 Tara Zerbe |
Lighting for Wedding Photography I have a friend that is getting ready to be married in July. I was planning on getting Excalibur 6400 strobes to shoot with, but the finances have not come through and the only thing that I have are two 160 watt strobes. This is a summer evening wedding (5:00 pm) and there are a total of 8 in the bridal party (including the bride and groom). Do you think that the two 160 watts will be enough light for proper exposure?
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Mark Feldstein |
6400's are 640 W/S monolights. Whether 160 full w/s are adequate for this gig depends on how you intended to use the monolights vs. how you plan to use what you have now, like on stands using radio slaves with what kind of modifiers or bracket off the camera or both and how far from the subject at what ISO, and using what focal length of lens under what 5 P.M.lighting conditions? Seewhatimeaneh? Take it light ;>) Mark
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Tara Zerbe |
I plan on using two monolights. One on either side of the wedding party. I will be using radio slaves. Lights will likely be set at the highest level that the stands will be able to go pointing somewhat downward. I haven't had the opportunity to see the church, but I'm assuming cathedral ceilings. Since the wedding is in July it won't be dark outside, but the lighting conditions will not be as bright as noonday. I will be shooting at 200 ISO. My lense right now is about a 4.5 speed. I just can't afford to sink the money into the 640's right now, but want to ensure that the quality will still be there if I shoot with the 160's. What do you think?
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Jerry Frazier |
How are you going to shoot an entire wedding with those strobes? That would be impossible, unless you have human tripods. I've never used anything more than Canon 550/580EX strobes for formals. These are actually very powerful. And, I also use them as external light either on a stand or with an assitant hold them on a monopod. The strobes you are talking about are way too over kill, will take too long to set up, by the time you get everything set, they'll be kicking you out of the church to get ready for the next wedding; or they just all want to go home and aren't going to wait for you to get ready. I'm lucky if I get 15 minutes in a church. At the reception, you can use both, but I'd just use one at the corner of the dance floor, and shoot it directly into the middle at about f/5.6. Have on-camera flash for fill when on the dance floor. When off the dance floor, just use your on-camera flash either direct or bounce (I prefer bounce, but you don't have a fast lens, so you'll have to settle for direct most likely). SnapShot Editor's Note: At BetterPhoto, we offer two outstanding online courses: Wedding Photography Techniques: An Introduction and Digital Wedding Photography.
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Tara Zerbe |
Thanks for the information. I've been basing my larger wattage needs on advice from other professionals. I am not going to shoot the actual ceremony in strobes, just the wedding party and family prior and after the ceremony. Everything else will be with my Nikon SB800 flash. From what I'm gathering it sounds like the 160's should be OK. Should I kick them up to the highest setting for both or have one at highest and one down a stop?
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Alan N. Marcus |
The Excalibur 6400, your hearts desire, is rated at 640 wattseconds. Further, its published guide number is 220 @ 100 ISO. Sorry to report that wattseconds cannot be converted directly into a guide number. There are too many variables so we must submit to the manufacture’s specifications or test for ourselves. Guide number: A value used to calculate a satisfactory exposure setting when using a flash. Electronic flash delivers a short blast of light. So short is the duration the shutter speed setting becomes moot. In other words, the flash from an electronic flash is so extremely short the shutter time has no effect on exposure. Therefore we are mainly concerned about calculating a proper aperture setting. Exception: If the ambient light is powerful, outdoors in sunlight, or lighted sports event, the use of a slow shutter allows ambient light to record along with the flash. The results can be are ghosting, streaking, and perhaps over-exposure. Therefore, you are advised to keep the shutter speed up unless you desire the ambient light to record (helpful as often the background goes black thus no sense of the sounding comes across. To calculate the aperture (exposure) setting using a guide number we estimate the subject-to-flash distance and do some math. Example: say the subject is 20 feet distant, we divide the distance into the guide number thus 220 ÷ 20 = 11 therefore we set our camera aperture f/11. Another example: subject 10 feet thus 220 ÷ 10 = 22 we set the camera aperture to f/22. While the use of the guide number is arguable in this era of automation and chip logic, it retains its value when setting our camera manually and for making comparisons between different brand and styles of flash. You can easily derive a guide number: Set up a test. Set your camera at the desired ISO say 100. Replicate the wedding party area. Position substitute subject at a distance 10 feet from the flash(s). Shoot a series at different apertures (f/5.6 – f/8 – f/11 – f/22 etc.). Select the best exposed frame. Let’s assume f/11 was best. Now multiple distance in feet times aperture thus: 10 x 11 = 110. This is your guide number. Warning: Published guide numbers are generally based on average conditions, i.e. a room with normal ceiling height and light colored walls. It will be necessary to open up the aperture a stop or two in an outdoor setting or sports arena. How to use: You are pre-positioned – wedding party distance 20 feet. Do the math 110 ÷ 20 = 5.5 round to f/5.6 this is the taking aperture. Don’t like this math? OK the formula as published by ISO commission to derive Guide Number “Guide number is the square root of (Effective Candlepower Seconds x .063 x ISO). Nobody said it’s easy! Alan Marcus (marginal technical gobbledygook)
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Mark Feldstein |
No offense Tara, but I think you'd do well to get down to either your local library or a bookstore like BN.com. Sounds like you're not only unfamiliar with how to shoot a wedding using artificial light, but types of equipment and how to use what you've got to your advantage. Your original plan will result in cross lighting your subjects which leaves nothing for shadow. It produces very flat lighting. You're shooting people not products, right? You also need to presurvey the church and reception hall so you can visualize your set-ups, be in position before you need to shoot, where to rig any lights, power sources like wall outlets if you need them, AND most importantly, being able to estimate what the available lighting will be when you shoot next month. Plan for both clear and overcast conditions. Take a light meter or your camera to get some light readings so you know what you're getting into. As Jerry said, a single strobe on a bracket like an SB800 should be fine BUT you should know where to be and have it orchestrated BEFORE the wedding. Attending rehearsals is a good idea. AND if you go with the SB800, get a separate, rechargable power pack, like a Quantum Turbo battery and cords to work with the SB800. It'll cut your recycle time to a second or so and even at full power, would get through about 200-250 shots before it needs a quick recharge. Pricey but worth the dough for what you're doing.
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Tara Zerbe |
Thanks for the information. It's been years since I've used strobes so I'm trying to get re-accquainted. I also had done limited shooting with them so I'm trying to learn by trial and error. I used to shoot with my Metz and that worked well, but when I made the switch to digital my Metz no longer works. I didn't think that my SB800 would be strong enough, but I have a light meter and can get the proper exposure reading from that. Since this is such an important date for my friend I wanted to make sure that I was going to be able to take quality photos for her on her wedding day.
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Jerry Frazier |
You don't need a light meter. Just set it to ETTL, and check the histogram and adjust. Take a test shot, adjust, take one more, and you should be good to go. It's easy. Make sure to shoot RAW in case you need to bump up the exposure a notch or two.
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Mark Feldstein |
What she needs to do, Jerry, is measure the light. You say "histogram", I say shmishtogram and just use a meter, especially because she already has one. The determination, either way, should be pretty much the same. Right? M
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Mark Feldstein |
Almost forgot: Not everyone shoots with pixels. How'd you know T has a histogram or exactly what kind of a camera she has? AH HA !!! ;>) Relax Jer. Just kidding with you. M
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Jerry Frazier |
Yeah, since going digital, I haven't any need for a light meter. I can use the in-camera meter to get an initial reading, then adjust based on the flash power. It works out fine.
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