Looking to use Strobes for Weddings

[DepthOfFocus]

Hey guys!

After using my SB910 on camera for most of my weddings (which still works out GREAT) ... I've decided to go with using strobes for large churches and reception halls. I know very little about external lighting.

What do I need to start off with?
Is there an industry standard for a certain strobe?
Lightbox vs Umbrella?
Do I need two of them?
Can I use an external flash mounted else where in the hall used at full power instead of a strobe?

I already have a Yongnuo flash trigger, which seems to get the job done.

I'm not looking for something cheap or super expensive, I'm just looking at getting best value/bang for my buck!

Thanks Guys!

 

[tirediron]

...After using my SB910 on camera for most of my weddings (which still works out GREAT)

Huh? Howzzat again?

Using monolights at events such as wedding receptions can be problematic. Invariably, no matter how much you plan, fixed lights will be in the wrong place at the right time. My preference is, if I'm shooting alone to use a flash bracket to get the light OFF OF AND AWAY FROM THE CAMERA. If I have an assistant, then I'll give them a speedlight inside a 30" Ezybox on a paint-pole and have them follow me around, making sure to keep the light above and about 30-40 degrees off-axis.

As far as monolights, I'd go with Elinchrom; for my money, the best combination of quality, features and value.

 

[Big Mike]

I love to use strobes at wedding receptions, but every situation is different and I always have to adapt to the location.

One way of doing it, is to put a strobe (or strobes) in out of the way places and point them at walls or the ceiling. So every time they pop, it's like super charging the ambient lighting. Depending on the layout of the room, you may get directional lighting, which can be great for 'portrait' lighting, it can also be problematic because the light is pretty stationary.

So what I'll normally do, is put a light somewhere in the room and point it up into the wall/ceiling. I'll also have a camera mounted flash. This way, I can have two lights (remote plus on-camera). I'll usually position myself to put the remote flash behind or to the side of a subject, then use the on-camera flash (often bounced) to act as fill light.

It's important that your remote strobes have radio receivers. You can't rely on your flash to optically trigger them because there will be other cameras in the room. With an on-camera flash in the hotshoe, I usually attach a radio remote to the PC socket on the camera and strap it to the side of my flash.

A few examples...
http://www.mikehodson.ca/photocart/index.php?do=photocart&viewGallery=1020#image=2024

http://www.mikehodson.ca/photocart/index.php?do=photocart&viewGallery=1020#image=2033

http://www.mikehodson.ca/photocart/index.php?do=photocart&viewGallery=1020#image=2034

In this one, he (father of the groom) was in the perfect spot so that one remote strobe was in front and to his right (our left) and another was behind and above him. I set up the lights so that the area where people would be giving speeches, would be a ideal for this lighting.
http://www.mikehodson.ca/photocart/index.php?do=photocart&viewGallery=1020#image=2007

 

[pumpercaptain]

Hey Mike, not sure if the private message went thru or not... i like your idea... going to do a small wedding for a friend in the future... I have two Alien Bee's strobes and several Nikon speedlights along with several Paul Buff radio transmitters... how can i fire the remote strobe somewhere in the room via RF with a Paul Buff transmitter and a speedlight mounted on the camrea? the transmitters I have will not allow a speedlight in the hotshoe.

 

[Mike_E]

You'll need a PC connector on your camera.

Connect the transmitter to the PC connector and the flash obviously goes on top.

If you don't have a PC connector on cam things become more complicated. The easiest way is to get a frame for your flash and then use a trigger for that as well while having your transmitter on the hotshoe.

 

[davisphotos]

I've done a couple weddings where I brought in a couple monoblocs and set them up, but I found I really didn't like it. I use a few shoe mount flashes placed around the room, pointed towards the dance floor. I just recently switched to the Phottix Mitros+ flashes, and I have several receivers I can use to trigger my Canon flashes as well as a Photoflex TritonFlash. I've also used the Youngnuo Yn-622 system, a flash on camera to act as my key light, and a couple off camera flashes around the room.
Another advantage of TTL flashes is that you can control the power of your external flashes from your camera-some monolights will allow this as well, like the Elinchrom with the Skyport trigger, or the Einstein with the Buff trigger.