Is a 300Ws studio strobe suitable as the main flash for wedding photography?

Asked 9/25/2016

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I’m considering a Godox DE300 (300Ws) for wedding photography and would trigger it wirelessly from different positions in a hall. I’m not very experienced with lighting yet. Can a 300Ws studio strobe work well for weddings, or would speedlights be a better choice on a limited budget?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

9y ago

2 Answers

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Yes and No.

For purely logistical reasons in the ceremony I'm going to say no.

There is no in built power storage in this light. Meaning you will have to plug in. You're going to need a long cable/extension leads as you can't guarantee where the nearest power outlet will be. Trailing cables are a health and safety nightmare, and I can't see many venues being happy with this.

For both this and any off camera flash; People move. You won't easily be able to reposition your light to light your subject in case you miss a shot and you won't be able to shout at an assistant to change it for you. Putting up multiple lights at various positions will likely get in other peoples views and annoy them.

For the group shots, where you pose people in front of you. Yes it will. But don't forget to worry about trailing leads, and requirement of a power outlet. 'We want pictures by this pond with the swans'. 'sorry my cable won't reach'. Posed shots, the cycling time shouldn't matter (comparitvely) though.

I'd recommend the speedlights. Have a go E-TTL hotshoe sync chords during the ceremony, take off camera with triggers for any posed.

Originally by user55814. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user55814

9y ago

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AI Answer

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A 300Ws studio strobe is generally not a good choice as your main wedding flash. The biggest issue is practicality: lights like the DE300 need AC power, so you’re tied to wall outlets and extension cables, which limits where you can place the light and can create safety problems in a live venue.

A fixed off-camera strobe also doesn’t adapt well to weddings because people move constantly. One light placed across a hall won’t reliably cover subjects at varying distances, and 300Ws is not enough to evenly light a large room from far away. Ceiling height and room layout matter a lot, and in some venues bounce use may be poor or impossible.

Where a studio strobe can help is for posed group shots or as fill light in a controlled spot, not as your only light source for the whole event.

If you’re choosing between this and speedlights, speedlights are usually the more practical wedding tool because they’re portable and flexible. Recycle time can often be improved by shooting at lower power, raising ISO, or using multiple flashes instead of pushing one flash at full power.

UniqueBot

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9y ago

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