Using Strobes indoor

FotobyMoMo · December 30, 2010

Guys, I have a question and you will know this much better than I do. Ive noticed in some wedding pictures that the photographers are using strobes indoor. I never thought much of it till now. I have 3 large studio strobes 2 of them are White Lightning x166 and 1 x800 and they're super powerful. Should I be placing them in different spots of the room and using them as my light source?? Either pointed toward the people or maybe toward the walls and using them as bounce flash?? What's your thoughts on this?

catspaw · December 30, 2010

were they using them for a certain area, say for cake cutting, dance floor or a reception line? that would make sense, although a bit more tricky for candid shots -- but I've heard of them being used just to add light to a dark room in such cases, although not often.

FotobyMoMo · December 30, 2010

Yeah, I've seen them placed in different parts of the room. So yeah, they all go off every time but it's set up high so it's not blinding people. That's another reason I was thinking of bouncing it off walls. These lights are extremely powerful. They'd be diffused off the walls. Although the one's I've seen, were pointed at the people. You can see ray of lights like you would from the sun. Looks nice!

Here's a link from one of the members here. I cant pronounce his name. He just posted a thread here couple days ago. He's from Lithuania. But if you click on the image, you'll see a light far back on a large stand light up as he shot the picture.

http://pics.meninenuotrauka.lt/0f0/0f0c51452814b94ffd0b1d0a6e51c293.jpg

Qarik · December 30, 2010

there is no right or wriong answer here. It depends on the venue, what you are trying to achieve and all that. You certainly can do what you describe..you can also just use a hot shoe flash.

regionweddings · January 1, 2011

I use strobes (Elinchrom Quadra) with a softbox for formal shots indoor and out. For ceremony I usually go with external flash or none at all.

For the reception, I use the strobe again for two situations. For first dance I have an assistant hold it on a stand with the modeling light on and bare bulb. It's just enough light and it doesn't flash to kill the mood. For dance floor shots with guests, I let it flash bare bulb from up high. At this point I have it sit next to the DJ and just trigger it throughout the room. Sometimes it will blow people out a little, but for crazy dancing shots that are only going in the album, I'm fine with that.

I'll attach some examples:

merrillville-wedding-reception.jpg?pictureId=6890754

merrillville-wedding-reception.jpg?pictureId=6890754

Hope this helps.

FotobyMoMo · January 1, 2011

Thank you! That does! I work for a florist and recently we started doing small weddings so they asked me to help yesterday to go over there and drop off the flowers w/ the owner's wife. I was happy to because they asked me to bring my camera to take pictures of the flower arrangements while we were there after the set up. We knew the party wouldn't be for hours and we have great relationship w/ the hotel so it works out in our favor for our website. This also allows me to practice being a new photographer that I am.

Here are some shots I took w/out any flash. With the 5d mk2 I could raise the ISO w/out any issue. Had this been a wedding I was shooting w/ people, I'd want to use flash because I was shooting at 1/30 hand held and I knew for moving people it'd be a lot of motion blur.

But if I was to use the strobes, Id really kill the power down as low as possible so they're more of "fill light" rather than key light. I'd probably use my flash as the key light but even then I'd really not over power my subjects with the light. I just feel the first one you posted might be over powering a bit and I think wold be a great shot in B&W converted because of that. 2nd one, I like more w/ what you did.

These aren't THAT good but I didn't have much time

regionweddings · January 1, 2011

@FotobyMoMo Those are great shots and I'm envious of that high ISO camera. I will finally be able to push my ISO a bit more in 2011 when I get my Oly E-5.

Yes, that first one is a little hot as they surprised me by that running train and you never knew where it was going. Like I say, for those type of shots I'd rather have it hot than not. Glad you like that second one it's one of my faves.

tenoverthenose · January 1, 2011

This is a very personal decision with no correct answer (but many wrong answers). You can use whatever light you can find to create the photograph that you envision. Maybe you want to bounce light across the whole room, maybe a tight grid on the couple, maybe a ring flash. There are lots and lots of tools and ways to get to what you want, but first you've got to know what you want to do.

I've never had the need to use strobes at a wedding, but I use speedlights all the time. Strobes are bigger and more of a hassle to carry around and setup. In my camera bag, I carry 2 bodies, four lenses, and six speedlights. Being able to keep everything (including a ton of lighting power) in on bag is perfect for me. Also, my alien bees only have a 5 stop range and would pump out WAY too much light even at lowest power. Often times I am even running my speedlights at 1/128 power and that might be too much as I try to bring in the ambient.

JimKarczewski · January 1, 2011

I'd say it depends on a number of things...

- Reception location, In NW Indiana, when I was shooting weddings.. well, there are a lot, scratch that, EVERY location looks nice till dinner starts, then they all but kill the lights.
- Camera, When I first started shooting I was having trouble with anything, then again I started with a 10D and 20D and that's what everyone else was using at the time. As time went on the 5D helped, I then went to the 5D with a video light vs flash to match better with ambient. Then it was off camera flash + video light using my calumet strobes. Are you lights not dimmable? Just crank them down to low, if you need to, get some ND Gel material at your local photo supply store.
- Shooting style, will it match your style? sounds like a stupid question, but will your product you sold your clients on be the same in then end when you deliver their pictures using the strobes
- TIME, if it weren't for a second shooter I would NEVER have had time to setup the lights. You either have to go there at the butt crack of dawn before the wedding to set up OR right before you start shooting the reception. Do you have time to look around, find a location for your lights, setup, meter, figure everything out? If you aren't good with time management, don't even bother.

If I can find some old '05/'06 weddings, I'll add some images later.. I'm slowly organizing photos again and will eventually run across some..

Found at least one. I'd do things a little differently today than I did 5 years ago, that's for sure. But this was a Calumet 750 with a standard reflector from a balcony pointing down on the dance floor. Later weddings I used the same setup with the addition of a grid, not sure if it was the 10, 20 or 30 degree though. If I find some of those, I'll add them as well. But for now... This is a DARK place with only wall sconces lighting the hall. Painful location. Shots are from a 5D, ISO 640, 1/60 @ 2.8. On camera flash to balance the studio light of the background. Mainly wanted to light the place up some because of it being so dark in there..

studio1972 · January 3, 2011

Some of these nightime shots look wrong to me with the strobes, far too much light all over the place, sorry. This was done with a single off camera 430 exII in an ezybox held by assistant:

Matthew Saville · January 6, 2011

Dimly lit reception images ftw!!!!!!

;-)

studio1972 wrote: »

some of these nightime shots look wrong to me with the strobes, far too much light all over the place, sorry. This was done with a single off camera 430 exii in an ezybox held by assistant:

FotobyMoMo · January 7, 2011

Yes that is correct. I think the main problem in those pictures are that the strobes ended up being the key light rather than fill light just to light up the room. I would probably knock it down to the lowest power if not, very low, just to get some fill light when I shoot. I'm thinking with my lights 1/128 but I'd have to play with the light before everyone gets to the reception hall to see what light works best. I can push my ISO high w/ my 5D 2 so just a slight accent of light would work out fine.

reyvee61 · January 8, 2011

Dimly lit rooms are my forte and until recently I would just shoot RAW and bump the ISO to insanely high numbers and post process like crazy.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
Now I use strobes (flashguns) to augment the ambient light fired via radio triggers and set manually based on camera settings.<o:p></o:p>
What I do is set my camera to matrix metering (no light meter) and read the room light off of people's faces.<o:p></o:p>
I then would set the strobe's power according to camera settings....1/8, 1/4 or whatever that might be. If there is a nice white ceiling I point the strobes straight up and compensate for the light that is lost by bouncing this way by making a few minor adjustments.<o:p></o:p>
I set them up at different areas and leave them be....<o:p></o:p>
The results are quite nice and it doesn't bother people as much as if the flash where shoe mounted. (yuk)<o:p></o:p>

Here are a few examples from a recent gathering where I used this technique:

http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=186864

reyvee61 · January 8, 2011

FotobyMoMo wrote: »

Yeah, I've seen them placed in different parts of the room. So yeah, they all go off every time but it's set up high so it's not blinding people. That's another reason I was thinking of bouncing it off walls. These lights are extremely powerful. They'd be diffused off the walls. Although the one's I've seen, were pointed at the people. You can see ray of lights like you would from the sun. Looks nice!

Here's a link from one of the members here. I cant pronounce his name. He just posted a thread here couple days ago. He's from Lithuania. But if you click on the image, you'll see a light far back on a large stand light up as he shot the picture.

http://pics.meninenuotrauka.lt/0f0/0f0c51452814b94ffd0b1d0a6e51c293.jpg

My only concern would be the amount of light, seems like a lot of power to play with....

reyvee61 · January 8, 2011

studio1972 wrote: »

Some of these nightime shots look wrong to me with the strobes, far too much light all over the place, sorry. This was done with a single off camera 430 exII in an ezybox held by assistant:

I agree to some degree, I think using strobes to augment ambient light is more fitting to the feel of the occasion.

studio1972 · January 8, 2011

Matthew Saville wrote: »

Dimly lit reception images ftw!!!!!!

;-)

Dimly lit like this you mean?

I guess for this one you either had a small strobe (or there was a lamp or something) to the left of you creating the pleasing lighting on the ladies face?

Ed911 · January 12, 2011

studio1972 wrote: »

Some of these nighttime shots look wrong to me with the strobes, far too much light all over the place, sorry. This was done with a single off camera 430 exII in an ezybox held by assistant:

Very nice...looks a lot like what I see in books from the top photographers in the business. Blowing up the room with a ton of light...to me...looks like point and shoot photography. When you blow up the room with strobes turned way up, you loose the most important aspect of the shot...ambience...the look and feel of the room.

I see rooms lit for romance...lights turned down and then boom...daylight...poorly controlled exposures...etc.

Look at all the cool additional information in this photo that would be missing if the room were blasted with light...BG colors...lights, vivid colors, shadows and detail...warm romantic glow on the bride. What's not to like. This image would fit nicely in any high end wedding album.

If you are going to use strobes and you are using Alien Bees or White Lightnings...may I recommend Radio Poppers JrX studio system. (Just got a set myself.) The JrX studio system is available for $149 for a starter set. The studio system can control three sets of lights...and adjust the power of the strobes right from the transmitter on the top of the camera from anywhere in the room by simply turning one of the three group knobs. That way, if you discover you have your room lights turned up too high...you can simply adjust each strobe to the desired power level. This would be nice if you are moving around the room and find that one strobe is too hot...just one simple adjustment...and you have an entirely new shooting solution. And, you can even turn the strobes off from the trigger...just turn the group knob all the way down. This function is set by switch selection on the receiver...otherwise the strobe will fire at it's lowest setting when the group knob is turned all the way down. I just think it's a nice feature that could come in handy if you've moved to a new vantage point and one of your strobes needs to be adjusted.

I did notice that this image appears to be tuned up a little from the one on your blog...which looks much cooler...

Anyways, that's it for me...my two cents. Hope this helps...

Using Strobes indoor

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