Get the Jone Done: Using My Studio Lights on Location and Battery Woes

Thank goodness Jason brought his studio lights to the wedding expo earlier this month! As I continue editing those photos, I was nearly distraught to see that hardly any of my shots of the actual fashion show were too my liking. As the light source in the high-ceiling, windowed space changed from afternoon sunlight to evening dark, it became increasingly difficult to adjust my exposures.

By the time the models were on the runway, I had to use full flash to have enough light. Because my flash was on my camera hot shoe, I have those annoying shadows. Hopefully my new Stroboframe Quick Flip flash bracket will help. The shadows should be all but eliminated now that I can mount my flash atop the camera.



Honestly, I think the only good shots I got out of the expo was when Jason and I took the models aside and set up a portrait area with his hot lights. Only then did we have adequate light to really be able to bring out the details in the exquisite wedding gowns showcased during the event. From now on, I think I need to get used to lugging my own lights to sets too. I think natural light is always great when you have access to it, but there is definitely a craft and an art form to learning how to use hot lights effectively as well.

I think my Alien Bees will be my best bet for on location lighting. I've seen other photographers set up a shooting area with just one powerful strobe. I will invest in an Alien Bee Vagabond II Portable Power System. If power lines aren't available for my AB1600s, I can use the Vagabond battery powering unit, which offers faster recycle times.




I also purchased a Quantum Turbo 2x2 Battery Power for Digital Cameras and Flash. I can't tell you how tired I am of having rechargeable batteries drain out during a shoot, not to mention how much I must have spent on buying batteries! It had gotten to where I was buying a new pack every time I went to the grocery store because I was always anxious about running out of juice during a shoot.

I replaced the batteries four times in my flash during the wedding expo, and each time it was annoying and threw me off my game. The Quantum Turbo should give me enough power to shoot more than 500 flashes. But I also like knowing I can power my camera with it too if I need it, although I don't seem be having the same problem with my camera. The Canon BG-ED3 Battery Grip keeps me shooting for days before I need to recharge the two Canon NB-2LH batteries that fit snugly inside.