Abandon ship!

[JustJazzie]

I would literally tape one speedlight to the mounted one...

I would literally tape one speedlight to the mounted one...

Yep... pretty much any lighting problem in the world that doesn't involve more light can be solved with gaf tape!

For what its worth, I've decided to go ahead with this, (sort of)

I used velcro and bungee wrap to connect the flash heads together, and I will bounce them off the foam board.I am taking along the 48 inch reflector for fill light.

And then Im going to ask them to take a quick extra shot to test my DIY modifiers so I know how they will preform in the future.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[Braineack]

just random thought: I've seen neat shots using a single light from behind a subject, where it's shot at a 45° forward across the front of the camera into a reflector/bounce card so it can act as both a rim and key.

 

[JustJazzie]

just random thought: I've seen neat shots using a single light from behind a subject, where it's shot at a 45° forward across the front of the camera into a reflector/bounce card so it can act as both a rim and key.

View attachment 148354

Ohh! Thanks for the diagram. Maybe I will give it a go!!

 

[Designer]

Am I really better off with one brighter light than two less intense flashes?

Light from one angle gives you shadows to define contours. This is called "modeling" light. you can certainly use two flashes, but if you put them at equal and opposite angles, they tend to cancel each other out, meaning no shadows at all. That produces a "flat" light and makes your subjects look flat as well. In a studio, a photographer will adjust the power of each light so that the key light and the fill light will not be at the same power level, thus retaining the modeling light and shadow.

So it depends on your spacing plan and if the two lights are set to the same power level or not. Actually, I think one speedlight should be enough power to be your key light, and the other one can be either a fill light or a rim light, or even a hair light if you control where the light goes.

So with only one light stand, set one speedlight on there with a white umbrella (either shoot-though or reflected from the inside) and set the other speedlight on a box, or whatever you have. If you can fire it remotely (slave function) you could ask the extra person to hold the light and simply aim it at the subjects. Just make sure you have adjusted the power levels on both speedlights to create good modeling light.

 

[Braineack]

just random thought: I've seen neat shots using a single light from behind a subject, where it's shot at a 45° forward across the front of the camera into a reflector/bounce card so it can act as both a rim and key.

View attachment 148354

Ohh! Thanks for the diagram. Maybe I will give it a go!!

no idea if it'll work in this situation. when you talked of bouncing into a reflector I thought of it. I'm sure youll make out fine whatever you do.