Strobist Technique: Cross-lighting with Wireless Strobes

[KeithMr5000]

bro keep it up! great job

[whoppers1000]

great video. do you have anyother video that explain how to use the dials on the vivitar 285hv?

[euphi212]

@whoppers1000 I'm assuming you mean the dial on the side, and not the manual control on the front. I do not have a video on that topic, but the Strobist blog has a well written article about it. Basicly, it helps you determine proper exposure. You put in 3 of 4 varibles, ISO, distance to target, F-stop, or power, and it gives you the 4th. This link explains it more in depth. It's about halfway down the page.

strobist.blogspot.com/2007/12/­guide-number-your-free-flash-m­eter.html

[andremp03]

Very useful video, thanks!

[fizzi2008]

very impressive,, just have one question ,,did u do post editing on these photographs?

[euphi212]

@fizzi2008 Yes, but only on the second photo of each set. The first shots are straight out of the camera. The second image in each set is an example of how you can use the lighting setup and editing to create a very dramatic portrait.

[fizzi2008]

@euphi212

Nice,what you call that effect? did u use lightroom2?

thanks

[euphi212]

@fizzi2008 I don't have a name for the effect, but it's really just combining different contrast methods with kind of a bleach bypass effect.

I use Photoshop for most of my work. I only use Lightroom when I do bulk processing; when I have to turn out a large amount of photos in a very short time. I just like the amount of control PS gives me over LR.

[jdalamo]

Great effect! Curious-on the shots in front of the house, what was the ambient light like? From the video, it looked like it could have either been a gray day, or kind of flat light at dusk...also, on the diagram, the strobe closest to the house looked like it was pointed at the subject, but on the video, it looked like it was set to wash the building, almost parallel to it-can you clarify that? Thanks so much for the video.

[euphi212]

@jdalamo I shot the video late in the afternoon under a couple of trees. The light in the background, closest to the building, was pointed at the subject. Note, that I used a CTO on the flash to the right, and a bare flash on the left. You can see a slight blue light glancing off the left side of the subject. If the building had been lit by the back light in this setup, either the building would be blue, or the subject would be orange, depending on the white balance.

[vanesvincent]

Nice thanks for uploading! I find it very usefull!

[djcondra]

This is the kind of photography I want to do, and this video was very helpful. Thanks.

[kennycn2deep]

thanks man. The location didn't look so hot, but when I saw your photo it looked great.

[euphi212]

@kennycn2deep Thanks. You would be surprised how some locations work. Sometimes it just takes a bit of experimentation. I've shot in some locations that looked great in person but just did not work on film, and you can see the flip side in the video.

[I98l]

i like it thanxxxxxxxx :o)

[asigravitate27]

this is just what i was looking for

[gregallenphoto]

Old school flashes and cutting edge images. well done!

[jrajesse]

Are those self sticky gels? If so, where can I find them?

[euphi212]

@jrajesse They're just normal gels. The 285HV has a recessed lens to make room for a wide angle adapter. My gels are just large enough to fit into that slot without falling out.

[marctravolta]

This was extremely helpful mate. Opened my eyes to a whole bunch of new tricks. thanks.

[steve702]

Sweet pics. I'm new to the whole photagraphy world was those pics edited or did the lighting change the affect to make it look like a night shot. Thanks. Steve702

[zbyneksin]

easy, fast, effective and impressive. Nice work.

[cm374360]

Hey i was wondering why you use the CTO gel at all? i understand the concept behind them, though would it not be just as easy to custom control your colour temp in cam?

I only say these because it looks as though you are de-saturating slightly in your post processing, kind of rendering the CTO neutral. i really do love the photo. please tell me if im way off though. thanks.

[euphi212]

@cm374360 First of all, I should say that I only used the CTO on the first photo. All the others used just bare flashes.

I added the CTO to the key light so that my backlight and any ambient would have a blue color to it, giving the illusion of moonlight striking my back.

I could have just used a CTB on the backlight, but then, if any ambient light made it into the exposure, it would not have the blue color i wanted it to have.

[limpciano]

1st one really good

[mregias]

Great work man, congrats!

[AlphaSphere]

Why use the CTO gel outside?

[euphi212]

@AlphaSphere I wanted the color of the rim light to be a little cooler while warming the key just a little. The use of the complementary colors helps the image pop just a little more than if I didn't gel the flash, plus it gives me a little more control over the final look.

[frommanhattan42]

cool shot bro! i have a Vivitar 285 & Canon 430EX ii, and still learning how to shoot with them ;-)

[tassiedawg]

great little vid Chris - cheers!

[wondnaereh]

What post editing technique are you using? It looks just like mine. I'm just curious.thanks. Nice video. Are you are a pros?

[euphi212]

The editing technique is just something I came up with from studying my favorite photographers. It's really just using layers to control contrast.

I'm not a professional in the sense that I don't earn a living from my photography. I do plan on opening a business in the future.

[wondnaereh]

Cool, thanks for your reply. I like your stuff. what photographers are your favorites? What layers do you use to get that contrast change? maybe do a tutorial video? Oh, and I'm curious, where is the best place to buy those strobes and triggers? also do you use a Nikon d80, I do, and I need to get some wireless triggers for it like yours. Where should I buy them. Thanks again

[wondnaereh]

One more question, what's a battery mod? I noticed you say you use it. How can I get my hands on it? Thank you again.

[euphi212]

I use a Canon D30 and D60, but the triggers will work with any camera with a hotshoe.

I like the work of Jeremy Cowart, Blair Bunting, Dave Hill, Joey Lawerence, and just about any pro photog that uses an edgy style.

The battery mod allows the V2s receiver to take AA batteries instead of the more exspensive CR batteries.

All the answers to your other questions, as well as a link to the V2s mods can be found in the information box to the right of the video.

[mbulger123456]

that was damn cool

[martinSaC]

Nice vid! ;)

[shreddhed]

wow that was very good

[drzoomo]

great technique

[Ameleyp]

awesome!

[fruitflyproductions]

What's the battery mod on the V2's? Have a link?

[euphi212]

The V2s receiver uses an expensive CR2 3 volt battery. The battery mod is just a simple modification to the receiver that allows you to use 2 AA or AAA batteries.

As far as finding a link, search the Strobist group on Flickr or try Google.

[lfcrule2]

When you show the two pictures of the girl, had you edited the second versions?

[euphi212]

Yes, I've shown a before and after of every photo.

[maxchickens]

Good video Chris, great answers to questions too.

Thanks.

[katiesay]

What was the iso and the shutter speed that the camera was set to? I don't get how you can take photos in the daytime w/ that much light but yet still have it look like it was shot at night w/ minimum light lol.. sorry noob photographer here and I'm interested in this technique b/c I've been trying but I just don't get the same result! I also am limited b/c I only have 1 flash which is the 430 ex II. I have pw's but idk how to work w/ this external flash idea..

[euphi212]

1/50 at 400 iso, and that was to underexpose the ambient by 2 stops. The light in the video is deceptive because the video camera is set up for proper exposure using the ambient light only. I was working at sunset in a shaded area, so it was actually quite dark, hince the high iso and slow shutter.

[FunkSoulBrotherUK]

He might have been using a ND filter or just had the aperture way down too make look darker.

[euphi212]

All the info is in the "Setup" portion of the video. No special filters were used.

Think about it. If i shot this at 1/50 sec. f8 at 400 iso just to bring the ambient up to the point I needed it, why would I need to use an ND filter when it would just be easier to change my iso.

Keep in mind the video camera is set up for the correct exposure, while my still camera was set up to under expose the ambient. I simply metered scene and set up the cameras accordingly.

[NOTORIOUSCCM]

why did the shaddow only produce from the light on the cameras right? one camera pointed diagnally upward and the other one down?

[euphi212]

The simple answer is because one light is brighter than the other.

It's the same reason we can use reflectors to fill in shadows in portraits without getting a nose shadow on both sides of the face.

The brighter light easily fills in shadows cast by the dimmer light, while the dim light isn't powerfull enough to hide the shadow cast by the brighter light.

[NOTORIOUSCCM]

i thought both lights were set at 1/16 that's why i was confused. thank you!

[euphi212]

They were both at 1/16, but the key is half the distance to the subject than the backlight, making it appear 1 stop brighter. It's actually just outside the frame during the video demonstration.

The numbers in the setup are what I had to use at that time of day in that location, and will be different depending on your setup. It's the position of your lights that really makes this technique work.

[alimagics]

hey can i do that with sb900?

[euphi212]

You can do this with any kind of light. Flash units work the best due to the large amount of light they give off in a short amount of time, but I've even used this crosslighting method with cheap 200 watt work lights.

[IDPhotography]

I like that!, used to use only one flash will experiment with cross lighting now thanks!

[AlphaSphere]

Can you show us the picture straight out of the camera so we can see the before & after difference

[euphi212]

Each set already has the before and after. The first one of each set is straight out of the camera, and the second (the ones with the pan and zoom motion) are processed.

[aquaphotoboy]

so simple, and what an amasing result! (yes amasing from OZ :-)

Thanks for the tutorial mate

[laserspatula]

sweet, great result!

[lilmizzdramamomma]

hey what tools did you use for post processing?...to make it look more dark and contrasty?

[euphi212]

For contrast, I use curves adjustment layers, blending modes, and dodging and burning techniques.

[davidtejones]

thanks alot for the awesome video sir. how did you edited the picts to make the stobe flash pop up more. is it more better in lomo?

[euphi212]

The subject is made to stand out simply by underexposing the background.

I'm guessing you mean lomography when you say lomo? To answer your question, I don't find any photography technique better than another. They are all tools used for a specific reason.

[davidtejones]

ohhh... ok, thanks alot. ü

[MSearthtonez]

How much post processing did you do?

[euphi212]

Each finished photo is about 10 - 15 layers.

[RonaldsSulcs]

50th comment! Nice work dude! Thanks a lot!

You have helped me in my photographic work a lot!

[eyesonlyYT]

Thanks so much very talented!

[Halliekp]

awesome THANKS! :] I just got a brolly, soft box, set up for my birthday today.

[gianinline]

I've always thought that this kind of shots were taken at night, or late afternoon. Wow, didn't know that flash could cause such an effect even during the day.

[vladutz8]

you can almost completly overpower the sun if you wanted to :) . They're small but boy are they versatile.

Great vid btw !

[MrD0BR0]

wow, nice shots!!

[Eclipse711]

I saw that you said the flashes were set to 1/16 but what about your shutter speed and aperature. How did you go about figuring out what to set those too?

[euphi212]

I metered for the shutter speed and apperture first, bringing the ambient exposure 2 stops below normal. Then I set the flash's power.

The Vivitar 285 has a dial on the side that helps you calculate proper exposure. Other than that, it's just practice and knowing your equipment.

[hawhawdecarabaw]

how much would this setup cost?

[euphi212]

You can expect to pay about $200+ for each set of hardware. That includes flash, light stand, umbrella, umbrella adapter, and wireless trigger.

[rushp2000]

Nice, dude, you can do soooooo much with V2 or V4 set and a couple of speedlites around...no limits!

[Tgrocker419]

were did u find that wireless system ive been looking everywere for one

[euphi212]

You can get them online from Gadget Infinity or Ebay.

[imbangjayo]

can I use two vivitar 285hv, cactus trigger, with my nikon d200? how to set it up? thanks

[euphi212]

Yes, the cactus trigger will work with this setup. Just put the transmitter in your hotshoe, and the receivers on your flashes. It's as simple as that.

[Hellbelly01]

Simple and to the point. I like it. Thanks for sharing. Mick.

[AxelVonGardan]

Thanks for tip! =)

It´s nice to watch when pro´s works.

[delatroy]

Hi I'm a noob, is it possible to replicate something similar with hot lights?

[euphi212]

You can definately do this with hot lights, but it might take more lights to get the proper exposure.

The thing about light is that it acts the same no matter what light source you use. You just have to know how to use what you have.

[delatroy]

Really excellent looking shots man. I'm impressed. Any post-processing applied?

[euphi212]

I post-process everything I shoot. There are before and after shots in the vid.

[dombower]

when will we get some more videos?

[euphi212]

Short answer: When I get time to do another one.

I've got more videos planned, but my current schedule doesn't allow me much free time to go out and shoot, or edit a new video.

[dombower]

cool no worries, I am currently making a bunch of videos to do with flash, However i think your images come out a lot nicer. Thanks for sharing and also inspiring. Feel free to check my videos and tell me where i am talking rubbish.

regards

Dom Bower

[H0PEc]

very nice

[HackPoachers]

Great Video. This has helped me a lot. Do you agree that when mounting the hv's onto the Triggers, they seem really flimbsy. I feel like the L bracket on the trigger is going to break, especially when I tilt to the size like you did. In your shoot, are both heads tilted to the side?

Also, do the gels effect the brightness of the flash? Can you reccomend a good source for info on gels. Thanks in advance!

[euphi212]

Both of these are great questions. First of all, I don't use the mounting brackets of the triggers. Instead, I looped a string through the hole on the mounting bracket and hang them on the adjusting screws on the umbrella adapter and use a sync cable to attatch the receiver to the flash.

Yes, gels do effect flash exposure, just like any other modifier . Search the strobist discussions on flickr for tips, but the best advice is to experiment and find effects that you like.

[HackPoachers]

I have finally gotten around to doing research on the sync cables as you suggest. It seems there are many versions of fitment for the cables. I can't find a straight answer. Do you have a link or an easy description of the size/style of each end of the cord I will need to hook up my 285hv with my v2 trigger? Thanks in advance!

[SurreallTV]

i dunno..but i have NO idea whats goin on here lol.......i mean, how does the guy have the camera AND the flashes all go off.....without him bein behind the camera....and where can i Buy those kinds of flashes???...<~~~most important question

(im kinda new 2 this, sorry)

[UFWHOA]

he set the timer feature in the camera, then once it countdowns to 0, the shutter releases, the flash sync activates, triggers the flash, and the exposure is made.

[wahliaodotcom]

woah! Nice effects! Great work!

[kid112390]

NICE!!!!!!!!!

[MadEuro]

i like the cross light technick alot i use it mostly for my skate phtography

[jollyjoker712]

I've just purchased an Vivitar 285HV (older model since 70's), but I was unable to fire it with PT-04 trigger. How did you get it work?

[euphi212]

I use the V2s triggers which were designed to work with the Vivitar flashes.

[GoranKPhotography]

GREAT post processing man....can you give me an example? Let's say the photo with the girl sitting near the trees....what did you do?

[euphi212]

Please read the previous comments.

[lloplop]

400ISO? cutting it close there.

[euphi212]

It's not really cutting anything close. I just used the settings I needed to get the outcome I wanted without introducing blur in the plants in the background.

[lloplop]

you're right. personally, for my needs, 400 is useless. if it works for you then this is all that matters.

[jassie4]

this was amazing!

I just finished reading Lighting 101 @ Strobist - loved your shot!

Any chance you can put up a tut or point me in the right direction for that photoshop work? It turned out amazing.

Well done!

[euphi212]

Thank you.

There's not a tutorial for my processing technique. It's something I've come across through trial and error. I've touched on what is involved in my reply to the previous post.

The post processing I do is all about where I want the contrast to stand out, and how I want the color to affect the mood. It's the contrasts between light and dark, and warm and cool colors that sets the mood and draws the eye.

[SoloC852]

how could u turn the final color? it looks great

[euphi212]

The final look comes from a complex process in photoshop and lightroom. I manually tweak the saturation, curves, and dodge and burn in several layers until I get the result I want. I will use from about 10 to 20 layers, not including touchup layers, to get this look.

The process is slightly different for each photo, and depends on the overall contrast, brightness, and colors in the original file.

[TSJStudios]

Hey What mode did you take your pic in manual or av?

[euphi212]

I always use manual mode when I shoot with an off camera flash. If you use any other metering mode, you will over-expose the photo becuase the camera will meter for the available light and not compensate for the flash.

[TSJStudios]

Great Work Man!! I'm a beginner in strobing but i see thats the way to go now...keep doing your thing!!!

[alonsoLujan]

Very cool, thank you.

[DensterNY]

Awesome video. Also, extra cool of you to answer these many questions and to explain in plain layman's terms what you did. I mean I take nothing away from David who made the Strobist tutorials but it can be hard to understand but after your explanation I have a clear working methodology:

1. Meter ambient light and subject.

2. Underexpose by 2 stops in camera.

3. Use Strobes as main light.

Thanks!

[kansasvmax94]

I love this video. I know its sad, but I've watched it probably a dozen times. I'm just getting the last equipment needed to finish up my 2 light setup (1 SB-800 and 1 285HV w/CyberSyncs) YEA!!!

I'd love if you post more videos man, you seem to have great talent.

By the way, I got a kick out of your short film from college. Nice Job

Regards, Bobby

[bim2x4]

nice technique

do you ever use light/flash meters?

[euphi212]

I just use the camera's internal meter to determine the ambient exposure. The rest is just knowing my gear. I know how much light my flashes are going to produce at any power, at any distance with any of my modifiers.

[EppeRRR]

Very nice work, nice done :D

Perfectly 'said' how anyone can accief this.

Greetings from Holland

[nismosr]

You have the camera in a timer ? what AF points are you using ? did you shoot M mode on the camera ?

[euphi212]

1. Yes

2. I used manual focus, so no AF points were used, and even if I did use AF, the points don't really mean much as you can use whatever point you want and recompose the shot once you've focused.

3. Manual is the only way to shoot when using off camera flash. If you use any auto mode with a flash that is non-TTL then the camera will not compensate for the flash and your photo will be over-exposed.

[photographe06]

Brilliant stuff! Thanks for sharing!

[solja7]

how did you get 1/50 f8 ISO 400? Is that ambient light from camera metering?

Thanks!

[euphi212]

ISO 400 becuase it was just after sunset and I was losing light. It was the lowest ISO I could use for a usable shutter speed. I got a shutter speed of 1/50 and apperture of F8 by under-exposing the ambient by 2 stops. The flashes were then set to expose the scene properly based on the apperture.

[solja7]

Thx a lot! Make me want to buy alienbee trigger.

Do you know any website or books about this metering stuff? I looked up on strobist but can't find any.

[52Artist]

thanks , this is what im looking for ..nice vid

[jimborange]

Thanks euphi212, great tip there. =)

[jimborange]

May I ask, if you put a CTO flashgel, what White Balance did you set on?

[euphi212]

I shot this with the daylight or flash (both are the same on my camera) white balance. The original file is untouched and has that warm cast on my skin. In the edited version, I tweaked the RAW file a little to the cool side of tungsten white balance to compensate for the orange cast and to give a slightly blue edge lighting. I always shoot in raw so I can correct my white balance later since the WB presets on the camera don't quite match 1/2 and 1/4 step gels.

[euphi212]

I should add that the two other photos at the end of the video use the same lighting placement, but without using gels.

[jimborange]

Thank for your fast reply. Btw when you use RAW, how are you certain that the flash gel you have used will suit well with the background color temperature?

I am asking this because if I shoot in a friend's wedding in RAW mode with flash gels, how will I be able to determine the color balance of my subject and color balance of the ambient light balance well together?

[euphi212]

The easiest way to go about balancing color is to know what color you are trying to match to. If the ambiant light is orange (light bulbs/candles) use a CTO, if you are under flourescent lights use a Flourescent green gel. When matching color, just use your eyes. If the colors are remotely close to each other then they will usually balance just fine.

[NathanaelGassett]

Nice vid! This makes me feel much less lame about using myself as a practice model for strobist techniques.

[KillerKay25]

i dont get how its daylight in the first pic then it looks dark..? is it cuz a fast shutter speed or waht?

[euphi212]

I didn't really use a fast shutter speed, but I did use the shutter+apperture to underexpose the daylight by 2 stops then added in my lighting to bring back my forground to the proper exposure. The blueish backlight also tricks the mind into thinking the photo was taken at night. Plus, there is no sky in the final photo to ground your concept of the time of day. I usually use this "day for night" technique to add character to my photos.

[KillerKay25]

ahhh sweet deal thats been the most helpfull thing iv heard so far iv been watching all these videos on strobes and this one is one of the best... thanks man keep it up i wana see some more of your videos!!

[swarve2k]

great tutorial!!! thx