Lighting On Location

Hi,

A question for you working pros who do portraits on location -

Do you use strobes or flash (i.e., speedlites) and why?

The reason for the question is while flashes seem to be more portable, as far as quality of lighting goes, people in this forum seem to prefer strobes. I am wondering how difficult toting around two or three strobes, stands, etc. is in the "real world".

Thanks,

George

geoawelch wrote in post #4122122
Hi, A question for you working pros who do portraits on location - Do you use strobes or flash (i.e., speedlites) and why?

I am wondering how difficult toting around two or three strobes, stands, etc. is in the "real world".

I take with me three bogen 3361 light stands, four 580EX II strobes, and two Photogenic 60" bounce/shoot through umbrellas. Very easy setup and light weight. I try to bouce light when I can to avoid even taking out the umbrellas.

Just last Friday I shot a family of 5 outside at 9:30 am. I put them in the shade, two 580EX II on stands, no differs, one on camera to fire the other two, ISO 100 f11 for a glam look. Plenty of power.

I'm planning on taking:
420EX, 430EX, 580EX, two cheapo camera tripods for the lights. Diffusers on the flashes and a Botero 5x7 background.

It's quick and easy to set up/dismantle, lightweight and works in places where there is no electrical power.

For environmental portraits I will usually use a large softbox a reflector and a tripod and drag the shutter. I meter my main light and set my shutter for the ambient light which I usually set one stop down from my main so it doesn't over power but still has nice detail and looks natural.

airfrogusmc wrote in post #4123066
For environmental portraits I will usually use a large softbox a reflector and a tripod and drag the shutter. I meter my main light and set my shutter for the ambient light which I usually set one stop down from my main so it doesn't over power but still has nice detail and looks natural.

Yeah i am similar to this, except i don't drag the shutter. I will generally keep it around hand-hold speeds (1/60th to 1/250th).

I will adjust ambient based on how it looks, always shooting manual.

Rob

George;
For years I carried three White Lightening Ultra 1200s, 5stands, 3 umbrellas, a 3x4 softbox and other equipment. Then I had a heart attack and can no longer lug all that equipment. Now, a year later, I've sold all of my equipment and I'm starting over. Camera, small flash units (currently a 550EX and a 540EZ but I'm planning on adding one or two 580IIs to the lineup). Additionally, I'll have a small softbox, a couple of double fold umbrellas, light weight stands and whatever else I need. After doing much research over the past year, I find that I can get just as good results without the overkill that I used to lug in and out of locations. Needless to say, this only applies to portraits. For large groups or other occassions where it's needed, I'll rent more powerful strobes and hire an assistant to lug them for me.

Hinson

geoawelch wrote in post #4122122
Hi,

A question for you working pros who do portraits on location -

Do you use strobes or flash (i.e., speedlites) and why?

The reason for the question is while flashes seem to be more portable, as far as quality of lighting goes, people in this forum seem to prefer strobes. I am wondering how difficult toting around two or three strobes, stands, etc. is in the "real world".

Thanks,

George

I use both depending on the assignment.

Strobes - monolights - can go all day and mine aren't battery dependent. They also provide much more consistent shot to shot exposures than ETTL-2 will, as the Canon flashes make exposure adjustments during every exposure. If I have to do a number of portraits then I want all the exposures to be the same, and there's more than enough variability with the Canon flashes that I'll be tweaking in Photoshop for hours.

But the Canon flashes, using the Canon Wireless system and lighting ratios, are much more portable and can do some things that the monolights can't, like change lighting ratios or make basic exposure adjustments from the camera position without touching the slaved flash. There are some assignments where I'm almost certain to get variability of exposure no matter how I light it. For example say I have to shoot someone in their office for a magazine article. I may take a couple of hundred shots, with the subject in a variety of positions within their office, during which I change lenses and camera angles and so forth. That alone will incur exposure variation so additional exposure variation from the Canon flashes is virtually meaningless. I know that I'll have to make adjustments in PS so I just live with it.

By "On location" do you mean out at the beach/in the woods or do you mean in a banquet hall as in school dance/wedding/business formal indoors?

I do on-location portraits and take all my gear, strobes and all that. if you have electricity, a clean area to setup and are not dealing with elements, this is the better way to go.

If you need to go to many locations, lack electricity - like in nature situations... then the speedlight/stobist (light kit in a single backpack) might be better.

I vastly prefer to have my strobes, but that is personal preference. I have gotten by with speedlights a couple times, but the pro/cons are listed above.

I like control and consistency, and i can achieve both easier with my studio kit on location. Normally, it is worth the hassle to haul it out to the location.

strobes.

I do all location work with strobes. But I will check before shoot to see if soft boxes, umbrellas, or barndoors will be needed for a particular job.

If you're doing caves, flashbulbs are the way to go as speedlights just don't have the power.

DaveG wrote in post #4123755
the Canon flashes make exposure adjustments during every exposure.

One can remotely control all 580EXs with each and every flash set to manual control from the main 580EX. So what your experiencing is not required. This is to say that if a flash is set to slave you never need touch it for manual shot to shot or ETTL II.

rhys wrote in post #4124427
If you're doing caves, flashbulbs are the way to go as speedlights just don't have the power.

I think the OP question was regarding portraits, not cave photography.

Since I found Strobist.com I discovered I could get all the light I needed for portraits with just one off-camera speedlight and an umbrella. I made things fancier with a 5-in-1 reflector and some white sheets of foam core (or 8.5x11" paper).

Nowadays I'm getting a lot fancier with three 320w/s monolights and octoboxes but when I'm far, far from an AC outlet, I use my little speedlight. That is...until I get a battery pack for the monolights.

But as far as portraits go, a little dab'll do ya. You don't need more than one speedlight. Or the sun with the subject standing under a tree for diffusion. Looks great and doesn't cost anything.

Gatorboy wrote in post #4128246
I think the OP question was regarding portraits, not cave photography.

Lol. Yes. I was just citing something different. He could be asked to do a portrait in a cave.