How many flashes do you find to be optimum number to fit your needs?

[Bill16]

The more I read the more I realize that I need to keep an open mind. Lol I have been thinking up till now that one flash will be all I'll need. But after reading and seeing the work of others, I'm realizing that there may come times where that might not be true(understatement). Lol

So I would love to hear/read what you work with in flash lighting! I'd like to know what you would consider to be the optimum amount of flashes to fill your flash needs! The maximum number to cover any photography you'd reasonably imagine doing.

And please give me an idea what type of photography setting you would thinking of and which flashes your thinking of to base your answer by!

Since I have no experience with flash photography other than the built in flash, I would like it if you could translate any alternate brands you might be using into one of the Nikon sb flashes that are comparable to what you have in mind. That way I can better understand your viewpoints, and compare them to what I can possibly invision that I may want to do some day!

 

[WayneF]

Probably no more lights than you would be willing to actually use. Just saying, it is probably YOU that ought to feel the specific need first. And it surely depends on what YOU are doing.

One hotshoe speedlight for walk-around bounce seems minimum. Any more would be more of a fixed situation, less portable, not walk-around.

But if you can set up light stands, and maybe umbrellas, then two, for main light and fill is a standard. Classically, the Main light is about 45 degrees high and wide on the subject, and the Fill light is near the lens axis, 1 or 1.5 stops lower on the subject. One light just on each side of camera is NOT a Main/Fill situation, but would apply to lighting a wide group evenly, etc. But Main/Fill applies more to ONE subject, one face, etc. We cannot hold a ratio across a group.

Then if you get into it more, classically a portrait would add a light on the background, and a hair light. These are optional, but can really add a lot. A white background desperately needs its own light.

iTTL is one single flash, connected to the hot shoe. Commander (or equivalent) is only way to have multiple iTTL flash. Commander in cameras does two, works for Main and Fill.

More than two lights surely means manual flash. Easy to trigger these, with ether optical slaves or radio triggers. And with these multiple manual flash, surely a flash meter to adjust them (lets you easily repeat next time the same setup you used today).

Since more lights are fixed, then consider studio lights like Alienbees. These cost less than Nikon speedlights, are much more versatile, and perform better (more power, faster recycle, etc).

Maybe see 45 degree Portrait Lighting Setup (detail on fill and background and hair, well down the page there).

 

[kklor]

Hi Bill-
I just did a flash class to get used to the new iTTL. We shot at multiple stations and there were no more than 2 off camera flashes set up in addition to the on camera pop up used as a commander. With bouncing off cards etc., I was happy with this setup as a useful amount of flash for many situations. One flash was always the 910 and then paired with a 200. Hope this helps! Kathleen

 

[John P]

I have 4.
But only use 3

 

[Ruidoso Bill]

For studio work 3 would be ideal for me. The two typical up front and I have two new backdrops one white and one grey where a 3rd would be nice to use colored gels/filters to change backdrop color and light things up behind the subject (s). Just my thoughts. I use wireless triggers and have two flashes now and adding a 3rd soon.