Studio flash set-up and settings.

[Snoops]

I've been given a 200ws Lencarta studio flash to help me with my hobby of still life photography. I'm 61 and just getting back into the hobby(last camera was a Canon A-E1,30 years ago) but I have NO clue how to go about setting it up. Can anyone please either give me some direct advice or point me to an article or videos which might help. My camera is a Pentax K5-11s and I'm trying to set up a small studio in an unused bedroom. Right now I have no way of connecting flash to camera and I'd like to use the new Studio flash on its own with reflectors rather than using my camera flash to fire the main one(using its slave function). Will be extremely grateful for any help/advice.

[JR1]

Loads on youtube just type studio setup youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OSccz4vfSQ

Personally I use brollies with SB910s on a D810/D4s and cheap backdrops

best of luck

[inkista]

The motherlode of information on off-camera flash (although it's mostly geared for using speedlights, rather than studio strobes), is the Strobist website, David Hobby's blog that pretty much taught dSLR hobbyists how to light. Lighting 101 is a good place to start when it comes to the basic principles of off-camera lighting.

When it comes to setting up a studio space, Zack Arias's White Seamless Tutorial is another good basic source of information.

When it comes to triggering your strobe from your camera without using the optical slave, most folks would use radio triggers. And they come in a large variety of pricepoints and capabilities. Generally with the triggers, you can find a set where the transmitter fits directly onto the hotshoe of your camera (or can be connected with a cord to your camera's PC sync port--if it has one; if it doesn't you can get a hotshoe-to-sync port adapter), and the receiver can be connected with a sync cord to your strobe. The Strobe will typically have a 3.5 miniphone jack as its sync port, so the cord you need has to have a 3.5 plug (like an ipod headphone plug) on one side, and a connector that matches the sync port on the trigger on the other.

If you need pro-level reliability and your budget isn't high, then the PlusX triggers are probably what you want. If you want to go super-super cheap and are ok with gambling on copy consistency/component quality , then you could get Yongnuo RF-603II triggers, and a 2.5mm-to-3.5mm cable and that should work. And there are options in between from Radiopopper, Cybersync, Phottix, Cactus, etc. etc. etc. A good site to do research on a specific trigger model is the Flash Havoc blog. Also, because you have a Lencarta strobe, you may want to look at their trigger options if you want more features than just firing the flash in sync. Some strobe companies build triggers that can also let you adjust the power on the remote flash from the camera and/or use shutter speeds faster than your sync speed.

[JR1]

Yonginu are good reliable cheap accessories and I use their triggers, though I do prefer and use Pocket wizards, not cheap but exceedingly good

[Snoops]

Thanks guys, that's given me plenty of homework for the next few days/weeks. Great to get such quick responses and I'm sure if I need more help, someone will come to my rescue...

[rpcrowe]

An extremely inexpensive and extremely reliable way to trigger a studio strobe is to use an IR trigger...

Te brand name of the unit I use is Yin Yan...

I have been using one for over ten years now. Since they became rather hard to find, I purchased a second backup IR trigger several years ago but, the original trigger is still chugging along.

The downsides of this type of trigger are that:

It has to be within line-of-sight of one of the studio strobe's optical sensor - no problem for me

If more than one person is shooing, your strobe will react to the other photographer's trigger

It doesn't work all that great outdoors - but, then the "wireless Canon 7D trigger doesn't work that well outdoors



The triggers cost me less than $20 USD each and a set of AA batteries lasts an indefinite amount of time. I got over a year of use on one set but, don't have any idea how many flashes that equates to...

[William W]

I've been given a 200ws Lencarta studio flash to help me with my hobby of still life photography. . .

Set the Shutter Speed to a tad slower than the Maximum Flash Sync Speed of the Camera.

The equivalent of 1 Stop slower, should be sufficient.

WW

[Snoops]

Lots of amazing links, Kathy. I should be ready to start the practical side around January,LOL. Seriously tho', thanks so much for taking the time to find all the info. There's no doubt it will progress my photography skills to the Nth degree. Kind regards, Alan...

The motherlode of information on off-camera flash (although it's mostly geared for using speedlights, rather than studio strobes), is the Strobist website, David Hobby's blog that pretty much taught dSLR hobbyists how to light. Lighting 101 is a good place to start when it comes to the basic principles of off-camera lighting.

When it comes to setting up a studio space, Zack Arias's White Seamless Tutorial is another good basic source of information.

When it comes to triggering your strobe from your camera without using the optical slave, most folks would use radio triggers. And they came in a large variety of pricepoints and capabilities. Generally with the triggers, you can find a set where the transmitter fits directly onto the hotshoe of your camera (or can be connected with a cord to your camera's PC sync port--if it has one; if it doesn't you can get a hotshoe-to-sync port adapter), and the receiver can be connected with a sync cord to your strobe. The Strobe will typically have a 3.5 miniphone jack as its sync port, so the cord you need has to have a 3.5 plug (like a typically ipod headphone plug) on one side, and a connector that matches the sync port on the trigger on the other.

If you need pro-level reliability and your budget isn't high, then the PlusX triggers are probably what you want. If you want to go super-super cheap and are ok with gambling on copy consistency/component quality , then you could get Yongnuo RF-603II triggers, and a 2.5mm-to-3.5mm cable and that should work. And there are options in between from Radiopopper, Cybersync, Phottix, Cactus, etc. etc. etc. A good site to do research on a specific trigger model is the Flash Havoc blog. Also, because you have a Lencarta strobe, you may want to look at their trigger options if you want more features than just firing the flash in sync. Some strobe companies build triggers that can also let you adjust the power on the remote flash from the camera and/or use shutter speeds faster than your sync speed.

[inkista]

Lots of amazing links, Kathy. I should be ready to start the practical side around January,LOL.

Grin. Yeah, I've been reading both blogs since 2006, so it's not quite so overwhelming to me. I tend to say that the Tangents blog is the blue pill, and the Strobist is the red pill.

Seriously tho', thanks so much for taking the time to find all the info. There's no doubt it will progress my photography skills to the Nth degree. Kind regards, Alan...

You're very welcome. Have fun!! And welcome to a brighter world.

BTW, if you're willing to spend cash and have a ton of bandwidth, Zack Arias's new video tutorial on lighting, OneLight 2.0 is another way to swallow all the Strobist information, if you learn better from videos than text. Hobby has a series of videos as well, called Lighting in Layers.

[Loose Canon]

Hi Alan!

Congratulations on the new light!

Looks like everyone's got you covered!

But if you don’t already have it don’t forget a decent light stand and maybe look into some modifiers (umbrella; bounce or shoot-through, softboxes, diffusion panels) along with your reflectors.

[inkista]

Um, guys, the original post is from last year...

OTOH, for those googling in at this late date, I add two more resources:

A list of 10 websites that can help teach you lighting. The author assumes you're already reading the Strobist.

And Zack Arias's updates to his old white seamless tutorial (where the graphics links are now all broken):

http://dedpxl.com/the-many-uses-of-white-seamless-pt-1/
http://dedpxl.com/the-many-uses-of-white-seamless-pt-2/

[Loose Canon]

Oops!

Probably should stop living in the past!

(Either that or pay more attention to dates when posting!)

[Snoops]

Oops!

Probably should stop living in the past!

(Either that or pay more attention to dates when posting!)

I live in the past permanently. Lol, so I can empathise. As it happens, a couple of weeks after posting, my son came home from working abroad and claimed what was to be my new "studio", as his bedroom. Many moons have come and gone but unfortunately, he hasn't (gone, that is), so everything is still in abeyance and frustration reigns. Thanks for adding to the thread. All information is helpful and, due to circumstances, yours is still valid. Regards, Alan.

[rpcrowe]

A good place to start would be: http://www.lencarta.com/studio-lighting/flash-heads which is the Lencarta site.

You absolutely will need:

a light stand
a way to trigger the flash

Nice to have would be:

A light modifier such as a soft box and or a umbrella.

There are two types of umbrellas: shoot through and reflecting.

these are reflecting umbrellas...



I like this type of shoot through umbrella because the black back gives me more control of the light...



A reflector is a handy and low cost accessory for one light portrait setups.

https://www.google.com/search?q=one+...w=1280&bih=631

[Snoops]

A good place to start would be: http://www.lencarta.com/studio-lighting/flash-heads which is the Lencarta site.

You absolutely will need:

a light stand
a way to trigger the flash

Nice to have would be:

A light modifier such as a soft box and or a umbrella.

There are two types of umbrellas: shoot through and reflecting.

these are reflecting umbrellas...



I like this type of shoot through umbrella because the black back gives me more control of the light...



A reflector is a handy and low cost accessory for one light portrait setups.

https://www.google.com/search?q=one+...w=1280&bih=631

Hi and thanks for the help. Although as of now they are still unused (due to the circumstances put forth in previous post), I have managed to get hold of a light stand, a wall bracket strobe holder, a "shooting table", one 60x90 softbox, a foldable reflector, some black/white card polystyrene to be used as flags/reflectors, and a set of second-hand triggers. So, as you can see I am all set to go and all I need, apart from some talent, is my son to get his own place and give me back my "studio". lol. Thanks again. Kind regards, Alan.

[jcuknz]

Alan .. re your aversion to using the camera's flash to trigger the unit.... I think you will find that the unit will fire from quite a small amount of flash so it is simple to just mask off most of the light from the camera's flash.

Else cover the camera flash with facial tissue to reduce its power or simply hold ones finger over part of the flash to achieve a similar result. [this is when using the camera flash as your fill light which is usually advantageous since a single light often creates a harsh shadow beyond what one usually wants.]
There is a possible hazard with working this way that the camera may emit a preflash [ not red-eye ] which will fire the flash unit before the shutter opens.

[Snoops]

Thanks, John, I hadn't thought of masking off the flash in that manner, but I will certainly try it out as soon as the situation permits. It's so frustrating having all the necessary equipment and not being able to use it, but hopefully things will change in the not too distant future. Kind regards, Alan.

[Loose Canon]

May I suggest setting up the lighting/camera gear in Son’s room/Studio and informing Resident that you will be taking beautifully lit and painfully candid photos of him intermittently throughout the day and night including while sleeping, dressing, undressing, etc.?

I understand boudoir photography is in big demand Alan!

[Manfred M]

I had high hopes of turning my daughter's bedroom into a studio after she moved out.

It is now the "guest room"... Unless I can figure out some way of working around the queen size bed and dresser, I'm stuck in setting up and breaking down my gear in the basement every time I want to do a studio shoot...

[Loose Canon]

Well, at least you are still inside the house Manfred!

I have been relegated to the garage for studio work and sleeping in the doghouse when I trash the garage. Which is always!