AD200s & lighting portrait backgrounds

J

JohnBoyUK

Messages
74
Name
John
Edit My Images
Yes
Hi All

I’m just about to order a pair of AD200s with the pairing bracket for my indoor and outdoor portrait work. Indoors, I tend to use a grey background and understand how I can make it white and black by lighting it or not and have been using speedlights for the last couple of years.

However, my wife has thrown me a curveball and suggested I buy a Xmas backdrop of a Xmas scene to take some images of our niece and nephew.

What would I need to light the background in this case? I’m probably in danger of over thinking this but thinking I probably need more than just 2 lights. One light key then using the other to fill the shadow. Of course, I can limit the shadow on the background by bringing the subject forward but is there anything else I need to think about.

I’m all ears but wish the wife would butt out with her bright bloody ideas!
 
The background is a separate subject and so will need separate lighting. In effect, you will have a front subject and a rear subject. The front subject can be lit however you see fit, but the rear subject will best be lit by 1 flash each side, each firing into a white reflective umbrella directed at the background.
If you try to light the background with spilled light from the front subject, all that you'll get is a very dark background, with or without shadows.

Just tell your wife that Xmas backgrounds are really naff :)
 
Great, thanks Garry. I’ll have to save up and get another pair of AD200s then.
 
JohnBoyUK said:
Great, thanks Garry. I’ll have to save up and get another pair of AD200s then.
Click to expand...
There’s cheaper ways of lighting a background. Assuming backgrounds are indoors ergo access to power...

A 300Ws studio head is less than £100 or just over that if you want a warranty.
Compare that to the cost of an AD200 and s type bracket, (getting you a mobile slightly inferior version of the same thing).

Using the same trigger system too.

It’s amazing how many people ignore proper studio lights, assuming they’re expensive and complicated, when they’re actually cheaper and simpler to use than speedlights.
 
Phil V said:
There’s cheaper ways of lighting a background. Assuming backgrounds are indoors ergo access to power...

A 300Ws studio head is less than £100 or just over that if you want a warranty.
Compare that to the cost of an AD200 and s type bracket, (getting you a mobile slightly inferior version of the same thing).

Using the same trigger system too.

It’s amazing how many people ignore proper studio lights, assuming they’re expensive and complicated, when they’re actually cheaper and simpler to use than speedlights.
Click to expand...
Yes for most shooting at home thats worth remembering.
Though cheaper mind you the £/kg is also much lower so "slightly" is stretching it a bit :)
Having participated in a shoot in a schlerosis hospital a few weeks ago I fingd myself reinforced in my thinking regarding having a light, compact and very portable setup which though ofcource in some situations may be limiting also in its simplicity frees my mind to think about the important stuff instead of cables, flashunits, modifiers and loads of bags and cases.
 
You have 2x speedlights and getting 2x AD200s, that’s 4 lights!

Maybe just use what you already have for lighting the background and the AD200s for the subjects etc.?
 
Phil V said:
There’s cheaper ways of lighting a background. Assuming backgrounds are indoors ergo access to power...

A 300Ws studio head is less than £100 or just over that if you want a warranty.
Compare that to the cost of an AD200 and s type bracket, (getting you a mobile slightly inferior version of the same thing).

Using the same trigger system too.

It’s amazing how many people ignore proper studio lights, assuming they’re expensive and complicated, when they’re actually cheaper and simpler to use than speedlights.
Click to expand...
Yes. Lithium battery technology is great, but some things, for example vacuum cleaners and flash heads, are just much better, simpler and cheaper whenever mains power is available.
mike weeks said:
use 1 for the foreground and 1 for the background, don't really need another pair

Mike
Click to expand...
One for the foreground IS an option, One for the background isn't because it's a Santa grotty scene, which will need to have reasonably even lighting, i.e. 2 lights.
So, the OP will either need to get at least one more light, or get better taste, or get rid of the cause of the problem:)
 
Garry Edwards said:
Yes. Lithium battery technology is great, but some things, for example vacuum cleaners and flash heads, are just much better, simpler and cheaper whenever mains power is available.

One for the foreground IS an option, One for the background isn't because it's a Santa grotty scene, which will need to have reasonably even lighting, i.e. 2 lights.
So, the OP will either need to get at least one more light, or get better taste, or get rid of the cause of the problem:)
Click to expand...

Depends on the scene, have successfully lit such scenes with 2 lights, after all cross lighting is so not right

Mike
 
Thanks for the advice everyone.

My existing speedlights, one is the Yongnuo YN568 (I did have two but broke one unfortunately) and I have a very old Nikon SB-600, all of which I fired using Yongnuo triggers YN-622. Will the godox controller work with the yongnuo triggers?
Of if not, can they work off the light being fired on the other strobes? Sorry, not sure what the correct term is for that :(

And Yes, better taste is definitely in order!!!
 
Whilst you can probably buy receivers that will trigger those flashes from the Godox remote, my advice would be to sell them and replace them with Godox TT685s, cost won't be that much different and then you only have one complete ecosystem to consider.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top