brain fart moment...

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jamesb84

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OK people...I'm trying to plan a shot.

However, I've not got all my triggers yet, so i can only set off one flash at a time.

I've measured my lighting levels, and i've got 3 heads, all set on 1/4 power.

Now, if I fire them together will 3x 1/4 power massively over-expose?

Should I be setting them differently when the all fire together?

I've confused myself...so I thought i'd try and confuse you all as well!
 
Not had the opportunity to get into a 3 head setup as yet, but to do as you have suggested above you would need to have all the heads triangulating onto one point.
From reading the "normal", only guessing here, setup would be 1, background, 2, Primary 3, Infill. the light will be distributed into the three areas; there will be some light spread which you may want to control depending upon what you are trying to achieve, but with correct placing this can be minimised. If I had the the gear and opportunity I think I would 1, expose for background (1st head), 2, expose for the the object (model, car etc) (2nd Head) and then infill where necessary(3rd Head). The background if white, I would set for half to one stop higher than the object to reduce any shading etc, with the object sufficiently forward to reduce shadows etc.
(I can hear the incoming now :nono:,:lol:)
 
Not 100% sure I know what you're trying to achieve but the effect of simultaneously fired light from muliple heads falling on the same area of object/background is culmulative. This means that that it is possible with multiple flashes to overexpose areas that would be normally exposed correctly with a single head.

However, the whole idea of having a multi head setup is that you are 'choosing' the effect you want by correctly isolating parts of the scene with it's own level of illumination. In general you wouldn't aim to 'overlap' your fields of lighting aside from perhaps unavoidable levels of spill. So if isolated correctly the exposure of an area shouldn't change significantly when additional lights are added.

Does that make sense?
 
I'd start with a key light and build up from there (thanks Garry & Hoppy:D)
 
think you are rite, 3 heads is not that much over exposed (most is lost) but depends on how close you are?

I did the deed and found a cheapie (but good) flash meter on fleabay, and now think I knew more before!

3 smaller flashes @ 4-5 feet = 1/2 a stop

BUT: shoot raw and cheat


REMEMBER CHEATING IS GOOD!
 
kalibre said:
Not 100% sure I know what you're trying to achieve but the effect of simultaneously fired light from muliple heads falling on the same area of object/background is culmulative. This means that that it is possible with multiple flashes to overexpose areas that would be normally exposed correctly with a single head.

However, the whole idea of having a multi head setup is that you are 'choosing' the effect you want by correctly isolating parts of the scene with it's own level of illumination. In general you wouldn't aim to 'overlap' your fields of lighting aside from perhaps unavoidable levels of spill. So if isolated correctly the exposure of an area shouldn't change significantly when additional lights are added.

Does that make sense?
Click to expand...

Yes, yes it does! I am wherever possible, trying to avoid overlap.

It's a bit complex to explain what I'm trying to acheive...the design is for a woman (in lingerie) looking out of her window to see where her partner is...so i'm shooting from outside (and trying EDIT: NOT to be accused of looking like a perv) and lighting the room which is pretty big...with a bay window.

1 light is set on the floor in the background lighting the back wall and bouncing off the ceiling

1 light is set off to her front right (hidden behind the closed curtain) with a softbox and will be the main light

1 light set off to her back left (again hidden by curtain and edge of bay window) as a hairlight, with a gridded snoot to prevent too much spill onto the glass.

Make sense?!

Sound mad!?

I love page designers.
 
That makes sense.

I'd be tempted to see what's it's like without the background light to be honest. You want the woman to 'pop' out at you which means she needs to contrast with the brackdrop; whereas too much background light will work aganist that principle.

If your flashes are all inside the room, then how is the viewer supposed to know she is looking out of curtains? They will be silhouettes as everything is exposed for the subject.

Option A: Light the room background and make the curtains a feature silhouette.

Option B: Don't light the room and just expose for some ambient to bring in 'some' detail in the curtains and also in the room. The only issue with this is the controlling or predicting the colour caste casued by room/street lights.

Don't worry about spill, if your powers are set correctly then in this setup it won't be an issue.
 
Out of interest, are you going to be shooting from street level or from an opposite window/balcony?
 
kalibre said:
That makes sense.

I'd be tempted to see what's it's like without the background light to be honest. You want the woman to 'pop' out at you which means she needs to contrast with the brackdrop; whereas too much background light will work aganist that principle.

If your flashes are all inside the room, then how is the viewer supposed to know she is looking out of curtains? They will be silhouettes as everything is exposed for the subject.

Option A: Light the room background and make the curtains a feature silhouette.

Option B: Don't light the room and just expose for some ambient to bring in 'some' detail in the curtains and also in the room. The only issue with this is the controlling or predicting the colour caste casued by room/street lights.

Don't worry about spill, if your powers are set correctly then in this setup it won't be an issue.
Click to expand...

kalibre said:
Out of interest, are you going to be shooting from street level or from an opposite window/balcony?
Click to expand...

I want a little bit of detail in the room, so a touch of background is going to be necessary, it's actually a downstairs front room in an old edwardian style house so it's got lots of interior details that I'd like to get in...though the BG light is less powerful so there should still be a pop to it.

The issue of the detail on the model is a worry, with a bit of positioning and a selfie (though not with the lingerie :suspect:) I should be able to get enough light from the main light onto the model. It doesn't look too unnatural either.

Don't really want to mix ambient as there's an awful difference in colour cast from two streelights with different age bulbs...one very orange and one a bit more yellow...makes everything look a bit odd.

The other option which I discussed with the designer is to move the BG light outside on the drive, masked and warmed up to look like headlights pulling onto the driveway...

Could work!?
 
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