Voice Activated Lightstand (VAL) Tips?

[Chuck Lee]

Settings...I was thinking of setting a 2:1 or 4:1 ratio between the on-camera 580EX II and the monopod mounted 430EX? Placement...my original thought was to cross light so since my key is on-axis I was just thinking of placing the VAL behind my subjects or perhaps get crazy and have her at a 45 to the subjects?

Sounds like fun. I too am thinking about the "VAL" alternative.


Your rim light IMHO needs to be snooted or you will becasting light on background objects where you may not want it.A 20 deg grid or 8" honl snoot would work great, high and to the rear of whoever you are shooting. 30-45 back of either side will keep the flash from causing flare. I like 4:1. Rim, back and hair light. I think stronger and it gets annoying. It is however great for sport pics where the rim can be twice as bright as the main and usually comes from both sides.


Another interesting setup would be to have your VAL play main light and your on camera flash play bounce fill or on axis fill. There the ratios would be 2:1 or 3:1 - VAL:OnCam. The trick would be triggering with IR. There may be enough wall to bounce the IR and trigger the VAL light. Never used it so I don't know for sure. It'd be worth experimenting. A foldable softbox on the VAL flash would help soften the main and provide a more natural look.


Lastly, never underestimate the power of bounce flash. Have your VAL point the bare flash up into a corner of the room behind and to the right or left of your subject(s) and at the same time use your omnibounce in a similar fashion. Lot's of soft ambient with a little sharp from the on camera. Looks great!! My wife and I use Dem flip flash for bounce fill control and It works great. A higher ISO of 640 - 800 will get you more evenly lit natural looking results. I'm never afraid to push the ISO up when doing those kinds of shots. I'll dial my 5D to 1600 when I'm in a large dark resturant or hall. The wonderful thing about flash is it allows you to get the light where you want it.


P.S. Do you have your gel kit? You might want to have some CTO, 1/2 CTO gels to balance for incandescent lighting.


Play around with scenerios at home then go have fun! The opportunity to excel awaits!

[peety3]

Setup: 50D,EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS and580EX II with Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce. (I will have a number of other lenses at my disposal but this setup will be my go-to. I will also havean EF 50mm f/1.4 mounted to an additional body for available light stuff). My personal experience with this setup is that it provides a very soft and predictable light (maybe boring, butwell suitedfor this application [img]/emoticons/emotion-2.gif[/img]). What I was considering though (since I'll have an assistant) was to mount a 430EX to a monopod and have my wife run around in hopes of providing some rim/subject separation. Thoughts???


What am I looking for: Settings...I was thinking of setting a 2:1 or 4:1 ratio between the on-camera 580EX II and the monopod mounted 430EX? Placement...my original thought was to cross light so since my key is on-axis I was just thinking of placing the VAL behind my subjects or perhaps get crazy and have her at a 45 to the subjects?

I'd say make your photography match the emotion and structure of the moment. During formal ceremony, go with a more formal lighting rig - VAL with flash and umbrella as key light, you shooting with on-camera as light fill, perhaps a 1:4 ratio to start. Amongst the crowd, maybe lose the umbrella so you can hit a wider variety of solo/small group/table shots. For casual shooting, strike a balance between your go-to setup (on-camera flash only, Sto-Fen, etc.) and creative lighting.


Spend some time before the event getting your flash gelling plan together. Consider keeping your main flash (off-camera, when you're using it; on-camera when you're not) about "1/4 more CTO" (warmer) than your ambient light, and any secondary flashes should be gelled to match ambient. If shooting in fluorescent light, add 1/4 or 1/2 plus-green to your flashes, AND use your CTO gels to control warmth/coolness (it took me months to finally realize that warm/cool and icky-green/not-so-icky are two different dimensions in the color-correction world).

[Chuck Lee]

(it took me months to finally realize that warm/cool and icky-green/not-so-icky are two different dimensions in the color-correction world).

Amen Brother!!

[Chuck Lee]

(it took me months to finally realize that warm/cool and icky-green/not-so-icky are two different dimensions in the color-correction world).

Amen Brother!!