Strobist approach - light stands etc - how often do you use them?

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rayonline

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#236022 14-May-2018 10:38

I've been in this hobby for 15yrs and yes I have a cheap light stand and 2 in one brolly and a 60x60 softbox, I know only a few others who have this but I assume they don't use it all that often. How often do you guys use it?

It runs off speedlights so it is portable. Do any of you guys use them outside and is it only for planned out shoots like you might know some family or friends who wants some portraits? Maybe you are going to a friend's party and you set up the equipment at the corner of the room? Both of those scenarios are planned. Do you use light stands for something that is unplanned for?

The thing is the surface area needs to be larger to have more pleasing portrait quality light so you need them. Unlike a tripod is if it is that awfully windy one could use a travel tripod and still take the same images..... at the beach, in the city, at the peak lookout etc ..

Cheers.

timmmay

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#2015600 14-May-2018 10:47

I was a professional photographer for ten years, and I did a lot of lighting. I used higher power studio lights with battery packs outside, either bare or in a small soft box, held by an assistant as light stands are inflexible and blow over. Indoors at weddings I used light stands, either hotshoe flashes with battery packs, or studio strobe with battery / mains power. Usually I use wall / ceiling bounce, sometimes an umbrella. You don't want to distract people or detract from the event.

Outside, a hotshoe flash is good for fill-in flash if it's diffused, they're just not that powerful. Bare they're ok for a small number of subjects. Inside at a party, sure, low power and as compact as possible, again using bounce if you can - sometimes bounce flash from the hotshoe is just as good as off camera flash.

Oblivian

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#2015603 14-May-2018 10:50

I've used mine (flash softbox and stand) for DIY headshots with a reflector at home (easily passable passport photos :D ) and at work for a couple of end of year party couple top half shots with reasonable success

Outside of that it's only ever been to bolster a wedding/arranged shoot as assistant/2nd shooter for dance or lit a dreary venue a bit more (sometimes with bounce). Or in the corner of the dark hall as a kicker to make some at least better or arty roller derby shots

Got it to start working with the online concepts more, fan of the balanced look. And use to have a lot of photo walkabouts with local like mindeds but those don't happen so often now :/

rayonline

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#2015608 14-May-2018 11:01

@timmmay - now that professional photographer is the past have you ever used them?

@oblivian - yes, the family passport shots although you don't really need them, one could still get a pass with a pop up flash with a small lens or just the on camera speedlight. Pharmacies seems to get accepted results with their customers. Then I really don't use them much. The truth is even if I had some plug in the wall version I could use larger soft/octaboxes it might look nicer but I probably won't use it all that often. I don't see myself hauling it out when you are with others doing a walkabout at the gardens or the beach ...

timmmay

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#2015609 14-May-2018 11:01

Oblivian:

I've used mine (flash softbox and stand) for DIY headshots with a reflector at home (easily passable passport photos :D ) and at work for a couple of end of year party couple top half shots with reasonable success

For passports I think you need simple lighting, most places just use on camera flash.

timmmay

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#2015612 14-May-2018 11:02

rayonline:

@timmmay - now that professional photographer is the past have you ever used them?

Yeah for family portraits. Mostly I'm indoors so I use bounce flash, as it's effective and easy.

gcorgnet

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#2015615 14-May-2018 11:03

I have had a lightstand attached to a pram a few times. Makes it a breeze to move light around when out on a shoot.

Just need to make sure the pram is weighted down first :-)

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Oblivian

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#2015624 14-May-2018 11:15

timmmay:

Oblivian:

I've used mine (flash softbox and stand) for DIY headshots with a reflector at home (easily passable passport photos :D ) and at work for a couple of end of year party couple top half shots with reasonable success

For passports I think you need simple lighting, most places just use on camera flash.

As long as the head isn't broken by a non neutral background or too shadowey - yes. No flash at all in most cases. Nifty 50 on a 1000/1100D on P. Sometimes above and below diffused flourecent. Most the time these are out and they rely on the punter being as still as for it to not blur

The automated checking isn't as good as a full resolution eye over. Some postshops have had their drop down blinds moved/removed/added to cut afternoon sun and so on (and even turn off the shops lighting to stop shadowcast!)

But we all know how much we love looking at our own passport pics, so I figured I'd make them look at least more presentable than a $20 local shop special :D

rayonline

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#2015850 14-May-2018 15:40

gcorgnet:

I have had a lightstand attached to a pram a few times. Makes it a breeze to move light around when out on a shoot.

Just need to make sure the pram is weighted down first :-)

You mentioned a shoot - how planned is this shoot? Is it somewhere you and 1 or few others have planned for or is it just spontaneous we were out with a group and you just happened to have a pram with this setup with you just in case.

The hardest thing I have with this is having something suitable and overtime it is something I have never done outside, inside very seldom.

Oblivian

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#2015861 14-May-2018 15:53

FB user? There are regional '<city> photographer and model' groups that always have willing people wanting to try their hand at being infront of a lens. And likewise swap-the-model type scenarios like I've been to a few of.

Normally a case of find a location/look both are keen to try and have a shot for a couple of hours. We get practice, they get some snazzy looking snaps to show off to FBworld

Not usually brave enough to put theory into practice myself (bad self nit picking of results) but have had a couple of fun successes also once I got to know a few of them.

rayonline

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#2015894 14-May-2018 15:57

Oblivian:

FB user? There are regional '<city> photographer and model' groups that always have willing people wanting to try their hand at being infront of a lens. And likewise swap-the-model type scenarios like I've been to a few of.

Normally a case of find a location/look both are keen to try and have a shot for a couple of hours. We get practice, they get some snazzy looking snaps to show off to FBworld

Not usually brave enough to put theory into practice myself (bad self nit picking of results) but have had a couple of fun successes also once I got to know a few of them.

I know 1 or 2 from my camera club (that works with models this way - not just FB). I'm just not a portrait type though but with those people I personally know, it's not like they will be up for that, hahah. Maybe 1 would but that person has moved to AKL.

gcorgnet

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#2015912 14-May-2018 16:20

rayonline:

You mentioned a shoot - how planned is this shoot? Is it somewhere you and 1 or few others have planned for or is it just spontaneous we were out with a group and you just happened to have a pram with this setup with you just in case.

The hardest thing I have with this is having something suitable and overtime it is something I have never done outside, inside very seldom.

Yeah those are planned. As in I put all that stuff in the trunk cause I knew I was photographing people. I think the hassle of setting all that up is big enough that it would never really be a spontaneous thing...

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rayonline

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#2015986 14-May-2018 18:57

@timmmay - just a question related to flash photography.

Wedding couples including someone I know often do a shoot on location in the south island on the lake, blue sky afternoon with the white mountain behind them. The background still needs to be well exposed, not underexposed. In those situations is a studio lights the only way, or is a speedlight possible? Is that usually also taken with a softbox?

Thanks.

timmmay

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#2016033 14-May-2018 20:19

With a speedlite or two without a diffuser you might be ok. If you want a good sized diffuser you want a fairly powerful studio light.

I shot a wedding party of 6-8 in the middle of summer, sun behind them, exposed for the grass around them. I had three speedlites pointed at them, with battery packs, on full. I still had to bring the people up a lot in post. Compared with that, I use a 300W/s (I think) studio light on 1/8 to 1/4 without a diffuser or maybe 1/2 with a diffuser.

billgates

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#2016037 14-May-2018 20:33

I have started using Godox AD200 (have 2 of these) with their AD-B2 twin head mount and XPRO wireless flash controller. I rarely ever need the 2nd AD200 hence no need to take out the AD-B2 in most cases as well. It's portable and 200W of power for 1 unit. Very impressive and the cost compared to Profoto gear is a lot cheaper. The photos I take indoors now and outdoors have massively improved without any editing. The video highlights the photos that you can produce even when you think you have good natural light.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0l3r7EKNZK4

Do whatever you want to do man.