Embarrassing question about off camera flash

[erincarter]

First of all...I have no real experience with any type of portrait photography or using off camera flash.
I'm shooting with a D60 and just recently picked up an SB600 flash and have it set up to use off camera with the cactus wire-less flash trigger.

I want to learn more about portrait photography and off camera flash and my kids will be my primary practice subjects.

Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciate in regards to portrait photography using a single off camera flash like the SB600.

I've got things set up in my garage at the moment with a stool sitting in front of a black sheet for a background.
The "embarrassing" question I have to start with is...when doing portraits like this do you turn all the lights off in the room so the SB600 is the only light source? Like do I turn the overhead light off?

Thanks in advance for the help and advice

[Sime]

Hey Erin, no question is embarrassing :-) Welcome.

You can play around with the lights - on, off - most of the time you're going to want no other light sources than your flash / strobe - as you will end up with crazy shadows and so on... But get creative and see what you come up with.

Someone else might be able to tell you a little about the Nikon CLS system - I'm Canon so will hold off...

Sime

[Benji]

Originally Posted by erincarter

I've got things set up in my garage at the moment with a stool sitting in front of a black sheet for a background. The "embarrassing" question I have to start with is...when doing portraits like this do you turn all the lights off in the room so the SB600 is the only light source? Like do I turn the overhead light off?

Thanks in advance for the help and advice

One big problem people have who use speedlights as their off camera light source is there is no modeling light on speedlights. The modeling light is a light that studio type flash units have that will show the photographer what lighting pattern the flash will give him or her when it fires. Without a modeling light you must approximate the position of the speedlight, make an exposure, check the LCD screen, adjust the light, shoot, adjust again, shoot adjust again until eventually you get a pleasing lighting pattern. With a modeling light, you turn it on then look at the subject, move the light up or down and/or move it in a circular arc around the subject either toward the background or toward the camera until the light is properly positioned, then you shoot. I suggest:

1. Put the speedlight on a light stand and aim it into an umbrella, then add a clamp on light (available at any hardware store) with as powerful a spotlight type bulb as will fit into the socket and clamp it onto the umbrella shaft shining into the umbrella. Pose the subject, by seating him or her on a short bar stool at a 45 degree angle to the camera, then place the light about 1/2 way between them and the camera, up about five feet high and about four feet away from them. On the opposite side of the main light you will position a silver reflector so the "wasted" light from the umbrella will strike the reflector and be redirected back onto the shadow side of the subject. It is better to have the reflector closer to the camera than the subject. See my diagram below and note the positions of both the main light and the reflector. DO NOT allow the light bulb to get too close to the speedlight as the bulb gets hot and will melt the speedlight housing! I would position it opposite the speedlight (in other words under the shaft hanging down and perhaps forward a bit from the speedlight.) A proper lighting pattern is one where there is no shadows in the eye sockets and the main light catchlight is at the 11 or 1 o'clock position in the eyes of the subject. To high a main light and there will be no catchlights. Too low and the catchlights will be at 9 or 3 o'clock.

2. Another problem you may have is using a black background. If the hair of your subject is dark it will blend in with the background and you will have what is called a "floating head." (If they have blonde hair it won't be as noticable.)

3. The room you shoot in should be as dark as a closet at midnight when checking the position of the main light. Once you get it positioned you can turn on the overhead lights, provided you use a shutter speed of 1/100 or so the ambient light will not show (unless it is direct sunshine coming through a window or something.)

Benji

P.S. My diagram shows a softbox. While an umbrella faces the opposite direction, the light still comes out in the same direction as shown.