Doing events entirely with off camera flash


Andy Ljw

New Member
Dec 10, 2015
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Singapore
www.500px.com
Hello people!

I'm wondering if people have done it before, and is it practical, doing an entire event with one off camera flash on a stand instead of on your camera's hotshoes.
I have a event coming up and it's just of a speaker in a large space with probably 40-60 people, most likely seated.
The set up im thinking of using is wireless trigger on camera and with a speedlite(with flash bender defuser) on a light stand.

Anyone tried it before, do share your experience!

Another question, with a two camera set up, how do you carry both camera bodies with flash around? currently using a 70-200 with flash on a peak design slide, and a wide angle(without flash) on my belt using a peak design capture pro.

Thanks in advance!
 

You just need to take a few shots of speaker is more than enough. Taking too many photos of the speaker during the speech is very irritating, using flash is 2x irritating. Keep it simple, everyone will be happy.
 

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I often do this.
Usually its for pre-school concerts.

As Catchlights have said, you probably don't need that many picts of the speaker. :D
As such, flash on camera might do just fine.


Anyway, what I do for the concerts.
I place 2 lights on lightstand at its highest.
The lights are setup to bounce towards the stage.
In other words, they become like light fixtures wrt lighting the stage.
Light ratios can be controlled if necessary since I'm using YN560IV.


Addtionally, to be safe, I have a 3rd flash mounted on the camera.
This ensures that if I find myself in a spot where the 2 fixed lights are not enough, the one on the camera will provide the lighting.
It also helps give a little bit more emphasis on the subject of focus.
 

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Hello people!

I'm wondering if people have done it before, and is it practical, doing an entire event with one off camera flash on a stand instead of on your camera's hotshoes.
I have a event coming up and it's just of a speaker in a large space with probably 40-60 people, most likely seated.
The set up im thinking of using is wireless trigger on camera and with a speedlite(with flash bender defuser) on a light stand.

Anyone tried it before, do share your experience!

Another question, with a two camera set up, how do you carry both camera bodies with flash around? currently using a 70-200 with flash on a peak design slide, and a wide angle(without flash) on my belt using a peak design capture pro.

Thanks in advance!

I've hired a photographer who uses OCF for actual day wedding coverage, so if you know what to do with it, it can be very practical. If you're still a bit unfamiliar, need a lot of test shots to nail down the right settings and positioning, then it may be unpractical. Catchlights makes a very good point - Use sparingly, or it will be overly distracting for both speaker and attendees.

For a two camera setup, a dual camera holster is one option for helping spread the weight out. Some ppl don't like it cos depending on your movement, it might swing about a bit.

rs-dr-1-double-strap.jpg


(photo via www.ohgizmo.com)
 

This is my present setup...can say it's an off camera but nowadays no one uses this any more
but more of on camera (hotshoe)setup. Agree with the bro Catchlights minimise flash usage
on speaker and also bear in mind the logistic of ferrying around multiple flash setups.

1379451_10201250139349134_1647723068_n.jpg
 

Well as long as it serve my purpose it's fine with me ;)

+1 if its working, don't change it. :)


We can add new techniques as tech progresses, but having the good ole tried and proven ones is certainly more assuring.
 

Hello people!

I'm wondering if people have done it before, and is it practical, doing an entire event with one off camera flash on a stand instead of on your camera's hotshoes.
I have a event coming up and it's just of a speaker in a large space with probably 40-60 people, most likely seated.
The set up im thinking of using is wireless trigger on camera and with a speedlite(with flash bender defuser) on a light stand.

Anyone tried it before, do share your experience!

Another question, with a two camera set up, how do you carry both camera bodies with flash around? currently using a 70-200 with flash on a peak design slide, and a wide angle(without flash) on my belt using a peak design capture pro.

Thanks in advance!
do remember, you are doing an event shoot, not a portrait session, get a few good shots of the speaker at the beginning of his speech is enough and that is all they expect you to do.

using two camera set up is more like wedding photographers will do, not so much for event shooting, if you can, try to observe how the press photographers work in such events
 

This is my present setup...can say it's an off camera but nowadays no one uses this any more
but more of on camera (hotshoe)setup. Agree with the bro Catchlights minimise flash usage
on speaker and also bear in mind the logistic of ferrying around multiple flash setups.

1379451_10201250139349134_1647723068_n.jpg

Where to buy that big diamond?

This one is not off camera flash, it is still connected to camera. Off camera flash is far away from camera. Sorry to teach you but can you tell me where to buy the diamond please?
 

Where to buy that big diamond?

This one is not off camera flash, it is still connected to camera. Off camera flash is far away from camera. Sorry to teach you but can you tell me where to buy the diamond please?

As long as the flash is not placed onto the body hot-shoe, it will be considered off-camera...
 

Where to buy that big diamond?

This one is not off camera flash, it is still connected to camera. Off camera flash is far away from camera. Sorry to teach you but can you tell me where to buy the diamond please?

This what off camera flash will give you :) By the way it's bounced

1374347_10201253860002148_1101239949_n.jpg
 

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+1 if its working, don't change it. :)


We can add new techniques as tech progresses, but having the good ole tried and proven ones is certainly more assuring.

It's still working fine and a good combo at that........old tech with new tech ;)
 

This what off camera flash will give you :) By the way it's bounced

1374347_10201253860002148_1101239949_n.jpg

"In bounced flash, the light source is changed to the wall or ceiling it bounced against, so it does not matter if your speedlight is on camera hotshoe or 2 inches away on a bracket. You are just carrying extra weight." Sorry my teacher say one, not mi, I listen and learn. Nice photo.
 

Lugging a flash on lightstand is definitely not going to be practical. Most practical is flash on hotshoe. And what light modifiers are you going to use on the flash? Bulky ones like soft box have a higher chance of being knocked down by passerby. The other extremely cumbersome part is having to constantly adjust the direction of the lightstand towards your subject(s), unless you set up a permanent spot and get all your subjects to pose there.

The bounced flash method works for most event types and customer is normally satisfied with the outcome. Fiddling with off camera flash may instead cause you miss the money shots, resulting in pissed off client.
 

"In bounced flash, the light source is changed to the wall or ceiling it bounced against, so it does not matter if your speedlight is on camera hotshoe or 2 inches away on a bracket. You are just carrying extra weight." Sorry my teacher say one, not mi, I listen and learn. Nice photo.

I have been carrying this outfit for the past 20 years so there's no weight issue for me :)
 

"In bounced flash, the light source is changed to the wall or ceiling it bounced against, so it does not matter if your speedlight is on camera hotshoe or 2 inches away on a bracket. You are just carrying extra weight." Sorry my teacher say one, not mi, I listen and learn. Nice photo.
Between listening and learning there should be the thinking, and again after learning, and again after doing it for a while. No hard and fast rule.
The bracket also changes the handling of the camera, something that might be more important at the end of the day than whether the bracket changes the light from flash.