shooting solo with off-camera flash

Yup, that’s me all crouching tiger there with a camera and an off-camera flash setup. I had planned on photographing Jessica Joy in the studio while she was here, but since she’d never been to New York before, we had to make a trip in. I wanted to do a few sequences on location in Manhattan.

The ethos and approach of The Sartorialist, has fascinated me ever since I became aware of his blog. Working in a very simple way with just a camera and an 85mm lens, he captures people on the street, showing the way they decide to clothe themselves for public view. Anyone can be his subject, from the most Fashion conscious to blue-collar laborers. Here is the Youtube clip that tells you more about the way he works.

I’ve taken some of this in how I photograph models on location. Obviously more controlled and directed than approaching and photographing strangers on the street. Still, it’s been an influence on me.

Making a day-trip out of it to New York with Jessica, I thought I’d keep this way of shooting as a direction to myself. I also knew I’d like to use off-camera flash. It gets dark very quickly in wintertime, and the shaded side of buildings can be in a deep gloom. Off-camera flash would help! But the person who I had arranged with to come along and help, had an unforeseen crisis and contacted me the night before, to tell me he couldn’t make it. So I had to plan how I’d best go about this solo.

Since Manhattan can be very crowded, I needed to travel light. You can’t just put a light-stand down in the busier pedestrian areas. So I needed an off-camera flash setup I could handle with just one hand. It also needed to be compact and easy to break down and assemble, and comfortable to carry. I configured this as the most practical off-camera flash setup, even if ungainly.

The small Lastolite 8.6″ Ezybox (B&H) diffused the light. It was all held up by that monopod, and the flash was synced with the camera via a TTL cord, the Nikon SC-29 (B&H). No wireless triggers. Just a cable I could easily unclip and then keep in place on the monopod with a velcro strap.

In terms of camera gear, I kept it to just a Nikon D4 (B&H) and the Nikon 85mm f/1.4G (B&H).

In the end, we managed to shoot 3 very short sequences. It was just too cold. The wind funnels between the tall buildings in Manhattan, and on bad winter days, the wind chill can be quite a surprise. Not comfortable at all, especially for a model in clothes for a warmer season.

Jessica was dressed quite warm in a thick jacket and a cardigan. When I saw a place where we might shoot, I’d do the test shots and find the composition, and only once I am ready, she’d whip the outer garments off, and I’d cradle them in my arm while shooting for a very short time. Here are two images.

The black and white image was shot from where I was crouching on the steps as shown in the top image. The railing kept me from being close enough, and you can see the more pronounced flash shadow as a result.

camera settings: 1/1000 @ f/2 @ 800 ISO …. TTL flash

1/250 @ f/1.8 @ 200 ISO … TTL flash

equipment used during this photo session

Nikon D4 (B&H); Nikon 85mm f/1.4G (B&H)
Nikon SB-910 Speedlight (B&H)
Nikon SC-29 TTL cord (B&H)
Nikon SD-9 battery pack (B&H)
Lastolite 8.6″ Ezybox (B&H)

Canon equivalents:
Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II (B&H)
Canon 600EX-RT Speedlite (B&H)
Canon CP-E4 Battery Pack (B&H)
Canon OC-E3 TTL cord (B&H)

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20 Comments »

Hi Neil
’1/1000 @ f/2 @ 800 ISO …. TTL flash’ Was this high speed flash or did you break your golden rule of immediately going to the synch speed?

Comment by Roy Barnes — January 8, 2013 @ 4:15 am
Roy, since I wasn’t shooting in bright sunlight, I knew the flash would easily give enough light at a high shutter speed (for the wide aperture / high ISO).

The hesitation to immediately go into HSS mode, comes when shooting in bright light, and we’re quite likely working close to the flash’s maximum output – a scenario described in the High Speed Flash Sync tutorial

Neil vN

Comment by Neil vN — January 8, 2013 @ 5:15 am
Do you think a hand held off camera flash+cable+large rouge flash bender used like a bounce card would be more practical? You would save monopod and softbox which can be difficult to use solo. For sure you would loose a lot of flash power but similar results can be obtained I guess.

Comment by Mazhar — January 8, 2013 @ 6:14 am
That would’ve worked as well for photos where I’m shooting eye-level. But in the first image here of Jessica especially, I was shooting from a low viewpoint. Then the elevation of the monopod makes a difference in letting the fill-light come from a good angle.

Neil vN

Comment by Neil vN — January 8, 2013 @ 8:26 am
Great explanation and images as usual Neil. Can’t help feeling that using wireless triggers would have made things a little less cumbersome, i.e. no cord between the camera and the flashgun. I really like the black and white shot!

Comment by David — January 8, 2013 @ 8:35 am
Hi Neil,
Could you tell us the monopod that you’re using or perhaps list it on the “Equipment used” section?

Thanks. :)

Comment by Leo Dj — January 8, 2013 @ 8:37 am
Props to you Neil! I don’t think I’m brave enough to shoot with one hand, especially with a heavy D4, and get away with camera shake regardless of the shutter speed. I’d rather use a tripod.

Comment by Rico — January 8, 2013 @ 8:45 am
Thanks Neil! Do you have a preferred monopod? Thanks!

Comment by Jill — January 8, 2013 @ 9:07 am
I use the Manfrotto 680B monopod (B&H),
but there are other monopods which might be slightly lighter.

I used a Manfrotto quick release to connect the flash to the monopod.

Neil vN

Comment by Neil vN — January 8, 2013 @ 9:30 am
You said you were shooting TTL. How do you handle FEC using the D4 (assuming, like my D3s the D4 doesn’t have FEC on the camera)? I’m assuming you had to make changes at the SB-910?

I have yet to figure out why Nikon didn’t include FEC on their higher end camera bodies. That’s why I find myself shooting the D700 more often.

Comment by David Hall — January 8, 2013 @ 9:54 am
The Nikon D4 now has FEC on the camera body! Finally! It’s slightly awkward in how they implemented it, but it’s there.

For this shoot though, I used the overall compensation button right next to the shutter button. Since I shoot in manual exposure mode, this affects the flash exposure and not the ambient exposure. This way, I could dial compensation to affect my TTL flash, using only one hand. I didn’t need to let go of the flash and monopod.

Neil vN

Comment by Neil vN — January 8, 2013 @ 12:08 pm
Well, that is good news about the D4 and FEC. Also, thank you for this post. I sent you a message the other day about this very subject. Your timing is impeccable.

Comment by David Hall — January 8, 2013 @ 1:24 pm
Hi Neil,
Can you tell us the Manfrotto Quick Release you are using? Manfrotto manufacturers many different quick releases, so I have no idea what’s good or usable.

For example, B&H lists many models!
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Quick-Release-Systems/ci/15925/N/4232861044

Thanks!

Comment by Stephen — January 8, 2013 @ 2:01 pm
I use this Manfrotto quick-release plate. It makes it easier to assemble and disassemble the softbox on a pole / light-stick.

Neil vN

Comment by Neil vN — January 8, 2013 @ 2:47 pm
Manfrotto 323 RC2 System Quick Release Adapter with 200PL-14 Plate

Comment by Neil vN — January 8, 2013 @ 2:47 pm
great post neil! Im curious as to why u specifically chose ISO 800, 1/1000 of a sec. why not shoot at ISO 200, 1/250 of a second for the same exposure, was it to completely eliminate the possibility of camera shake with one hand perhaps?

Comment by Naftoli — January 8, 2013 @ 4:43 pm
Most definitely the risk of camera shake that I was avoiding. Which then surprises me in retrospect that I settled on 1/250 @ f/1.8 @ 200 ISO for the 2nd photograph. It would’ve made more sense to be at a higher shutter speed (and hence higher ISO) for that shot too.

Neil vN

Comment by Neil vN — January 8, 2013 @ 5:06 pm
Hi Neil…I do a ton of one-handed shooting with my right hand while holding an off-camera flash and 27″ umbrella in my left. I virtually never have to reject an image due to camera shake…it’s actually quite amazing how steady a camera can be held with one hand. And stabilized lenses make it that much easier.

Comment by Frank Palmeri — January 9, 2013 @ 12:24 am
Bill Cunningham?

Comment by Ken — January 9, 2013 @ 8:23 am
You’re like superman.

Comment by Sarah Phillips — January 15, 2013 @ 4:12 pm