When it comes to off camera flash a lot of us get a little scared. It’s something new, different and requires understanding how it all works! I know when I decided to start understanding how I could take photos with my flash off my camera I was pretty overwhelmed. I felt pretty safe with my flash on top of my camera in ETTL mode. There is nothing wrong with leaving it on your camera, I use it that way from time to time and it’s a great tool! For me and my style, I wanted to add a different dimension to how I photographed a reception.

Let me first tell you the gear I use at a reception. The two Speedlites I use are a Canon 580 EX II and a Yongnuo YN-560. I trigger the flashes with CowboyStudio wireless triggers and I have use a monopod, a light stand, and a Westcott Micro Apollo. 

Detail shots of the reception can be difficult if the room is very dark. I don’t usually want to raise my ISO too high or have my shutter speed too slow, so this is when I’ll break out the off camera flash. When I walk into the reception, before I start the detail shots, I will set my exposure for 1 stop underexposed. Make sure that you don’t go over your max sync speed which for Canon is usually 1/200 or 1/250.

I’ll then move over to the cake and set up my flash. I’ll have my trigger on my camera and the receiver on the flash which will either be on the light stand or in Matt’s hand. I’ll then power up the flash to 1/8th power and add the Micro Apollo. I’ll have the light stand or Matt about 4 feet to either camera left or right and have it 7 feet in the air and pointed down towards the cake. I’ll take a test shot to look at the histogram to see if it has moved to be an even exposure. If it hasn’t, I’ll adjust either the power of the flash or adjust how close it is to the cake. I want to make sure it’s an even exposure without clipping the blacks or blowing out the highlights. I also want a nice highlight and shadow on the cake to give dimension.

Once I have the flash power where it needs to be, I’ll move around the reception and take all of the detail shots.

The off camera flash is placed to camera left in these cake cutting photos.

In this photo the off camera flash is placed to camera right.

For all of the first dance, father/daughter, mother/son dances I do a few things. I will first set up what is called a kicker light in the background to give some rim light and flare. I’ll will place one of my lights on a light stand, have it set to about 1/8th power and then raise it up about 7 ft. I like to photograph back into the crowd so the kicker light will be in either the top left or right of the dance floor. Then I’ll have Matt take our other flash, set at 1/32 power, with the Micro Apollo on it and put it on a monopod. He’ll raising it to about 7ft in the air and always follow their faces. We’ll adjust the power of the flash up or down depending on how close we can get. I’ll keep my exposure on my camera is the same as it is for when I shoot the detail shots; one stop underexposed.

For the rest of the dancing shots, Matt and I will just move around the room and even move through the crowd!

I hope that helps you get a better idea of how we do receptions. This technique isn’t for everyone, but it works well for Matt and I!