I took this shot a wile ago, probably first time I ever used a strobe, there was a guest holding it, I seem to recall I left the camera expose for the background and then adjusted power until I got a decent balanced exposure.
Now I got a light meter and should this condition arise again how would I use the meter to calculate the right exposure for the subject?
Let's say I am at ISO 800, 1/200th synch speed and f8 for the background, I switch strobe on with X power setting, fire the strobe with the trigger while reading exposure on the subject's face, do I have to adjust until I get the same reading by adjusting the strobe power?
This is assuming you have your flash off the camera and on a stand at a fixed distance.
For portraits, the first thing I do is think about what aperture I want to shoot at for the depth of field. Then I take a photo of the background in Automatic mode and see what my ambient light readings are (ISO, shutter speed and aperture). Based on that I switch to manual and adjust ISO - Low ISO for bright and higher for low light. Once I set the ISO and aperture I want, I fine tune the ambient light with shutter speed up or down until I have the background brightness at the desired aperture and ISO (making sure to keep within the sync speed). I then set the light meter to the ISO and shutter speed, hold the meter under the chin of the subject and remotely fire the flash. I look at the aperture reading on the meter and adjust flash power up or down until the flash power on the subject is set for the desired aperture. You do need a method of remotely firing the flash when using a light meter. Different methods include setting your camera on time delay (10 seconds or so), sync cable or having a 2nd remote for the flash.
It’s easier if you have TTL and HSS-capable flash/strobe because you don’t have to worry about sync speed. Part of how you use that is dependent on the model of flash/strobe you use.
Yes, makes sense, take a shot with desired aperture in A priority, once I get it the way I like it, possibly within camera's synch speed (I use an AD200Pro which is HSS compatible and use the X3 trigger), I input the data in the light meter, measure light on the subject's face while remotely firing the strobe and adjust until I get the same reading, correct?
Keep in mind that you normally control ambient light with shutter speed and flash power on the subject with aperture. For portraits I use Manual mode for shot to shot consistency. I will use Aperture mode with TTL/HSS for “run and gun” photos. In that second case I’m not worried about shot to shot consistency.
I use Profoto and not sure if you can do the following process with Godox or not. Rather than adjust the strobe power up or down, I use TTL and establish normal exposure on the face. Then I use + or - ev to adjust. Once I have the strobe power where I want it, I switch over to manual mode on the strobe and get excellent shot to shot consistency provided the strobe or the subject doesn’t move around much.
I think you’re on the right track and I’m sure others will give you some additional tips.
Yes, I think Godox allows to switch from TTL to M keeping the last setting but I am not very fond of how it all works, I prefer to work in M mode after I allow the camera to give me the background exposure and then adjust strobe settings.
I think it’s just a metter of practice as with it all, I don’t have much of a need for strobe but I wanna be ready for the time it might happen and if it does happen I don’t want to go trial and error in front of a potential client.
I found out how a strobe can make a whole difference on a shot like the one above, with natural light only I could have never achieve a decent result, I went trial and error and somehow got it even tho now I would have act differently, raise ISO, close diaphragm and maybe move a little further off the subject to achieve a deeper depth of field, I used the bare bulb so there was no modifier and no power loss, 200W is not a powerful strobe but when bare it’s plenty to work in such a circumstance
