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View Full Version : Metz 45CT-4/45Cl-4 how to use for indoor portrait help.


GoodOldNorm
19th June 2015, 08:17 PM
I have two Metz 45 flash guns I would like to use to light head and shoulder portraits indoors, what would be the best way of positioning these using cable/slave sensors non ttl on a medium format camera? Would I need to make some soft boxes or buy some brollies? All suggestions/diagrams etc. welcome, thank you.

big paul
20th June 2015, 12:41 PM
you can buy softboxes and umbrellas to fit flash guns ,I have used both and got good results the only problem with them is they haven't got modeling lamps ,so its a bit of a educated guess but you get there in the end ,I have now got studio flashes with modeling lights ,that have more power ,but for portraits all you need is two brollies and your two flash guns ,and a light meter and you can get great shots .I am no good at putting drawings on here but there are lots of info on youtube .
good luck




www.essexcockney.com

Richard Gould
20th June 2015, 06:04 PM
I would either get or make some softbox's for them, also brollys would be an asset, for modeling you can use flying modeling lamps, that is some form of clip on lampholders with small lamps attached even to the handles of the Metz's, this would give you an idea of the lighting you will get, not perfect but it works, Also a flash meter is a great help as you cannot depend on the built in ones for this type of work, best to work at full power and move the flash head you use for fill in further away to decrease the power, other than than that possibliy a home made reflector might help, crumple up some cooking foil and attach it to some cardbourd, I have and still do use it with my 2 Studio flashes and it works very well, apart from that experiment with placing the heads, using the flying model lights and see how it looks to you, for a man low lights can produce a sort of Herioc look, for a lady one light to the front and one to the side can be pretty nice, and 2 lights used from the back with a reflector as a fill in can produce a glamorus look, Have fun with them
Richard

Richard Gould
20th June 2015, 06:10 PM
One thing I forgot to mention, it is worth getting an extension flash lead for one head, tape the flash lead to the flash handle to avoid the weight of the lead and extension from pulling out of the socket on the flash, and a slave trigger, such as the one made by Kaiser on the other to avoid long leads all over the floor, You can get an adaptor for the PC socket on your camera to fire the two flashes via leads, but the infra red slave trigger is the better option
Richard

big paul
20th June 2015, 10:18 PM
just like to add that if you are using B/W its quite simple to put mistake right ,and or turn them in to moody shots ,as I have with some of mine ,the problem I have is finding someone to sit for me ,my grandkids wont sit still and my wife gets fed up after 5 mins ,and the dogs one flash and there off .My preference is a round catch light in the eyes as apposed to a square one ,because when using light modifiers this is where they show ,and can ruin a photo with big squares or circles if you are not careful ,and also you could use a white card or reflector under the face to reflect a bit of light up ...


www.essexcockney.com

GoodOldNorm
21st June 2015, 08:51 AM
Thank you for the replies, I will put some equipment together through the summer and have a go this autumn. If I set my film speed on camera EI200 F8 1/60th what is the easiest option for reducing the output of the flash, is it by setting the film speed higher on the flash, or is it better to move the flash further away from the subject or both?

JOReynolds
21st June 2015, 08:56 AM
Brollies and softboxes can create lovely results. The bigger the better - small softboxes improve on naked flash mainly because they are less directional and spread the light around the room.
An alternative is to get a roll of 1m30 (4ft) wide matte drafting foil about 5m (15ft) long. You will need two thicknesses. Fold it halfway and tape both ends to a full-length wooden broom handle. Hang this midway between the lamp and the sitter. You can use any standard lamp for modelling, with the biggest bulb that will fit. The flash and lamp should be a little above the sitter's eye level. The effect is not quite the same as with brollies and softboxes, but very pleasing. It is often used in tv filming because it is effective, cheap, electrically efficient, portable and disposable. The effect is like placing the sitter by a daylit window.
You will also need a large reflector to fill the shadows - the best (and cheapest) is a full-sized sheet of expanded polystyrene insulation board. Get the 25mm (1") or thicker material - it's more robust. To get it in the car I sliced my reflector into quarters with a sharp kitchen knife and made gaffer tape hinges so that I could fold it away afterwards. For shadow-free lighting you can even cut a hole for the lens to peep through.
You won't get a 1930s Hollwood catchlight in the sitter's eyes, but the appearance is much more natural, more in keeping with our cloudy skies. And the sitter can move his/her head this way and that without having to adjust the lighting.
Whichever approach you adopt, you will need to invest in lighting stands (these are under £25 each) and a flashmeter. Even though you are using flash, use a tripod and a cable release. It helps to keep the camera on-aim, so you can concentrate on the sitter's expression.

Richard Gould
21st June 2015, 03:56 PM
Thank you for the replies, I will put some equipment together through the summer and have a go this autumn. If I set my film speed on camera EI200 F8 1/60th what is the easiest option for reducing the output of the flash, is it by setting the film speed higher on the flash, or is it better to move the flash further away from the subject or both?

The only way I can see it working and getting any decent results is to get a flash meter,that is as essential as the lights in an form of studio work, using the way you outline is very hit and miss, it might work if yiu are using only 1 light, but using 2 you need to use on full power, if I remember the metz units you have full power and then the computar settings, no 1/2 and 1/4 power, so the only realistic way of working is to use the units at full power, having the fill light a greater distance away to get the reduced power, and you need a meter to get it right, they are not that expensive used, in fact for studio work you might just be better off with a couple of Vivatar,I think, 283, flash units, that have the vario power module so that you could set the main unit at full power and the second at 1/2 or 1/4 power to give you a bit more control over the lighting ratio, but I would say you still need that meter, look on the Ffordes site, check it out in the links section of Fadu, and see what is availabe, Personaly, for flash metering, I have an old Sekonic flash mate, 308, and it works fine,
Richard