Chapter 5: Setting Up a Wireless Studio

The beauty of Speedlites is their small size and portability. You can easily fit several Speedlites, stands, remote triggers, gels, extra batteries, umbrellas, and additional light modifiers into one gear bag.

In this chapter, I show you what equipment you need to set up a home studio suitable for portrait and small product photography. Because not everyone can come to your studio, location work makes up a good part of what photographers do. Being able to quickly grab your gear and go is key. This chapter covers what you need to make your studio mobile. With continuing advances in Speedlite technology and equipment getting smaller and more powerful every day, many tasks previously handled by cases of heavy studio lights can now be achieved with one bag of lightweight Speedlite gear.

Introduction to the Portable Studio

In addition to a well-equipped studio, most photographers also find that they need a portable lighting kit. This kit should be compact, lightweight, and ready to go whenever you need it. Having a checklist of equipment to pack when you’re heading out can be very useful, or even better, a packed bag of gear for location shooting that’s always ready and waiting.

5.1 Everything you need to create beautiful location lighting can easily fit into one bag such as this 22 × 16 × 8-inch Lightware MF 1420 Multi-Format Case. For many assignments, this and a camera bag are all you need.

Ideally, a portable lighting kit should include the following items:

▶ At least one Speedlite, preferably radio enabled

▶ An E-TTL cord (to get the flash off your camera)

▶ One or two collapsible reflectors to fill in shadows created by the flash

▶ A collapsible diffuser to filter the sun

▶ A compact umbrella or small softbox to soften light from the flash

▶ One or more light stands

▶ An empty sandbag for each light stand

As your lighting knowledge grows and your technique develops, you’ll likely want to add additional equipment to your kit. This includes the following:

▶ More Speedlites (ten is excellent, four is great, and you can do a lot with just one or two)

▶ Wireless radio transmitters/receivers to remotely trigger these flashes

▶ Various grip heads to put in places where stands won’t work

▶ Brackets for attaching multiple Speedlites to one stand or modifier

▶ Softboxes with different shapes and reflective interior surfaces to create different qualities of light

The following sections examine some of the extra equipment to consider as you build your own location lighting kit.

Cables, Cords, and Triggers

Obviously, using cables and cords doesn’t fall into the category of working wirelessly. However, I’ve included them here because they’re inexpensive solutions and a great way to get started using your flash off of the camera. If they’re long enough, cables and cords can offer plenty of flexibility and portability. There are cables, cords, and accessories of all stripes and colors. Here are the ones I feel are worthwhile.

Extra-long E-TTL cords

Getting your flash off the camera is the single biggest step you can take to dramatically improve the look of your flash photography. However, accomplishing this can seem like an expensive proposition when you’re first starting. You have many options at your disposal, including optical slaves, master flash and slave flash arrangements, infrared (IR) E-TTL transmitters (those that maintain a connection with the camera’s metering system), radio transmitters and receivers, both manual and E-TTL, and E-TTL cables.

One of the least expensive ways I know to get your flash off the camera while still remaining connected to the camera’s metering system is by using an E-TTL cable. Until recently, these cables have been very short and sold in coiled configurations that caused them to retract, possibly pulling your gear in unwanted directions.

Photographer Syl Arena has recently created an extra-long and uncoiled E-TTL cable, available online at http://ocfgear.com in 16- and 33-foot lengths, for $49 and $65, respectively, at the time of printing. So think about it: If you’ve got only one Speedlite, you can start taking your flash photography to an entirely different level for about 50 bucks! If you’ve got two Speedlites, with this extra-long E-TTL cable you’ll be able to shoot with not just one but both flashes off the camera in either manual or full E-TTL mode! All you have to do is have the Speedlite that’s connected to your camera with the OCR gear E-TTL cable set as the master flash and the second flash set as a slave.

These settings were covered in Chapter 1, but here’s a quick refresher. On the 580EX II, just hold down the Zoom button for four seconds and choose the Master Flash option, and then do the same thing on the second flash but set that one to Slave Flash. Now both flashes are connected to the camera’s metering system and will fire at the same time. Refer to Chapter 4 for 600EX/600EX-RT instructions.

Courtesy of OCF Gear

5.2 OCF Gear’s extra-long E-TTL cable pictured with a camera and Speedlite

Custom cables

If you’re a tinkerer, jerry-rigger, and do-it-yourselfer like I am, you’ll definitely want to know about Michael Bass Designs. Michael Bass is a practicing dentist who also designs custom cables, signal splitters, and brackets.

As you descend into the rabbit hole of multiple Speedlites, E-TTL and non-E-TTL signal splitters, and do-anything-you-want cables, you’ll definitely want Michael Bass Designs along as your guide. I use his cables to trigger four Speedlites in full E-TTL mode with only one trigger transmitter and one of Michael’s amazing splitters! You can find cool stuff and more information at www.michaelbassdesigns.com.

Cable releases

Cable releases allow you to trigger your camera’s shutter remotely while it’s mounted on a tripod without ever touching it. This eliminates the possibility of unintended camera shake that can cause blurry images.

Wired and wireless cable releases are a great solution for low-light photography, where long shutter speeds are required. Using a cable release helps you freeze the action with your flash while providing a shake-and-blur-free way to capture the rest of ambient light during long exposures. This is a great way to add some motion to your flash photography.

I use the Vello Wireless ShutterBoss Timer Remote RCW-C2 and ShutterBoss Timer Remote RC-C2. Both have tons of features and are very reliable. More information is available at http://vellogear.com.

Tethered shooting

Tethered shooting, connecting the camera to a computer via a cable or wireless device, is not only a great way to preview images on a much larger, more accurate screen than the camera’s small LCD, but also gets your images onto your computer where you want them.

Popular software titles, such as Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, Apple Aperture, and Capture One, allow tethered shooting and remote camera control. Several options are available for connecting your camera to your computer. The simplest, least expensive, and best way to get started with tethered shooting is to use a USB cable to connect your camera and computer. (Check your camera and computer manuals to confirm cable requirements.) As always, when using cables of any kind, exercise caution to avoid injuries from tripping. I recommend taping down cords and cables with gaffers tape whenever possible. Wireless options include camera grips, transmitters, and memory cards that use radio frequencies to transmit the camera’s files to a computer. For iPhone and iPad owners, OnOne Software’s (www.ononesoftware.com) DSLR Remote app works wirelessly with many cameras over a Wi-Fi network, letting you control the camera remotely and preview exactly what’s being captured.

To effectively shoot tethered either in the studio or on location, you’ll want some additional hardware specifically for this purpose, for this I recommend a company called Tether Tools (www.tethertools.com). A relatively new and innovative company, Tether Tools manufactures an array of useful equipment that makes tethered shooting much easier.

Radio triggers

Radio triggers allow flashes to be fired wirelessly from the camera. They function in pairs, requiring a transmitter and least one receiver, provide a range of approximately 1600 feet and are available in manual and full E-TTL versions from companies such as RadioPopper (what I use) and PocketWizard. Canon’s new flagship Speedlite, the 600EX-RT, and the Speedlite transmitter ST-E3-RT have built-in radio transceivers.

Radio triggers operate by using radio waves and, therefore, are not constrained by the range and line-of-sight limitations of the infrared (IR) technology. IR sensors work well when there is a direct line of sight between both the master flash and slave flash and distance between the two is relatively short. Direct sunlight can also cause problems when using IR sensors.

White Balance and Filters

Controlling white balance and exposure are two of the most important aspects of working with Speedlites. I examine both in the following sections.

White balance and the ExpoDisc

Obtaining the correct white balance in mixed lighting situations can be challenging. An example of this is when flash is your main light source and tungsten (household bulbs), fluorescent, or other kinds of light are also contributing to the exposure. This is a challenge because handheld flash units and studio strobes are balanced for daylight at a color temperature of 5500 Kelvin (K) while tungsten light is between 2700 and 3200 K and fluorescent lights are anywhere from 3400 to 6300 K. When the color temperatures of the light sources present aren’t all the same, the result is a different colorcast from each kind of light contributing to an exposure — flash, tungsten, fluorescent, and so on.

NOTE The numbers followed by a “K” in this section are taken from the Kelvin scale, which measures the color temperature of different light sources. Unlike traditional temperature measurements, on the Kelvin scale, the lower the temperature number, the warmer (yellower) the color of the light source, and conversely, the higher the temperature on the scale, the colder (bluer) the color of the light source.

It’s when you throw in mercury lamps, xenon short-arc, high-pressure sodium, halogen, and metal halide light sources that your head really starts spinning. Identifying these lights on location and knowing their color temperatures can be difficult even for an expert. In this scenario, it’s hard to correctively gel your Speedlites because you’re unsure of the temperature to correct for.

Fixing color balance issues in post- production when shooting RAW files can be a time-consuming task and sometimes very challenging. If you’re shooting JPEG files, then your white balance is fixed once the exposure is made and cannot be altered after capture. Neither scenario is ideal, so why not get it right in the camera in the first place?

This is where a fantastic tool from ExpoImaging (www.expoimaging.com) called the ExpoDisc saves the day. This simple tool allows you to quickly and easily create a custom white balance for your camera to use that is based on the dominant (main) light source in your scene. I use the ExpoDisc on nearly every shoot, and it saves me a ton of time and unnecessary headaches in post-production.

The big white balance takeaway is this: your camera can only set white balance for a single color temperature. It’s that simple. You’ll want that temperature to be the same as your main light source (flash) and preferably your ambient light sources as well. If you know the color temperature of the ambient light sources, ideally you’d gel your Speedlites to match them so that all your light is the same temperature. The second step is to use the ExpoDisc to create a custom white balance based on main light source (your gelled Speedlite). If you’re unsure of the color temperature of the ambient light (industrial settings, and so on) just use the ExpoDisc to create a custom white balance based on output from your Speedlite (your dominant source) and you’re good to go. Please refer to Chapter 3 for additional information about white balance.

Neutral density filters for wider apertures

Shooting with wider apertures is great way to add drama to your images by blurring the background and keeping the focus on what’s happening in the foreground. Shooting with Speedlites can present a challenge for this technique because, once at your maximum sync shutter speed, you’ll need to stop down your lens to create a balanced exposure, thereby losing those much-sought-after blurred backgrounds. High-speed sync hardware solutions exist and are also discussed in this chapter. However, there is a simple, effective, and inexpensive solution for this problem — neutral density (ND) filters! These filters, available in various densities, attach directly to the front of your lens or to a filter holder and cut the amount of light reaching your camera’s meter and sensor in varying degrees. This then allows you to open up your aperture again and get those lovely blurred backgrounds. I use the LEE Filters Gel Snap 4 × 4-inch Filter Holder and 4 × 4-inch Neutral Density Polyester Filter Set (www.bhphoto video.com).

Light Modifiers

Light modifiers are tools you add to your light source(s) to focus, bend, shape, direct, diffuse, color, and reflect light. These tools allow photographers to create the light they want, where and when they want it. If the light you need isn’t available, you have to be able to create it. Light modifiers help you do just that.

With the help of accomplished professional photographers like Joe McNally, Syl Arena, and David Hobby of Strobist.com leading the way, the understanding and popularity of Speedlites is increasing every day. If you’re the do-it-yourself type or on a tight budget, then the Internet should be your first stop. It’s chock-full of tutorials showing you how you can construct your own light modifiers from common household items. If you’d rather get right to shooting instead of tinkering, there’s no shortage of amazing light modifiers commercially available for your specific flash.

The Honl Photo Professional Speed system is one such line of products. It’s a collection of lightweight, durable, and affordable light modifiers. Designed to universally fit all shoe-mount flashes, these versatile light modifiers provide photographers with an assortment of very useful light-shaping tools.

The Honl Photo Professional Speed system is an assortment of grids, snoots, bounce card reflectors, and gels that attach quickly and easily to any shoe-mount flash via the Speed Strap, a simple, nonslip Velcro strap that wraps around any flash head without the use of annoying adhesives.

Lastolite’s Strobo Kit is a clever new addition into the field of lightweight modifiers for Speedlites. This versatile system, designed around a series of magnets, allows grids, gels, and gobos to be attached directly to a flash either individually or in combination. Optional barn doors (four movable panels, mounted top, bottom, left, and right) used to control the shape and spill of light are also available.

5.4 The Honl Photo Professional Speed system includes gels, grids, a snoot, and a bounce card reflector, each attached using the Speed Strap mounting design.

Both of these systems allow you to bring studio-style lighting control into the field. You can find out more at www.lastolite.us and www.honlphoto.com.

All of these items, as well as what they do and when to use them, are covered in the following sections.

Reflectors

Reflectors do what their name implies: they reflect light. They’re primarily used to reflect light back onto a subject and help open up shadow areas, but they also can be used to block harsh light from the sun. If there’s one piece of lighting equipment to invest in when you’re starting out, this is it. Good quality, inexpensive commercial reflectors are readily available and essentially like having an additional light source without having to pay for one.

That said, almost anything with a white, silver, or gold surface can be used as a reflector — a piece of white foam core, insulation boards with reflective metallic facing, or a white wall. I’ve even seen pillowcases used in a pinch. If you go the foam core route, try to find a piece that has white on one side and black on the other. That way, you’ll be able to add as well as subtract light with the one board!

When using 4 × 8-foot sheets of foam core board in the studio as reflector panels and V-flats (two 4 × 8-foot sheets taped together along the center seam to form a V), you’ll want a way to easily position and move these large panels around your studio. Foamcorestands.com makes inexpensive wooden foam core board stands that are perfect for this.

Portable reflectors with multiple reflective surface fabrics are available from many top-quality manufacturers, such as California Sunbounce, Lastolite, F.J. Westcott, and Photoflex. Most of these are either aluminum or PVC tube frames that fit together and then have reflective fabric stretched over them. These types of reflectors, generally available in 4 × 4, 4 × 6, and 4 × 8 feet, break down into portable carrying cases for transport.

When it comes to location shooting, collapsible reflectors are a great option. These super portable reflectors are twistable frames with fabric stretched over them. They are perfect for photographers on the go. The Lastolite 33-inch TriFlip 8-in-1 kit is my tool of choice. It comes with eight different surface skin fabrics (2-stop diffuser, Gold, Sunfire, Sunlite, Silver, SoftSilver, White, Black) and a very useful molded handle for handheld use (an optional mounting bracket for a light stand is also available). It also twists down to a third of its size into a disc-shaped carrying case. Learning how to twist down the reflectors to their compact size can take a little getting used to, but after you get the hang of it, you’ll wonder how you ever got along without these great tools.

The surface skin fabrics provided with the TriFlip and other reflectors each create a different quality of light when reflecting it. White produces the softest light, Silver adds more specularity/contrast (a slightly harder edge), Gold adds warmth to the shadowed areas, Sunfire and Sunlite are combinations of Silver and Gold, and the fully opaque Black blocks light entirely.

California Sunbounce reflectors and scrims are also very portable and some of the sturdiest on the market. They’re built to last and stand up to the demands of windy location shoots. The 2 × 3-foot Micro Mini is a reflector kit I use (with white and silver and gold and silver fabrics) in combination with the Sunbounce Flash Bracket. This arrangement allows me to handhold or stand mount the reflector with a Speedlite attached to it and bounce the light back onto my subjects. This is a very portable and flexible solution that produces a beautiful, soft light. The entire kit packs into a small shoulder bag that’s included. (See Chapter 6 for example images of these tools in action.)

Courtesy of Lastolite

5.5 The Lastolite TriFlip 8-in-1 reflector kit. This 33-inch collapsible reflector comes with eight different surface skin fabrics, has a very useful molded handle, and folds down to a third of its expanded size.

Courtesy of California Sunbounce

5.6 The California Sunbounce Micro-Mini and Sunbounce Flash Bracket provide a portable bounce reflector for location work.

Gels

Gels are thin sheets of polycarbonate or polyester placed in front of a light source, in the path of its beam. They’re used in theater, photography, videography, and cinematography to color light either for a creative effect or for color correction.

In photography, gels are used for two reasons: color-correcting the light output of your flash to match the ambient light temperature or adding color to create an effect. Adding gels to a flash diminishes the amount of light reaching the subject from that flash, depending on the flash’s strength. This is no problem when shooting E-TTL because the camera and flash processors take the loss of light into account and change the exposure or output accordingly.

When used correctively, gels are a great way to fix color balance in situations such as those where tungsten light and daylight-balanced flash are used together. In this scenario, you know that the color temperature of tungsten light is approximately 2700 K, so you can simply add what’s known as a CTO (color temperature orange) gel in front of your flash and all the light sources will be the same color temperature.

Gels can be obtained in various sheet sizes from professional camera supply houses like B&H Photo, Adorama, and Calumet. Complimentary gel swatchbooks are often available from these vendors, and with a little bit of effort they can easily be removed from the swatchbook and attached to the front of your Speedlite. Top manufacturers include LEE (www.leefilters.com), Rosco (www.rosco.com), Honl Photo (www.honlphoto.com), and Lastolite (www.lastolite.com).

Courtesy of Adam Duckworth

5.8 A red gel is used to add a large area of color to the background of this environmental portrait.

Grids and snoots

Grids and snoots are both used to focus and concentrate light exclusively on specific areas of a subject while excluding others. They help create drama and mood by focusing the viewer’s attention exactly where you want it. Using a snoot is an easy way to create a natural in-camera vignette with gradual light falloff. Adding a snoot to the front of your flash concentrates the light into a narrow beam. When using a snoot, you also want to set the Speedlite’s zoom setting to the maximum focal length. Because of this reduced spread of light, you want to pay special attention to your aim to assure the light falls exactly where you want it. A few test shots and you should be in business.

Snoots for Speedlites are commercially available from many sources, including Honl Photo, and can also easily be made from common household items. I’ve seen snoots made from all kinds of things including empty round oatmeal containers! I’ve also made them out of large round coffee containers that have a silver interior and a translucent plastic cap that can used as a diffuser.

Grids, which also fit over the front of the flash head, are typically either round or rectangular blocks with holes arranged in a honeycomb pattern cut through them, like looking through a handful of cut straws about an inch long. In fact, you can make do-it-yourself versions with everyday drinking straws! They are available in varying degrees of grid pattern tightness. The smaller the honeycomb grid pattern, the tighter or more narrow the resulting pattern of light from the flash. The results can be very dramatic and stylized. Using multiple Speedlites with grids, a technique often used to create an even more dramatic effect, is discussed in Chapter 6.

NOTE When you use gels and grids in combination, the gel should always occupy the first position in front of your Speedlite in your modifier stack. The grid would then have the second position in front of the gel.

A recent entry into the Speedlite grid market is ExpoImaging (www.expoimaging.com). Its Rogue line of grids and corresponding gels are unique due to their patent pending stackable design and the desirable round light pattern they produce. Interchangeable and stackable honeycomb grids provide 16-, 25-, and 45-degree spot lighting control. Their quality of light and systemized approach to adding and subtracting modifiers make this a worthwhile product to have in your bag.

5.9 Grids produce concentrated areas of light that quickly falls off. They’re typically available in round or rectangular honeycomb patterned grid material. The tighter the grid pattern, the tighter the pattern of light produced.

Diffusers, small flags, and bounce cards

Diffusers are another must-have tool. They break up light rays and scatter them into different lengths and different directions, producing soft lighting effects, less contrast, and greater falloff (the transition between highlights, diffused highlights, and shadows). As discussed earlier in this chapter, the Lastolite line of collapsible reflectors and diffusers are my tools of choice.

Ideally, you want to have one Lastolite 8-in-1 TriFlip and one Lastolite TriGrip, both the same size. This combination allows you maximum flexibility and creative options. The Lastolite TriGrip is a 33-inch collapsible panel that functions as both a diffusion panel and reflector, as described earlier. When the sun is directly overhead, with no cloud cover to help filter the light, a diffusion panel’s ability to soften the light is your best friend. Additional models, sizes, and diffusion fabrics are available in larger panel formats (discussed earlier in the reflectors section) from manufacturers such as F.J. Westcott, Photoflex, California Sunbounce, and others.

The ability to block light from the camera’s lens and sensor can be very useful when trying to eliminate unwanted lens flare caused by the sun or a light. Flare can be a desirable effect, but in some cases it can degrade image quality. It’s a creative choice, and diffusion fabric gives you control over when you want it and when you don’t. Black blocking devices, known as flags, can be as simple as a piece of cardboard or as complex as large stand-mounted fabric scrims. Whatever gets the job done of shading the lens from the offending light source will do the trick. When used with black fabric, the TriFlip can also be employed as a blocking scrim to completely shade the overhead sun. Black fabric or the 2-stop diffusion fabric is useful for controlling ambient light to varying degrees when using a Speedlite as your main source of illumination.

The next tool you want in your bag is the Sto-Fen. This custom molded cap of frosted plastic fits over the flash head and helps scatter and soften light. It’s compact, lightweight, and inexpensive. The Sto-Fen also works well when bouncing light onto surfaces by softening the light prior to it reaching the surface.

Another great way to modify light on the go is with the use of small flags, bendable bounce cards, snoots, and light modifiers that mount directly to your Speedlite. These small and very portable tools help shape, focus, and soften the light much like their larger cousins. ExpoImaging’s Rogue system (www.expoimaging.com) and Honl Photo’s Speed system (www.honlphoto.com) are two of my go-to tool sets. (See Chapter 6 for example images of these tools in action.)

Courtesy of Lastolite

5.11 The Lastolite TriGrip collapsible reflector can be used as either a diffusion panel or a reflector, has a very useful molded handle for handheld use, and twists down to a third of its full size.

Umbrellas

Photographic umbrellas are one the easiest light modifiers to use and should be the first choice for photographers looking to take their lighting technique to the next level. They’re lightweight, inexpensive, and included in nearly every lighting kit sold. Photographic umbrellas come in many different sizes and operate just like umbrellas used to keep you dry in the rain. The difference with photography umbrellas is they come with reflective or translucent coverings. Countless brackets allowing umbrellas, Speedlites, and stands to be joined together are readily available from various manufacturers. Note the just-released handheld flash and umbrella bracket at the end of this section for a cool new entry in the bracket category.

Typically, you place the umbrella to the left or right of your subject, aim the flash head directly into it, and point the inside of the umbrella directly toward the subject from above at an approximately 45-degree angle. As counterintuitive as it sounds, the closer an umbrella is to your subject, the softer the resulting light is, and the farther away the umbrella (or any other light source for that matter), the harder the light. Multiple umbrellas can be used to achieve broader lighting coverage for larger groups and various other lighting patterns (see Chapter 6 for examples).

You can choose from three types of umbrellas:

▶ Standard. The most common type of umbrella has a black outside covering to keep light from getting through the fabric, with an inside surface coated with a reflective material that is usually white, silver, or gold. These are designed so that you can point your Speedlite into the inside or concave side of the umbrella and bounce the light back onto the subject, resulting in a nondirectional, soft light source. These types of umbrellas can also be very effective when trying to achieve a bright white background (see Chapter 6 for examples).

▶ Shoot-through. Manufactured out of translucent nylon material, these umbrellas enable you to fire your Speedlite through them, producing a softer light similar to that of a softbox. As the name indicates, with shoot-through umbrellas, the back or convex side of the umbrella faces your subject, and the flash is fired through the translucent material onto your subject. Because the light source is being diffused, the light is softer than that produced by using a standard umbrella.

▶ Convertible. Convertible umbrellas have a white, silver, or gold lining inside and a removable black cover outside. You can use these umbrellas to bounce light back toward your subject or, with the backing removed, as a shoot-through. If have only one type of umbrella, this is the one I’d recommend because it’s economical and versatile. It’s like getting two umbrellas in one. Lastolite recently released an 8-in-1 convertible umbrella that I love, which, as the name implies, is like getting eight umbrellas in one.

Choosing the right umbrella really depends on its intended use. Photographic umbrellas come in various sizes, usually ranging from 25 inches all the way up to 121⁄2 feet. For standard headshots, portraits, and small to medium products, umbrellas ranging from 25 inches to about 40 inches supply plenty of coverage. For full-length portraits and larger products, a 60 to 72-inch umbrella (with two Speedlites inside for maxium power) is generally recommended. If you’re photographing groups of people or especially large products, you may need to go beyond the 72-inch umbrella or add a second light with an umbrella of the same size. Generally, the small-to-medium umbrellas lose about 11⁄2 to 2 stops of light over straight-on flash. Larger umbrellas generally lose 2 or more stops of light because the light is being spread out over a larger area. Smaller umbrellas tend to have a much more directional light than do larger umbrellas.

It’s important to note that keeping umbrella-to-subject distance as a constant, the larger the umbrella, the softer the light falling on the subject will be. This can be counterintuitive when you are starting out, but it is such an important concept that I think it bears repeating. By moving a light modifier closer, an umbrella in this case, you are also making it larger in relation to your subject. The larger the light source, the softer the light will be. The smaller the light source in relation to the subject, the harder the light.

NOTE The closer and larger a light source is to a subject, the softer the light will be and conversely, the farther away and smaller a light source is from a subject, the harder the light will be. Repeat that last sentence out loud until you know it cold!

For studio applications or location work where an assistant is available, larger umbrellas are a great choice for their soft quality of light. Keep in mind that these are large and cumbersome when set up and can take off like a sail if you’re working outside on a windy day. So be sure and have a few sandbags on hand, and an assistant is always a plus.

For on-the-go, light-on-your-feet shooting, smaller is definitely the way to go. There are many options in this category, but my personal favorite for compact umbrellas is the F.J. Westcott collapsible and coverable umbrella style 2011. This umbrella expands to 43 inches, which provides plenty of coverage for standard headshots, portraits, and small to medium product shots, and it folds down to an impressive 14.5 inches for easy transport. Convertible umbrellas are definitely your best bet when traveling because they can do more than one thing and minimize the equipment you need to carry.

The Softlighter II by Photek (www.photekusa.com) is a bounce-back umbrella with a front diffusion panel. Your Speedlite is mounted and fired pointing into it, away from your subject. The softened light is then reflected back from its white interior panels and softened again as it passes through a diffusion panel on the front of the umbrella. Uniquely constructed of ten reflective panels rather the usual eight, it produces a perfect circle of light as well as pleasing catch-lights and can be easily converted into a shoot-through umbrella. This tool is the perfect choice when beautiful, soft, diffuse light is what you’re after. I first saw this modifier used by Annie Leibovitz, and the results were nothing short of amazing. I had to have a set of my own. They’re available in three sizes, 36, 46, and 60 inches. I use them with an optional shoe mount light stand/umbrella adapter to accommodate Speedlites.

If you are just getting started with light modifiers, umbrellas are the way to go. They’re compact, simple to use, inexpensive, and attach to a light stand with a small bracket available at any photography store for around $20. Starting with a convertible umbrella is a great way to get your feet wet and experiment with the various kinds of light different umbrellas can produce. Find the quality of light you like and expand your collection of umbrellas from there.

Softboxes

As with umbrellas, softboxes are used to diffuse and soften light from a strobe to create a more flattering, natural result. Softboxes range in size from small, 6-inch versions that you mount directly onto the flash head to large boxes that usually mount directly to a studio strobe. Softboxes also come in a variety of shapes, such as large, rectangular softboxes to long, narrow stripbanks that produce thin highlights and directional beams of light.

Softboxes are usually closed around the light source with Velcro tabs, thereby preventing unwanted light from being bounced back toward the camera. The diffusion material evens out the light and reduces the possibility of creating hotspots on your subject. A hotspot is an overly bright spot on your subject, usually caused by bright or uneven lighting.

Many softboxes also offer versatility in the way the front panel attaches to it, which enables the photographer to control the spill rate from the light. A large Velcro strip on the front edge of the softbox allows you to mount the front panel either flush or recessed. Flush mounting creates a gradual falloff to the light, while recessed mounting tightens the edge of the light.

In the past, softboxes were generally made to be used with larger studio strobes. With so much innovation in the Speedlite space recently, photographers have many options for Speedlite dedicated softboxes from vendors, including Lastolite, F.J. Westcott, and Photoflex. F.J. Westcott’s Apollo line of Speedlite softboxes is a great set of modifiers.

Softboxes designed for studio strobes attach via a device called a speedring. A speedring is specific to the type of lights to which it is meant to attach. F.J. Westcott has eliminated the need for speedrings in its Apollo line of softboxes and octabanks (octagonally shaped softboxes), which are designed specifically for use with handheld flashes. These light modifiers open just like an umbrella and, along with a Speedlite, can be mounted to a light stand with the use of a swivel head bracket.

Most photographers use square, octagon, or rectangular softboxes and stripbanks, and, like any accessory, some perform better than others in certain shooting situations. Choose your modifier based on the task at hand. As with umbrellas, the size of the softbox you need to use is dependent on the subjects you plan on photographing. Softboxes can be taken apart and folded up pretty conveniently, and many of them come with storage bags that you can use to transport them. Don’t be disappointed when you struggle to squeeze your softbox back into its storage bag. It happens to everyone!

Flash-mounted softboxes

Small, flash-mounted softboxes are very economical and easy to use. You just attach the softbox directly to the flash head and use it with your flash mounted on the camera or on a flash bracket. That said, I always advocate getting your flash off the camera whenever possible for the best possible results. These small flash-mounted softboxes also work well with the flash attached to a camera bracket that incorporates an E-TTL cable and elevates the Speedlite above and to the left or right of the lens. Go this route when you can, and your images will be much better looking. This type of softbox is good to use while photographing an event, informal portraits, or candid wedding shots, or anytime you’d like to increase the quality of your flash’s light. You generally lose about 1 stop of light with a softbox when shooting with your flash set to manual power, but E-TTL takes this into account and compensates accordingly. For shooting small still-life subjects or simple portraits, this may be all you need to get started with your wireless or portable studio.

There are many compact mini softboxes available for Speedlites from manufacturers, such as Luminquest and others. However, one modifier that has recently caught my attention and become a quick favorite is the Traveller line of softboxes from Honl Photo. Available in two sizes, these softboxes mount to your Speedlite like other miniatures, but unlike the others, they’re round! This conical shape makes a difference, providing not only a more natural catch-light in the eyes but a beautiful soft quality of light, as well. The desire for more natural-looking catch-lights precipitated the advent of the hugely popular octabank softboxes discussed later. More info is available at www.honlphoto.com.

Stand-mounted softboxes

As previously stated, my advice is that you get your flash off your camera as soon as you possibly can to start achieving a vastly superior quality of light. After you do this, you’ll need a way to support the Speedlite and a modifier to control the output quality. You might consider a medium-sized softbox that is mounted, along with your Speedlite, onto a suitable light stand. The Lastolite EzyBox hot shoe is one such choice. This line of collapsible softboxes is fantastic. The softboxes travel in a small bag that is about a third of their expanded size and pop into a fully expanded size in seconds. They attach directly to Speedlites with an included universal bracket, they’re available in sizes ranging from 15 × 15 inches to 30 × 30 inches, and they are incredibly portable given their expanded size. I use two 24 × 24-inch EzyBox hot shoe softboxes and love them. These unique softboxes have a wire frame design similar to the collapsible reflectors discussed earlier. They’re a real godsend when you want to achieve a sophisticated quality of light but still travel light.

When working with just the flash and a Sto-Fen or a small softbox or umbrella, the Manfrotto 5001B Nano Retractable Compact light stand is a sturdy, reliable, and very compact stand to have at your disposal. For medium- and larger-sized softboxes, you need a sturdier stand to prevent the lighting setup from tipping over, especially outside, where even the slightest breeze can send a softbox flying. F.J. Westcott and Manfrotto manufacture a range of stands that work well, set up easily, and are highly portable.

Shooting on location presents certain considerations that don’t exist when shooting in a studio. Many cities and towns prohibit the use of light stands in public areas without a permit. Add to this the possible liability incurred if someone trips over your light stand, and you see how using one on location can be problematic. One great way around these issues is to use monopods and extension poles. These one-legged stands, also known as light on a stick, keep one to several Speedlites, a remote trigger, external battery packs, and a light modifier off the ground. With the help of an assistant (what photographers jokingly refer to in this case as a “voice-activated light stand”), these can be easily positioned exactly where you need them. One of my favorites is the Lastolite EzyBox HS Long Extending Handle (www.lastolite.us). A retractable paint pole paired with a Kacey Pole Adapter (www.kaceyenterprises.com) and a swivel mount bracket is also a great option.

Octabanks

Gaining in popularity recently is another type of softbox called an octabank, named for its somewhat circular, eight-sided construction. Larger studio units often contain an elaborate mounting system, while those developed to work with Speedlites look and operate very similarly to umbrellas but include a closed back to contain the light and add to the efficiency of the flash unit.

They mount to the stand in the same way an umbrella does, and they generate a wraparound, nondirectional type of lighting. They’re available in sizes ranging from medium all the way up to sizes larger than softboxes, and they can create soft light over very large areas.

Octabanks are considered by some photographers to be the most evenly lit (across their entire surface) large light modifiers available today. They have become more popular in large part because, compared to square and rectangular modifiers, they produce more natural, round catch-lights in subjects’ eyes (see Chapter 6).

Stripbanks

Stripbanks are a key component of my lighting toolkit. Try to think about each of your light modifiers like the different brushes on a painter’s palette. Each one is different and creates a different stroke and effect when applied to the canvas. As a photographer, you’re painting, only with light instead of oils. Your brushes are light and the modifiers that you choose to create different effects and qualities of light in your images. Stripbanks, which are narrow rectangles, taller than they are wide, cast a dramatic narrow shaft of light on your subject. They are extremely useful tools for creating edge light, rim light, dramatic split lighting effects, and other cool effects that I cover in Chapter 6.

One of my favorites is F.J. Westcott’s asymmetrical stripbank paired with a Magic Slipper bracket. It’s sold as a kit (Style 2221) and allows mounting a Speedlite, radio receiver, and external battery pack onto one compact unit that can be directly mounted to any light stand. I favor this stripbank because of the gradual falloff and feathered light it creates due to its asymmetrical (tapered at one end) design (see Figure 5.19).

Softbox alternatives

A few other easily assembled and cost-effective alternatives to commercially available light modifiers deserve mention. A homemade diffusion panel is basically a frame made out of PVC pipe with a reflective or translucent material stretched over it. I’ve seen bed sheets and shower curtains used in a pinch. You can run a 1⁄4-inch bungee cord through the pipe to keep all the pieces together, just like the professional ones. Because the PVC frame can be disassembled easily and packed away into a small bag for storage or for transportation to and from the location, it is a handy addition to the portable studio. This is good option until you’re able to get your hands on a more full-featured commercial version.

Commercial diffusion panels are usually 4, 6, or 8 feet tall and some have a base that allows them to stand up without a light stand or grip heads. The diffusion panel is placed in front of your Speedlite, which is then mounted on a light stand. You can move the Speedlite closer to the diffusion panel for more directional light or farther away for softer and more even light. By using one of these panels for a full-length portrait, you could group two or three Speedlites behind the panel, evenly spaced near the top and bottom of the panel to achieve even lighting (see Chapter 6).

A diffusion panel can also be used as a reflector when used in conjunction with another light source. Diffusion panels can be purchased at most major camera stores at a fraction of the price you’d pay for a good softbox. Make your own until you’re ready to invest in the real deal.

My favorite light modifier for product photography is the Lastolite Cubelite, available in sizes starting at 18 inches up to more than 6 feet. For those needing to photograph products both large and small regularly, these are worth a look.

Speedring conversion brackets

Many manufacturers offer hardware solutions that enable you to convert speedrings typically used in conjunction with studio strobes for use with Speedlites. This means that you can get double the use out of the studio light modifiers you may need or already own, such as softboxes, stripbanks, and octabanks. Speedring conversion brackets come in many configurations, providing options for from one to several Speedlites. One such adapter is the Magic Slipper from F.J. Westcott (shown earlier in this chapter).

Beauty dishes

Beauty dishes owe their name to their large parabolic shape and use in beauty photography. When used correctly, these modifiers produce a virtually shadowless light, similar to butterfly lighting, popular in today’s beauty, glamour, and portrait photography. A more dramatic, contrasty, and shadowed effect can also be easily achieved with this important tool. Both are very popular looks.

Available in varying degrees of specularity depending on the interior surface finish (silver or white), beauty dishes produce a circle of light that rapidly falls off, creating a natural in-camera vignette. Optional diffusion socks and discs are available to further modify the light. When beauty dishes are used in combination with a honeycomb grid (www.honeycombgrids.com), a tighter circle of focused light with an even more rapid falloff light results. This is a very dramatic effect and one that I love. (See Chapter 6 for beauty dish lighting examples.)

Ontario-based Mola Softlights has been producing beauty dishes for the professional market for over 28 years. Mola’s wide range of beauty dishes are used by many of the top pros in the industry. Recently, Mola released the Lumi Bracket which allows its 22-inch Demi beauty dish to be used in conjunction with Speedlites, a boon for Speedliters.

Ring flash

Talk to most photographers about ring flash, and you’ll get a decidedly passionate response. People either love the look or they don’t. I definitely fall into the first category and have been a long-time ring flash user. If you’re unfamiliar with the ring flash look, most of the celebrity portraits featured on Saturday Night Live are lit this way. The ring flash, a round flash tube that wraps around the lens in front of the camera, produces a flat, specular light with a telltale ring flash edge shadow around your subject and falling onto the background.

Long an expensive piece of studio equipment reserved primarily for fashion photographers, the ring flash is now available for Speedlite users, too! Czech photographer Dalibor Zyka has invented and manufactured a Speedlite ring flash adapter called the Ray Flash, distributed in the United States by ExpoImaging (www.expoimaging.com). I’ve fallen in love with this thing; it’s really impressive, and it rivals my pro ring flash that costs about 10 times as much. (See Chapter 6 for a Ray Flash lighting example.)

Specialty brackets

There are many innovative specialty brackets now available for mounting individual Speedlites or groups of Speedlites on stands and in conjunction with various modifiers. These are available from major suppliers or in some cases designed, manufactured, and distributed by photographers and machinists. Here are three of my absolute favorites:

▶ Lovegrove Consulting’s Flash Bracket MkVII. A custom-made and durable dual-locking ball-head design, this bracket allows a Speedlite to be mounted either vertically or horizontally on a light stand and positioned in virtually any direction.

▶ Lovegrove Consulting’s Gemini Twin Speedlite Bracket. This high-quality bracket allows two Speedlites and a set of radio triggers (RadioPoppers or PocketWizard Flex) to be mounted on a light stand and easily locked into multiple positions with its lever arm. Speedlites can be used alone or with an umbrella by using the bracket’s umbrella shaft. More information on both Lovegrove brackets is available at www.lovegroveconsulting.com.

▶ The FourSquare Block. Part of The FourSquare portable lighting system from Lightware Direct (www.lightwaredirect.com), the FourSquare Block is another innovative entry in this category. Used individually, it supports four Speedlites alone or inside a specially designed and easily portable softbox. If you would rather use umbrellas, the FourSquare block can also handle up to two umbrellas. In addition, there are numerous accessories available. When two FourSquare Blocks are used together, the second mounted behind the first, they are capable of holding an impressive eight Speedlites all in one convenient and rock-solid assembly.

Backgrounds and Background Stands

Whether you’re shooting portraits, products, events, or macro work, the background is an extremely important element in your photograph. The right background can help set the mood, aid in the story telling of the image, and elevate the mundane to the fabulous. The wrong background can have exactly the opposite effect and end up distracting the viewer from your intended focus. Even in sports photography and photojournalism, the background can often make or break the shot.

Portrait and studio photographers have several different options at their disposal regarding backgrounds for their subjects. Obviously, you could use a room setting and just throw it way out of focus by selecting a large f-stop, but having a simple background to support your portrait is one of the keys to keeping the viewer’s attention on your subject and making it stand out. Backgrounds come in a wide array of sizes, colors, and materials.

In environmental portraiture, a background can be as simple as a distressed brick wall in an urban alley or a beautiful mountain vista behind your subject. You are limited only by your imagination. The following sections discuss different types of commercially available backgrounds and their applications.

Seamless paper backdrops

Seamless backgrounds (also known as sweeps) got their name as a way to distinguish them from older canvas or muslin backgrounds that usually included a visible seam in their construction. The most common types of seamless backgrounds today are made of paper. Seamless paper backdrops are inexpensive and come in a broad range of colors. Standard rolls of background paper range from 3 feet to 12 feet wide rolls that are 36 feet long. The great thing about using paper as a background is that if it develops footprints, or gets dirty or ripped, you can cut off that piece and throw it away.

TIP It’s best to store your seamless paper backgrounds vertically instead of horizontally if you can, to avoid them developing a washboard effect over time.

One trick you can employ to do away with footprints on your seamless is to pick up a sheet of thin Plexiglas from your local home improvement store. Lay this Plexiglas down on top of the portion of seamless paper on the floor, and your footprint issues and tears are a thing of the past. When you’re shooting full-length or product shots, Plexiglas also produces a fashionable-looking reflection of whatever you put on top of it.

Starting out, obtaining a roll of the neutral gray paper is a good idea. You can use this background for just about any subject without worrying about the color of your subject clashing with the background. White paper is ideal for photographing subjects where you want a very clean or high-key look, just like many of the product shots used in this book. A black low-key background is good for making your subject pop where it appears to be the only thing in the shot, which is often desirable with dramatic portraits, lifestyle products, and jewelry.

CROSS REF For more information on high-key and low-key images, see Chapter 6.

To keep your background kit to a manageable size when traveling, it’s often more economical to buy larger-sized backgrounds and cut them down to the size you need with a hacksaw — your photo store can probably do it for you. This way, you can cut down the background to fit a case or bag you’re already using for your stands, as long as it provides adequate coverage for your portraits. Lately, I’ve noticed several photographers using snowboard bags to transport their backgrounds and stands with great success.

TIP When using white, gray, or black seamless backgrounds, I often use gels on a Speedlite behind the subject, aimed at the backdrop to create a background color. As previously mentioned, gels are pieces of colored polyester that you place over the light source to change the color of the light. Gels are readily available from professional camera shops and supply houses in a wide assortment of gel colors.

Collapsible backdrops

Collapsible backdrops are based on the same wire frame design as the collapsible reflectors and softboxes already discussed. They come in many sizes and colors, many being reservable, with a different color on each side. These backdrops twist down into compact carrying bags, require only one stand to support them from a center loop, and are a great option when traveling for everything but full-length work. F.J. Westcott has a full line of top-quality collapsible backgrounds that I use in my studio.

Muslin backdrops

Muslin is a durable, inexpensive, lightweight cotton material that can be folded, rolled up, or crammed into a stuff sack and still perform well as a background. When used for backdrops, it is usually dyed a few different colors with a mottled pattern to give the background the appearance of an out-of-focus texture. You can purchase muslin at most well-stocked photography supply houses or online. If you have very specific needs, there are companies that dye muslin fabric to a custom color of your choice.

TIP The Internet is great place to find sources and ideas for backgrounds. A few top background suppliers are Denny Manufacturing (www.dennymfg.com), Barbour Backdrops (http://barbourbackdrops.com), Backdrop Outlet (www.backdropoutlet.com), and Owen’s Originals (www.owens-originals.com).

You can drape muslin over your background cross-member or easily tack it to a wall. Muslin is very versatile, and although it’s much more suited to portraits, it can sometimes be used successfully for product shots as well.

Canvas backdrops

Canvas backdrops are very heavy duty. They are usually painted with a scene or a mottled color that is lighter in the center and darkens around the edges, which helps the subject stand out from the background by creating a vignette look. These types of backdrops are almost exclusively used for portraits.

Courtesy of Maheu Backgrounds

5.24 Hand-painted backgrounds like this one from Backgrounds by Maheu (www.backgroundsbymaheu.com) and those from Barbour Backdrops (www.barbour backdrops.com) help create one-of-a-kind portraits and distinguish the pro from the amateur.

When considering a canvas backdrop, in addition to the weight, you should also consider the cost. They are fairly expensive but, if properly cared for, can last a lifetime. Although you can get them in lighter-weight, smaller sizes, they cannot be folded and must be rolled up, and you must take care when transporting them. These are best suited for studio use.

TIP David and Julie Maheu of Backgrounds by Maheu (www.backgroundsby maheu.com) produce beautiful, custom hand-painted canvas and muslin backgrounds for some of today’s top professional photographers.

Contemporary backdrops

A new wave of contemporary backdrops with more modern designs and styling has recently come to market from backdrop company Drop it Modern (www.dropitmodern.com). Manufactured from top-quality micro-chenille fabrics with velvet flocking, Drop it Modern backdrops have quickly become very popular, opening up the world of backdrops to many who felt existing styles where dated, unappealing, and lacking in style.

Backdrop stands

Most background stand kits have three pieces: two identical stands and a collapsible crossbar. The crossbar slides into a roll of paper or other backdrop material and two mounting holes, one at either end, which slide over a support pin on the top of the stands. The crossbar is usually adjustable from 3 to 121⁄2 feet, to accommodate the various widths of backdrops. The stands are adjustable in height, up to about 101⁄2 feet. Most kits also come with either a carrying case or a bag for maximum portability. In certain circumstances, A-frame clamps are needed to secure backdrop fabric to a crossbar or keep seamless paper from unrolling. Having a couple sets of A-frame clamps on hand is always a good idea; they’re useful for all kinds of things.

There are varying degrees of quality in background stands, and the sturdier the stand, the more expensive it is. For a portable studio, a decent medium-weight background-stand kit suffices. Be careful when setting up stands and backgrounds, because they can become top-heavy and are easily prone to tipping over. Having a couple of properly placed sandbags helps to keep everything rock-solid.

Motorized backdrop support systems

If you’re anything like me, after you start using backdrops you’ll be hooked! More than likely, you’ll soon have a ballooning collection of backdrops with different styles and colors, each one with a different purpose. Multiple rolls of backdrop material or stacks of fabric can quickly become a storage challenge. Manually swapping 9- and 10-foot backdrops regularly is also time-consuming and no fun. Plus, I like to save my workouts for the gym!

This is when motorized backdrop support systems can be a big help. These wonderful modern conveniences will help get you organized in a hurry and make your life in the studio a lot easier. Mounted either on the wall or ceiling, they provide a space-saving solution that makes changing backdrops fast and effortless. I use a six-roller system from online retailer Pro Photo Connect (www.prophotoconnect.com).

Space Considerations

If you are fortunate enough to be able to dedicate a place in your home for your studio, you are that much more ahead of the game. Being able to test and retest lighting setups allows you to work more smoothly and quickly when you have someone in front of your camera posing for you or have a lot of objects to shoot in a short time.

Depending on the type of photography you plan to do, space considerations often come up fairly quickly in the plan. If you intend to do full-body portraiture, including a hair light, you’ll need at minimum a good 10 feet from the image’s background to the photographer’s back. Speedlites make it easy to do tabletop, macro, and still-life photography with a minimal amount of space, and they can also perform well with larger subjects. But remember that the larger your subject is, the larger the background needs to be. Everything expands from the camera’s eye proportionally; a four-person rock band can easily require a 12-foot background.

However, there are workarounds if you have limited space. Shooting outside is one option. Most cities and towns have dedicated studio spaces that can be rented by the day or half day. Many photographers are willing to rent out their studios when not in use for a nominal fee. Don’t be discouraged if you’re working with limited space but rather use it as a challenge to find new and creative ways to make the images you want.

Setting up for indoor shoots

One thing to consider when setting up indoors is finding a space wide enough to accommodate the background and stands. Remember that although your backdrop may only be 6 feet wide, the stands extend 2 or 3 feet beyond that. Next, you want to be sure that you have enough room in front of the background to be able to move back and forth, even with zoom lenses, to enable you to frame your picture the way you want it. Again, don’t be discouraged by space limitations; there are alternatives as discussed earlier.

Portraits

When photographing portraits, many prefer lenses with a medium-to-longer focal length. A lens in the 85-150mm focal length range is ideal because it compresses the scene slightly and keeps you a comfortable working distance away from the subject but not so far away that you’re unable to communicate. Unfortunately, with longer lenses comes the dreaded minimum focusing distance, which becomes greater as the lens focal length increases.

My personal favorite for portraits is the Canon 70-200mm 2.8 IS L series lens. It’s fast, meaning at its 2.8 aperture setting it lets a lot of light in, and provides beautiful background compression and blurred backgrounds at its wider apertures. One thing to be aware of when working with longer focal lengths is the possibility of increased camera shake issues at lower shutter speeds. Using a tripod or higher minimum shutter speed in these situations helps solve this problem. For example, with my 70-200mm, I know that to be safe when shooting handheld I need to use a shutter speed 1/80 second or higher to avoid images blurred by camera shake.

Depending on the kind of the image I’m creating, I like to select an aperture somewhere between the widest aperture and f/8 on the lens I’m using. The wider the aperture used, the more any distracting background elements can be thrown out of focus and the attention is brought back to the subject in your foreground.

If you use a long focal-length lens to photograph a standard head-and-shoulders portrait, ideally there should be at least 10 feet between the camera and the subject, 2 or 3 feet behind the camera for you, and anywhere from 3 to 6 feet between the subject and the background to be sure the model isn’t casting shadows on the backdrop because of your lighting placement. These sound like large spaces and they are; however, I’ve seen amazing things created in very tight spaces.

Be sure the area is wide enough to accommodate both the model and the lights comfortably. You want to have enough width to be able to move the lights closer or farther away from the model to fine-tune your light if need be.

Keep in mind the dimensions outlined here are ideal but definitely shouldn’t prevent you from using any space you have available to hone your craft. You may simply need to alter the way you shoot to accommodate your space. For example, if your studio space provides less than 10 feet of separation between you and your model, or your ceiling is lower than what’s desired, don’t worry, just shoot tighter and lower. Consider shooting medium-length seated portraits instead of full-length images until you graduate to a bigger space. If your space isn’t wide enough to accommodate six people, consider specializing in smaller groups. Everything doesn’t have to be perfect; the main thing is to shoot as much as possible in whatever space you have available.

Small products

Photographing small products requires a lot less room than photographing people. When shooting small objects, you only need a few feet between the camera and the subject. That’s almost half the amount of space you need for portraits. Use the 12mm and 25mm Canon extension tubes if you need to get in closer to fill the frame.

The ideal way to start lighting a simple product shot is to place the main light above and a little behind the product, or on the sides. This simulates a natural light and creates a slight rim light, which helps separate objects from the background. The next step is to note where the shadows fall and to fill them in if desired. You can either use an additional Speedlite as a fill light, or a bounce card or reflector to reflect light from the main light back into the shadow areas. Small, inexpensive, round, regular, and magnifying make-up mirrors can also work well for this.

Remember, pay attention to details when you are working with small subjects. Check and recheck your set before shooting. Dust can appear huge, and scratches and imperfections on the surface of an object can be very noticeable. Canned, nonaerosol air is great for removing dust from your setup right before you shoot. Some of this can be corrected later with retouching, but you should do anything you can to minimize your post-production time spent in Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Photoshop Lightroom at this point. This is what photographers call getting it right in camera!

Setting up for outdoor shoots

Putting a portable studio together ensures that you have beautiful light wherever you go. Remember, available light doesn’t just refer to the sun; it’s any light that’s available, including a Canon Speedlite. With the Canon Speedlite System, you can bring your lighting gear just about anywhere and not have to worry about plugging in for power. Shooting outdoors offers its share of advantages — for example, as mentioned previously, you have none of the space restrictions that you have inside — but it also includes obstacles that you must overcome.

Using your 600EX/600EX-RT, 580EX II, or 430EX II on-camera (and you know how I feel about that!), you’d likely use the sun as your main light, set the flash to E-TTL, and shoot. This is known as fill flash. If you take my advice and use your flash off-camera with stands and modifiers such as umbrellas, softboxes, and octabanks, you need to set them up as level as you can and use sandbags or bungee cords and stakes to hold them down. E-TTL shooting can also be accomplished using a cord or E-TTL radio trigger. Cords can be a real danger on set, so pay special attention to their placement and consider carrying a roll of gaffers tape to secure them to the ground. To keep light stands in place, some photographers purchase used fitness weights at yard sales, wrap them in bubble wrap, run a loop of rope through them, and hook them on the light stands’ adjustment knobs, a solution that works well.

Also, when you’re using a softbox or umbrella, be very conscious of the wind. Wind can take your light and softbox or umbrella and send it flying into the next county or worse — right into your subject! Protect the people around you and protect your gear by taking the necessary precautions to create a safe working environment. I speak from experience!

When shooting outdoors, the same lighting styles and looks previously covered can be used, but you need to pay extra attention to the sun’s position — note where it is now, where it’s going, and where it’s going to set — and plan accordingly. Different types of sunlight have different qualities and different color temperatures to consider:

▶ Bright sunlight. Bright sunlight can cause serious problems with exposure when using flash. When in bright sunlight, your camera may not be able to select a shutter speed that’s higher than its rated flash sync speed if it detects a Speedlite is attached. You may need a higher shutter speed to achieve a proper fill flash exposure even at your smallest aperture.

The way to solve this problem is to move your subject into a more shaded area or to use Canon’s high-speed sync on your Speedlite; or one of the RadioPopper E-TTL transmitters discussed earlier. This enables you to shoot at speeds higher than the actual sync speed of the camera when using the 600EX/600EX-RT, 580EX II, 430EX II, or macro Speedlites. This is very convenient if you’re shooting an outdoor portrait and need to use a wider aperture for less depth of field, which then requires a fast shutter speed. The High-speed sync mode causes the Speedlite to emit a series of lower-power flashes that coincide with the movement of the shutter across the digital sensor. The drawback to high-speed sync is that it diminishes the distance range and power output of the Speedlite. To compensate, you could gang up multiple Speedlites, increase the ISO or aperture settings, or switch the Speedlite to manual output settings. High-speed sync mode can be used all the way up to the maximum shutter speed of the camera.

NOTE High-speed sync is also available on older Speedlite models such as the 580EX and 430EX.

▶ Cloudy sunlight. This lighting occurs when it is overcast, but when you still have slight shadows. This is wonderful light to photograph in and is comparable to the light from a good softbox. All you may need to do in this light is use your Speedlite to add a little fill flash and some warmth.

▶ Open shade. Open shade is another ideal lighting condition to shoot in and happens when your subject is in the shade with a clear light blue sky overhead. In harsh sunlight, seek out any shade you can to work in; this gets rid of the nasty harsh shadows you see. If the light is so soft in the shade that it has no character, you can use your Speedlites to design the light you want.

When using light stands outdoors, having sandbags or weights on hand to prevent the wind from blowing them over is highly recommended. Sandbags are commercially available through photography stores. Again, better safe than sorry!

Traveling with Your Wireless Studio

A range of lightweight and innovative products are available to help you get your get your gear from point A to point B. Whether that happens to be across town, across the globe, or on a mountaintop, there’s a product for every need in this category.

Camera cases and bags

These are resources for the quality transportation and protection for your gear:

▶ Think Tank Photo. A company started by photographers for photographers, Think Tank Photo offers a huge array of smartly designed gear packs, airline cases, bags, and photo accessories for the traveling photographer. The company continues to innovate and come up with new products regularly. I’ve traveled all over the world with Think Tank bags, from its Airport Security rolling camera bag to its Retrospective shoulder bags, and I’m happy to report these products are top flight in build and quality. Think Tank Photo’s “Be Ready Before the Moment” philosophy has inspired airport cases and bags that have been especially well-received by photographers who need to know their gear is safe, even on extended trips. Think Tank equipment can be found at major photography supply houses and online at www.thinktankphoto.com.

▶ Lightware. This company has been making professional photo gear cases for decades. Lightware cases use a variety of lightweight, shock-absorbing materials to produce extremely protective gear bags that protect equipment many times their weight. They look clean and professional and can be found at major photography supply houses and online at www.lightwareinc.com.

▶ Pelican. You’ve seen some version of these cases in nearly every James Bond movie. Pelican cases are watertight, airtight, dustproof, chemical-resistant, corrosion-proof, and nearly bullet proof! They are built to military specifications and are unconditionally guaranteed forever. That’s right, forever. Pelican cases even float in salt water with a 55-pound load inside. A standard Pelican case holds two camera bodies, a wide-angle to medium zoom, a telephoto zoom, and two Speedlites and all the attachments. These cases are great for transporting lighting equipment; I’ve owned two large Pelican cases for years that I use for just this purpose. They can be found at major photography supply houses and online at http://pelican.com.

Cases are great for long-term storage, car transport, or airport shipping, but sometimes you have to carry all the gear to the location. Here are a couple of solutions for getting that gear where you need it:

▶ Shoulder bags. These are the standard, time-tested camera bags that you can find at any camera shop. However, choosing the right one makes all the difference. Materials and designs have changed significantly, and the new bags are sturdier than ever and come with user-configurable Velcro dividers and pads, sound dampeners, rain covers, and other perks. Bags come in a multitude of sizes to fit almost any amount of equipment you can carry. I use the Think Tank Photo Retrospective 30 and Urban Disguise 50 V2.0, both of which I love. These are easily found at major photography supply houses and online at www.think tankphoto.com.

▶ Backpacks. Backpack camera bags have grown in popularity as a new wave of participatory photography has attracted today’s image-makers, and backpack bags make it that much easier. Many offer laptop-carrying capabilities that make it effortless to have everything in one case. The Think Tank Photo StreetWalker HardDrive backpack I use holds two camera bodies, a wide-angle and medium zoom, a 70-200mm telephoto, two Speedlites, a battery pack, and a 15-inch laptop. It also has an attachment for a tripod and fits all the plugs, batteries, gels, sync cords, slaves, and other small accessories that go along with my gear.

Portable light stands

There is no way around it. You want the most stable stands you can find, so they won’t blow away in the wind, but you also need to be able to move them around quickly. Additionally, they need to fit inside your cases, along with the umbrellas and related gear, and be lightweight. This is no small order.

This is where the previously mentioned Manfrotto 5001B Nano Retractable Compact light stand comes in. This is the perfect stand for supporting Speedlites on location. Surprisingly strong for such a small size, it extends to 6.2 feet and folds down to 19 inches, making it very easy to fit into a location case like the one I use.

I wouldn’t attach a studio strobe to one of these stands in the studio, but their light weight makes them perfect for small flash support on location. Manfrotto’s Avenger and C Stand lines are substantially heavier and perfect for supporting larger softboxes and octabanks. Whichever one you decide to use, just remember to sandbag or weigh them down even in the studio.

Practice Makes Perfect

Here are a few key techniques to practice. Repeated practice is an indispensable way to learn what’s possible with each technique and get to know your gear.

▶ Source-to-subject distance. Using a Speedlite with a Sto-Fen diffuser, umbrella, or softbox, make one exposure with the light source as close as possible to your subject. Then move the light back 6 feet and make a second exposure of the same subject. Note the different quality of light this creates. Look at how much harder the transitions from the highlights to the shadows are. For beautiful soft light, keep your lights as close as you can.

▶ Reflectors. Pick up a piece of white foam core from your local art shop. With your Speedlite on one side, foam core on the other, and your subject in the middle, experiment with bouncing light back into the shadow areas on your subject created by the flash.

▶ Grids and snoots. Convert an empty round Quaker Oats container into a snoot by cutting off the closed end and cutting a shape in the plastic cap to fit your Speedlite (pointing directly into it). You may need a bit of gaffers tape. Notice how this funnels the light into a narrow beam. Pump up the effect by lining the inside with aluminum foil.

▶ Diffusers. Experiment with softer light by using a diffusion panel, handheld diffuser, or even an inexpensive semitransparent shower curtain! Trigger your Speedlite through the diffusion material. Start with your flash close to the diffusion fabric and then farther away.

▶ Convertible umbrellas. Experiment with the different qualities of light produced by bouncing light using the standard configuration, creating specular light using the silver interior, and shooting through the umbrella to create a softer light.

▶ Softboxes. Using the foundation lighting patterns in Chapter 6 as your guide, reposition your Speedlite and softbox and create six exposures, one for each lighting pattern.