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Archive 2022 · how much lighting do you bring?

  
 
ahaug
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · how much lighting do you bring?


I’m gonna be getting back into doing weddings and I’m thinking about slimming down my equipment. I typically bring five speed lights and one mono light. And I bring three light stands. I typically use four-speed lights into umbrellas for family formals and then use three flashes on stands during the reception. Also the mono light just comes in handy sometimes on bright days. I know some people just bring two speed lights to a wedding. How does that work for you? How do you do family formal inside of a church with that? I’d like to not to lug around so much stuff anymore. Any help would be great thanks.


Nov 05, 2022 at 08:56 PM
LeeSimms
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · how much lighting do you bring?


Indoors, two speedlights on stands will go far for me. When Canon added the RT lights we went all in (600RT, 430RT, EL-1). These days I shoot ProFoto (B10+ on stands, A10's on camera - or on a stand). I have three stands but rarely use them in the same room. I'm not a fan of seeing the flash burst in a majority of reception photos and just 2 off camera lights makes it easy to shoot in between the sandwich. Some on-camera fill is nice sometimes - like to have it ready anytime.


Nov 05, 2022 at 11:16 PM
ahaug
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · how much lighting do you bring?


so we basically bring about the same amount of lighting. Good to know!


Nov 06, 2022 at 08:25 AM
Ziffl3
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · how much lighting do you bring?


Depends what you shoot and the look you are going for.
smaller wedding you can get away with 2 off camera and 1 on camera for your local fill.

Large weddings.... 500+, 2 off camera will struggle.
I routinely setup 4 OCF speed lights and have one camera with on camera flash and the other camera with just a trigger.
Sometime, the large hotel receptions I switch speed light for 2x AD200 (godox) because I can not get the stands close to the dance floor.

Me , I don't mind flash visibility on really wide 16mm shots.

Plus I grid my flashes so I am not lighting up the entire place.
Most time there is uplighting so I want to let that fill the background.

I roll with 7 flashes and 4 stands.



Nov 06, 2022 at 11:03 AM
ahaug
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · how much lighting do you bring?


seems like i’ll keep bringing my full lighting setup. I was hoping people would say that you can get away with one on camera bounce flash and a back up.


Nov 06, 2022 at 11:11 AM
LeeSimms
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · how much lighting do you bring?


> I was hoping people would say that you can get away with one on camera bounce flash and a back up.

In a small/med tent (or other small/med white room), yes. But then there's 92% of the rest of the world. Plus details/decor look better (usually) with gridded OCF. The ProFoto's have a tunable video light which is super nice for adding a spice of light quickly (what you see is what you get).



Nov 06, 2022 at 11:02 PM
DannyBostwick
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · how much lighting do you bring?


ahaug wrote:
seems like i’ll keep bringing my full lighting setup. I was hoping people would say that you can get away with one on camera bounce flash and a back up.


I use one bounced flash. I bring OCF stuff, but leave it in my car most times. I hate seeing light stands littered around the room. That being said, I think grain is perfectly acceptable if the moment is captured. These new cameras can shoot at ISO10k with nearly no problem at all, so if there is decent ambient light - I'll shoot one camera - usually a 35 or 50 at ambient light and one camera, usually 85 or 70-200 with an on camera flash. If the mood strikes me and the room and situation lends it self to it, I also light bouncing OCF. So I'll put one a stand and bounce it off the ceiling rather than doing the direct cross light thing which gives a nice look that I'm a personal fan of - Lot of ways up the mountain these days.

EDIT: That's just for reception/party stuff. I bring big lights and big modifiers, moonlights, OCF, and plenty of stands. Lately they've just been staying in the car. This is just sort of my current mood at the moment.



Nov 07, 2022 at 02:16 PM
IrishDino
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · how much lighting do you bring?


I've had a 10 year career with nothing but on-camera bounced TTL.

But the only time the flashes come out is during the reception.



Nov 07, 2022 at 07:24 PM
johnld
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · how much lighting do you bring?


We shoot with two Profoto B10's for/family group photos and then set up one or two A10's for dance/reception. If shooting on stands there always tucked into corners and up high so no flash or flare is in the photo. However, sometimes a nice strobe star in the background gives it some glam. The B10's (250w/s) have provided plenty of power for the brightest summer days with accurate WB too.


Nov 07, 2022 at 09:25 PM
MazeRunner
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · how much lighting do you bring?


It depends on what your style is and how you like to light the evening.

I personally bring 2-3 speedlights (Profoto A1s) + 3-4x Profoto B10X/B10s with about 6 of the Profoto B10/X batteries + about 10 of the speedlight batteries.

This way, I never worry about enough power or whatever, personally not a big fan of shutter drag but I'll do it every now and then if a couple requests it.

I do shoot at many venues where the ceilings are high (at least 30+ feet), are partially recessed (pockets of the ceiling go up higher than other parts), have crossbeams, are dark, are glass, or have hanging panels or whatever so sometimes a flash/bounce card with post processing on some highlights is necessary. =/ So having multiple lights does help tons.



Nov 08, 2022 at 12:41 AM
LeeSimms
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · how much lighting do you bring?


Refreshing to see a few ProFoto shooters, here. Thought I was the only one. Their group control/flexibility isn't as good as Canon (and varies from device to device) but love the output. I just got barn doors for the B10+'s and the new clic one for the A10. Love the instant control (versus swapping grids).


Nov 08, 2022 at 09:36 AM
manthonyphoto1
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · how much lighting do you bring?


4 A10's, 1 B10 which is not used that often.


Nov 08, 2022 at 10:41 PM
JRobertson
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · how much lighting do you bring?


A lot of GoDox stuff....and by a lot, I mean a large pelican case...


Nov 14, 2022 at 02:02 PM
Oscarsmadness
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · how much lighting do you bring?


I've never done a wedding, technically, but I've done stuff that's otherwise identical to a wedding reception. I do a bounced on camera speedlight and one ocf on a stand half of the time. Other half of the time, I do two ocf on two stands.

If I'm able, I'll put a speedlight on a Gorillapod and mount that on some of the architecture, instead of having a stand on the floor.



Nov 15, 2022 at 11:53 AM
elkhornsun
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · how much lighting do you bring?


With additional lighting equipment I need to have an assistant the entire day and I decided it was not worth the effort and expense.

I use two speedlights in umbrellas for the group photos and have my assistant hold a monopod that I use as a light pole to support a RF triggered Qflash in a softbox. My entire lighting kit fits inside a Pelican 1620 case.

One piece of kit I love is the Quantum Qflash set up for bare bulb flash. This works well with couples outdoors and indoors with very large groupd as it bounces light off walls and the ceiling for diffused lighting effect.

My biggest problem is with the terrible light bars that DJ's feel compelled to bring to recceptions. I have in my contract with the bride a disclaimer that I am not responsible for the DJ lighting and the problems it causes with color dots of light on people.



Nov 28, 2022 at 06:47 PM
MRomine
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · how much lighting do you bring?


When I was still shooting weddings I always shot with a 2nd so we brought 7 Godox v860x and one 360x. Since we both shot with two cameras this allowed for four on-camera and three off-camera. Generally only used the 360 for big inside formal group shots. Almost always had three off-camera going during the reception. If it was a small venue then drop down to two. If it was a large venue then one of us would only shot with one camera and we would go to four off-camera.


Dec 01, 2022 at 06:14 PM
nick williams
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · how much lighting do you bring?


Interesting how different weddings are in the states compared to here in the UK. I shoot 60 weddings a year and rarely will there be more than 120 guests. often its 60-80 so I do not need as much lighting. I shoot mainly natural lights but there is always going to be that wet day. I do carry two Good v1 and an ad200 along with lighting stands and brollies. For groups inside I often set up my V1's either side on stands or little table top tripods bounce off the ceiling. The little tripods are great as the are always in my bag, small and light and less likely to get knocked over. A typical wedding in the uk we get 90 mins from the end of the service to when they sit down for the meal to do the photos. It's very, very rare for couples to have formals before the wedding, which I believe can sometime happen in America. So for us it's always a race against time, so keeping the gear simple speeds things up


Dec 05, 2022 at 03:35 AM
mineymole
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · how much lighting do you bring?


It depends a lot on the venue.

But I usually have two Profoto A1x for on camera, 2 A2s off camera. Though I have also been playing with using continuous LED for speeches, first dance etc. For those I have been trying the Godox ML60Bi lights.



Dec 11, 2022 at 09:28 AM
LeeSimms
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · how much lighting do you bring?


Three speed lights (usually AD200's) has become very popular in the States and I'm trying to shake a few of our people from shooting that way — way too many photos with flash 'pow' in them.

For some reason, it's become a trend to spike in backlighting into key reception moments (grand entrances, toasts, even cake cutting). My firm opinion is you blow too many great moments because the third light is set too strong, or is in the wrong spot at that instant. What's happening is in frame is great enough and you don't need to add special sauce. The clients are the stars and when they're doing a cool dance on entrance, or father of the bride is giving a heartfelt speech you don't need ridiculous rim-lighting. WTH. That, and walking around shooting while not looking through the viewfinder, are my two 2022 pet peeves.



Dec 13, 2022 at 01:00 PM
Ziffl3
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · how much lighting do you bring?


I do like a little rim light if the background is dark and the clients have dark hair.
Helps pop them out.
And by rim light I mean using one of the 4 speed lights I have set up…
At normal power.



Dec 13, 2022 at 04:42 PM
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