Off-camera Flash Demo
Two days ago, I gave a demonstration about working with off-camera flash on an event by the Belgian Association of Professional Photograpers. We started of with a 20 minute presentation in a pretty full room. My friend Pieter helped me out by explaining how he uses wireless flash on weddings.
A bit later, I put the theory into practice with a live model shoot. Just like on my workshops, I didn’t prepare any images because I want to give an honest impression of my way of working (including the mistakes). It’s not easy to look for light and backgrounds, set up flashes, make pics while explaining what I was doing to 50-60 fellow pro’s.
We started out indoors with one flash and a shoot through umbrella. At 1/250 and f/4 there was virtually no ambient light in the picture.
To create a bit more depth and separation between model and background, I placed a second flash with a grid behind our model Mieke.
A third flash was pointed to the floor behind the model for some more separation.
I then shot the portrait below with just the ambient (window) light at iso 800, 1/80 and f/2.8.
We also made a variation with a little hair light.
We then went outside for a picture with one flash that overpowers the daylight and lights the background as well as the model.
The flash that lights model AND background in the picture above was used as just a background light in the picture below. A second flash to camera right became the main light.
For the final setup, I uses a single flash with shoot through umbrella. I wanted to show how you can change the background and atmosphere in the picture by simple changing the shutterspeed. The picture below is shot at 1/250.
This one is at 1/125:
and 1/50:
We finished the demonstration with some pics with Mieke sitting on the ground.
I really enjoyed the event, talked to old friends, met new ones and learned a lot from the other speakers.
[...] исписались о пользе вспышек-вне-камеры (off-camera flash): Off-camera Flash Demo и The Power of High-Speed Sync. Photographing a Wedding and then an Earthquake. Жених с [...]
I follow your blog a couple of months and I must say it’s great, a lot of useful information.
All the best and keep posting!!!
Ive been rerading your blog for a while and find it really useful, lots of tips.
Really like the very clear way you can see the change of mood in this post by simply manipulating the shutter speed, definatly something to try
Thanks a lot Marko and Ruth. I’m happy to be of any help to you.
Thanks for all the good posts. I have already used the one or other tip from your site when taking pictures.
Could you do a post on posing/posture some day? I do that intuitively but every now and then I find it extremely difficult.
Greetings from Germany.
Phil
Thanks again for this very informative post. What flashes did you used in these shots?
Another great post. What power were the flashes set to and when you adjusted the shutter speed did the flash power stay the same? Thanks.
go for something differernt… i did this stuff in first year photo… push yourslef… it’s obvious that you can. Just get over whatever it is that is holding you back, and let go. Sorry for the crit, but you can go further through light/exposure/speed. Do something different!
Much Love
Swift
Swift,
I think the point of the post was to show other photographers how to look for interesting backgrounds and light and then be able to modify those factors to be able to produce great photos on the fly. I personally don’t see anything holding this guy back but that’s my view. I’m sure many have done similar style photos but how many have done it with 50-60 other pros watching?
great post, great pictures, great photographer
[...] Stephani has a fantastic blog post up on how different constraints in off-camera flash can change a photo. Pay close attention to the last shots of Mieke outside at 1/250s, 1/125s and [...]
[...] Confessions of a Photographer ” Blog Archive ” Off-camera Flash Demo [...]
Hi Bert,
would you be able to put the wedding part of that demo in some writing?
Thanks Vincent
Fashionable and admirable. Your picture is really good. This demo is one of the best series I’ve ever seen.
Thanks
@Vincent: the wedding part was mostly done by my friend and acclaimed wedding photographer Pieter Van Impe. He talked about lighting a room with speedlights.
Congratulions Bert. This is a beautiful, high quality serie. A constant and real source of inspiration for my own work and evolution.
Just a question : apart from the obvious B&W conversion and on a scale from 1 to 10 – 10 being the highest – how much post-processing have you put in the pictures ?
My gut feeling is very little apart from occasional vignetting…
ghislain, most is done in Lightroom but I did some burning and dodging on some pics and I made the skin a bit softer.
I like the ambient with the hair light best.
1/50 is also good. What kind of tripod did you use?
Dear friend
I have been visiting your web and watching your famous confession of …. for more than a year . They are amazing ! I learned a lot from you .
You know what ! When you are taliking in your video I feel one of my very close friend that I know him for a long time , is talking to me .
Thank you so much and take care !
Jahangir ,
Ottawa -Canada
[...] Off-camera Flash Demo Bert Stephani Bert Stephani always has something good in store. Aside from shooting beautiful models, he gives great tips and videos. In this post he shoes great pictures taken with off camera flash. Also, make sure you don’t miss his latest video [...]
God, this camera talk makes me so wet inside!!
Found this blog quite interesting – thanks for the effort ^^
About your design, what is the theme have you got here? Its a great design and I would like to know if it’s custom or not.
Great photos, you’re hot btw.
Thanks for the lesson. I need to get an adapter to use my flash of camera. After reading your article I think I will get this done sooner rather than later. Nice work.