Question about strobe lights

I've actually got a lot of questions regarding strobe lights. I'd really like to be a fashion photographer... but I have no official photography schooling (I'm actually studying to be an Animation major). So I was wondering... when do you start having to substitute reflectors for strobe lights ? Also, would I be able to use strobe lights with a Digital Rebel or would it be fried to death? Another question is... which is the best brand of professional strobe lights out there?

Here are a couple of images of mine that I've taken with the use of reflectors.

Hi Anu1s. Nice to see you posting again...

The subject and questions you list are things we could talk all day about. It's a facet of shooting that you can literally make as simple or as complicated as you want.

Unfortunately, right now I'm in the middle of doing my taxes (and as you can see, looking for ways to stall and put it off as long as possible), so I can't get into much detail, but I promise to give you a much longer reply soon.

My current fashion shooting style (besides studio) is using strobes during daylight on location. I've got a shoot coming up in Miami next week that I'm very excited about becasue I'm going to try some very edgy techniques and ideas. With, BTW, a gorgeous model (which always helps, eh?) ;)

If you keep an eye on this forum, I'll be posting some examples soon from the shoot, explaining what I did and how I did it. I think you may be able to figure out a lot of things for your own situation from that.

I like your work. A little rough, but you have a good eye, and seem to enjoy some creative lighting on your sublects. The fact that you're willing to try that will mean a lot as you get better and develop more of a signature style in your shooting...

Thank you.

I'll be looking forward to when you have the time to tell me a little something about strobes, and to the photos from your next shoot. :D

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Originally Posted by Anub1s

I've actually got a lot of questions regarding strobe lights. I'd really like to be a fashion photographer... but I have no official photography schooling (I'm actually studying to be an Animation major). So I was wondering... when do you start having to substitute reflectors for strobe lights ? Also, would I be able to use strobe lights with a Digital Rebel or would it be fried to death? Another question is... which is the best brand of professional strobe lights out there?

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I am not sure exactly what you mean by "when do you start having to substitute reflectors for strobe lights". Do you mean the reverse, maybe (substitute strobes for reflectors?). Anyway, I will let someone else address that. I have very little experience shooting fashion, but I have a lot of experience shooting commercial and industrial products, and I have a lot of experience with many different strobes. I can tell you a little bit about strobes and your digital rebel.

Manual strobes will work fine with your digital rebel. The digital rebel has a few shortcomings that keep it from being a "professional" level D-SLR, but it will certainly work, and it is a great place to start. There are two ways to connect external strobes to your camera:

1) Use a hotshoe sync adapter called a "safe sync" that will slide into the hotshoe of the camera, and provide a PC plug for the strobe's sync cord. The "safe sync" designation is important, because it will protect your camera from backwards line voltage that strobes can sometimes produce (that is what can "fry" your camera). This adapter will cost between $25-35. Wein makes one called the AS-15, and Nikon also sells it badged as the Nikon AS-15. Regardless of the Nikon brand, it will work fine on your Canon.

2) Use a wireless digital flash control. This is a more expensive option, but also much more convenient and professional (fewer wires). One of the most popular wireless flash controls on the market right now is the PocketWizard. It consists of a transmitter that slides into the hotshoe of your camera, and a receiver that plugs into one of your strobe heads (you do not need one for every head in most cases, as they will have photo slaves built in). The PocketWizard automatically protects your camera from backwards line voltage. There are also some newer digital oriented strobes (Norman and ProFoto) that feature built-in PocketWizard receivers. I have been shooting with Norman ML strobes that have the built-in receiver for the last year, and it has been ultra convenient.

Regarding which strobes are "the best", I think there are several. Every professional shooter has a distinct opinion regarding what makes strobes great, consequently, they will all choose a different strobe when asked. There is also a big difference between power pack and head units, and monolights (self-containted strobes). I am partial to monolights, as they offer greater convenience and adjustability. They do not give you as much output as power pack and head units, but I seldom (if ever) need it.

A few high end brands include: Elinchrom, ProFoto, Hensel, Broncolor, and Norman's new digital line. The most important thing to look for are features that apply to your usage. A few key features to evaluate are: ouptut, adjustability, flash duration, recycle time, and warranty/serviceability.

OUTPUT: Shooting portraits is not as demanding as shooting commercial and industrial products. People are usually photographed at lower f-stops, and color management does not have to be as precise (pleasing flesh tones are all that matters). 400-600 watt strobes are typically suitable for 90% of all portrait applications. 600w/s is about as powerful a strobe as you will find in a monolight (self contained) format.

ADJUSTABILITY: Many less expensive strobes are only adjustable in increments (full-1/2-1/4 power). Stay away from these. Look for strobes that are continuously adjustable. This will give you more precise control. The only way to fine tune the output of incrementally adjustable strobes is to move them closer or farther from your subject, which can have an adverse effect on your catchlight (reflected in the subjects pupil), and on the quality of the light wrap.

FLASH DURATION: Better strobes have faster flash durations. This is the speed of the actual flash curtain. Especially with digital photography, a faster flash curtain yields crisper images with less noise. I would not settle for a strobe that is slower than 1/800 of a second or so. Some strobes (like Elinchrom's new Rapid series) have flash curtains as quick as 1/3000.

RECYCLE TIME: This is an important feature to consider for some applications, but not others. It is a feature that most fashion photographers do care about. Faster recycle times mean more shots, and smoother flow during the course of the shoot. Better strobes will have faster recycle times. I would look for strobes that can recycle from full power at @ 2 seconds or less.

WARRANTY / SERVICEABILITY: Fashion photography can be hard on equipment. I fried a brand new Photogenic powerpack @ 10 years ago doing a runway fashion shoot. Some strobes have a one year warranty, some have a two year warranty. Also look at where the strobe is manufactured. If you are using these as a professional, any down time is lost money. A US made light, or at least a light with a US service facility will repair your lights and get them back in your hands faster if anything happens to them. I returned a Bowens strobe for warranty service two years ago, and it was gone for almost 3 months. Norman and Elinchrom usually are much faster with the service work.

Another consideration is a light meter. When using strobes, your camera will not be able to communicate with your strobes. You will need a flash meter to tell you how to set your shutter speed and f-stop accurately. I think there is a clear industry leader among flash meters right now - Sekonic. I would recommend the L-358 flash master. If you go with a PocketWizard flash control, you can also buy a wireless chip for your L-358 that will communicate with the PocketWizard system.

If you are looking for a reccomendation, I would consider my budget and look at either Norman ML series strobes (middle $$) or Elinchrom Style series strobes (high $$). I have used both extensively (in addition to many other strobe brands), and they are two of my personal favorites.

I hope that you found this useful. I got a little long winded. Let me know if this raises any questions that I can help answer.

To aj_day: Wow this was really helpful even for me. Here's another question for you...
What is a power pack and do I need it to help power my strobes? Some one mentioned a radio slave? I don't know what that is or if I need to get one in order to power my new strobes. Your help is much appreciated!