Off-Camera Lighting in fast-paced situations

[fx101]

Until now, I've mainly reserved strobist photography for portraits or for when I have the time to set up my monolights along with their huge softboxes.

The thing is, I've always wondered how I could try and at least partially replicate some of the results while shooting something like an impromptu street portrait. The goal is to be able to be able to set up a shot in a matter of seconds, with all the equipment handheld and such that all the equipment fits in a moderately sized camera bag.

Obviously using studio strobes is out of the question giving the portability requirement. I own an SB-800 speedlight and would be shooting with a Nikon D300 or D200. I also own a Pocket-Wizard RF receiver/transceiver combo for the speedlight. Honestly, the popup flash does the job quite well at triggering the speedlight. The flash would be powered by a Quantum turbo battery pack mounted to the flash that allows for a 1.5s max flash recycle time.

Since typically I shoot with some friends around, I was thinking I could use the on-camera flash to trigger the SB800 which would be held by a friend off to the side. I could probably use a small (aka <12") attached to it so the light wouldn't be as harsh while keeping the set-up handheld.

Does anybody have experience with trying to replicate studio lighting principles in inconvenient situations?

[Franglais]

I've tried using my D300 to pilot multiple my two SB800's off-camera in odd locations like dark bars and people's living rooms. The results have been quite disappointing - usually I go back to having the flash on the camera (which works well most of the time).

I have realised that I do not understand well enough how the Nikon CLS flash system works. I have spent part of this weekend reading up on it and understanding my mistakes. For instance - when using two flashes on different channels the light from each is measured independently. If they both point at the subject - as they would if you were trying for a main light + fill - the result would be a one stop overexposure because each strobe is correctly exposing the subject as though the other didn't exist.

I am surprised that you haven't mentioned CLS - and that you have mentioned a radio-controlled unit. In Commander mode your D300 and the SB800 will talk CLS together over messages coded into pre-flashes, figure out the exposure and trigger the "real" flash automatically. Just make sure that you have the window on the side of the SB800 pointing at the D300's flash. If you use a radio-controlled unit then you must use AA mode where each flash meters the light by itself.

[zerodog]

I do it a lot. You need to understand the limitations of the CLS system. In a wide open space the sensor needs to be facing the trigger flash. In a more closed space, the sensor location is much less important. The bounced signal just gets it. In my last post of MMA photos in the sports section I used 2 flashes for the weigh in and face off photos. I try to make the lighting more dramatic and give some shadows to make it look poppier. I had an SB 600 with a large flash bender as a reflector up high on my tripod. It is probably about 7 ft tall like this. I shape the flashbender into a cupped shape to sort of scoop the light forward. The other flash was an SB900 on camera turned way down to provide a little frontal fill. This setup works great but I fall back on my ISO power of the D3s to make it work well. I shot at ISO 5000 for this one I think? Maybe 3200? It lets me use my camera as the main background fill and just use the flash for pop. It is quick and dirty as it gets.

The nikon system with the pop up works amazing too. Some of my favorite portraits I have shot have been with my 300s pop up either just triggering or doing very minimal fill and hand holding a flash to the side to provide some serious sidelight. This is a situation where a 3rd arm would be great.

[zerodog]

Here is an outdoor shot with the flash bender setup on a tree using a gorillapod.

[fx101]

I have played around with the CLS but honestly I use a dedicated meter and have the flash set to manual. I would also only have one external flash. I might have an SB-800 on-camera for fill-light and the external flash camera-left maybe 6 feet off to the side and 1 foot in front. I'm concerned whether or not the flash-based CLS would work if the external flash was facing the same direction as I'm shooting, especially in open areas. I could always use the radio-trigger though since I have a dedicated meter and would have the flash on manual.

The other concern is power. Chiefly I want to use the external flash in conjunction with a camera mounted speedlight to add enough subject fill-light that lets me get a dramatic, super- dark sky. I'm looking at the Lumiquest Softbox for both speedlights in order to get some softer shadows. However, that will drop roughly 1-2 stops from my flash's power. I'm wondering if an SB-800 w/ softbox will have the power necessary to really overpower daylight in that setup.

[zerodog]

I think you are mixing up CLS "creative lighting system" and TTL "through the lens metering. Depending on the effect you are after, speedlights can work very well inside or outside. For a bigger setup and SUPER soft light I use a 60" umbrella with a single flash indoors.

Outside you need to be aware of the direction your sensor "eye" faces to get a reliable trigger.

[Franglais]

What lighting conditions are you thinking of using outdoors? There is a big difference between:

- sunny day out in the sun (sun is your main light so you have to deal with it)
- sunny day in shadow under a blue sky (ambient lighting is blue - yuk)
- sunny day in shadow under white clouds
- overcast day with no direct sunlight

The last two are by far the best (see Zerodog's picture)

[zerodog]

Mine was overcast sky. Used the flash to give some depth.