Twin flash setup

Just like a bus, one flash turns up and so does another. Well not quite, but after shifting some stuff on ebay I bought a second flash unit (430EX) and the ST-E2 Remote Trigger. The source this time was Digital-Rev in Hong Kong. I had some money in PayPal which they accept. The price difference between Kerso and DR wasn’t so great this time. So HK won this time. No issues with import duty as they paid the duty charge up front. So all I had to do is order and wait for delivery. It only took 4 days!

Anyway, after five days of playing I’m happy with the results so far. It’s not the first off camera flash setup I’ve had. My old film Eos had one. Sadly this wasn’t compatible (well the TTL part) with the E-TTL system on Eos Digital. Still time moves on and things get updated, so it’s kinda expected.

The first test is with the 580ex mkII on the floor and the 430ex on my desk just under face height. I like the way the shadow is cast on my nose but the uplight is catching part of my face.

The second image is lit from the side but the flash head it bouncing off the ceiling and also from behind. The flash behind is highlighting the curtain (in an attempt to create a High-Key look). The frontlight has emitted a softer look due to the deflection.

O.k both pictures are fairly poor, but the technique is what I was looking at. And at this point I should apologise for the big spot/scab.

As the technique has worked out it means I need to look for a portable back screen and umbrellas. The EzyBox softbox looks quite nice, even though the price isn’t that great. I may have some portraiture to do soon, so may just use some temporary solution to the backdrop. Maybe the softbox will be the next purchase.

I’ve found a couple of things out whilst doing my tests. Firstly the ST-E2 speedlite transmitter has a ratio selection. Now for seasoned flash people this might not be a revelation. However I’ve discovered it. Ratio allows you to set a different power flash between 2 groups. O.k the flash units allow for +/- 3 stops using FEC but this ratio adjusts the power from 8:1 to 1:8 quite a useful tool.

The other thing I found useful is Tethered shooting. Once the image is shot the camera sends it to the computer. This allows instant viewing which is probably a good tool for getting it right. I guess eventually I might not need to do it. But at present its useful to me.

One downside of the multiple flash setup is the batteries. The 580Ex MkII seems to eat them, though the 430EX is coping fine with batteries that were struggling to keep up with the 580! So looks like an order to 7Dayshop will be placed soon. 16x AA NiMH 2500mh Batteries and 8 cell fast charger for about £25 seems reasonable.