Help on a lighting setup

Sprogkeeper

Sprogkeeper

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Name
Tina
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Does anyone have any tips to help me with balancing my flash heads to low ambient light? Basically, I have been asked to provide an event service for a party. Usually I would do a basic 45 setup to give an even light over a 10ft area. On this occasion I have been asked to light an area for group shots showing little candle tea lights in the background hung from a stone barn wall. Not sure where to start really so any advice greatly appreciated.
 
High ISO
Low flash power
Slow shutter speed

Just remember that the aperture controls the contribution made by the flash, the shutter controls the contribution made by the ambient light
 
Thanks, this was sort of in my mind but I wasn't sure on the high iso with strobes. I assume I need low output lights and try to get no lower shutter than about 60th of I'll get shake. I know the flash should freeze but won't the ambient counteract that?
 
Sprogkeeper said:
Thanks, this was sort of in my mind but I wasn't sure on the high iso with strobes. I assume I need low output lights and try to get no lower shutter than about 60th of I'll get shake. I know the flash should freeze but won't the ambient counteract that?
Click to expand...

If you use a wide angle lens, you can get away with a slower shutterspeed.
Basically, the rule of thumb is to use a minimum shutter speed of one over your focal length to mitigate the risk of camera shake. Therefore, you would use a minimum of 1/50th with a 50mm lens, 1/200th with a 200mm lens. The interesting bit is when you use a fast wideangle in low light, Easily get away with 1/30th on a 24mm lens.
With practice, you can manage slower than that.
 
Your problem will be subject movement. If there's no movement, it's easy - just set the exposure for the background and candles, and pop in the flash to balance (gelled for colour). Just as normal.

You'd be running a long exposure, but that wouldn't be an issue as I guess you have VR, or a tripod. However, if there are people moving as there almost certainly will be, then that changes everything.

So you've got to get the shutter speed up to a reasonable level with higher ISO and lower f/number. The flame from the tea lights will show up quite well, much better than the light they cast which will of course be feeble. I wouldn't even attempt to get that, just use an exposure which shows they are alight.

How you eventually balance everything up is down to judgement and the particular situation. If people are sitting and chatting you could probably get away with quite a long shutter speed, I'd take a punt at maybe 1/15sec, using the flash to freeze movement, and just put up with a bit of ambient blur with folks that can't sit still.
 
Is this not over-complicating a simple shot? At an event I'd be looking to use a straight froward an on-camera flash at lower power do the job.

Event service for the event shots and a shot with low powered camera flash for this one - You'd be wasting your time setting something up with larger lights in my opinion.
 
Thanks guys but I will be shooting straight to computer and printing off on the night.... A large photo booth thing. Groups of up to 16 people .... Pretty drunk so definite movement. 45 setup sells on the night with no editing so is a safe option for lots of people.... No shadows falling on others but i usually take a 10ft backdrop for this. On this occasion I just wanted to use an area at the venue to give the pics a little more personality.... Without killing off the ambient light. I have a d3s so low light is not a total prob but I would rather have the recycling times of big lights and the regular output. Just want to balance to the ambient To show the tea lights are lit. They are just on the night memory pics.
 
Sprogkeeper said:
Thanks guys but I will be shooting straight to computer and printing off on the night.... A large photo booth thing. Groups of up to 16 people .... Pretty drunk so definite movement. 45 setup sells on the night with no editing so is a safe option for lots of people.... No shadows falling on others but i usually take a 10ft backdrop for this. On this occasion I just wanted to use an area at the venue to give the pics a little more personality.... Without killing off the ambient light. I have a d3s so low light is not a total prob but I would rather have the recycling times of big lights and the regular output. Just want to balance to the ambient To show the tea lights are lit. They are just on the night memory pics.
Click to expand...

Shutter speed controls the ambient so really no choice - you have to slow the shutter speed down enough to get the ambient light although you could use a VERY high ISO to help.
 
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