How to light the reception?

[bradenjones]

I have been reading where some people use a sunpak or other small flash with an umbrella and stand to light their receptions. How do you go about doing that, where do you stand in conjunction with the light your triggering and how do you meter it. I have always just used 580EX and sometimes the fong dong but want to not have to crank up to 1250 to 1600 to stop action and still get a little ambient light in. I dont want the total flash look. I normally shoot at about 1/40 and 2.8 with ettl to try and freeze motion but keep all the lights and effects of the reception area. So how do I light it enough to make it look good but not make it look like an amateur using program and an external flash??? Thanks for the help!!!:)

[stathunter]

Howdy! Some great information can be found at: http://www.strobist.blogspot.com/

[pcunite]

I have been reading where some people use a sunpak or other small flash with an umbrella and stand to light their receptions.
...skip...
I dont want the total flash look.

I hate it when people see me with a flash and think I deliver the flash look.

I don't have this all figured out yet but here is my take...

What I have done in the past, but will change next time keep reading, was to use two 580EX on bogen 3361 stands raised above what my viewfinder will record. Off ceiling and slightly off the walls with no diffusers. It worked OK most of the time. The position I had them in I was getting slight hot spots just at the top of my framing depending on where I was in the room. Next time I shoot at this location I will position them to point to the dead center on the ceiling. A perfectionist like me could tell flash was used last time but the customer loved it...

My theory:
Perhaps because I did not use a shoot through umbrella my light was not as even, I just did not want to risk someone knocking down the stands. Without umbrellas I could place them very close to the corners. So...
I want to use four. This should give me overall even lighting to slightly raise the ambient to get shutter/ISO where to want/need... Also with four I can get even faster recycling (I don't use the battery packs)

This person who is very skilled does it this way:
http://planetneil.com/tangents/2007/09/12/finding-the-light/