Any tips for indoor photography and flash recommendation

[FerrariEnzo]

I will have a family gathering and plan to take a group pic in the living where where the sofa is against the window.. Weather reports indicate it should be sunny, therefore lots of lights through the window.

What are some tips for shooting indoors against window light?

My gear isnt all that great or complete.

Canon T2i
Tripod
Stock lens and zoom lens


Plan to get a flash but not sure which one.. dont really want to buy an expensive lens as Im still a novice and only shoot occasionally... Any recommendation?

[m3thods]

With your setup, you can't get away from using a flash. If you don't want to spend tons on a single OEM speedlight, why not invest in a few cheaper flashes/wireless triggers like Yuongnogongngnoooo (obvious spelling is way off, but they're extremely popular and you won't have trouble finding it).

But then you're looking to buy some stands for said flashes, possibly some modifiers.

I've had success running a single 580EXII on camera bounced against a wall of a living room for living room portraits. But it all depends on how big the room is (and whether you have the opportunity to bounce your flash against a wall).

Have you considered renting a flash? Either speedlight or strobe it's up to you. But that's a very low-cost way of shooting with flash without the investment. And if you have tons of fun doing so, you can decide to buy them in the future.

[BrRsn]

I have a t2i as well .. I use a yongnuooggooogogogogo as well

It's a pretty powerful flash, it just doesn't have any auto settings so you have to play around with it a little to get it right -- don't cheap out on the batteries or it'll take forever between successive flashes

[FerrariEnzo]

Originally Posted by dhillon09

I have a t2i as well .. I use a yongnuooggooogogogogo as well

It's a pretty powerful flash, it just doesn't have any auto settings so you have to play around with it a little to get it right -- don't cheap out on the batteries or it'll take forever between successive flashes

where did you buy it and $$?

[m3thods]

Originally Posted by FerrariEnzo

where did you buy it and $$?

I don't think there's any local suppliers other than Craigslist. Amazon has them. Depending on which model you choose will determine how much you will spend. I think the ones that have TTL (i.e. not full manual) will naturally be more expensive than the manual ones.

Here's an example:

http://www.amazon.ca/Yongnuo-YN-560-.../dp/B0079M711S

[FerrariEnzo]

Metz 24 AF-1 Digital Flash for Canon
is this any good? how is it compared to Yongnuo??


Canon 90EX Speedlite for M Camera
This also seem okish... its compatible for all EOS SLRs and its a canon...

[m3thods]

If you're going to buy a speedlight, I'd invest in the most powerful flash you can afford that has a swivel and tiltable head.

That Metz doesn't and the corresponding Metz competitor to the 430/580/600 is 2-3x the cost of a Yongnuo.

[FerrariEnzo]

so is that Yongnuo the best one for under $100?

[m3thods]

^I would say so. Lots of reviews online. Lots of anecdotes and experiences on forums like POTN.

[FerrariEnzo]

So I think I will pick this YONGNUO YN-560 II along with Yongnuo RF-603 C3 2.4GHz Wireless Flash Trigger..

or should I not bother with the wireless trigger just yet?

[m3thods]

If you get the trigger (which is not a bad idea), you have to think about where to put the flash. You either have to buy another light stand (with appropriate clips for speedlights), or you need to use the enclosed stand with the flash to prop it up somewhere.

Also, you should read up on light modification. The easiest way would be to bounce light off a wall to produce a more flattering light hitting your subject. But that only works with white/light coloured walls, and the walls have to be fairly close to the sofa. You can buy a cheap softbox or make your own.

[FerrariEnzo]

Actually.. found a cheaper at DealExterme..

YONGNUO RF-603II-C1
Yongnuo YN560-II

If anyone else seems interested..

[m3thods]

^For the difference in price, I'd rather go with Amazon. The dealer there will likely give you a tracking number. And the dealx deal is USD, so after conversion the difference is likely very small.

[FerrariEnzo]

Another question about the TTL.. if I get the wireless trigger thats TTL, do I need to get a flash thats also TTL or if I just get a flash, TTL is better, like the Yongnuo YN-565EX TTL?

[m3thods]

TTL isn't that important. Long story short it would mean that your flash will listen to your camera body and automatically pick the settings. With your planned usage, you will have to make tweaks to the TTL readings anyways (if you bounce, if you use a modifier, you'll need to increase the Flash Exposure Compensation).

So I would keep everything manual and tweak them from there.

To answer your first question- no you don't have to buy a flash that's TTL. What a TTL transmitter does is, if the flash is also TTL-enabled, relay those settings wirelessly. If you had a manual flash, you can still trigger the flash but your settings would be done manually to the speedlight.

[FerrariEnzo]

so I placed an order for the Yongnuo YN-622C wireless TTL and the YONGNUO YN-560 II flash..

[FerrariEnzo]

gave you some thanks m3thods for spending the time to explain stuff to me..

[m3thods]

haha it's all good.

Like I said there are a million resources for help on lighting. Strobist, POTN, Fred Miranda, Google. What you're looking at is essentially a gateway drug to off-camera lighting. So good luck with everything!

[77civic1200]

I don't think the 560 II is compatible with the wireless E-TTL of the 622c triggers. If you want wireless E-TTL and all the high speed sync features you need to look at the 568ex

[FerrariEnzo]

Originally Posted by 77civic1200

I don't think the 560 II is compatible with the wireless E-TTL of the 622c triggers. If you want wireless E-TTL and all the high speed sync features you need to look at the 568ex

oh really... hmm...maybe I should cancel the wireless trigger and get the cheaper $45 one which is non TTL?

[FerrariEnzo]

cancelled the wireless trigger.. figure I could learn without it first.. can always buy it again if I really want it..

Thanks for the heads up 77civic1200

[FerrariEnzo]

now Im thinking of just getting the Yongnuo YN-568EX.. hmm...

[BrRsn]

Originally Posted by FerrariEnzo

now Im thinking of just getting the Yongnuo YN-568EX.. hmm...

ooh ... that looks interesting.

I've gotten pretty good at manually adjusting my shutter speed + flash, but it can be a pain in the ass and you do miss a lot of good shots because of it -- for a controlled environment like a family portrait, it shouldn't make too much a difference but if you want to use it all the time, I'd definitely get a full auto

$200 is a hell of a lot attractive than the $600 (last i checked) for the canon equivalent

[77civic1200]

http://www.diyphotographystuff.info/...User-Guide.pdf

read through that, it shows what cameras and flashes can be used for each feature

It might be worth getting the 622c triggers for now, even if just used for normal signals, as you can always use more features in the future

[FerrariEnzo]

lol cancelled it.. I was considering the 568EX coz I really dont know how to manually set the flash and stuff..