AB800s at weddings

Have any of you guys used your Alien Bees at a wedding. Whether at the reception or with the group shots?

I'm just wondering if I should take mine to the next wedding...

If you have power and the time to set them up, then go for it. If time and power availability are a problem, then go with hot-shoe flash units.

One issue I could foresee with AB (or any studio lights) is that they have built in optical triggers....which you would want to disable because other people will undoubtedly be shooting with their P&S digicams.

I use mine for formals all the time, but not for much else. It's a lot to carry around if you don't have help.

Studio strobes have the disadvantage of...
1. time needed to set up and take down
2. need access to AC power
3. affords plenty of opportunity for guests to trip over your power cord (and crash your light on the floor!)

Use radio slave, not optical, due to the triggering by all the guest cameras.

Wilt wrote in post #5246356
Use radio slave, not optical, due to the triggering by all the guest cameras.

You say that like it's a bad thing?

I enjoy the chance to get my shot while all the P&S pose stealers are staring at their LCDs, wondering why their shots are badly overexposed.

Curtis N wrote in post #5246497
You say that like it's a bad thing?

I enjoy the chance to get my shot while all the P&S pose stealers are staring at their LCDs, wondering why their shots are badly overexposed.

Nice!

Curtis N wrote in post #5246497
You say that like it's a bad thing?

I enjoy the chance to get my shot while all the P&S pose stealers are staring at their LCDs, wondering why their shots are badly overexposed.

It is, when 1/2 second before I want to take my shot, the guest fires the P&S and depletes the charge in my flash and I lose the expression that I wanted to capture!

Curtis N wrote in post #5246497
You say that like it's a bad thing?

I enjoy the chance to get my shot while all the P&S pose stealers are staring at their LCDs, wondering why their shots are badly overexposed.

Hehehe, love that one.

I will have someone helping me, so we'll see how that goes.

I try to use them for formals. Have actually used them for the ceremony - from an empty balcony.

I will try as well to use them for formals. But that is if I have help and have a reasonable amount of time to actually do the formals (gives me a few more min to set up and take down). If they dont schedule much time for the formal shots, i use speedlights. They are much quicker to setup and get out of there when everyone is rushing over to the reception and you have to be there to get their entrance.

LOL one of the FUNNIEST things i read was on FM where a guy was fed up with point and shoots flashes ruining his shots at a wedding... so he set up 2 strobes aimed to the seating area... WITH opticals..... lol oh what fun!

I use a pair of 800's with umbrellas for the inchurch formals. One on each side of the center aisle.

I often use one to help overcome the sun at outdoor weddings, no umbrella.

I also used two AB800's last weekend for formals at the alter and also for other family member formals....my 580exII thru a Lightsphere wasn't working the way I'd hoped. I positioned one (bounced from umbrella) each side of aisle (center isle stopped at second pugh from bottom, seating extended all the way across). I would have used a third AB800 shot through a brolleybox from camera position but getting power to it was a problem as well as time constraints.

Here's a formal I took with this setup.

I am considering buying an external battery pack, probably the Vagabond II

Since the reception was within walking distance I had a couple assistants leave the reception (while I stayed and shot) to tear it all down. The results of using it all was worth it.

I've recently used a pair of B400s at a Bar Mitzvah reception. My intent was to use the 2 strobes as general fill for the dance floor and use my 430EX as the main. Because of the pre-flash when using the 430EX with E-TTL, I was unable to go that direction. (I was going to get a hot shoe added to Canon Off Camera Cord 3 so that I could use the E-TTL and still use my wireless trigger for the B400s but didn't get to it in time.)

I ended up using my XTi with the B400s (as mains) firing from a wireless trigger and my XT with the 430EX mounted so I could switch cameras and lighting set ups as appropriate. I was very pleased with the results of using the B400s this way. I will definitely have my OCC3 customized with a hot shoes so that I can use both the B400s and the 430EX.

Michael

I've only gotten to use AB800's at one wedding, mostly used for studio work. I've never had a hard time setting them up or taking them down, when I have help. The only thing I dislike, as previously mentioned, is the included trigger. I'd really like to buy the Pocket Wizards....just waiting on money .