Making better portraits - Part 5 - Using a flash and incident light meter with strobes.

Left - a book cover I photographed.  Right - a young bride.  Yes, the same person.

There is no doubt that a good set of strobes will allow you to capture the images you could only dream of before.  They should only be deployed in controlled conditions where you have time, control of the ambient lighting, and control of any people or animals in the area.  Expensive and easily toppled, these paragons of illumination represent the peak of the industry.

The main reasons strobes are so good are due to the broad light source, the quality of that light, the power, and the ability to control them individually or in groups.  However, setting one or more of them up to obtain the right power level and position takes effort and some skill, plus a certain amount of experimentation.  This is where a good flash meter comes in.

Flash meters are a tool that measures the power output of a flash, whether it be from a built-in unit, an external flash, or a strobe.  You set the equipment up and position the meter where the subject is going to be.  Firing the flash allows the meter to record its incident light and output an exposure setting (in tenths of a stop, no less).  You can combine flashes or measure them individually.  Moving the equipment and changing power outputs allows refinement.  Once you have determined positions and power levels, you can now use the camera to record test images.  A little more refinement will seal the deal.

Most flash meters are also equipped with the ability to measure incident light.  The incident light meter records ambient light - the light falling on a subject rather than being reflected by it.  If you are shooting with existing light and want to include the surrounding environment, it is important to consider what the background lighting levels are.  You can determine this without an incident light meter, but it is a good idea to be sure.  

You can also use LED light panels and strobes setup as hotlights to illuminate a subject without flash.  The advantage here is that you can see the results directly.  The incident light meter will tell you specific information about the brightness of different areas and you can adjust each light source independently to achieve your desired result.

Mastering the art of strobe setup takes time and a certain amount of research.  Experience is a great teacher, but give yourself a good start by learning about the equipment and its proper deployment.  Youtube, books, courses, and working with an experienced photographer will help in your quest to improve your craft.  

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com

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