Help, using a 580 EXII flash question

Lilikoi the cat · **Help, using a 580 EXII flash question -** 05-27-2009, 09:52 AM

I will be using the 580EXII for some candid shots at night where there may not be ceilings or walls to bounce off of. I am renting this flash because this will be at night (HS Gradnight) and I may do some portraits in a room for the seniors.
The last dedicated flash I used was many decades ago and I need some advice.
If there is nothing to bounce light off of and the subjects will be 10'-20' away would I use the flash straight on or angle it up (30-45) with a diffuser?
I would like to know some basic settings so I get some decent photos of the kids for them and the parents.
I am going to check online and see if there is a manual to read also.
Thanks.

imagefxphoto · 05-27-2009, 12:06 PM

The 580 is powerful enough to reach out 10 to 20 feet, but keep plenty of batteries on hand, as it will be using a lot of power for the rangefinder and the zoom motor. Just keep it in master and auto. The camera will handle it for you.

imagefxphoto · 05-27-2009, 12:07 PM

Oh, and I use the built in diffuser on my 550 straight on at that distance usually.

Abel · 05-27-2009, 12:17 PM

even if i dont have anything to bounce off of i still point the head up like 45 - 60 degrees along with a stofen omnibounce diffuser for my everyday flash event photos and such. works out nicely in my opinion.

now setup portraits are a different story... id try to shoot it off camera with a off camera shoe cord or some other wireless trigger.

i took some basic event photos as people entered a venue like this.

my setup was a flash shot wirelessly firing into a 48" shoot through umbrella on a light stand. i shot about chest level with the umbrella right over my head pointed a bit downward towards the people. the shoot through umbrella really helps soften those harsh shadows you can get with direct on camera flash. you could do something like this for your setup shots etc since the 3ft off camera shoe cord would also work in this setup.

Lilikoi the cat · 05-27-2009, 03:31 PM

Jason,
Sounds good to me, I had planned on bringing a box O batteries.

Abel,
anything after the Stoffen ain't happnin'. Unless you want to fly out here and take pictures of some rather good looking high school students.
Then again they probably are not 18 either so never mind.
They are short photographers and need to have the electrician(me) shoot photos.

Abel · 05-27-2009, 03:39 PM

haha..

also i use energizer lithium AA's... they have a very fast recycle time... lovely!

Killjoy · 05-27-2009, 05:17 PM

Kevin, I don't have the v.II of the 580ex, but it you would like to check it out, we can meet up and you can try it out.
That way you can see what you might need to do.

Some of the main differences between the 580ex and the 580exII are a faster recycle time, the way it latches onto the hot shoe, and the exII has a port for a Pocket Wizard.

Abel · 05-27-2009, 06:30 PM

my bad... i just reread the original post... subject 10-20' ft away might be a bit tough...

RogerAylstock · 07:27 PM

Kevin,
Pick yourself up a shoot thru umbrella and go Strobist style. (http://www.strobist.blogspot.com/) Click on the link Lighting 101. This is sooooo much better lighting than trying to bounce it off of anything. I've been pouring over the information on the Strobist site and even have the DVD series that they put out. I picked up a 43" Wescott collapsible umbrella for $19.70 from the link on their site. The umbrella/flash/stand clamp was $18. I'm using a set of the Ebay triggers (Gadget Infinity~$30) or you can use a PC Sync cord.

I'm shooting a HS senior on Friday afternoon and we are going to the old section of Auburn and that will be my main light held by my able-bodied assistant (the wife). I have started using that setup on lots of shoots now.

Why do the subjects need to be so far away? Shoot them from mid thigh up (or waist high like Abel's shot above). You could set a umbrella just out of camera range to the right or left of the couple maybe 3' out, set the flash on manual at maybe 1/2 or probably 1/4 power and shoot all night. Put the camera on a tripod, get your lighting right, put some tape on the floor and have each couple come in, tell them to put their toes on the tape and shoot 3-4 shots so you have one without the blinkies. Another trick is to have them write their name on a small white board and have them hold that for the first shot so you can get them back to the right people.

imagefxphoto · 05-27-2009, 07:21 PM

BTW, whoever you are renting the flash from, find out how much they will charge to throw in the external battery. the recycle from that is amazing(although a 580 with lithiums already is) and it will last forever.

Lilikoi the cat · 05-27-2009, 08:24 PM

Roger,
when doing the straightforward portraits it will be waist up and ~10' against a background with walls. It is the wandering around candid shots that I will be shooting possibly farther away and the umbrellas with remote flash just isn't going to happen as the budget is non-existent. There will be people rotating through as grad night is from 6pm till 4am at the school.

Alan,
That sounds good. YGV rd. and Clayton road at Starbucks?? My schedule is fairly open :-( and the weekend days are full with cat adoptions and grad night.

Abel,
I may just get that Omnibounce as I hope to eventually pick up a speedlight.

Jason,
I don't plan on using the flash enough for me to go that route. I do have a Quantum battery but the cells are dead and I have not gotten around to picking up the new ones. It is nice to have, when I did use it decades ago.

thanks everyone for the answers

Killjoy · 05-28-2009, 05:09 AM

Kevin, I can walk over there from my house.
What time did you want to meet?
Or you could just swing by and help me clean out the garage, and clean out the boat.

Lilikoi the cat · 05-28-2009, 07:29 AM

Getting ready for summer or getting ready for clean up day?
Mine is this Friday.
Yes, I can do this with you but you can't say..."ooh, I need to save that!" with everything I pick up ;-)
Additionally I can do Sun. if that is what will fit in your schedule and ignore the other stuff. No worries there.

Killjoy · 05-28-2009, 08:33 AM

I was kidding about you helping me clean up.
But yes, I will be cleaning up the garage today.
Just to straighten it out. I have cr@p everywhere. Need to put it away or throw it away.

Killjoy · 05-28-2009, 01:06 PM

Kevin, thanks for helping clean out the garage.

I hope playing with a 580ex helped to squelch some of your questions about shooting with a flash.
Sorry I didn't know about an adapter for shooting with that external battery you have.

RogerAylstock · 05-28-2009, 01:50 PM

Hey Kevin, come mow my yard and I'll let you borrow that shoot through umbrella.

Lilikoi the cat · 06:31 PM

Alan,
No problem, now I am motivated to make mine look like yours :-(
Roger,
Pay for gas and you got it.
Is there an airstrip with a long runway suitable for jets there in Loomis?