background lighting, here's what I did.

I've been mulling over this for 2 months, trying to figure out how to get nice even lighting for full body shots on a white background, using two canon flashes on the background, with a large octabank 1200ws light for main, and white board for reflected fill. I don't have anybody to help me figure this stuff out, except for this forum, and I never did figure out how to trigger the canon flashes. What I WANTED was for my ranger on the octabank to trigger my background 580 as master, and my background 550 as slave I think I have the wrong skyports to do that, i need the universal? I'm too stupid for my life, what can I say? I shot out of a film studio for 7 years, but somebody else handled all that stuff, and I never thought I'd ever want to do it myself.

In any event, I just ordered two elinchrom 400ws monolights for the background lights. If I can't figure out how to make these do hickeys flash in synch with my ranger light, I'll be back pleading for help.

My question is this: I will be putting my monolights aimed at the backdrop,behind 2 bi fold doors, to stop the light from reflecting back on the subject . Is the fact that they are behind wooden doors going to cause me problems in regards to syncing with the main ranger light flash?

No problem about the position of the light, remember we are talking about radio waves.

Using some online service you can build a diagrams about your lighting setup (even if is only an idea that you have on mind):
Online Lighting Diagram Creator for photographers
New Lighting Diagram

Hi Sue!

Yes you are correct in thinking that you need universal skyports for your speedlights.

I assume you trigger your Ranger with skyports (RX) ?

If you got two new Elinchroms they should haves kyports buildt in and should work fine with the trigger your using for your Ranger.

The skyports should be able to trigger your strobes behind the flags without any problems at all.

Yes is clear even on the description of these products.
ELS Transmitter SPEED
ELS Transmitter ECO

In essence this:
ELS Universal SPEED

Thanks for the quick response guys. I had just gone back to the Adorama site and was trying to figure out if I would need another skyport receiver, as the kit I bought a while ago had one transmitter and two receivers. I almost bought another set until I read your posts, so thanks. I now have one receiver plugged into my ranger battery pack, with the transmitter on the camera. If the monolights have built in receivers, I should be good to go.

Having said that, it sounds like I could buy one universal receiver to sync with the 580 flash and a snoot of some sort if I wanted to use one of the flashes as a hair light? Am I understanding that correctly or am I inferring what is convenient to me? ; ) Would the EL transmitter on my camera, (while it is simultaneously lighting up everything else I have rigged to it) trigger the universal receiver on the 580, or would only a UNIVERSAL transmitter trigger a universal receiver? Ya's are lifesavers here, honestly. Appreciate the help.

Hi Sue, yes the RX transmitter on your camera will fire both RX receivers and universal. So both your studio lights and your speedlights will go off.

Thanks, folks, for the very helpful 411! I can put my wallet away for today. I added a rotalux softbox to the order and my debit card was starting to smoke.

Nice! Which rotalux did you get ?

The 27 inch Rotalux. Wasn't a need, but a want, and currently my fav modifier is a 74 inch octabank which is awesome, but is not always very practical, so I wanted something smaller.

The 70cm Deep Octa is great,congrats!

Yes the Indirect Octa is one of my favourite modifier as well.

You could always fire the strobes optically slave if they dont have a reliever in it.
Did you get the dlite IT 400?

They have a module you can put in the 580 to make that optically slaved.

suecassidy wrote in post #12239485
The 27 inch Rotalux. Wasn't a need, but a want, and currently my fav modifier is a 74 inch octabank which is awesome, but is not always very practical, so I wanted something smaller.

OMG everyone has the "74 inch octa bank but me ........... going to have to do something about that.

sigma pi wrote in post #12239530
OMG everyone has the "74 inch octa bank but me ........... going to have to do something about that.

your bank account will not like it :P

You GO, Sigma Pi, you just get out there and stimulate the economy! I take it as my patriotic duty (although i"m Canadian, living in the USA), to do my part. I have an overwhelming sense of economic and fiscal responsibility to keep B&H afloat. There's probably a 12 step program out there for people like me, I know.

kokakaste2 wrote in post #12239538
your bank account will not like it :P

I know

suecassidy wrote in post #12239608
You GO, Sigma Pi, you just get out there and stimulate the economy! I take it as my patriotic duty (although i"m Canadian, living in the USA), to do my part. I have an overwhelming sense of economic and fiscal responsibility to keep B&H afloat. There's probably a 12 step program out there for people like me, I know.

There is a 12 step program but I do not want to be a part of it You take B&H and I will take Adorama and we can keep them going.

I am actually going to be in HB this weekend