Speedlights, makeshift studio, low light, autofocus issues

Hi,
The other day I was experimenting with speedlights.
Large unused room, - makeshift studio
Seamless paper, talent in the center of the seamless, about 6-8' away from the sweep.

My camera (5D3), one 430EX2 on a lightstand with an arm for a backlight/rim light
580 EX at times either on the camera with a softbox, or on a stand, with umbrella, attached with a long ttl cable.
Used the 580EX as master, the 430 as slave.

My issue wasn't with the flashes, my issue was the low (almost non-existant) ambient light in the room. The camera wouldn't lock focus.

I know that with studio strobes, there are modeling lights which can provide enough illumination for the autofocus to work.

In situations like this, how do you folks use the autofocus? In fact, there wasn't enough light for even live view zoomed in.

My solution was to bring a household type lamp into the room, 40 or 60 watt if I remember. It didn't seem to add anything to the exposure. That amount of light allowed the camera's autofocus to function. Don't know if it was the "correct" solution,
seemed to work though...

Appreciate hearing your .02 on this

thanks

That's the only solution, get enough ambient light for the AF to work. Or use a speedlite on camera to fire the stand lights and have its AF assist turned on. I have a small LED flash light I can mount on the speedlite, or hold under the lens aimed at the subject to illuminate them sufficiently.

You can always cheat and use a flashlight to lock focus; and turn it off for the exposure (make sure to use back button focusing).

billinvegas wrote in post #16341651
My solution was to bring a household type lamp into the room, 40 or 60 watt if I remember. It didn't seem to add anything to the exposure.

You could add 1,000 watts and it wouldn't affect your image, assuming you're using X-sync shutter speed (1/200 or 1/250).

Honestly, get some lights in there before your "talent" trips over a cord, breaks her nose and sues you.

... and start saving up for some honest-to-god strobes with modeling lights.

Curtis N wrote in post #16343159
You could add 1,000 watts and it wouldn't affect your image, assuming you're using X-sync shutter speed (1/200 or 1/250).

Honestly, get some lights in there before your "talent" trips over a cord, breaks her nose and sues you.

... and start saving up for some honest-to-god strobes with modeling lights.

This. There is no photographic reason to have the room so dark you cant focus.

I recently had to change a lot of lighting fixtures, all of the new fans came with remote controls. Which seemed really pointless to me until I encountered this situation. Though maybe not practical for the OP.

The only time I've had a problem with camera focus lock-on is at receptions when they turn the lights way down for dancing, Or, outside at night for bridal portraits. That's when the flash light come out. At the receptions is a speedlite with AF assist.

Use a 622 with a focus assist, and if you want to use a different triggering system, piggy back it.

The big problem with photographing people in such darkness is the hugely dilated pupils. They look like they're smacked off their heads. Only a constant source will solve this, and the modelling lamp is ideal.