The Off Camera Flash Tutorial Options

[Sam Muller]

I’m going to assume that everyone reading this knows how to use a flash, because if you don’t, you shouldn’t be worrying about how to use 2 off camera flashes. The reason for using off camera flashes is to get better, or less “flat” lighting. It’ll make your photo more interesting, and it will look much nicer, with all the shadows and highlights, than on camera flash looks. For starters, the simplest way to trigger 2 off camera flashes is by radio slaves. The most common ones are LPA Design’s Pocketwizard system. Quantum also makes radio slaves, but if you want to learn more about that, there are reviews in this section. Another, more complicated way to trigger 2 flashes is by using sync cords. I don’t know much about this, so I’m not going to try and explain it.

Flash placement is the most difficult thing to learn, because for every situation it’s different. I’m going to draw some very awesome illustrations for examples of placements (this is basically the same as skateboardphotography.com’s tutorial, but hell, I learned a shit load from that.)

Placement One:
I used this for my photos on the bank at LA High. Some people seemed to like the photos so I guess I’ll explain what I did.




Gear details: Sunpak 383, Nikon SB-25, Nikon D2H, Nikkor 50mm f1.4, Pocketwizards

The rimlight was 8 feet away, so I used the equation Aperture = Guide Number of the flash / Distance.
The guide number on that flash is 118, so I did Aperture = 118/8, which is 14.75, and the closest fstop on the flash to that is 16, so I chose 16.

My second flash sucks, so I cannot choose the aperture, so I just had to guess the distance, and I got lucky. But, you would use the same equation to get the fstop of that flash. My best advice would be to write that equation down and keep it in your bag.

For the camera part, I exposed the shot correctly, and then underexposed the shot by 2 stops. For this one, the ambient was at f4 at 1/250, so I went to f8 at 1/250.

Placement Two:
This was my placement for my photo at Fairfax high, it’s fairly similar to the one I used at LA High, but I’ll draw a picture anyways.




Gear details: Sunpak 383, Nikon SB-25, Nikon D2H, Nikkor 50mm f1.4, Pocketwizards

The rimlight was 6 feet away, so, again, 118/6 = 20…closest fstop is f22, so I chose f22. My other flash, as previously stated, sucks, so I just had to guess the distance.

As for my camera, I only underexposed the ambient light by 1 stop, so the ambient was f4 at 1/250, so I set my camera to f5.6 at 1/250.

Side Note: every flash has a guide number, that describes the power of the flash.
The sunpak 555 has a guide number of 150 at iso 100, the 544 is 140 at iso 100, the vivitar 285 has a guide number of 120 at iso 100.


I hope this has helped, and if you guys have any questions, just ask me, and I’ll answer them as best I can.

Also, feel free to make additions.

[baby b]

THANK YOU !!!

[patrickD]

hallelujah thank you much

[baby b]

theres pne thing i dont understand. im a total idiot about flashes. from what i understand youre saying theres an aperture on the flash? explain this further if you dont mind. and that whole equation thing. like where did you get 118?

[Sam Muller]

sure thing, dudes.

[Sam Muller]

[D-WOOD]

THANKS.

I realllyy just learned a lot, answered ALL of my questions.

[Sepehr]

Im pretty sure your flashes will have a chart or a calulator of some type where you dont have to do the equation....like the dial on 285's, and charts on some other flashes. And which flash were you referring to when you say "sucks"....the sunpak 383? This was good, but you anyflash where you know the guide number and and its on full you should be able to calculate.

[Sam Muller]

[Chris Lynch]

badass thread dude.... cudos.


i haven't ever used a 285, but that's what i plan on going with once i FINALLY build a PW system... they've got ALL the manual controls, right?

[Sepehr]

Yeah, I was wondering about that flash....but you still dont have to guess. You should be able to calculate correctly.

Oh and when you are figuring distances out if the film speed is 400 distances are doubled and if the iso is 25 then distances are halved.(for everybody, not strictly you)

[Brent7]

yeah 285's have a manuel settings and are get flashes to have.

[Sam Muller]

[Exhumed]

Nice. Very useful information, and you cleared up some questions I have had for a while.

[sheeep]

For flashes, I love my minolta's. They both have pretty good manual settings



It also has a backlight on the dial which comes in amazingly super handy at night.



Its got pretty much every possible way to hook up to it. I use PC cords and can make a model of them if you want to show how they work (its not hard at all, and cheap)

I also have a lesser version (the one shown is the 360px) which is the minolta180 i think which has alot of the same functions.

Just alittle input for you guys who only hear sunpack 555's and vivitars

[wolf]

Yes the minolta dial is quite nice, I messed around with one at a Camera store. As for the the 383, you said all it has is power changing options...isnt that all the viv 285 has...cuz i was actually looking at the 383 and simalar flashes on ebay.

[mcb]

very nice of you to add this as a guide.

i think that someone should post a step by step of what they do when they get up to a spot.
i know there was a thread about it, but it seemed to have got outta hand and i think it would be nice if someone went into detail about it.

[Sam Muller]

[Warren Foster]

thanks for this, simple walkthroughts like this with demenstrations are amazing.

[rhys]