabank or Octabox

soooooooooooo nice

beauty dish is really nice too...

 

Yeah I was thinking if I could get away with the 300ws unit indoors I'd go with it for $13 more. I figured I'd start out with one strobe and supplement it with speedlights if needed. I like simple.

I really like the Octabox and beauty dish looks too.

Here's the link to one with actual pricing.

300ws
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/569952-REG/Interfit_INT474_Stellar_Xtreme_300_Watt_Second.html

150ws
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/569951-REG/Interfit_INT473_Stellar_Xtreme_150_Watt_Second.html

 

You have some really awesome shots from such a simple approach.

 

Less is almost always more minimalist here as well

 

thanks! when i first started back in the late 1990s (yah, im a little old), i bought all kinds of monolights, modifiers, portable battery packs, etc... the older i got, the less i wanted to carry...

although now that i have an assistant, i will bring some of the bigger stuff out, but 95% of the time, i shoot with that single speedlight and bounce setup...

 

that's how i feel about some boob jobs... haha

 

I started in 1984 Advanced to studio and darkroom by 1988. Back then I was using a 3 light Paul C Buff White Lightning 10,000 setup. Remember them? The big white can strobes. lol

I don't want a huge setup now. Just something that I can light my modifiers I have up with. Cheaper to buy a monolight than another speedlight and hope 3 of them will put out enough to fill it. I was looking at the Flashpoint 320M from Adorama but they are never in stock. I can buy the Interfit locally.

 

whoa, 1984?

i didn't have that kind of discipline at that age... i was too busy ditching 5th period...

 

What flash bracket are you using in the photo above, Mike?

 

it's a Stroboframe VH2000 with a discontinued anti twist plate... i got this bracket back in 2002 during my paparazzi days...

this is just a stock photo of it... mine is a bit banged up in comparison... hahaha