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07/19/2007 01:48:31 AM · #1
I am photographing a night wedding with a nikon d200. Does anyone have any suggestions on what to do?
There will be light from the pool, tiki torches and candles.

Thanks for any help!
07/19/2007 02:01:34 AM · #2
flash with a lightsphere :)
07/19/2007 02:11:43 AM · #3
Good luck! Pray the bride does not wear a dress that is real shiny. I had that misfortune on my second wedding I did, really struggled to balance the light.
07/19/2007 02:15:55 AM · #4
Originally posted by Sunniee:

flash with a lightsphere :)


How effective would a lightspere be in an outdoor setting with nothing to bounce the light from?
07/19/2007 07:10:07 AM · #5
Originally posted by jmsetzler:

Originally posted by Sunniee:

flash with a lightsphere :)


How effective would a lightspere be in an outdoor setting with nothing to bounce the light from?


With the dome on you would be surprised at how much light can be "bounced" with a lightsphere. Indoors general rule is to take the dome off unless you get really high ceilings, then just like outdoor you pop the dome on.

MattO
07/19/2007 07:12:42 AM · #6
Originally posted by jmsetzler:

Originally posted by Sunniee:

flash with a lightsphere :)


How effective would a lightspere be in an outdoor setting with nothing to bounce the light from?


That's what I was thinking. If there are no walls or ceilings onto which to bounce the light, then you're just going to drain your batteries extremely quickly by using the lightsphere as only a small portion of the total power of the flash is being used to light the subjects.

07/19/2007 07:58:30 AM · #7
IMO the LS works great outdoors at night. You have to be pretty close though, it doesn't throw the light very far. I have some shots taken outside at night with no other ambient light whatsoever that turned out just fine, I'll try to post some later.
07/19/2007 08:31:49 AM · #8
Hmmm... I just thought of something. Maybe the reason I don't understand using the LS outdoors is that I'm always in bounce mode.

Generally when I'm using the LS, I have the flash head pointing straight up (or at a slight angle) or straight out to the side (or again, at a slight angle). In other words, the majority of the light is bouncing off of the ceiling or a wall and the LS is just spreading the light around, including throwing some of the light forward out the sides of the LS.

For a night wedding outdoors, then, I wonder if might be better to just point the flash head straight forward and let the LS light the surrounding areas. My reasoning, again, is that there is nothing to bounce the light off of, so direct flash from the flash head, with LS to light the surrounding areas might work.

If this isn't how you are using the LS outdoors, I'd be interested in hearing more of a description of what you're doing with it.

Oh, one other thought. I never, ever, put the "top" on the LS. That could be another difference in my shooting style.

07/19/2007 10:37:49 AM · #9
Dunno. With no surfaces to bounce light from, the light sphere simply reduces the output of the flash by redirecting light to places other than your subject.
07/19/2007 10:51:23 AM · #10
I´d start by explaining to the couple who are going to get married that in order to take photographs, you need light and well at night, obviously...

Just be clear to them on that no matter who takes the pictures, it´s pretty impossible to do anything but light them with an onboard flash as a main light source, unless you can get your hands on some prime lenses with big apertures, cause that 18-200 is not nearly enough for candlelight photography. I have tried using only candles as lightsources and it works to create mood but I usually am mounting a 50mm 1.4, wide open about a 1/30-1/60 shutterspeed and very high iso (1600-3200)

Of course you could always use manual strobes but that would likely kill all kind of mood they are going for :)

Best of luck, know this doesn´t help much...

07/19/2007 12:45:22 PM · #11
$8000 in flash equipment.
No, really.
Your outdoors so bounced on-camera flash is not gonna work - a lightsphere or flipit or omnibounce will help, but direct flash is it - unless you have other flashes and preferrably help.

Fast lenses help, high ISO helps - to a point. If you drop much below 1/15 or 1/30 of a second you'll get motion subject blur (or even camera shake blur if you're not using an IS lens) It will also help to capture the ambience of the place.

Will the place or DJ have any lighting?
Ambient lighting (watch your WB! -colored lights will screw it all up)


this one was shot up close - i was maybe 5 feet away, bounced flash but i had a shite bounce card on teh flash to light them up. VERY dark reception. I've come close to getting this again, but this is still the best i've done - this is from the camera, wb and all. Luck/experimentation got me this, now I'm trying to replicate it at every reception.


The best choice is to setup radio slaved strobes around the place and
07/19/2007 12:48:02 PM · #12
Originally posted by jmsetzler:

Dunno. With no surfaces to bounce light from, the light sphere simply reduces the output of the flash by redirecting light to places other than your subject.


I makes the flash act like a bare bulb flash similar to a lumedyne or quantum. you don't need a ceiling at all - go outside and night and try it - it's cool as it really does work, and in eTTL the output is mostly moot if you're close enough to your subject.
The omnibounce works on the same priciple but is cheaper and easier to carry and doesn't get all the comments. It's also available in a tungsten balanced color that works well.
07/19/2007 01:11:05 PM · #13
Originally posted by Prof_Fate:

Originally posted by jmsetzler:

Dunno. With no surfaces to bounce light from, the light sphere simply reduces the output of the flash by redirecting light to places other than your subject.


I makes the flash act like a bare bulb flash similar to a lumedyne or quantum. you don't need a ceiling at all - go outside and night and try it - it's cool as it really does work, and in eTTL the output is mostly moot if you're close enough to your subject.
The omnibounce works on the same priciple but is cheaper and easier to carry and doesn't get all the comments. It's also available in a tungsten balanced color that works well.


It also moves the light well away from the lens axis, casting the shadows down and greatly reducing the likelihood of red-eye.

As for the tungsten balanced one. It works, but it's a lot cheaper to color balance your flash with $0.10 worth of CC gel. The gels are also a lote more flexible since it's easy to "tune" the color.
07/19/2007 01:15:25 PM · #14
I would bring with me this:

- small softbox for on camera flash
- 2 remote flash units with umbrellas on light stands

Then depending on situation I would setup lights in strategic locations. If the whole light setup is not working I would just shoot with on camera flash with small softbox attached.

Nick

07/19/2007 02:57:36 PM · #15
Originally posted by Nikolai1024:

I would bring with me this:

- small softbox for on camera flash
- 2 remote flash units with umbrellas on light stands

Then depending on situation I would setup lights in strategic locations. If the whole light setup is not working I would just shoot with on camera flash with small softbox attached.

Nick


Except for the softbox on the camera flash, the above describes what I often do at receptions. I'll have a couple of slaves set up and put my 580EX into master mode. Then, by using the lightsphere, it'll send the light around in many different directions at once, increasing the likelyhood that the slaves will see it and fire.


07/19/2007 04:47:16 PM · #16
Here's a few shots that we took outside with no other light except those tiny little Christmas lights that lined the top of the deck covering. They only other light they had outside was the candles on the tables that were on the deck, but they were little tealights, so didn't offer much in the way of light. We couldn't have done without the LS.

The one of the guy holding the purse/drink/flowers was taken were there were NO other lights around at all.






Message edited by author 2007-07-19 16:47:54.
07/19/2007 10:47:45 PM · #17
Thanks for all the help... I can see I need to practice and do some research...
The couple was hoping for some photos with the mood reflected... which one of these set ups will maintain some of the ambience? Or is it bright or nothing?
I'm not a big flash user, as you can tell.
Thank you so much everyone!
07/19/2007 11:08:48 PM · #18
Me again. I will need to purchase a few things for this.
Does anyone have any recommendations for:
flash
softbox
umbrella stands
07/20/2007 12:37:25 AM · #19
To bring in the "mood / ambience", raise your ISO and drop your shutter speed. The flash will freeze any motion (for the most part) and what motion it doesn't freeze will probably look pretty cool anyway.

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