Studio Flash for indoors and outdoors

[chad_hoelzel1]

I'm the proud father of a 6 week old baby girl. After having a photographer

come by and do his promotional photo shoot and being suckered into spending $100

on some really cute photos I decided it's time to get some lights so I don't

need to pay someone else to take family photos every half a year.

 

I've done a few weddings and family photo shoots in the past and half gotten

away with two canon 550ex flashes. After seeing these photos and the nice soft

lighting I decided it's time to step it up a notch. I also like doing portraits

out in the park with trees, flowers, stone work....

 

So my scope of need is everything from photographing my little daughter indoors

to small wedding groups outdoors. My choice of flash is White Lightning and I'm

just wondering what power (w/s) would be able to cover most of that range? What

I liked with the White Lightning was the dual power modes and the brighter

modeling light. This would allow me to shoot over a 7 f-stop range. I'd be

planning on getting softboxes or shoot through umbrellas. Could I get away with

the X1600 or would I need to go up to the X3200 to allow me to do wedding groups

outdoors?

 

Thanks for your help and I'm open to any tips and suggestions.

[Ed_Ingold]

If you really need indoor/outdoor capability, it is the outdoor applications which should take priority. You need to have relatively lightweight equipment with reasonable power levels, primarily battery operated. I use Quantum flash units, but Norman or possibly Lumidyne would be better units for use on stands and have much more power capability. Profoto makes high-end portable equipment, but not practical unless you make a living at photography. Portable lead-acid kits (e.g., the Vagabond packs) provide AC power for AC-powered studio flash and monolights. These tend to have limited capacity and high maintenance requirements.

 

If the main outside light is the sun, you need just enough power for fill, and may be able to use reflectors and diffusers to good effect as an alternative to flash. At night, you may lose a stop or two from your flash because there is no ceiling to reflect light. I usually have to knock down studio units that much just to keep the aperture below f/11 at ISO 50 (to not count threads in the background cloth).

 

Stands which have one adjustable leg work well on uneven ground. You will also need sand bags (or steel shot) to anchor the stands. Modifiers such as umbrellas and soft boxes can only be used in still air.

[chad_hoelzel1]

For outdoors I like working in the shade so I have more control of light and shade. The outdoor photographs would not be high volume just mainly photos for our family. I'd probably just do the deep cycle battery and clean sign wave inverter thing seeing as it wouldn't be used very often. It's more about the diversity than being good at one thing. Whatever isn't caught by the camera just the way I want it can be played with in Adobe. I'm just tired of harsh lighting from my small flashes.

[twmeyer]

If you like working in the shade (a good technique), you should think again about just staying with what you have. Small lights work fine for one person portraits and with two you can easily handle a group of four.<p>I also need to say that if you hire a photographer who produces several "really cute photos" of your kid, I think those prints are well worth a hundred bucks. If anybody got suckered, it's that photographer who is sucker punching her/him self. You got a portrait session on location and several pints for a hundred bucks? That's a bargain, in my book... t<div></div>

[chad_hoelzel1]

I didn't feel suckered in regards to ripped off more like the pictures turned out so well that I'd want to have similar ones taken a few times a year while my daughter grows up, which would in turn cost a lot more then buying some lights. Your right in suggesting still staying with my small portable flash for one or two people head and shoulder photos. I do have a flash diffuser that works good.

So the long and short of the question that I still need answered from a practical field experienced photographer's point of view is what power rating (w/s) or strobes (I'm getting two) have you used indoors for single person or small group photos but also used for small wedding groups outdoors? I just need to know if I need to get two White Lightning X800, X1600, or X3200 to accomplish most of these tasks? I understand that I might need to play around with the lights to accomplish this range of tasks but just need guidance as to which model to buy.

[Ed_Ingold]

The ABs are AC-powered. How do you plan to light them up in the middle of a park?

 

You have a couple of Canon flash units. Get them off-camera on stands, and fire them remotely using photocells or a pair of Pocketwizards (recommended). You don't need 1000 joules when an 80 joule shoe flash will do the job.

 

Down the line, get a Profoto or Norman battery-powered kit. The Pocketwizards will work just as well with a $5000 setup as with your shoe-poppers.

[twmeyer]

Edward makes my point. <p>I have a set of 400ws Lumedynes. Yesterday I ran two heads off one pack and made corporate type portraits, and never put the power above 100ws, and that's split between two heads, iso 200 @ f4.5. <p>I have made a group photo outdoors of over 20 people, balancing with low available light. A 400ws Lumedyne with just one head is adequate for that range of work. <p>If you add an umbrella (or equivalent)to that pack and head, a couple of good shoe mount strobes with an umbrella bracket, some 8ft stands, a Justin Clamp or two (Google is your friend), three Pocket Wizards and a nice package of CC gels, you can cover a lot of situations, and you'll only be out about 3 grand (this ain't a cheap bidness)... t<div></div>

[twmeyer]

oh yeah, in open shade, 3:15pm, late October, Southern USA... t

[martin_jardine]

I'm in the same situation as Chad. Thanks Tom for the response and image example. That is

exactly what I'm looking for. I was also looking at the White Lightning kits but am not sold on

them yet. I want sturdy and quality in a $2000- range 1, 2 or 3 light kit. Location portability

is key and will also use in mock studio setup in living room once and a while.