Combining 3 flashes for portraits

zeeman · September 27, 2008

Hi all,

I just got a new strobe flash and would like to know what is the best set-up for portraits.

What I want is to have the portraits against a pure white background.

This is what I currently have:

1) Canon Speedlite 580EXII
2) Canon Speedlite 430EX
3) Falcon Eyes AC Studio Strobe SS 150B (guide number 32/m)
4) 40" square Softbox
5) 62" white/silver reflector
6) 40" Reflective umbrella
7) White vinyl to be used as background

So, I know I have to experiment a lot to get the desired results, but there's something I would like to make sure:

As far as I understand, I can get a white background using a powerful flash to illuminate it. So my idea was to use the Falcon Eyes Strobe flash at its maximum power only for the background. Then I will use my 580EX II camera mounted as fill flash and also to trigger the 430EX as my main light located at a side of the model.

Is that correct?

I have the softbox, reflector and umbrella but I'm not sure how to use them. The softbox is to be mounted on the Studio Strobe but since I will use it to lit the background what other use it may have?

I will appreciate all suggestions about this.

Here are two possible set-ups for the lights.

Option one:

And option two:

Does it makes any sense ? Any ideas ?

Thanks for all the help

dangin · September 30, 2008

neither of the scenarios would be ideal, imo. as a rule of thumb, the best light is NEVER on camera. you can use 2 or 3 point lighting with your setup. i'd suggest the following:

1) decide on your subject's a/b sides. light for their a side.
2) bouncing your 580 into the umbrella as your main light for the a side
3) positing your reflector opposite your main for fill.
4) use your strobe behind your subject to light your background
5) optional: use your 430 overhead; opposite side from your main to provide hair and a slight rim light.

but that's just me.

zeeman · September 30, 2008

dangin wrote:

neither of the scenarios would be ideal, imo. as a rule of thumb, the best light is NEVER on camera. you can use 2 or 3 point lighting with your setup. i'd suggest the following:

1) decide on your subject's a/b sides. light for their a side.
2) bouncing your 580 into the umbrella as your main light for the a side
3) positing your reflector opposite your main for fill.
4) use your strobe behind your subject to light your background
5) optional: use your 430 overhead; opposite side from your main to provide hair and a slight rim light.

but that's just me.

Thanks a lot, Dangin. I will try to follow your advise, but my doubt now is how do I fire the 430EX. With my current setting I need the 580EX II on camera as master to trigger the slave 430EX, I guess that's my limitation right now. Do you have some suggestion? I might be missing the obvious.

erson83 · October 1, 2008

i have a transmitter and it works well. Just know what it can and can not do, don't try too much with it and it will perform. You seem to have good gear, so adding the $245 transmitter shouldn't be to much to do

mrcoons · October 1, 2008

The Canon ST-E2 has worked very well for me in small spaces as long as all the Speedlites are in direct line of sight. In larger spaces where you do not have walls to bounce the IR signal off of it will not perform as well. (As I had the misfortune to fiind out recently!)

angevin1 · October 8, 2008

Did you try it?
Did you set up your lights as diagrammed and try it? You can use an object/s in place of your model to see what you like about it. Also, you could use self timer to shoot yourself, right?

You also could keep the 580 on your camera and dial its power down, and try it.

I always take photos of my set-up's too!

While there are tried and true receipes, there is more than one way to make potato salad!

cheers, tom

OffTopic · October 8, 2008

Before you can determine proper placement for your lights, you really need to decide what "look" you are trying to create. The two examples you gave will give you very different results. But I definitely agree with getting your main light off camera.

The best tutorial I have seen for portraits on white seamless is Zack Arias' tutorial on his blog here. It's in five parts (plus some extras) and he uses no more than three lights. Scroll down the page to where it starts with Part I. Part 2 starts with some lighting setups, metering, and examples. I love the portrait he did with two lights on the background and one on the subject.

Some really good info there that should help you decide how to set things up.

Combining 3 flashes for portraits

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