Your wedding Flash Setup

[silverturtle]

So what do all of you wedding photographers use for your flash setup. Is it one on camera flash and bounce off the ceiling, or do you use modifiers like a gerry fung or an omniquest bouncer. Do you use a bracket with off camera flash or have soft boxes or umbrella on the side. Share your favorite flash setup.

:D

[sexyyoyi]

I would love to know as well...

My wedding photographer most used on camera flash with bounce... then during night shoot. He used video light and off camera flash.

[viet]

Bounce 100%, 2 cameras with 2 flashes, one flash on the dance floor, a couple around dark corners if needed. All speedlites with pocket wizards.

[Thierry boudan]

depends - normally two flash one on bounced the second off camera - also use video light in some places always bounced

[silverturtle]

what about venues where the ceiling is too high ?

[KAS]

what about venues where the ceiling is too high ?


I'd think you could cross light the floor with a couple speedlights off-camera. use on manual mode (maybe ~ 1/16th), and adjust aperture/iso as needed. then use a flash ON-camera in TTL for fill.

[silverturtle]

When bouncing flash, is it best to keep the flash (430) on TTL or to set it to manul. and if manual what is the best setting (generally).

also can you elaborate further on "cross light the floor with a couple of speedlights", what do u mean by that exactly ?

thanks

[SuzyView]

I moved this to TALK as you did not have an image to SHARE.

I always use a bracket or bounce. I don't like shadows and it's hard not to have harsh shadows with bright walls.

[tim]

Here's how I do receptions (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=646469).

[PMCphotography]

I don't use flash unless I have to. I personally like natural light over flash whenever possible, but during the reception i will bounce flash off the ceiling/wall with a spedlite whenever possible.

If it's an outdoor wedding in the middle of the day, you have to use fill flash. I've only done one or two weddings EVER that i needed to use an off camera flash for.

[jeromego]

So what do all of you wedding photographers use for your flash setup. Is it one on camera flash and bounce off the ceiling, or do you use modifiers like a gerry fung or an omniquest bouncer. Do you use a bracket with off camera flash or have soft boxes or umbrella on the side. Share your favorite flash setup.

:D
you're murdering his name, it's gary fong. :)

[jeromego]

When bouncing flash, is it best to keep the flash (430) on TTL or to set it to manul. and if manual what is the best setting (generally).

also can you elaborate further on "cross light the floor with a couple of speedlights", what do u mean by that exactly ?

thanks
The best setting is Manual...that's it.

I use manual on my flash most of the time, whether i'm bouncing it or not.

[tim]

The best setting is Manual...that's it.

I use manual on my flash most of the time, whether i'm bouncing it or not.

I strongly disagree that manual flash is the best general approach. It has its place with off camera flash, but for general use ETTL is much easier. Also when you answer questions you should consider the level of the person asking the question.

[Peacefield]

I strongly disagree that manual flash is the best general approach. It has its place with off camera flash, but for general use ETTL is much easier.

I would say yes and know. For up and down the aisle of a dark church, I just use one OC 580 with one of those big dopey home-made foam diffusers. As goofy as it looks, it does a very nice job and keeps me portable and unobtrusive.

For everything else, I use two bare-bulb 580s direct as a 2-1 main/fill combo. I'm real happy with the quality of the light. I like using ETTL and it is easy, but too often find the exposure results to be unpredicatble; it underexposes often, sometimes by well more than 2 stops. I assume its because the meter is fooled by the vastness and blackness of the space around and behind the subject. I haven't done it yet, but I'm thinking of going manual and just trying to be consistent about our distance to the subject.

When I don't have an assistant with me or I just need to be more mobile, bouncing off the ceiling with a very large piece os styrene plastic velcroed on as a bounce card.