A Discussion about Off Camera Flash

Toogy wrote in post #3743106
Lloyd, so when you are using the 580's you are just firing them in manual mode with your pocket wizards? Usually full power?

in the daytime outside in direct sun, yeah, usually full power. If I have more control of the light, like indoors or in the shade I'm usually going around 1/4 to 1/32 power, depending on my aperture and if I use an umbrella.

Petra, try and find a use set of the earlier PLUS (not plus2) versions. They can be found relatively cheaply. I've seen trans/receiv sets going for $200 if you look. And these will work on just about any light you have with the appropriate cord.

Nice stuff Hassan. I wish my wife would be willing to model.

great thread Jamie! Hassan that last image is awesome!

Thank you Jamie.

Thank you Lloyd, I appreciate your comment. I always asked her and she finally said "okay." It took a lot of convincing.

Thank you Juan.

I guess the problem I was facing with these pictures is that I postioned the flash to be a very subtle outline of the subject except for the one picture of her laying on the bench. And I kept going to the flash to dial it up and down since I didn't have an assistant (she is my assistant). Maybe I should have kept the flash a close to full output and, changed the setting on the camera more. I really enjoy off-camera flash, it can add to your creativity so much.

Jamie, this thread is so great. You and Lloyd explained everything so great so. I was having problems with the flash only exposing half of the frame as well, I had to learn that myself the hard way (lost a lot of good pictures).

Great thread Jaime and all those that have contributed.

I like to set up my flash shots, pretty much how Jaime explained in the first (or 2nd) post. I just haven't taken the flash off the camera (yet). Set the max shutter speed, meter the background (maybe a stop under) then set the flash for exposure of the subject.

I recently bought one of those $30-40 radio remotes, the 2nd version that works with Canon flashes. I've played around with it a bit but I'm not ready to use it for a wedding yet. It's still not 100% reliable and last time I was using it, it would occasionally fire the flash twice when I triggered it.

My main flash is a 430EX, and I'm already finding that it's not powerful enough in bright light. I might have to look into something like that monster that Jamie has...although, I like Lloyd's theory of having flashes that can be put onto the camera in E-TTL, when you want to.

I tried out the off camera flash at a family reunion a few weeks back. I got a few laughs and impressed some people when I had someone hold the flash (around a fire pit) then causally walked around and took the shot from a different angle. I'll try to post some examples.

I do have an example of an off camera shot, but it's a landscape shot that I got while on a week long photo trip (meet-up) in the Canadian Rockies.

Hi, is there any way I could request that this thread could be made sticky ?
It is a very important tutorial and the contributions (Jamie, Lloyd and others, THANK YOU SO MUCH) are really precious. I just don't want this thread to be drifted and drowned away.
Please ...

Thanks

BTW, Hasan how did you position your off-flash in those pictures ? They are awesome

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...

I have that exact same T-Shirt (last shot of you looking schleppy.)

I'm gonna have to look into the 622... Do you find it to be built well?

forkball wrote in post #3745276
I have that exact same T-Shirt (last shot of you looking schleppy.)

I'm gonna have to look into the 622... Do you find it to be built well?

Ha - I think everyone in New England has one of those shirts!

The 622 is built as well as any Sunpak flash (how's that for a qualified answer). Not sure I'd want to hammer nails with it or drop it repeatedly on the pavement, but otherwise I'm happy with the build...

Llody, this is what my friend has, that I'm thinking of:
http://www.adorama.com​/EL19360.html

I cannot believe that strobist has not been mentioned so far!

http://strobist.blogsp​ot.com/2006/03/lightin​g-101.html

If you are digging the off-camera flash malarkey then his blog is required reading!

Lighting 102 has just got going if you want some ideas to work through.
http://strobist.blogsp​ot.com …ing-102-introduction.html
also see the "lighting 102" drop down in the Right hand pane.

http://strobist.blogsp​ot.com/ : Light is a verb!

I am nothing to do with the blog, just a happy reader!

Having been using off camera flash for over 5 years now at least, it truly changed my photography life!

So simple, so effective and simply stated how we capture 95% of our images in TriCoast.

I just posted a thread on how we captured one of our recent images out in San Fran on a post wedding event which can be FOUND HERE if you want to check them out.

This is what I teach in my workshops and truly try and show how ANYONE can capture shots using these techinques. It is really that easy!

restech wrote in post #3745167
Hi, is there any way I could request that this thread could be made sticky ?
It is a very important tutorial and the contributions (Jamie, Lloyd and others, THANK YOU SO MUCH) are really precious. I just don't want this thread to be drifted and drowned away.
Please ...

Thanks

BTW, Hasan how did you position your off-flash in those pictures ? They are awesome

hey Restech,

1. directly to her left, kind of far away, because I wasn't using the diffuser.
2. is right at the top.
3. this one has the flash on the right, you can see the shadows
4. This shot has the flast directly to her right. You can see the outlining the flash does to her skin. I used the layers in CS3 to do this one, It wasn't like this out of the camera.

Let me know if you want to know anything else.

oh wow this is great info on off camera, might have to try this at one point

Yella Fella wrote in post #3767587
oh wow this is great info on off camera, might have to try this at one point

It took us from avg photographers to nation-wide speaking at conventions and wedding books published about us. teaching workshops, and tons of other things when we started.

Truly one of the 2 greatest changes I ever did to our art! So hopefully you wont wait too long I promise it will change your life!

Mike Fulton wrote in post #3767640
It took us from avg photographers to nation-wide speaking at conventions and wedding books published about us. teaching workshops, and tons of other things when we started.

Truly one of the 2 greatest changes I ever did to our art! So hopefully you wont wait too long I promise it will change your life!

Mike, what was the other change?

jamiewexler wrote in post #3740829

Jamie, just love this photo. I find this one of the hardest to pull off. I guess its a help that the cloud is obscuring the sun a little.