A Portable Studio-Using Multiple Speedlights

Some people had asked me to post some shots using multiple speedlights controlled by Canon's Wireless Manual System. Thes pictures were shot using :
20D(Manual f/8, 1/250, ISO 400)
Canon 24-70 f/2.8
580EX Wireless Master-Master Flash Off
(2) 550EX's set to wireless Manual, on lightstands and multibracket with 45 inch hot silver Photoflex umbrellas, black backdrop
Sekonic L358 meter
White Card for Click WB in ACR
Pocket Wizards and Pretrigger cord to fire the camera
Unfortunately, I was the only 50ish balding model that was available.

First two shots: One umbrella(550EX) at 45 degrees(Main), one umbrella(550EX) next to the camera(Fill), 1 stop difference measured by L358.

Scott, hire that photographer. Fire the model.

---Bob Gross---

ROFLMAO! thanks for the laugh, and the info on the shots.

Great job and I like the model...thanks for the post...very helpfull.

Cheers.

Shooo, I thought you were alot older!!!

Those are some nice lightings. Scott, can you give some details on how to meeter the 2 speedlites, specailly since you were the shooter and the model?

To meter the lights I turn each speedlight on. Hold down the Mode button for 2 seconds until M flashes. That puts you in Wireless Manual. I set the Main to 1/2 and the fill to 1/8. I meter each light individually by pushing the Pilot Button. The meter is at the subject position facing the light. I set the camera shutter speed to 1/250. I set my taking aperture from the reading from the main light. I set my lights to give me a 1-3 stop difference between the Main and Fill. I make adjustments in light by moving the flash closer or farther away, or changing the flash power. In wireless manual you can't take a reading with both lights on as the wireless Master will trigger the meter prematurely. I adjust based on the histogram. Since my ratios are already set, I am only using the histogram to adjust overall light exposure.

I prefer to use wireless ETTL, just set the ratio and FEC if you need to, and off you go, very easy.

Scott, those demonstrate great lighting. you even managed to control those troublesome glare reflections off the model's head.

You make it sound and look easy. Very nice images. I'll save this thread as a reference since this is where I would like to go with multiple speedlights.

Can you explain how you set aperture of the main and fill lights? Or isnt this necessary, sorry for the noob question. Im not sure of what the f/ and s/s for each light and how that linked to the camera. Sorry for noob quest.

When you do studio lighting, you have to set the aperture and shutter speed on the camera manually. You set the shutter speed based on how much ambient light you want to record. Usually in the studio, you don't want any ambient light to be recorded as it's a different color temp then the flash. I usually just set it at the sync speed(1/250) or 1/125. The control you have over your studio flash is the power setting on the strobe unit and the aperture you set on the camera. Normally you set the camera aperture based on the reading you take at the subject pointing the meter dome at the main light with both lights on (The high side).
Now for wireless speedlights, you do exactly the same thing. The only thing you can't do with wireless Manual speedlights, is have that second or fill light on at the same time as the main, because using the master to fire them both, prematurely fires the meter. So you just fire the main using the pilot button, and use that aperture reading on the camera and adjust the camera aperture using the histogram.
You adjust the output of each flash to get a difference of 1-3 f stops between the Main and fill. So, if my main light gives me f/8, I want my fill light to put out f/5.6-f/2.8 as measured at the subject pointing towards the fill light. You don't set the f/stop of the fill light on the camera.

Shouldnt the fill light read f11-f16 for 1 to 2 stops less light?? Or am i missing something. Shouldnt the fill light be less powerful? I am presuming that a smaller f stop will result in more light. I am noob at studio stuff and i guess it wont be until ive bought my set and experimented that i will know the full implications of this stuff.

I think i read in a flash book that the f number on flash units denotes power so f2.8 is less powerful. I think im mixing up standard exposure theory with flash theory.

No. Don't forget we are talking about the f stop you set on the camera. If Flash A is brighter then Flash B, then the camera aperure will need to be smalller for A (larger f number) then B (smaller f number) to allow the same amount of light to reach the sensor.
Remember, as you go from f/2.8 to f/4, in camera aperture, the amount of light entering the camera is decreased by 1/2.
A flash with a meter reading of f/11 is putting twice as much light as one that gives you f/8, and 4 times as much as one giving f/5.6. The f number for your fill should always be smaller then your main.

This i understand

Again this i understand, hence my reasoning for f8 ( 1 stop less light than 5.6 and f11 2stops less light than f5.6 - normal exposure side of things).

Understand this, as per your first quote above
So assuming on camera settings of f/5.6 and a flash synch speed of 1/250
If you set your first strobe up via flashmeter and it indicates f/5.6 hence the setting on camera, the second flash when triggered and measured on flash meter should be set at f2.8 which would indicate it has a setting of 2stops less light than the other flash). YUP..... just typing and thinking about this has made it all clear again.. SHANKS

Makes sense now.