Off Camera Flash For A Reception - Behind The Scenes Wedding Photography

[@mirandavandenberk786]

Love this lightset up. Now I do it always this way to. And also single focus😊

[@LunaBellaPhotos]

Oh that's awesome to hear! Do you have an IG account? I'd love to follow you.

[@TheShipFortMyers]

I love the look in these photos.

[@luisin69ful]

Very good video, with the necessary information, no BS. Thank you for sharing!

[@LunaBellaPhotos]

Thanks so much! I decided just today that I am going to go on and on this channel and I am going to post at least one video per week of all the weddings that I have been photographing. I still have about 38 weddings this year and all of them are going to be on KZbin plus the ones I already shot. Thanks for watching if you haven’t subscribe please do so and thank you again.

[@wendystumbaugh695]

Fantastic video! Could you place a big red circle around your OCFs when you refer to the position of your lights? Would be helpful! Any and all descriptions helps! Your pictures are gorgeous!

[@LunaBellaPhotos]

Thanks so much for watching and I really truly appreciate the feed back. I’ve been trying to do these videos as fast as possible but I’m thinking I do need to spend more time on the explanations. Would me explaining not only where the flash goes, but the power of them or the lens choices or even focusing methods help?

[@wendystumbaugh695]

@@LunaBellaPhotos while powers vary, all info is fantastic. What do you use when you walk around (on camera speedlight?) for candids, guests at tables, etc.?Do you gel and change to a Kelvin temperature color balance in camera? Do you typically direct all your OCF toward the dance floor? Like I said - your images are amazing! Do your ad200s keep up the pace all day?

[@KuKicks]

Great explanations of how lighting setup was done. Noice!

[@LunaBellaPhotos]

Thanks! Off camera flash is something I get asked about and I actually have trained a few people on these past few months. Let's get together and take some cool photos of those super expensive shoes!

[@GoodyMorillas]

Please more of these light setups, do you always use 3? Looking forward to see more videos like this! Thanks

[@LunaBellaPhotos]

I don’t always use three, I really only use more than one now if there is no existing lighting that’s nice. So, for example, if there are twinkly lights behind them, or the DJ lights are nice, then I use those as rim lights and my set up time has gone from a few minutes to virtually no time at all, because I always have at least one light set up. If, however, I go to a venue that has no light, or nice lighting where if I photograph, it goes into just complete darkness in the background then I will add an extra light or two. You don’t want the lights to enter your shot every time though to give you that flare. It looks nice, but not for every photo. Thanks for watching and I hope you keep watching because I have so many weddings that I have footage for that I just haven’t gotten around to it because I’m so busy.

[@DillonABBIESTREETPHOTO]

Question for you! are you using a separate trigger on each camera? Are you using a single camera and just swapping lenses ?

[@alvarob17]

Thanks for the video. The lighting looks great. On the stands on the corners/back of the room I guess they are pointing straight at the subjects? Theain light with the Magsphere looked like half is pointing at the ceiling and half towards subject?

[@LunaBellaPhotos]

Hi! The videos I’m recording now are going to show you so much more. Like the set up of the lights instead of just me telling you in the video or comments but so i gel the lights and put a grid from Magmod. The only light that has the sphere is my main light that roams around wherever I want it to be.

[@LunaBellaPhotos]

The light in the middle is my key light so I am using it to light up not just the couple but also the speech giver. It is right in the middle of them so the light disperses equally to both sides making my lighting super easy. It's a lot tougher when they are in different spots. In that case I would have to move the light according to whos photo I am taking or I will increase either ISO or flash power to reach whomever I am photographing that is further away.

[@dragnfly138]

Also forgot to mention, photos always look amazing.

[@LunaBellaPhotos]

Glad you like them and hey thanks so much for watching!!!

[@noguisolano]

Yes Very good light ❤

[@LunaBellaPhotos]

Thank you so much for watching. Appreciate your support.

[@TheCopernicus1]

Well done again my friend, appreciate your time!

[@LunaBellaPhotos]

I’ve got an engagement video coming up and so many more weddings.

[@TheCopernicus1]

@@LunaBellaPhotos looking forward to it friend

[@Ritzphotography]

Hey, I knew this video is very old but I have one question. What's the dimension and position of the flash light which is at at the backside behind all people in left side near to wall ?

[@snapkingweddings]

Thank you, great video

[@LunaBellaPhotos]

Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. I actually had more fun making this video than in the past and for sure I am going to make more so soon.

[@snapkingweddings]

@@LunaBellaPhotos What is the brand of those flashes?

[@LunaBellaPhotos]

They are all the AD 200 from godox. They’re super popular.

[@snapkingweddings]

@@LunaBellaPhotos Thank you so much, I've got one of AD200 , Are you flash with same level of setting on all three flashes or change the level of light ?

[@snapkingweddings]

@@LunaBellaPhotos How do you setup your WB on z6ii in this kind of light setup? Auto or Kelvin?

[@hopeallwell7228]

I can see lots of mixed color lightings, do you gel your lights at all, or some voodoo magic? I mean purple, orange, green, white. Do you set a manual WB? I always find it challenging. Oh, I just got to the part of crazy lightings and you did gel. I assume some CTO gel what WB? 4500? Like the ambient in the picture, some warmth but not all orange.

[@LunaBellaPhotos]

These venues are Armenian venues that are all over Los Angeles, Glendale and basically all around Los Angeles County. They are known to have crazy lighting, and refuse to tone them down. This venue is actually one of the better ones but there are some that would give you seizures their lighting is so nuts so yeah Photographing here is always a challenge. If you had bounce light well I have no idea how that would come out nicely considering you have to try and overpower all the bad light. I can’t remember my settings though. But I always do manual. I never do anything automatic except single point auto focus.

[@hopeallwell7228]

@@LunaBellaPhotos I shoot some events but not weddings. I usually shoot with an on camera flash SB-800 with a slower shutter speed like 1/60, rear curtain sync as I shoot some sports as well. Because I am just one man operation mostly run and gun so I don't do light stand as I need the light where my subjects are 100% of the time no time to move the lights. So OCF is kind of out of the question. I'd like to let in the ambient provided the ambient is not wild. I saw some wedding photog with some $$$ profoto and shut out ambient, almost. Not my idea of wedding reception but she got paying clients, so can't argue with that. I have some cheap neewer trigger receivers but it's wild, even on spec it says it sync up to 1/250s but sometimes I don't know why it would have black band even at 1/160. So I gave up on them. On camera flash blast away.

[@LunaBellaPhotos]

@@hopeallwell7228 but check it out. For speeches, dances, open dance, most of what you do is in this really small zone. Why not have the light exactly where you want it to be off camera. The pros far outweigh the cons. I’m a solo shooter 98% of the time. I can move the light stand when needed and I’m sure you could to. Let’s say you had to go to the tables to get table shots. Well what I would do is put the light on the dance floor facing the tables or if I have an assistant have them move my light and I would use on camera flash too. Just a thought.

[@hopeallwell7228]

@@LunaBellaPhotos The reason I am talking to you and myself is I do have second thoughts as for my not so important job I do use 2 light stands with silver umbrella but it's static location. my lights are some ancient lights with some questionable trigger and receivers. Because it's not a whole system like most of them today so the sync speed is very iffy probably it's very cheaply made. 1/160, 1/125, 1/250 black bands so I can't deal with that, I am shooting D4s and D810 and stuff. Anyway, I am thinking AD100pro or AD300pro .... it's totally integrated so hopefully I won't have those iffy sync problem. Thanks for the encouragement and info

[@cinematicpictures3455]

Thanks, man. It's so good the way you explained everything. I need more info/help with OCF. lol

[@LunaBellaPhotos]

What help do you need. Let me know. I like helping. Maybe if you tell me I can even make a video about it.

[@elalamofilms8492]

great stuff! I feel like the flash is still taking over the ambient light. I would've really made that ambient pop more and balance the flash! other than that it's great stuff.

[@lenaapple1974]

You should do a video (Unless you have already, and I just didn't get to it yet...) about where bounce can go wrong. A few situations that I try to explain to people, (but those that never used OCF wouldn't really understand) are as follows: 1. a room with a black (or odd color) ceiling. Yes... this has happened. TWICE! (different venus) I do not know why this is a thing... but it dramatically changes the look and does not bounce as well 2. A tall room, ie barn. Many of those around... 3. A room with mirrored ceilings. For some reason, many NY venues thought it was a great idea. haha. 4. A room with multiple ceiling heights. These rooms all have situational reasons where bouncing can fail! The mirrored ceilings is the #1 reason I learned OCF though!

[@LunaBellaPhotos]

Mirrored ceilings. Wow. I don’t know that I’ve seen that and they have a ton of them in NY. Do you have an Instagram page? I’m so curious of what it would be like to photograph in NY. How does it even work getting to locations carrying all of your things ? Do you cab it ever where? So many questions. I love OFC and will only ever do bounce when absolutely needed. Thanks for watching!!

[@dragnfly138]

What is your focus mode on the Nikon? I saw that your little green boxes aren’t always on the faces but just somewhere on the body.

[@LunaBellaPhotos]

I use single point autofocus and that is a really good observation. I find that that body is generally in the same plane as one's face and so if i find focus on a chest that i will get the face in focus even when using f 2.0 but it also depends on how far away I am from the subject. I think it may be a little technical as to why this happens but if you look up distance in relation to depth of field you will see that if you are further away from a subject that more of them will be in focus and the wider the lens the more the subject will be in focus too and so this method gets met really sharp photos without having to rely on any kind of continuous autofocus that may not focus on the things i want in focus. This way i have more control.

[@805German]

🔥🔥🔥 bro! well done

[@LunaBellaPhotos]

Thanks man! Tell me how you do things. I really want to know.

[@mirandavandenberk786]

Thank you so much

[@LunaBellaPhotos]

You're most welcome

[@lioneljimenez8122]

Hey I know that this video is about a year old, but I have a question, do you think having the magmod magsphere xl on a stand using the Godox ad200?

[@LunaBellaPhotos]

Actually I bought the xl and now use that. It’s a bigger light source so technically it should be softer right but the difference is so slight when you are using the light the way I do for receptions. It’s not very close to them at all but from time to time it is closer to them especially for portrait time and it does make a difference. I’d rather have the xl on instead of a soft box of umbrella because I am a solo shooter 95% of the time and I’d rather not my light fall because of a giant soft box or umbrella caught some wind you know.

[@jzsphotography]

do you do custom white balance as well at the reception?

[@LunaBellaPhotos]

I do custom white balance everytime to keep things consistent. I honestly do this by using kelvin and by eye. What looks good to me.

[@luisdavidvargasgalvan2320]

Hola Buen día, los tres flash que usaste son los ad200 ???

[@LunaBellaPhotos]

Hi. Yes they are all ad200 flashes. I really like the ad200 lights.

[@sjfilmpro9733]

how many ad200 you were using at this wedding? how would you avoid shadow in the picture ?

[@LunaBellaPhotos]

I usually set up 3 lights around the room. One light is my key light so I move it around. The thing about shadows is that you have to watch your angles and your background. To help you better understand this do what I did. Grab a teddy bear, grab a constant light and put it on a light stand. And Try placing the light at different angles to the bear and when you put the light down , take photos from all the angles you can think of and see how different those photos all turn out to be from each other because not just because of the placement of the light but also your own placement.

[@sjfilmpro9733]

@@LunaBellaPhotos thank you!

[@NeilCuestas]

How do you exactly match your lights to the existing ambient lights?

[@LunaBellaPhotos]

Hi! Do you mean matching color temperature? Usually it’s just by judging wether each light needs a half cto or a full cto gel. Usually that gets me close enough. For the power of the light and not the temperature I take a photo without any flash then I add one flash at a time until I get what I want. It’s easier than it sounds believe me but it usually works, setting up one light at a time.

[@sumitmovies3978]

Pls explains z6ii focus point settings for weddings

[@LunaBellaPhotos]

I use single point focus for 95% of the wedding. I focus and recompose. It may be old school but it works all of the time. I dont like relying on the camera for the right thing to be focused on. I do use continuous focusing whenever the subject is moving towards me though, like when they are walking up the isle to get married for example. I hope that helps.

[@vilnapetit-frere5537]

What flashes are you using

[@LunaBellaPhotos]

Hi there! These are the ad200 from godox. Super reliable and pretty inexpensive.

[@jzsphotography]

how do you trigger your flashes from your camera?

[@LunaBellaPhotos]

I use godox lights bexause they are super reliable. They’ve never failed me. So I have several triggers. Sometimes I use the V1 light to trigger other lights and sometimes the xpro trigger.

[@stevenevosando8840]

Do you use any continuous lights ?

[@LunaBellaPhotos]

I actually do but only really during the getting ready photos. For anything else are use my flash the way you see in the video but sometimes the videographer is right there with his light and I use that to my advantage. Thanks for watching. In 2023 I’m going to have not only more videos, but better ones. I hope you stick around.

[@Zitchi]

What flashes do you use for receptions?

[@LunaBellaPhotos]

These are all AD 200 pros but I had the non pro one and they work the exact same in my opinion. The only reason I upgraded is because the LCD screen on all of my non pro ad 200 from godox were cracked. Thanks for watching!!

[@hungtranphotos]

Glenoaks Ballroom

[@LunaBellaPhotos]

You’re right, do you shoot there often. What is your website or Instagram, actually, I would love to check out your work.

[@Dpul945]

The problem I have with that set up is that you totally killed the ambience that the couple appear to want. The room looks quite dark and the ambient light is beautiful , why not just pop a bit of flash on the subject and not have the OCF being the main source of light, Plus your stands are not sand bagged, god forbid any of those fall on someone

[@LunaBellaPhotos]

The look I go for with ofc is for sure not a look I know everyone likes. I really do think that I let most of the colors of the room shine through in most photos though. I was shooting with my 85mm at 2.0 or maybe 1.6 to let more ambient light in and only using the flash at minimal power. Still though , everyone has their preference and mine personally is not to have to the green and the blue and every other color in the room be the dominate color especially when it’s on their face. The sand bag thing I agree with you though. I always put it in the back away from people and if there are kids around I’ll think twice about using them. The alternative to what I do is maybe using a single flash on camera to avoid anyone tripping over anything. How would you do it ?

[@Dpul945]

@@LunaBellaPhotos so again my look is not everyone’s idea of what is nice. I think it also depends on your clients. So for me I need to not be seen in certain situations. So I work with Leica cameras and the high ISO capability on those cameras is very good For speeches I tend to shoot ambient light and shoot for the highlights. My weddings are quite production heavy so there is normally lots of nice lighting especially during the speeches For dancing I use on camera with bounced behind or off a card. High ISO and enough flash to light them and maintain ambient. My weddings are normally 200-300 people and so stands are a litigious nightmare

[@LunaBellaPhotos]

I’d love to follow your Instagram. What is it ? I just can never bring myself to using bounce flash and even with ofc I do use the ambient light but at times I do over power the ambient. In any case though I’m super interested in checking out how you do things. I promise if you made a page I’d watch every minute of it.