Event Venue Flash

JSPhotography

Winter is here and I'm back to shooting indoor events. What kind of set up should I be looking for? Once a month I shoot equestrian, show jumpers, in a pole barn construction, wood rafters but white insulation in the ceiling. I can also shoot some gyms(wrestling and basketball) and a factory building being used for offroad RC car. I saw a guy shootting wrestling with 2 alien bees bounced off the ceiling fired off pocket wizards that seems like a good way to go. He was covering a gym with about 8 mats going. Ideas?

ziggy53

Yes, many professionals will use studio strobes clamped to the rafters and fired from radio triggers. You generally need permission to do that and you should observe common safety practices as well.

In lieu of using studio strobes consider bouncing flash into the rafters from your shooting position. You'll need to use high ISOs but at least you can get some reinforcement, or fill, of light. Many equestrian events do not allow direct flash, so be sure to know what's allowed. I suspect that bounced flash should be fine.

JSPhotography

The equestrian director and i have allready talked about the flash. His idea is flash in the rafters aimed down on a specific jump. I want the ability to shoot multiple jumps. I don't think I can get the amount of light I want from on camera flash and I'm also thinking that the rafter set up will less of an issue than on camera.

JSPhotography

That's it? Come on people this is a big expenditure for me. I was hoping for a lot of good information.

jbakerphoto

I shoot alot of barrel racing with an alien bee b800, 580ex , sunpack 383 and rf602 triggers. I haven't been able to afford another bee so I just change out batteries on the other two. I just put them on lightstands and get to work. The alien bee works really good.

ziggy53

For specifics I would check out this thread, third post:

http://www.sportsshooter.com/message_display.html?tid=34886

Read them all but pay special attention to the link titled, "Understanding Flash Duration".

JSPhotography

jbakerphoto wrote: »

I shoot alot of barrel racing with an alien bee b800, 580ex , sunpack 383 and rf602 triggers. I haven't been able to afford another bee so I just change out batteries on the other two. I just put them on lightstands and get to work. The alien bee works really good.

Are you bouncing the light off the ceiling? Any trouble with shadows from the rafters?

JSPhotography

ziggy53 wrote: »

For specifics I would check out this thread, third post:

http://www.sportsshooter.com/message_display.html?tid=34886

Read them all but pay special attention to the link titled, "Understanding Flash Duration".

Thanks, a lot of good information there.

jbakerphoto

JSPhotography wrote: »

Are you bouncing the light off the ceiling? Any trouble with shadows from the rafters?

The places I have been shooting it would not be practical to bounce off the ceiling. Not enough flash and too much space. So I aim the flash a little in front of the barrel.