Off Camera Flash Help

[mattchewone]

Hi,

I have two flashes one Canon 430EX and the other is a Pentax AF-360, I have light stands and two umbrella's.

If I have both flashes in use one either side of the camera, both at approx 45degree angle to the subject, what distance and power should the flashes be normally set at to get a nice soft affect and also how should I meter the flashes on the camera, as in how do I know what settings to use, I assume max sync speed to reduce risk of shake etc but what about aperture and ISO, is it just keep adjusting until you get what you want?

What is the normal guide distance for shoot through umbrella's roughly?

Regards
Matt

 

[Garry Edwards]

I question putting one flash either side of the subject, see this thread for reasons.

Distance from flash to subject (actually the size of the flash relative to the subject) determines softness, so if you feel that a 'nice soft effect' is good then you need to put them as close as you possibly can. I see that you're using shoot through umbrellas, they produce much softer light than reflective umbrellas because they can be placed close to the subject, but they also create serious flare, which in practical terms limits how close they can be.

Shutter speed is of course almost irrelevant in flash photography as it's the duration of the flash that prevents camera shake or subject movement from causing blur, not shutter speed.

 

[mattchewone]

Ok thanks, so one flash on subject and you say in the other thread it should be infront of where the subject is looking so if the subject is looking at the camera, should you place the flash above me and the camera?

So shutter speed is irrelevant so just leave it at 1/250th and what about duration of the flash? How do you adjust that? Isnt it the lower the power the quicker the flash? I was shooting these at 1/16th power and approx 1-2feet away from my little girl

This was with one flash only the light was to the left of the camera.

 

[Garry Edwards]

Ok thanks, so one flash on subject and you say in the other thread it should be infront of where the subject is looking so if the subject is looking at the camera, should you place the flash above me and the camera?

That's just an example of a lighting position that works and looks natural. There are plenty of others that you might like to try. In this arrangement yes, if the subject is looking towards the camera then the light would be above the camera too. BTW, babies don't need soft light, they have perfect features and near perfect complexions. Soft light comes into its own with their grandmothers

So shutter speed is irrelevant so just leave it at 1/250th and what about duration of the flash? How do you adjust that? Isnt it the lower the power the quicker the flash? I was shooting these at 1/16th power and approx 1-2feet away from my little girl

Better to leave the shutter speed at lower than the maximum, sometimes it can go out of synch at maximum and as there is no point in using the max synch speed it makes sense to play safe.

Yes, with hotshoe flashes the flash duration becomes shorter as the power is reduced, with studio flash the opposite occurs. You can't adjust that and don't need to.