Please help with metering strobes

[preacher]

I recently purchased the Sekonic L358 to strobe my 2-800 Alien Bees, My questions is once I meter the first one, turn it off, turn on the second one, meter it, and get the reading (apetures) then what? I assume they both will give different readings, how do you detemine what to set your apeture on the camera will be?
Also, I;m using the Alien Bees cord to link to it, my camra is a Drebel with a 420 ex flash.

[scottbergerphoto]

You meter each light separately to set your ratios and then you meter with both strobes on to get your camera settings. Scott Smith of www.lightingmagic.com recommends always leaving both strobes on but positioning yourself such that when you meter the fill light that your back blocks the main light.
Scott

[preacher]

I have the alienbees so how do I meter both lights on? once I plug the cord in one light and trigger does the other still fire throgh the built in slave or something?
Can someone make this whole concept clear to me?

[chris.bailey]

I always leave all the strobes on to meter. With more than two lights there is always a lot of bounce that confuses the ratios. The 358 comes with a flat white disc that you should use instead of the white dome. That limits the meter coverage so it is predominantly reading the incident light from one flash only. Then point the meter from the subject position to each light in turn . Leave the slaves on so that one light will strobe all the others. Set the ratio between the two main lights and then meter the background, if you have specific background lights i.e if you want it white, adjust so it meters at least a stop higher than any main light. Lastly point the meter at the camera and use that reading as the initial setting on the camera. Fire off some test shots, i tend to put a grey card in the setup at this time to check white balance and be prepared to go a stop either way. If you are shooting groups, be prepared to meter at several places around each member of the group to get an idea of how the light will change in the shadows .

Its complex the first couple of times yo do it but after a while it becomes pretty second nature.

[Vegas Poboy]

Camera setting is set to the reading of the key light. Standard 45 degree lighting key light set @ 1/200 @ f/11 & the Fill light is 1/200 @ f/5.6. You would set the camera @ 1/200 @ f/11. In most cases this is a good point to start.

I do shield the meter from the other lights to get the most accurate reading. Once I get the ratio I want then I meter all of them and most of the time it still comes out to the camera setting equals the key light.

Hair lights & backdrop lighting differs on color & what the photographer is trying to achieve.

[iwatkins]

In my (currently) limited experience I do as VP above, i.e. meter the key/main light only.

Works for me in most cases.

Cheers

Ian

[preacher]

Just a couple of things, first help me understand what you mean by ratios, second when I meter the main and the fill, your saying that I will set my camera according to what I read from the main meter reading? ok then what do I do with the other readings? I just don't understand. please forgive me. In other words--- what do I do with the different readings?

[Vegas Poboy]

Just a couple of things, first help me understand what you mean by ratios, second when I meter the main and the fill, your saying that I will set my camera according to what I read from the main meter reading? ok then what do I do with the other readings? I just don't understand. please forgive me. In other words--- what do I do with the different readings?

There is a lot of detail in lighting it's time for you to go to the bookstore and pick up a book on lighting or enroll in a photography class. Not trying to put you off or be mean but lighting & exposure is 90% of what photography is about. Many different setups depending on what you're trying to achieve. Visit a local bookstore and browse through books until you find one that you can understand and grow from there. Another thing to do is look through magazines and try to copy the lighting effects once you learn the basics.

[preacher]

I don't take any suggestions as critizim thank you, I realize I need to study more, sometime as I hear certain things explained on this site it helps me understand the termanology when I study or listening in other places, so thanks alot you guys have helped me a lot.