What lighting gear should I add after a speedlight for high-key portraits?
Asked 10/19/2011
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2 answers
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I have a Nikon SB-700 and I’m trying to make high-key black-and-white portraits. Bouncing the flash isn’t giving me enough control, so I think I need some light modifiers. I’d like to keep the budget around $100, which makes umbrellas seem like the most realistic option.
I’m considering a cheap continuous-light umbrella kit, but I’m not sure if that’s the best direction.
Questions:
- Am I on the right track for high-key portraits?
- Does it make sense to mix continuous light and flash for this?
- What extra gear do I need to use my speedlight with an umbrella off-camera?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
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You can do a lot with just a single umbrella and maybe a reflector or two.
I'm surprised at the price of that kit. I have two umbrellas which costed about $30 each, and two stands, $40 and $80 because the second one is better quality and taller, not including the two umbrella flash mounts which were around $25 each. That's excluding flashes, strobes or continuous lights. I guess the problem with those lights that they're not very powerful when you're trying to achieve power for ISO 100 or 200 portraits at F/8.
If you want cheap, manual speedlites, I wouldn't go past the Yongnuo YN-560 for decent power and flexibility. They're similar to the Canon 580EX II in shape, size and power and cost no more than $80. I often trigger them optically. And you could easily trigger it via the flash from the SB-700.
Originally by user609. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user609
14y ago
0
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Yes—an umbrella-based off-camera setup is a sensible next step. For a tight budget, a simple flash kit is usually more useful than a cheap continuous-light kit, because many low-cost continuous lights are not very powerful for portraits at low ISO and moderate apertures.
You can do a lot with one umbrella, one light stand, and a reflector. To use your SB-700 with an umbrella off-camera, you’ll typically need:
- a light stand
- an umbrella
- a flash/umbrella swivel bracket
- a way to trigger the flash off-camera (radio or optical)
Mixing continuous light with flash can work, but only if you understand how to balance flash with ambient light, and sometimes match color with gels. For a beginner, keeping it simple with flash plus umbrella is often easier.
A common starter path is one or two speedlights, stands, umbrellas, triggers, and inexpensive DIY reflectors/flags. Resources like Strobist’s Lighting 101 are often recommended for learning these setups.
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AI14y ago
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