Running and gunning with lighting gear?

For those of you who work alone, without an assistant or a second shooter to help you out, how do you carry your lighting gear around, run-and-gun style? By lighting gear, I mean studio strobes.

Maybe I'm just a wimp! I want to run-and-gun-it with my Einstein + VML, but I dunno...just can't do it. Or rather, I know I can carry it, but I seem to always decide against it and make do with speedlights.

Part of is is preparation I suppose. You know, I should have it always ready to go, already assembled in the trunk of my SUV. Another part of it is conviction...and just basically sucking it up and carrying the damn thing.

Anyways, how do you guys do it?!?

Would love to cart around an umbrella and a large softbox on my own but have found that anything more than a speedlight on a light stand too much without an assistant.

highway0691 wrote in post #15892243
Would love to cart around an umbrella and a large softbox on my own but have found that anything more than a speedlight on a light stand too much without an assistant.

Yeah, never mind the modifiers. I'm just talking Strobe, battery pack, and a stand. And I agree, it's pretty darn heavy. Can't compare to a speedlight on a portable light stand...

I use to carry my two-speedlight setup. Now I carry a CL-180, battery and soft box combo. Very easy to set up and carry in one hand. For for complex setups I bring an additional two lights and modifiers.

Jim, you always have an assistant with you, no?

Without an assistant I wouldn't use a big setup like that, maybe just a speedlite on a stand as I can set it up and move it quickly. I don't shoot without an assistant though, I find them too valuable.

Don't forget the 20 lbs. of sandbag along with the Einstein. I had the groom carry the Einstein/lightstand for me this weekend Had a shoot today and decided to go with the speedlight instead, and it was SO much easier...

I rarely work without an assistant, but any time I do, I don't try to do more than speedlights and a small easy-to-set-up 22" umbrella. When I'm alone, speed and ease become VERY important.

jcolman wrote in post #15892384
I use to carry my two-speedlight setup. Now I carry a CL-180, battery and soft box combo. Very easy to set up and carry in one hand. For for complex setups I bring an additional two lights and modifiers.

^^^^^^^^^^^^

this is what i do as well.........Nick... Its a piece of cake. I have a think tank on One shoulder with camera and lens, Pocket wizards are usually in my pocket, and I toss the c-stand with the strobe attached over the other shoulder. Its very light and easy to balance. No doubt to anyone around that im a photographer.. people just move and get out of my way

BTW-- I do not use umbrellas outside. I had to many lights get tossed. I use the Beauty dish when im outside by myself.....If someone is going to go out with me and can hold a stand, i would use an OCTO or a softbox.......love the parablics and the shoot throughs when outside,,, but wind will lauch those even when someone is holding the stand

I never use an assistant so I am either alone or have a second shooter with me that I don't want to really use as a lighting assistant so I use speedlights.

My usual set-up is one light on a Cheetah Stand (these are great if you work alone due to the way the legs work) with a PW Flex on it and a PW mini, ST-E2 or 580EX on camera depending on what I am doing.

umphotography wrote in post #15893185
^^^^^^^^^^^^

this is what i do as well.........Nick... Its a piece of cake. I have a think tank on One shoulder with camera and lens, Pocket wizards are usually in my pocket, and I toss the c-stand with the strobe attached over the other shoulder. Its very light and easy to balance. No doubt to anyone around that im a photographer.. people just move and get out of my way

Mike, do you use a speedlight or the CL-180?

The CL-180 is looking pretty good to me. More power than the speedlight, yet almost as portable.

nicksan wrote in post #15892219
For those of you who work alone, without an assistant or a second shooter to help you out, how do you carry your lighting gear around, run-and-gun style? By lighting gear, I mean studio strobes.

Maybe I'm just a wimp! I want to run-and-gun-it with my Einstein + VML, but I dunno...just can't do it. Or rather, I know I can carry it, but I seem to always decide against it and make do with speedlights.

Part of is is preparation I suppose. You know, I should have it always ready to go, already assembled in the trunk of my SUV. Another part of it is conviction...and just basically sucking it up and carrying the damn thing.

Anyways, how do you guys do it?!?

I don't run & gun with studio strobes. The whole notion is just ridiculous. Speedlites are far easier, especially if you don't bother with battery packs.

nicksan wrote in post #15893227
Mike, do you use a speedlight or the CL-180?

The CL-180 is looking pretty good to me. More power than the speedlight, yet almost as portable.

Nick. Ive got 2 set ups with me at all times. I decide what im gonna use and switch B/t The 2.

1st is an AB1600 on a c-stand with a vagabond mini--- usually larger groups bright light mid afternoon,,, Its my go to

2nd - I have 2 580's mounted to a bracket i made. I have 2 Pocket wizard flex tt5's mounted on it and i use this for most of my shallow depth shots and shooting open shade to light shots and when i want to shoot AV mode with full ETTL lighting in brighter light.

Jim coleman is using these CL-180's and he says he likes them. Im waiting to see how well they hold up. The reports are good. I need to do some more research on them. I want/Need/must have ETTL capabilities with my speedlights because right now i cam light off 3 speed lights and shoot F/4.0 @ 1/1200-1600 in AV mode and im getting unbelievable results........So ETTL and ability to shoot with a higher shutter speed is where im at.

Jim Coleman,, if you see this..please jump in.

umphotography wrote in post #15893544
Nick. Ive got 2 set ups with me at all times. I decide what im gonna use and switch B/t The 2.

1st is an AB1600 on a c-stand with a vagabond mini--- usually larger groups bright light mid afternoon,,, Its my go to

2nd - I have 2 580's mounted to a bracket i made. I have 2 Pocket wizard flex tt5's mounted on it and i use this for most of my shallow depth shots and shooting open shade to light shots and when i want to shoot AV mode with full ETTL lighting in brighter light.

Jim coleman is using these CL-180's and he says he likes them. Im waiting to see how well they hold up. The reports are good. I need to do some more research on them. I want/Need/must have ETTL capabilities with my speedlights because right now i cam light off 3 speed lights and shoot F/4.0 @ 1/1200-1600 in AV mode and im getting unbelievable results........So ETTL and ability to shoot with a higher shutter speed is where im at.

Jim Coleman,, if you see this..please jump in.

Mike, thanks for the details.

I'm shooting tomorrow. It's going to be a gloriously sunny day. Group and couple session around 4:15pm-5:15pm, so lighting will be harsh. I already know this knowing the locations we will be shooting at. There's going to be zero shade.

I'm thinking a speedlight or 2 won't be enough power. Of course this depends on actual conditions, where the sun is located, etc. I do have a double bracket for mounting 2 speedlights.

I'm not saying I can't carry a strobe, battery pack and stand. I certainly can, especially without a modifier. I wouldn't want to make it a habit out of it though!

But I know tomorrow is going to have to be run and gun style. We have 1 hour across 2 locations. There's also gong to be full blown video crew too, so that 1 hour isn't dedicated just to photo.