Wedding Portrait Tips: Using Off Camera Flash

A simple way to set up Off Camera Flash

Using off-camera flash is a very comprehensive subject so instead of attempting to cover it all I’m going to show you the way that I often use this technique.

I will start by saying that I never suggest my way is the best way. But I do find it the best way for me.

I like to keep things as simple as possible, especially when up against time which is often the case when photographing a wedding.

So why would I want to use of-camera flash? Well for me I have two main reasons; it provides a more creative looking photographs and also I can control the angle and the direction of the light I’m using.

What I use ?

1. Remote trigger

2. Remote receiver

3. Speedlite

You may also want to use s tripod or an assistant (or a even a wedding guest) to hold the speedlite for you

Camera settings:

Mode: Manual.

Speed: Different camera manufacturers will have different maximum sync speeds however 100^th or 125^th of a second will usually work across the various brands of cameras

ISO:  Set this to the lowest possible. i.e ISO 100 / 200

Exposure: For a creative evening/sunset shot firstly meter for the sky/background. You do this by simply pointing the camera to the sky. Then adjust your Aperture until the Exposure is at Zero. Take a quick photo of the sky to see how it looks. You can adjust +/- depending on how you want the final image to look.

The next stage is to then match the exposure of the subject to that of the background.

Flash settings:

I set this to Manual.

Power: I then set the power to about ¼ or ½ power to start with.

Ensure the remote trigger is correctly sitting on your camera’s hot shoe is turned on!

Ensure the remote receiver is correctly attached to the speedlite, it’s turned on and that it is on the same channel as the transmitter.

Assuming you have an assistant with you, have them direct the speedlite to the subject. I usually have mine around 45 degrees away from me with the assistant holding the speedlite high and pointing the speedlite down to the subject.

Take the photograph and review the image to see what adjustments need to be made.

Adjustments:

If you want to adjust the ambient (background) lighting then increase the shutter slightly for less background lighting or decrease the shutter speed to allow more background lighting.

If you want to adjust the exposure of the subject/bride & groom etc then either adjust the power of the speedlite or take the speedlite nearer or further away from the subject.

NB: With some speedlites you can also manualy adjust the zoom range of the flash depending on how far the subject is away from you. I usually have mine set on around 80mm

NB: If you adjust the Aperture then it will adjust both the background and the main subject.

For hands-on training on wedding photography, including off-camera flash, why not attend our next Wedding Photography Course

Jeff