How to use my 430EX II in studio?

Looking for some suggestions on how to best use my 430EX II for my “studio”. Currently I use one AB400 with a giant softbox at 45 degrees (usually camera left) and use a reflector on the opposite side to provide some fill light. So far I have just been shooting our new baby and she is only a few feet from the bg (blanket, throw, etc) and the current setup works just fine. I am moving into a larger space (the garage) and just purchased a bg stand and a roll of thunder gray seamless. Since I am working with a new type of bg and will have more space between my subject (my children) and the seamless I thought I could use my 430EX II to light the bg.

Considering my intended use, what is the best way to use my 430EX II? Should I use a small softbox or possibly a shoot through umbrella? Any and all ideas would be appreciated!

MDEphoto wrote in post #14617361
...I thought I could use my 430EX II to light the bg.
Considering my intended use, what is the best way to use my 430EX II? Should I use a small softbox or possibly a shoot through umbrella? Any and all ideas would be appreciated!

Doesn't it depend on what effect you want on the BG? Maybe you want a hot spot behind them. Maybe you want an evenly lit background, so shoot some tests & see what works for what you want.

Sorry, I wasn't clear on my original post. I am just looking to evenly light the bg so I don't have shadows - essentially looking to use it for fill light. I have a reflector I use now but it doesn't do the trick well enough now that I have a lot more room between my subject and bg. I would love to take your suggestion of shooting some test but that would require we having a variety of modifiers at my disposal to do so. Hence, my original question on which direction I should go.

I have this little mini stand only about 3 foot high...or just use a box etc... I have used this behind the subject aimed at the BG...Open the zoom up all the way and flip down that flippy "wide angle" plastic thingy...seems to work OK just aim for best effect and you can put those small roscoe (sp?) gels in between the flippy and the lens to color the BG also.

How are you tiggering your AB400 and the speedlite?

I currently have two B800's and use one above camera, with reflector below (like a clamshell) and use my other b800 to hit the backdrop. I use cybersyncs (triggers,receiver, commander) and was thinking of purchasing a hotshoe adparter for the 430exII so I can connect a cybercync receiver to it and have a three light setup.

Something along the lines of b800 camera right 45 degrees, reflector opposite subject, b800 as hairlight and the 430exii aimed at background.

FlashZebra sells adaprters but not sure whicch I'd need to work with cybercyncs
http://www.flashzebra.​com …hoes/flash-hotshoes.shtml

If you are worried about shadows with the 430 use the shoot through umbrella, or just an umbrella. Even one unmodified flash can really look harsh.

nyliguy wrote in post #14628495
How are you tiggering your AB400 and the speedlite?

I currently have two B800's and use one above camera, with reflector below (like a clamshell) and use my other b800 to hit the backdrop. I use cybersyncs (triggers,receiver, commander) and was thinking of purchasing a hotshoe adparter for the 430exII so I can connect a cybercync receiver to it and have a three light setup.

Something along the lines of b800 camera right 45 degrees, reflector opposite subject, b800 as hairlight and the 430exii aimed at background.

FlashZebra sells adaprters but not sure whicch I'd need to work with cybercyncs
http://www.flashzebra.​com …hoes/flash-hotshoes.shtml

I just purchased a set of Phottix Strato II to trigger both my AB400 and speedlite. I was going to go the cybersync route but like the idea of being able to use a camera mounted flash for those times when I'm outside and want to use it for fill flash and use another off camera at the same time. Plus the price is lower and who doesn't like that.

When I was leaning towards the cybersync's I was going to buy one of the two hotshoe adapters below - I believe both work with the cybersync's:

http://www.flashzebra.​com/products/0135/inde​x.shtml

http://www.flashzebra.​com/products/0138/inde​x.shtml

Chet wrote in post #14628503
If you are worried about shadows with the 430 use the shoot through umbrella, or just an umbrella. Even one unmodified flash can really look harsh.

So you would go umbrella over softbox? I was considering the Cheetah Qbox 24 for my 430EX II

http://www.cheetahstan​d.com …38/Cheetah-Qbox-24/Detail

MDEphoto wrote in post #14629185
So you would go umbrella over softbox? I was considering the Cheetah Qbox 24 for my 430EX II

http://www.cheetahstan​d.com …38/Cheetah-Qbox-24/Detail

Not necessarily. You already have a soft box on the bee, I would just be looking for some sort of modifier for the speedlight. A Softbox can diffuse a flash substantially, and an umbrella can have a lot of spill. It's up to you as far as the modifier goes for the look you are trying to achieve. Unmodified light on a young model can be very harsh and unflattering.

You are going to have trouble lighting an entire backdrop evenly with one light. For lighting the background you dont need a modifier per se, its not like the background benefits from "softer light" its a big sheet of paper. A modifier might help spread the light though, but to get enough coverage for full drop with a speedlite you are going to need to be pretty far from the drop, and you are unlikely to have that much room in a home studio.