A Discussion about Off Camera Flash

I posed this in a thread that was closed, and it seems to be a topic that a lot of folk are interested in learning about. So I thought I'd pull it out and repost it here - encouraging others to pitch in with their methods and questions...let's start a discussion about off-camera flash and its application to weddings!

This first set are not wedding photos, but me practicing techniques that I am also starting to implement at weddings.

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From last weekend (this is my brother - he's a DJ and always taps me for promo shots when I/he are in each other's part of the country)...

I took most of these around noontime with the Sunpak 622 I just picked up, and the cheap cactus brand triggers...

And here's the technique I used for the outdoor shots posted above.

All of the flash shots were in Manual mode on the camera and the flash (well a couple of them were "Auto" mode on the flash). None of them are TTL!

I've been using these little triggers: http://www.gadgetinfin​ity.com/produc...40&ca​t=0&page=

They are a little cheaply built and don't have the greatest range, but they are really light weight and have a built in hot shoe and PC socket (which is how I trigger the Sunpak 622).

So I have my 622 on a lightstand or (in this case) on a monopod held by an assistant. The receiver is attached to the flash, the trigger is mounted on the hotshoe of the camera.

First I determine what I want my background exposure to be. I have a couple of limiting factors. FIrst, the 5D has a 1/160 sec sync speed with my Sunpak flashes. So my SS can be no faster than 1/160 or else I get a black line across the frame. That's a good place to start. Next I have to choose my aperture. Depending on my subject distance I can usually get away with f/11 on the big Sunpak flash...f/16 if it's just one person and I can get the flash close. The flash power is the 2nd limiting factor, which is why I bought the BIG sunpak. It was the most powerful "portable" flash I could find that was reasonably priced (the only more powerful potato masher flash I found was a Metz 76, and it was $800). The Sunpak is as powerful as my buddy's 450WS ($1300) Lumedyne setup.

So I can either determine my exposure by putting the camera in TV mode at 1/160 finding the aperture that the camera suggests and dialing it in to M mode, staying in M mode the entire time and watching the little meter until it is on "0", or just eyeballing the exposure using the "Sunny 16" rule.

For this type of shot, I like to underexpose the BG just a bit, so I will pick a SS of 1/160 and find an aperture that's 1 stop under the suggested exposure that the meter gives.

Once I have my exposure, I bring my subject into the scene. The subject will usually be VERY underexposed. That's what the flash is for. I turn on the flash and use either "Auto" mode or Manual mode. If I'm using Auto, I set the aperture setting on the flash to the aperture I've selected on the camera and shoot away. It's been very accurate for me. If manual. I start with a setting that I think is appropriate based on the aperture and distance and take a test shot. If it's too much or not enough, I just decrease or increase the flash power.

Now here's the kicker - and the final adjustment. The reason I kept my SS at the max sync speed, is because the SS has no impact on the flash exposure. Once I get the flash exposure right on my model, It won't change if I fiddle with my SS. So if I want to brighten up the background, all I have to do is reduce my SS.

There you have it - the secret to off camera flash!

Now here's where we get into weddings. Mount an umbrella or a softbox to that flash and you get a nice soft light. It steals a stop to 2 stops of light so you want as powerful a light as possible. Here's the Sunpak 622 with an umbrella on a monopod held by my assistant at my last wedding:

Standard couple photos, but nice light. Notice the overcast sky which I would typically blow out - not here:

Hey Jamie,

A great idea!

I recently saw a thread here in the Wedding Forum asking about the options (hardware-wise) for off-camera flash. Here is my response, I figure I'll C&P it here, as it is usefult to this thread:

So let's hear from Lloyd and Mike and the others that put me to shame when it comes to off camera light. I do it one way...how do you all do it?

ETA - Bryan I think we posted at the same time. Thanks! Keep it coming guys!

Awesome! I wish I could post something - but I'll just let you guys take care of that while I soak it all in!

Thanks for taking the time to do this!!

Jamie- Are you underexposing the background for increased color saturation or some other reason?

Hey Jamie, your link to the triggers doesn't work.

I would also love to see a pic of your set up sometime...I think you posted it in a link before, but I don't remember it being actually "on" the forum..

thanks again -

RichNY wrote in post #3740924
Jamie- Are you underexposing the background for increased color saturation or some other reason?

Hey Rich - I'm underexposing the background to provide a little separation. In the DJ shots it was to give the images "pop" and a fashiony look. It's not as fashiony in the B&G shots, but the overcast day stole a little of the punch! Also, had I pulled the exposure in the wedding shots up a bit I would have lost the detail in the sky.

Grace wrote in post #3740929
Hey Jamie, your link to the triggers doesn't work.

Oops - sorry about that. Here's the link to their main page:

http://www.gadgetinfin​ity.com/home.php

The triggers are the "4-Channel Wireless Flash Trigger V2" set. Again, not as robust and without the range of my Calumet litelinks, but at a fraction of the cost. The litelinks go on for the reception lighting, though.

Grace wrote in post #3740944
I would also love to see a pic of your set up sometime...I think you posted it in a link before, but I don't remember it being actually "on" the forum..

thanks again -

Grace - you mean this link: http://www.jamisonwexl​er.com/lights/

That's the setup I use for lighting the room during the reception. I'll take some shots of my lite-on-a-stick this evening...

Jamie, thanks again.

I checked out the triggers..I am going to get me a couple just to play with, my poor son,,,always a model...

Thanks for sharing that...

jamiewexler wrote in post #3740995
Grace - you mean this link: http://www.jamisonwexl​er.com/lights/

That's the setup I use for lighting the room during the reception. I'll take some shots of my lite-on-a-stick this evening...

you're so handy Jamie, I think I could keep you around a while.


thanks!
that was exactly what I was talking about!

Great info here Jamie.

Question for you - do you typically have an assistant with you to hold/carry the lighting? Do you typically only have 1 off-cam flash? Also, why the sunpak vs a 580? Pardon my ignorance, but I don't know much about the Sunpak.

Yeah Bryan, I've had my brother assisting me all summer. I'm now trying to find an assistant for all of my weddings!

One flash, because it's easy to set up and portable, and gives the results I am looking for. If you are using the sun correctly (and have a powerful enough flash), you can use the sun as the kicker light!

As for the Sunpak, it's a heck of a lot more powerful than the 580 I own. I was recently in a situation where the 580 just didn't cut it, so I went looking for the most powerful, portable, affordable flash I could find. The Sunpak 622 won... Plus it uses the external battery packs that I already own for the 120J's I use for room lighting.