Indoor wedding photography flash?

photographedmemories · May 5, 2008

I shoot with a Nikon D80. I have an SB-600 speedlight.

What kind of flash would you suggest using for indoor wedding photography?

Ihaveaquestion · May 5, 2008

Whats wrong with your sb600?

JIP · May 5, 2008

I am not sure what a "speedflash" is but if I were you I would go out and buy an SB-800 and use y 60 as a backup and/or second light. Are you going to be getting paid to do this because if so you will also need a second body as a backup and ideally you should have some faster glass.

photographedmemories · May 5, 2008

JIP said:
I am not sure what a "speedflash" is but if I were you I would go out and buy an SB-800 and use y 60 as a backup and/or second light. Are you going to be getting paid to do this because if so you will also need a second body as a backup and ideally you should have some faster glass.

Whoops, I meant speedlight.

Yes, I am getting paid for this. I am looking into purchasing another body as well. I am also purchasing a few other lenses.

photographedmemories · May 5, 2008

Ihaveaquestion said:
Whats wrong with your sb600?

I like it, but... I don't know. I've tinkered with a ton of different settings, and I can never get them to come out just right. It's either too dark, or way over exposed.

I'm just seeing as to what other photographers have used and what worked for them.

Ihaveaquestion · May 5, 2008

Are you using TTL?

Your cameras not on Auto is it? (sorry had to ask)

I've never had problems with mine?

photographedmemories · May 5, 2008

Yes it's TTL.

I have used it both on manual and auto *hides in shame*.

Even in both setting, I have issues. Maybe I'm just dumb and can't figure why it's doing that. I'm trying to achieve a "natural light" with the flash. Sometimes it works, sometimes it's too dark and I don't get it. I know the SB600 is a good flash, but maybe my setting skills just suck.

JimmyO · May 5, 2008

I would invest in a prime like the 50mm f/1.4 before buying another flash, in a lot of cases it is inappropriate to use flash during the ceremony.

photographedmemories · May 5, 2008

I'm getting an 85mm f/1.8 and I'm looking into the 50mm f/1.4.

The ceremony itself it outside, so flash is not an issue there.

JimmyO · May 5, 2008

Haha, fitting title then. Any ways you should look to do off camera flash also.

Sw1tchFX · May 5, 2008

photographedmemories said:
I like it, but... I don't know. I've tinkered with a ton of different settings, and I can never get them to come out just right. It's either too dark, or way over exposed.

I'm just seeing as to what other photographers have used and what worked for them.

Use it in manual, TTL isn't the best when it's off camera, you want absolute control, that's why it's off camera in the first place.

photographedmemories said:
Yes it's TTL.

I have used it both on manual and auto *hides in shame*.

Even in both setting, I have issues. Maybe I'm just dumb and can't figure why it's doing that. I'm trying to achieve a "natural light" with the flash. Sometimes it works, sometimes it's too dark and I don't get it. I know the SB600 is a good flash, but maybe my setting skills just suck.

Again, keep it ni manual and be careful with your light placement. Hard light is hard light, you might need to use modifiers to soften it and increase the surface area of your light source. Also, the inverse square law tells us that when you double the distance between your light and the subject, you get 1/4 of the light, and vise-versa, this is really important for falloff.