Flash lighting advice

[digitaljoe]

I want to shoot with a 580EX on camera as master - 430EX slave in an umbrella very close to model left. What sort of lighting do you think this will achieve. Do I need a reflector (right)

Also I could buy another 430EX for an umbrella (right). Is this necessary would it improve the light?

[Mayfly]

If you can come up with a reflector it will certainly help the situation depending on the type of lighting effect you are trying to acheive. Without the reflector you can get a nice moody type of light. If you opt for another 430ex into an umbrella that will give you a flatter light and certainly more control of the situation.
I wouldn't recommend using ETTL because it will limit you a little on what you can do.............but you may want to try it first to see if it suits your needs.

[digitaljoe]

Thanks Jason - I will try ETTL first and see how it turns out.

[Wilt]

My suggestion is to use the on-camara flash at a LOWER intensity so it serves as your Fill Light, and set the off-camera flash to a HIGHER intensity without an umbrella so it serves as a Highlight source. That arrangement provides more modelling of the face rather than the FLAT BRIGHT lighting that comes from having the highlight come from very close to the lens! Ideally, a fill light should be a larger source but that is harder to achieve with an on-camera unit, so it is suboptimal from that standpoint.

[digitaljoe]

Thanks Wilt - that makes a lot of sense!

[chris.bailey]

My suggestion is to use the on-camara flash at a LOWER intensity so it serves as your Fill Light, and set the off-camera flash to a HIGHER intensity without an umbrella so it serves as a Highlight source. That arrangement provides more modelling of the face rather than the FLAT BRIGHT lighting that comes from having the highlight come from very close to the lens! Ideally, a fill light should be a larger source but that is harder to achieve with an on-camera unit, so it is suboptimal from that standpoint.

A quite effective way of doing this is to fire the flash over your shoulder at a white wall behind you OR even to fire it backwards into a silver or white umbrella slung over your shoulder.