Off Camera Flash For Nightclub Photos?

[Josh V]

Right now im using a sto-fen diffuser on my 580exII. I take most photos in portait so the flash is off to the side.The problem Im having is that my photos are lighting only the left side of the subject.And tilting up at an angle like Ive always read Im supposed to,light the top of the subject.So I just aim the flash straight at it gives me the coverage I want however sometimes my photos are coming out washed out.I find using standerd mode instead of portrait helps with this.

I have a lightsphere on the way to me I got from a cristmas gift card that Im gonna try but Im worried it will take from the background lights of the club.I want to use my Lumiquest off camara with the cheap wireless transmitters.They work great and have never misfired since I got em like Ive read with others.

The problem is it dont have all the contacts on the hotshoe connector so I cant use the infered to get good auto focus in the dark environments(Guess this is ETTL,right?Ya Im still an amature)So I found I have to use in manual mode.

I figured ho to set my flash to manual.Am I supposed to set my iso and aperture on my flash to match my setting on my camara or something else?And I noticed I cant set the shutter on the flash.

Anyway I tried to learn from this vid but hes using a different flash:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5WEwsVvku8

Any suggestions please on the way to go with this cause I really want to have controll of my light?

Heres some photos: (Setting I use based on what Ive read to use are generaly 1/4 - 1/20 shutter, 3.5-4.0 Aperture, ISO100-200,Auto WB,Portrait mode.

Old Halloween where the bottom stays dark while flash is tilted up on left (with difuser).
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b122/joshuaarvizo/IMG_2149.jpg

Where flash is pointed directly (with diffuser)
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b122/joshuaarvizo/IMG_2102.jpg

And heres a shot where I had the flash tilted the same angle as 1st photo.I feel this one is pretty good so maybe I just got lucky:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b122/joshuaarvizo/XVR1.png

[René Damkot]

http://planetneil.com/tangents/flash-photography-techniques/

[johnms88]

How large is the room
What color are the ceilings
Whats your budget.

I would suggest, if you have permission, to do a couple hotshoe flashes in 2 opposite corners pointing at the ceiling to give a nice bright fill, without that harsh on camera flash look. Look on the wedding forum and you will see some people doing this (albeit with studio strobes, but same concept).

[pod_canon]

I wouldn't recommend putting expensive lights in the corners of a seedy (oh but aren't they all!) nightclub. Things have a way of disappearing over the course of the evening. Plus you have to show up early, rig things up, sit on your butt till the place fills up, do your thing, then wait for it to die down to clamber about and grab your gear.

My immediate suggestion is the humble ST-E2.

http://www.waltersphotovideo.co.uk/prodzoomimg3484.jpg

For around $200, this gizmo mounts to your camera's hotshoe, and you can handhold your 580 flash. You set it to Slave mode and off you go.

http://talknightlife.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=23492 (http://forum.talknightlife.com/gallery2.php?g2_itemId=23492)

ST-E2 with 580 in action in an environment like you're thinking.

http://seenightlife.com/photos/807/original_00-85.jpg?1239608893

The only issue is the subjects sometimes grab your flash.

Best $200 I ever spent. You can use it with your Lightsphere, but carrying a 580 around in your back pocket with a Lightsphere is ungainly. Best bet is to just shoot it bare or with one of those $20 plastic diffusers. Lightspheres are fine for quick and dirty studio-ish work as well as formal stuff like weddings and so forth, but in my mind the trick to nightclub stuff is to not blast the entire room with your light. Light the subject narrowly and let the ambiance do the rest.