Using flash without external meter: possible?

Okay so here I am going for the most stupid question of the decade, but:





I just got two 400ws Bowens monoheads. Great! I am also broke for the rest of the month...


Is it possible to use them and not use external metering (since I wont be getting an external light meter until a few weeks from now but now these two heads are staring at me from the corner of the room calling my name and whispering things like grab me and use me). ;-)





I remember reading somewhere that you *could* meter exposure through the histogram and then adjust settings accordingly: it didn't make sense to me because you'd be readjusting alllll the time, right?





Yes: I have NO clue.

Sure you can, just review your exposures and adjust the output power on the strobes until you obtain a correct exposure. Set your desired aperature (i.e. f/8) and then adjust your shutter. It should only take you a couple exposures before you find the correct settings. If you could shoot tethered to a laptop that would be even better.

Hook a string to each monolight with knots at each foot. Do some testing at different power settings and different <span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;"]lengths and different f-stops. Use a high shutter speed(1/160) and take head shots. Open the images in photoshop and do a facemask histogram to find the exposure for each distance/power setting. Once you have this data you have what you need. Set the lights where you want them for key and fill. Now that you will be exposing with more than one light, set your f-stop to the key and take a test shot. It will probably be slightly overexposed. Make adjustment till you have it.


Facemask Histograms for Exposure Control


I hope this link works. You will probably have to register with your e-mail:


http://www.shootsmarter.com/index.php?option=com_content&amp;task=view&amp;id= 116&amp;acat=16


Have fun


Mark

I use all kinds of crazy lights, strobes, softboxes and umbrellas and I don't own a working light meter anymore (I do own a broken one). I find the brightness histogram provides enough information for me. I use an 18% gray card to set my white balance andlet Av mode get the exposure close. If the histogram is little over or under exposed, I switch to M mode and adjust to hit the middle or I set a little bit of exposure compensation.


It's probably just my eyes, but I find just looking at the LCD without the histogramcause me to shoot a little underexposed.