Until recently, I used to shoot wedding receptions with hot shoe mounted speedlights which was adequate enough, but the dark background was an issue as was the noise, since I found myself upping the ISO to 1600~3200 in order to get more ambient light.
Below is a typical wedding reception photo I was getting with this setup. Shot at f/2, 1/160, ISO1600. I think it looks pretty good, but the tell tale signs are there. The main subjects are exposed well, but the background is pretty dark with an orange tint to it due to the difference in color balance between the flash and the ambient lighting. Of course, I could have gelled the flash to counteract this, but I don’t like bothering with gels too much.
So looking to up my game, I recently bought some Paul C Buff lighting equipment. Using strobes completely changed the way I shoot wedding receptions. I’ll never be able to go back!!!
Here’s the lighting gear I bought.
Einstein with the CSXCV receiver installed.
Alien Bees 800. I use the CyberSync CSRB+ receiver to trigger this strobe. The CSRB+ “understands” the commands coming from the Cyber Commander. The cable that looks like a phone cables connects the AB800 to the CSRB+. A 1/8″ cable plugs into the AB800 to bypass the optical triggering.
Cyber Commander. This allows me to remotely control every facet of the strobes. I use this primarily to change power on the strobes and to take a reading with the built-in light meter. It’s really an extremely convenient device to have. 
I use the Cyber Sync CST triggers to remotely fire the strobes. I use Velcro to attach the CST to the hot shoe mounted 580EXII flash which is used to light up the subjects. The CST connects to the camera via a PC Sync cable. I use these cables from Flash Zebra. The screw-in type cable secures it in place so it doesn’t come loose. I highly recommend it!
I also bought the Vagabond Mini Lithium Battery Pack in case there is no outlet nearby or if I want to use either strobe outdoors.
Below is how I set up the lights at a wedding reception I shot recently. Both strobes were at about 1/8 power, maybe even lower. I used the Cyber Commander to dial in the lights so that I had a baseline reading of f/2.8, 1/160, ISO800. If the venue size allows for it, I try to put the strobes far enough from the dance floor so that the light fall-off isn’t too much. One of the great things about the Cyber Commander, aside from the ability to remotely control the lights is that it also has a built-in light meter. So I trigger the strobes, take a reading, and adjust the power accordingly. Pretty awesome! I didn’t have an available outlet by where I set up the AB800, so I used the Vagabond Mini Lithium Battery Pack. Very handy!
Below is a photo using the above setup. Camera settings were f/2, 1/160, ISO 200. That’s right. ISO 200! I had a 580EXII mounted on the hot shoe of my 5DMKII in ETTL mode with the Demb Flip-it bounce card attachment for some fill. The 1/160 shutter speed essentially kills the ambient light so I am pretty much lighting up the scene with my own lighting. Since the flash is the main source of light, I am also able to stop the action on the subjects. White balance and exposure is consistent throughout. I don’t have the very dark background with the orange tint anymore!
You can shoot the same way with a couple of speedlights as well. The only difference is the flash power and the fact that you have to rely on battery power. Either way, I highly recommend shooting with off camera lights. It’s such a game changer!
Here’s a slideshow gallery of images from various wedding receptions taken with this setup.
18 comments
Thanks for sharing Nick. I just purchased my first light set, the new Elinchrom Quadras. You are right, my images are TEN TIMES BETTER! Thanks again, this was very helpful in making the move!
Thanks for the post…I love using off camera lighting with my ABs. Still tweaking my settings to where I want them to be, but loving every minute. Your post was great to read.
Hi there,
Thanks for the post. Your pictures are beautiful. I have a couple of questions: In this post,
1. did you use any kind of light modifier on your strobe (umbrella, softbox)?
2. was it OK with the party that flash kept going on and off?
Thanks,
I used the standard reflector that came with the strobes. No modifiers such as a softbox or umbrella. I’ve never had any complaints with flash/strobes at a wedding reception.
Wow! you are fast replying to my email
One last question, do you use flash when taking picture outdoor? The reason I’m asking is because your outdoor pictures are sharp, crisp, and not dull looking.
Thanks again for sharing your knowledge.
I use flash outdoors only when needed such as when I am shooting into the sun and need to properly expose the subjects, or to add a little punch when shooting in the shade, etc.
Hi Nick! Great site and very helpful advice! I just have 2 questions I’m hoping you can answer. 1) How come you’re not using an umbrella for the alienbee on the right side of the photo? 2) I have two B800s, is it better to use of them or will one suffice?
Thanks so much~
Looking to do a similar setup had some success with an experimental run with one strobe did really well but how would you reccomend positioning two strobes?
It depends. Sometimes I have no choice regarding placement due to space constraints. I only have one battery pack so the other strobe always needs an outlet so that’s another restriction. Regardless, I usually take a measurement at the center of the dance floor. I like to set the power so that I get a reading of 1/200, f2.8, ISO 800. I adjust the settings according to distant to the strobes and also when I use my fast primes. For example, if I am shooing my 50L at f1.2, I can lower the ISO to 100-200 for the same exposure.
Nice post Nick. A couple of questions for you if you don’t mind…….
1: Looks like you are pointing the standard reflectors directly towards the crowd and not bouncing them. If so, how do you find the harshness of the light coming from the reflectors?
2: Also, is that an umbrella and separate light source directly facing the bridal table? Is that something that you typically do at most weddings?
3: Last question; I’m guessing with this light set up it is hard to do wide shots as you would be getting all the hot spots on the walls ceiling etc. ???? Do you mainly shoot tight as to avoid that?
OK, one more
………… How many shots can you get from the battery pack? I have the Einstein’s myself but only power them with 240 volts. I am looking at getting a mini vagabond but curious as to real world capacity.
Many thanks for the great information.
Allan, I try to keep the lights far enough from the dance floor to avoid too much light fall-off. I haven’t had much issues with harsh shadows.
That umbrella was being used for the photobooth. (Backdrop stand and white paper)
The setup doesn’t prevent me from getting wider shots at all.
I haven’t measured the click count for the Vagabond Mini. When I use it at receptions, I have the strobe dialed down in power so I can go all night with the battery pack. So it really depends on what power setting you have the strobe on.
-Nick
Man those are some crisp pics- incredibly sharp and detailed!
Man Nick you are going to cost me some serious cash! I am now considering getting another mark III and trading or selling the Mark II and now getting lighting gear! I have shot with off camera flash but only in one position. I am thinking maybe I can set up 2 480exII’s around the room crank them all the way up and point them straight up if the ceiling allows…Will this work?
Thanks for this write up btw!
There’s no reason you wouldn’t be able to light the reception hall up with speedlites. The only issue would be power, if you need lots of it, and batteries. My strobes are either plugged in to the wall socket or the Vagabond Mini Lithium so I don’t have to worry about swapping out batteries and I have great recycle times even when I shoot at lower ISO settings.
That said, I would definitely be interested in playing around with a few 600EX-RTs and its radio triggering capabilities one of these days!
I use basically the same set up, but I have two Einsteins. My only question is, do you have both strobes plus your on camera flash going off at once, or do you have the two strobes go off independently depending on the direction you are shooting? The latter is what I do, just wondering if you’ve found having both strobes go off at once beneficial if that’s what you do.
Scott,
I usually fire off both strobes and the the on-camera speedlite all at once. Sometimes I might either disable the strobes or the speedlite depending on whether I want a certain look, but I usually have them all firing. I try to put the strobes at a distance to minimize light fall off and on the opposite end of the reception hall to get more even coverage.
Hi Nick,
I was considering Vagabond Mini Lithium Battery Pack as well, but not sure about how long will it last for the wedding? did it work out for you? how many shots of the AB800 can you take out of a full charge?
Thanks,
The Vagabond Mini Lithium is absolutely great. I haven’t run out of juice at weddings yet. However it’s not something I break out for everything. If I need to overpower the sun, then I use it along with the Einstein 640. Otherwise, if I can’t find an outlet nearby for one of my strobes, I’ll use it for that and it’ll last all night long since the strobes are like at 1/16th power. I highly recommend it!