How to set it up

Ok, so I will be getting my 580 ex2in the next few days, and I have access to two more whenever I need them. I figure I could learn alot about flash photography with this, just need a decent starting point.

I was thinking one to the right, slightly above head level,
one to the left for fill, and one as a hair light.

Basically I was wondering if this is how you guys would position the flashes, and what power ratios you would have them at.

Thanks in advance,
Dave

Oh ya, one more thing, I have an off shoe cord which I am going to extend to the main flash.

I use a 580EX and a 550EX all the time for simple single person, or sometimes two people portraiture on location. I use the built in wireless master/slave features that the flashes have. I put one flash up on a bracket on camera centered above the lens. I put the other on a stand and the location of it depends on the positioning of the subject and the look I want. But it typically is placed anywhere from 45 to 90 degrees from my/camera position. I sometimes shoot this off camera light into or through an umbrella. But the off camera light on the stand is the one I use for the main light and the one above camera is the fill.

I start by setting both to equal power (1:1 ratio) and adjust the amount of light falling on the subject by adjusting the distance of light to subject. I look at the image on LCD and if it is not what I want in ratio then I either adjust lighting distances or the ratios on the Canon system.

bmynbr wrote in post #4343150
...one to the right, slightly above head level,
one to the left for fill, and one as a hair light.

The one to the right should be close to the camera and the one to the left should be 30-35 degrees offset (no more than 45 degrees). This is where I like using a flash meter.

Thanks for the info, should I use a third for a hairlighth or backdrop light. And can it also be triggered as a slave.
Thanks again, Dave

You may want something like this, http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …miQuest_LQ891D_​Snoot.html