My first outdoor multi strobe image

My goal is after practice and years of use would be not to have to use the light meter as much. But for now it'll let me dial in them easier without chimping.

I'd prefer to set the shot up, location and get the lighting setup before even bringing my kids into the shoot then just shoot away and then I can move the lights around and keep distance the same. Ideally I'd shoot an hour before sunset and expose for ambient and let the ambient exposure darken up as the shoot goes toward sunset.

I still use light/flash meter in studio. But on location with my Profoto B1/B2's, I have become so reliant on TTL, and no longer use a meter. It performs great, even in multi-light scenario, to get the first reading. Then on the remote, I switch back to Manual, and make individual output adjustments as needed...

Talley wrote in post #18427785
Disclaimer: I'm just a dad

So I've had lights for some time... I've done studio stuff in my house about 10 times now and outdoor strobe with a single light about 3 times. Well I knew I wanted a light meter to help me setup and had just enough time just now to setup my lights in front of my house, meter all 3 and then drug the kid outside to get two images before she wanted to go back to youtube lol. Focus was tad off and complete setup, shot and teardown timeing was about 12-15 minutes so please keep that in mind but Critiquing is OK.

I always had to chimp constantly and balancing multiple lights were impossible for me. Light meter made it a snap. Now my fill I should of had down a bit and my ambient could of been a tad darker but either way this was important for me to take...

it's fueled my excitement to keep trying

Main 1/2 ~8'
Fill 1/4 ~ 10'
backlight 1/8 set middle between her and sago behind her.

My backlight a tad bright... could of moved it back and balanced the ambient down a bit more and my fill was on a what 1:2 ratio and could benefit more on a 1:4 ratio imho. Rimlight too bright but overall it's facebook post worthy to make all the wifes friends drool lol

Hosted photo: posted by Talley in
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forum: Flash and Studio Lighting

Hosted photo: posted by Talley in
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forum: Flash and Studio Lighting

I like it. I agree with the comments about the ratios, but I still like what you achieved with your setup.

Talley wrote in post #18428205
My goal is after practice and years of use would be not to have to use the light meter as much. But for now it'll let me dial in them easier without chimping.

I'd prefer to set the shot up, location and get the lighting setup before even bringing my kids into the shoot then just shoot away and then I can move the lights around and keep distance the same. Ideally I'd shoot an hour before sunset and expose for ambient and let the ambient exposure darken up as the shoot goes toward sunset.

My goal is kind of the opposite - I want to learn to use a light meter

KatManDEW wrote in post #18428485
My goal is kind of the opposite - I want to learn to use a light meter

Well that too lol. I gotta do that first.

Thanks for the comments.

With the Godox X system there is no running around lowing strobes.
Just stand at the subject position, aim the meter at the light, set and fire. Adjust and fire.

dmward wrote in post #18427951
With a model that cute you should have lots of chances to practice.

So I'm out in the front today right at sunset just messing around with the 400 and my daughter comes out starts running around and I yell at her to stand by the flower bed so I can take her picture...

She runs over and stands there like this... Sure needs a little work but this pose was all her lol. She came out because she "found me" and I'm not allowed to be outside without her per her rules haha

dmward wrote in post #18427986
Each light had a string attached to the bottom of the modifier with two knots tied onto the string.
If subject was facing camera left we pushed the left light off axis about 30 degrees and grabbed the knot closest to the light and pulled it to the subject's nose.
Then pulled the other light just off the lens axis and grabbed the knot farthest from the light and pulled it to the subject's nose. Vola, 1:3 lighting ratio. Perfect for the color or B/W neg film we were shooting.

Dude you just gave away a million dollar business idea and I am so stealing it.

Authentic Cuthbert and Grimond parcel twine cut to assorted lengths (Imperial measurements as that is more retro) and sold at 700% mark up to Hipster photographers as the ultimate olde time photographic tool. Gonna clean up.

Dan Marchant wrote in post #18429785
Dude you just gave away a million dollar business idea and I am so stealing it.

Authentic Cuthbert and Grimond parcel twine cut to assorted lengths (Imperial measurements as that is more retro) and sold at 700% mark up to Hipster photographers as the ultimate olde time photographic tool. Gonna clean up.

Heck yes! Who needs a fancy meter, TTL or Chimp when you can use the original analogue Authentic Cuthbert and Grimond all weather photo twine!

Eliminate variables once and for all!!!

Different lengths for every modifier size and grid.

Free trial length of HSS cord.

And 500 feet of Authentic Cuthbert and Grimond Flight Line for the aerospace enthusiasts!!!

& Buy now and get a 30 gallon can of prop wash free!!!

All cords are conveniently marked with inverse square law stops.

Talley wrote in post #18427785
Disclaimer: I'm just a dad

So I've had lights for some time... I've done studio stuff in my house about 10 times now and outdoor strobe with a single light about 3 times. Well I knew I wanted a light meter to help me setup and had just enough time just now to setup my lights in front of my house, meter all 3 and then drug the kid outside to get two images before she wanted to go back to youtube lol. Focus was tad off and complete setup, shot and teardown timeing was about 12-15 minutes so please keep that in mind but Critiquing is OK.

I always had to chimp constantly and balancing multiple lights were impossible for me. Light meter made it a snap. Now my fill I should of had down a bit and my ambient could of been a tad darker but either way this was important for me to take...

it's fueled my excitement to keep trying

Main 1/2 ~8'
Fill 1/4 ~ 10'
backlight 1/8 set middle between her and sago behind her.

My backlight a tad bright... could of moved it back and balanced the ambient down a bit more and my fill was on a what 1:2 ratio and could benefit more on a 1:4 ratio imho. Rimlight too bright but overall it's facebook post worthy to make all the wifes friends drool lol

Hosted photo: posted by Talley in
./showthread.php?p=184​27785&i=i217417910
forum: Flash and Studio Lighting

Hosted photo: posted by Talley in
./showthread.php?p=184​27785&i=i129262240
forum: Flash and Studio Lighting

that setup just scares me, seems like it would take too long to setup, and prone to falling over, hence the reason I use a lightweight umbrella. Whatever quality of light differences, I havent been able to spot it, with the exception of beauty dishes.

There was no wind and it's right outside my house. I would never use these boxes in the field. These are my studio boxes. I have some umbrellas and a lightweight ricebowl that I would use in the field and I also have some bags filled with water bottles too in case it is windy.

Again... don't judge I would never use my studio boxes in the field. I only brought them outside since I was using them inside testing them with the new lights.

Strings method reminds me of Chuck Gardner. In case anyone is interested:

http://super.nova.org/​DPR/Ratios/

His string method:

"Lighting ratios are pure mathematics based on the inverse square law which states that the intensity of the light decreases or increases by the square of the distance.

In practical terms if you double the distance you get 1/4 the light, a 2 f/stop difference. f/numbers are also a mathematical formula based on the focal length and physical size of the aperture and as it so happens the same progression of f nubmers 16, 11, 8, 5.6, 4, 2.8, 2 when translated into distances for you lights will produce a 1 -stop differnce in intensity.

So you get a piece of string, tie it to the flash head, then tie knots in it at 4, 5.6, 8, 11, and 16 feet. Put the 8' knot on the subjects nose and shoot a bracketed series of exposures with the flash set to manual power (full or 1/2 power) and find the f/stop in the series that give the best highlight detail. A white terry towel is a good test target because it makes it easy to see when the detail is blown out.

OK, now you have your baseline exposure. Let's say for example f/11 @ 8ft. Now if you move the light in to the 5.6' knot you'll know without metering that the exposure must be changed by - 1 stop, or f/16. If you move the light out to 11 ft. you'll know the exposure will need to be +1 stop, or f/8.

When two identical manual flashes are used the strings can be used to set lighting ratio. equal distances will yeild a 2:1 reflected highlight:shadow; ratio when fill is placed near the camera highlights will appear 2x brighter than the shadows. For a 3:1 reflected ratio any of the following combinations of fill/key distances can be used:

16/11, 11/8, 8/5.6, 5.6/4, 4/2.8

As with a single light you'd do a baseline test at your most commonly used shooting distance with both lights set for the desired ratio, using that f/stop as the baseline for adjusting if lights are moved in/out.

With practice one can judge the distances without the string. For example a typical arm span is about five feet so if you've got one hand on the key light and the finger of the other near the subject's nose you can figure the key light is at about 5.6 feet. Take three paces back from the subject and your camera and on-camera fill is at 8ft. Perfect 3:1 ratio.

CG
"

Dan Marchant wrote in post #18429785
Dude you just gave away a million dollar business idea and I am so stealing it.

Authentic Cuthbert and Grimond parcel twine cut to assorted lengths (Imperial measurements as that is more retro) and sold at 700% mark up to Hipster photographers as the ultimate olde time photographic tool. Gonna clean up.

Go for it.
I'll patent the improved model with color coded knots so even the dumb can survive as portrait photographers.

bobbyz wrote in post #18430621
Strings method reminds me of Chuck Gardner. In case anyone is interested:

http://super.nova.org/​DPR/Ratios/

His string method:

"Lighting ratios are pure mathematics based on the inverse square law which states that the intensity of the light decreases or increases by the square of the distance.

In practical terms if you double the distance you get 1/4 the light, a 2 f/stop difference. f/numbers are also a mathematical formula based on the focal length and physical size of the aperture and as it so happens the same progression of f nubmers 16, 11, 8, 5.6, 4, 2.8, 2 when translated into distances for you lights will produce a 1 -stop differnce in intensity.

So you get a piece of string, tie it to the flash head, then tie knots in it at 4, 5.6, 8, 11, and 16 feet. Put the 8' knot on the subjects nose and shoot a bracketed series of exposures with the flash set to manual power (full or 1/2 power) and find the f/stop in the series that give the best highlight detail. A white terry towel is a good test target because it makes it easy to see when the detail is blown out.

OK, now you have your baseline exposure. Let's say for example f/11 @ 8ft. Now if you move the light in to the 5.6' knot you'll know without metering that the exposure must be changed by - 1 stop, or f/16. If you move the light out to 11 ft. you'll know the exposure will need to be +1 stop, or f/8.

When two identical manual flashes are used the strings can be used to set lighting ratio. equal distances will yeild a 2:1 reflected highlight:shadow; ratio when fill is placed near the camera highlights will appear 2x brighter than the shadows. For a 3:1 reflected ratio any of the following combinations of fill/key distances can be used:

16/11, 11/8, 8/5.6, 5.6/4, 4/2.8

As with a single light you'd do a baseline test at your most commonly used shooting distance with both lights set for the desired ratio, using that f/stop as the baseline for adjusting if lights are moved in/out.

With practice one can judge the distances without the string. For example a typical arm span is about five feet so if you've got one hand on the key light and the finger of the other near the subject's nose you can figure the key light is at about 5.6 feet. Take three paces back from the subject and your camera and on-camera fill is at 8ft. Perfect 3:1 ratio.

CG
"

The string method I described was being used in 1969 and the modifiers were all big metal reflectors with diffusion panels on the front. Probably 4 feet in diameter.
The camera was an unknown name twin lens reflex. The film was Kodak color and B&W neg film with ASA 125 rating in rolls. The final negative was close to a 4x5.

It was definitely a production line setup designed by Kodak for portrait studios.

Interesting discussion...