These videos have been so helpful! How would you recommend setting up flash for a barn venue with high/dark ceilings? Since you wouldn't be able to bounce flash like in the video... thanks!
Great questions! That's always tricky. We would probably end up mounting 3 flashes on stands with diffusers/modifiers on all 3. We love the modifiers that MagMod sells so that's a great place to start. We would then use 2 flashes as our main light (key light) and fill light with the 3rd flash being a hair/rim light. For dances, we'll typically place those 3 flashes at 3 separate corners of the dance floor. Just depends on layout of the room. This is actually our preferred way of shooting receptions because it allows us to have maximum mobility, but we've been shooting in rooms with a lot of low ceilings recently. Thanks for the question!
I end up buying different stands everytime I go to order a new one. Things like this work though: www.amazon.com/s?k=10+ft+light+stand&ref=nb_sb_noss_2
A great video and very helpful. Thank you for everything you share, Josiah. What kind of mounts do you use to attach the speed lights to the stands? Would you happen to have a link? :-)
The flashes are either attached to transmitters that have a threaded mount that matches the stand, or I use the cold shoe mount with the feet that comes with the flashes. Can’t share a link because the transmitter is going to be dependent upon your preference and they’re old at this point. I was using a Cactus V5s I believe for transmitters. I believe there are newer versions now however I’d recommend purchasing the Godox Ad200 flashes now with a receiver for OCF.
Hi first of your videos are fantastic. Keep them coming I'm learning so much. My question is... Are you and steph using the same off camera flash set to the same chanel on two of the youngnuo transmitters ontop of the camera?
How does this work if you both happen to take an image at the same time or at split second intervals and it hasn't recharged. Is that just the luck of the draw? Again excellent content 👍🏻
Luck of the draw really. We set our OCF to around 1/32 or 1/64. Most of the time it’s just there to add some extra pop as a hair light so it recycles pretty quickly.
What were your camera settings with the flash? I have my first hall event in a much darker setting. I’ll be using a Sony A7 iii with a 24-70 lens. Just trying to understand what settings are the best for natural shots in a dark setting. How to bounce the flash . Thx
Steps for deciding flash power: 1. Set ISO to 1/200. Aperture to f/2.8 (or preferred setting). ISO to 800. 2. Flash power set to 1/32. 3. Then test and adjust your ISO and your flash power until you find a balance for proper exposure. I can’t give you settings. Every location and lighting scenario is different. Learning what your settings do to affect your image is far more important than trying to figure out the answer for the best settings because there is no such thing as best settings. Only settings that work for best for a specific situation and desired look.
Hi, I really enjoyed your video which was interesting and informative, which has now prompted me to ask for some advice, hope you don’t mind. I have been asked to photograph a friend's wedding in late August. The reception is in a long room that is quite narrow and very unevenly lit, with not as much natural light as I would like. The walls are a creamy colour and the ceiling is quite low with old dark beams. I am anticipating using 2 off camera flashes (in set positions, one at each end of the room) triggered by the mounted flash on the camera. The two off camera flashes I will set to manual but would you ever use AUTO ISO on the camera, for the speedlight mounted on the camera if the light was so different from one end of the room to the other?
Sounds like a tough space. I tend to only ever use manual settings for everything. I personally don’t like letting my camera make decisions for me. I’d recommend doing the following: 1. Learn where each event is happening in the space (first dance, toasts, cake cutting). 2. Determine where your key light is going and if your key light will be from your off camera flash or if it’ll be the one on camera. 3. Determine where your backlight/hair light will go based on your positioning of your key light. 4. Set your shutter speed to 1/200 and find ambient exposure for the room using ISO and aperture. (Your subject will likely be really underexposed here. You’re just exposing for the light in the room like windows, lightbulbs, etc.). 5. Turn on your flashes and adjust settings on the flash to expose your subject properly. You can adjust your ISO when needed as well. If you do use off camera flash as a key light, your settings can likely remain the same regardless of where you end up moving throughout the space since the off camera flash is in a fixed position in relation to the subject. Those would be my steps that I would take regardless of the room I’m in.
@@JosiahBlizzard Thank you so much for you prompt reply I really appreciate it. I will give your procedure some practice. I understand completely what you say and it makes sense. I will use one of the OCF's as the key and as you say my on camera flash can be adjusted as required. Thanks again Josiah, best wishes.
Great question. That’s something I can cover in a future video. It’s really a guess and check sort of situation. There are different rules with your settings that need to be followed but I can cover that in a future video.
I think the understanding of how to do it is more than half the battle. Knowing how light will interact is the key because then any scenario you go into, you'll be able to solve. Reception spaces change constantly so sometimes we have to change things up on the fly.
Excellent video. Thank u.
Please please please keep em coming. Great vids!
10 more videos this month alone, then I have some other awesome stuff planned!
Thanks
yes tyty-
No problem!
Flash has always been a frustrating challenge for me. Thank you for the insightful tips 👊🏾
Tons of ways to use flash but we found this is one of the most simple and effective ways. Thanks for the encouragement!
These videos have been so helpful! How would you recommend setting up flash for a barn venue with high/dark ceilings? Since you wouldn't be able to bounce flash like in the video... thanks!
Great questions! That's always tricky. We would probably end up mounting 3 flashes on stands with diffusers/modifiers on all 3. We love the modifiers that MagMod sells so that's a great place to start. We would then use 2 flashes as our main light (key light) and fill light with the 3rd flash being a hair/rim light. For dances, we'll typically place those 3 flashes at 3 separate corners of the dance floor. Just depends on layout of the room. This is actually our preferred way of shooting receptions because it allows us to have maximum mobility, but we've been shooting in rooms with a lot of low ceilings recently. Thanks for the question!
Thank you for another awesome video, do you have a link to the stand that you used for the off camera flash?
I end up buying different stands everytime I go to order a new one. Things like this work though: www.amazon.com/s?k=10+ft+light+stand&ref=nb_sb_noss_2
Did you use CTO gels on the speed lights.
A great video and very helpful. Thank you for everything you share, Josiah. What kind of mounts do you use to attach the speed lights to the stands? Would you happen to have a link? :-)
The flashes are either attached to transmitters that have a threaded mount that matches the stand, or I use the cold shoe mount with the feet that comes with the flashes. Can’t share a link because the transmitter is going to be dependent upon your preference and they’re old at this point. I was using a Cactus V5s I believe for transmitters. I believe there are newer versions now however I’d recommend purchasing the Godox Ad200 flashes now with a receiver for OCF.
@@JosiahBlizzard thanks, Josiah :-)
Hi first of your videos are fantastic. Keep them coming I'm learning so much. My question is... Are you and steph using the same off camera flash set to the same chanel on two of the youngnuo transmitters ontop of the camera?
shaun smith thanks! YesX Steph and I each have a Yongnuo flash on camera that are both set to trigger the off camera flashes.
How does this work if you both happen to take an image at the same time or at split second intervals and it hasn't recharged. Is that just the luck of the draw? Again excellent content 👍🏻
Luck of the draw really. We set our OCF to around 1/32 or 1/64. Most of the time it’s just there to add some extra pop as a hair light so it recycles pretty quickly.
Thanks Josiah really appreciate your replies. I'm learning alot from you and a few others that do videos like yours. Top marks 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Spray and pray, amen brother. Awesome vid and no over technical bs.
This is a golf course venue in south Jersey? I believe I have shot couple of weddings here.
yup! Scotland Run Golf Club
@@JosiahBlizzard yep, I recognized it. I have shot couple of weddings there.
What were your camera settings with the flash? I have my first hall event in a much darker setting. I’ll be using a Sony A7 iii with a 24-70 lens. Just trying to understand what settings are the best for natural shots in a dark setting. How to bounce the flash . Thx
Steps for deciding flash power:
1. Set ISO to 1/200. Aperture to f/2.8 (or preferred setting). ISO to 800.
2. Flash power set to 1/32.
3. Then test and adjust your ISO and your flash power until you find a balance for proper exposure.
I can’t give you settings. Every location and lighting scenario is different. Learning what your settings do to affect your image is far more important than trying to figure out the answer for the best settings because there is no such thing as best settings. Only settings that work for best for a specific situation and desired look.
Hi, I really enjoyed your video which was interesting and informative, which has now prompted me to ask for some advice, hope you don’t mind. I have been asked to photograph a friend's wedding in late August. The reception is in a long room that is quite narrow and very unevenly lit, with not as much natural light as I would like. The walls are a creamy colour and the ceiling is quite low with old dark beams. I am anticipating using 2 off camera flashes (in set positions, one at each end of the room) triggered by the mounted flash on the camera.
The two off camera flashes I will set to manual but would you ever use AUTO ISO on the camera, for the speedlight mounted on the camera if the light was so different from one end of the room to the other?
Sounds like a tough space. I tend to only ever use manual settings for everything. I personally don’t like letting my camera make decisions for me. I’d recommend doing the following:
1. Learn where each event is happening in the space (first dance, toasts, cake cutting).
2. Determine where your key light is going and if your key light will be from your off camera flash or if it’ll be the one on camera.
3. Determine where your backlight/hair light will go based on your positioning of your key light.
4. Set your shutter speed to 1/200 and find ambient exposure for the room using ISO and aperture. (Your subject will likely be really underexposed here. You’re just exposing for the light in the room like windows, lightbulbs, etc.).
5. Turn on your flashes and adjust settings on the flash to expose your subject properly. You can adjust your ISO when needed as well. If you do use off camera flash as a key light, your settings can likely remain the same regardless of where you end up moving throughout the space since the off camera flash is in a fixed position in relation to the subject.
Those would be my steps that I would take regardless of the room I’m in.
@@JosiahBlizzard Thank you so much for you prompt reply I really appreciate it. I will give your procedure some practice. I understand completely what you say and it makes sense. I will use one of the OCF's as the key and as you say my on camera flash can be adjusted as required. Thanks again Josiah, best wishes.
Thank you! What’s normaly your flash power for the back light?
Back light flash power varies by normally stays around 1/64 and sometimes 1/128. If it’s far away from the dance floor it’ll be a more powerful.
How do i expose using off camera flash? And how to expose if the location has the lights off? for example when they were dancing it was dark.
Great question. That’s something I can cover in a future video. It’s really a guess and check sort of situation. There are different rules with your settings that need to be followed but I can cover that in a future video.
@@JosiahBlizzard thank you.!! Waiting for it.
My boss's experience, knowledge, and skills to work splendid wedding receptions is ironic, since she's never had one for herself.
So u used off camera flash as a slave mode or u used triggers?
Technically neither. The Yongnuo flashes have transmitter/receivers built in. Although we could have also used slave mode.
Which yougnou flash do you use/recommend?
Using the 560IV
The sucky part is the only way to practice this is to do one
I think the understanding of how to do it is more than half the battle. Knowing how light will interact is the key because then any scenario you go into, you'll be able to solve. Reception spaces change constantly so sometimes we have to change things up on the fly.