Camera Flash Umbrella
Camera Flash Accessories on the Cheap – Automatic Exposure Remote Flash
Remote TTL flash systems are nice and slick but they are expensive. Each flash can cost hundreds of dollars plus there is the cost of stands, umbrellas or soft boxes and more. But what if we could achieve something similar without a huge outlay of cash? We can build such a system and it could cost less than a single flash unit of the branded variety.
First I’d like to get us all on the same page about what to expect. There is no free lunch here, but what we will discuss is a viable alternative for many photographers. This system is a blend of old technology and new and will likely involve purchasing some used equipment.
Further, the expensive branded systems have all of their remote flashes set and controlled from the camera position master unit; our on-the-cheap system will require the photographer to alter settings on each flash manually. This system is not TTL; the camera’s meter isn’t used at all to achieve exposure.
Many years ago Automatic Flash was the preferred system of flash exposure. The flash was mounted on the camera and exposure was determined using a scale and calculator on the back of the flash. After using the calculator settings were made to the camera and flash. A sensor on the front of the flash measured the flash output and quenched it when the proper amount of light had been emitted. It was a simple system and it worked very well for decades.
Our flash system is made up of three parts. First we need three flash units and they must be Automatic Flash-capable. It’s time to get those Vivitar 283 and 285 flashes out of mothballs. They are ideal for this system. If you can’t find yours try buying them off your buddy, they generally bring less than $50 each. Key here is to find flash units with Guide Numbers at or greater than 89 feet at 100ISO.
Next we need a set of flash triggers. For the triggers I like the Promaster 4-Channel Flash Trigger set. Here is the fun part: The expensive branded TTL multi-flash systems only work when they are all in line of sight. However the Promaster 4-Channel trigger is radio frequency operated. Line of sight not required! Our system will need one trigger and three receivers with a total cost of under $100.
Last, we need some stands or tripods to hold the three flash units. Here we have lots of latitude, anything that has a 1/4X 20 threaded post will do. Look for supports that can hold the light anywhere from a foot off the floor to several feet above the subject. If the photographer chooses to use standard light stands they will probably cost about $25 each.
That’s it, for about $300 we now have a three-flash remote lighting setup. All that’s left is learning how to use it!
It will take some practice to develop the skills needed to use this system, but it won’t be terribly hard. Most of the skills will be involved with learning lighting patterns and there are dozens of books on the subject. What concerns us however is discovering the settings we need to use with our new system.
Let’s assume that we have a basic three-light setup: a fill light near camera position, a main light to one side of the subject and a hair light on the other side. The first thing we need to do is determine the setting for our main light. We use the calculator on the back of the flash and find the correct aperture for our camera. We set the flash sensor for this as well. Next we set the camera at the calculator’s f-stop and the shutter speed to 1/90 second. Now we have a good exposure setting for our main light.
Next we take the settings we calculated for our main light and set our fill flash’s sensor to expose one stop less. This is a little counterintuitive because we are setting the shut off point of the flashes not the exposure point. If the main light is set for f/5.6 our fill light could be set one stop less – f/4.0 for example. We want one stop less light so the fill flash has to turn off faster than the main flash. The third flash, the hair light, we want to have one stop more exposure so we set it to shut off at f/8.0.
We are ready for a test. The camera shutter is tripped and the main flash pumps out enough light to expose at f/5.6, the correct exposure for the subject. The fill light has been fooled to turn off at an exposure of f/4.0 so it will supply one less stop of flash than the main. The hair light has been told to expose for f/8.0 so it will pump out one stop more light than the main flash.
The result will be a subject with a well exposed light from the side, the frontally positioned fill light to lessen shadows across the face, and a brighter hair light to offer separation of the subject from the background. The first attempts may look stark and unforgiving, but practice in positioning the lights will pay off well in eliminating the problem.
It will take some practice to determine the correct working distances between flash and subject. Further, if light modifiers such as umbrellas or soft boxes are used we need to make sure that the flash unit’s sensor is still able to “see” the subject. I would strongly suggest that all three flash units be the same brand and model; it will help reduce any inconsistencies from one use to the next.
Experiment with different combinations of f-stop settings on the flashes. Try bouncing the flash to reduce the stark quality of the light or shoot through a handkerchief. Once the photographer has mastered the basics of this three-light system it can serve as a useful skill for years.
About the Author
Stu Eddins is blogger, instructor, merchandiser, and is generally in charge of a lot of things for Porter’s Digital Cameras and Imaging. Visit their site at www.porters.com. Years of experience over the counter and in classrooms have turned Stu into an evangelist for image preservation, capturing and sharing memories, and helping people understand digital cameras.
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Umbrella Holder $19.95 This is a versatile bracket that will fit on almost any light stand. It includes two removeable, reversible studs to adapt to light stands with top studs smaller than the standard 5/8 inch. It also includes a shoe mount, which will accept virtually any shoe-mount flash unit…. |
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ALZO Digital Full Spectrum Light Bulb – ALZO 45W Photo CFL 5500K 91 CRI, Daylight balanced, pure white light, 2800 Lumens, Case of 4 Case of 4 full spectrum light bulbs for daylight balanced lighting, energy star compliant, long-lasting at cir. 10,000 hours with 2800 Lumens output; low energy consumption, good for treating S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder), photo studio lights, or starting plant growth. These are Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulbs. Fits all medium-base E27/E26 sockets, but this is a large bulb that might … |
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27 Watts 5500K Color corrected Day Light Fluorescent Lamp Photo Bulb – 2 Pack $44.99 This is a fluorescent 27 watts energy saving daylight photo bulb (5500 Kelvin temp.). This Fluorescent lamp bulb emulates a soft daylight measured at full spectrum color of 90 CRI at 1800 lumens. Lifespan: 10,000 hours. Ideal for all Tungsten Continuous Lighting Kit. This photo bulb would cost you $21 each at your local retail store. Best price combo on the internet. **Limited Time Promo**… |
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JTL Heavy Duty Clamp with Umbrella Holder for AC Slave Flashes $24.95 Heavy Duty Clamp with Umbrella Holder for AC Slave Flashes… |
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Lowel Tota-light, Quartz Halogen Broad Light with 750 watt, 120 volt EMD Lamp $129.78 Compact, rugged & versatile, the broad throw Tota-light is a Lowel time honored favorite. It can be used with its umbrella or gel-frame & diffusion as a soft key, fill, or backlight. With its adjustable reflectors, it can be a smooth & even background light, or point it toward the ceiling to raise the ambient (base) light level of a room. Tota is also widely used for photographic copy work…. |
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Lowel V-light, Broad Quartz Light, for 120v with 500 watt 120 volt GDA Lamp $164.13 Powerful enough to light a small room yet small enough to fit in a large pocket, the versatile V-light can be used as a broad, key, fill (with umbrella or diffusion gel), back-light, or background light. It’s also excellent for copy work…. |
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Fancierstudio 160 Dimmable LED Camera Light Led Camcorder Light Led Light Panel By Fancier FN160 $54.99 This super lightweight 160 LED video light panel great for video and photography. Item can be used in video taking, either for lights setup or supplement. Fully dimmable light panel able to go from 0-max. One of the best value on the market. Comes with 3 filter to soften light and change color temperature. Also this led panel able to take up to 5 different kind of batteries. -Compatible with five … |
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The Nikon Creative Lighting System: Using the SB-600, SB-800, SB-900, and R1C1 Flashes $20.95 Flash photography, especially advanced light modeling with modern iTTL flash systems, has become an art by itself, which should be mastered by every aspiring amateur photographer – and even professionals are often helpless when it comes to using the full potential of these systems. Many photographers are already well versed in photography but don’t have a clue about flash photography. It is a bran… |
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Nikon Creative Lighting System Digital Field Guide $10.69 Nikon Creative Lighting System Photography Techniques Amazon-exclusive content from author J. Dennis Thomas One-Speedlight Portraits One of the things I like the best of the Nikon CLS is how fast and easy it is to get great portraits with just one Speedlight. For this portrait of Kristin I used an SB-900 off camera and triggered it with an SU-800. I used a shoot-th… |
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Op/Tech 18 SLR Rainsleeve for Digital & Film Cameras with Lenses up to 7 Diameter, 18 Long $3.99 The OpTech 18″ RainSleeve is a Polyethylene sleeve made to protect an SLR camera with a lens up 7.0″ in diameter and 18″ in length. The sleeve protects the gear from dust and inclement weather. It is designed for handheld use or tripod application. The Rainsleeve features a unique eyepiece opening that adapts to most camera viewfinders, allowing composition of shots through the camera’s lens, not … |
Setting up off-camera flash with an umbrella – Part 1
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