Hi all,
I've basically learned to use my off-camera flashes the hard way: trial and error. I have a process for trying to set up for a shoot somewhat quickly and professionally, but it still takes quite a while, so I was wondering if there was a faster or better way to set up my Speedlites for correct manual exposure.
Basically, I set up the hardware first: softboxes on brackets attached to lighting stands, and camera on tripod if I'm shooting with one. I set up the flashes last to conserve batteries in the flashes and tranceivers, and after turning everything on, I put my Speedlites at half-power (more or less, taking into account ambient light), set my exposure manually on camera, and take a test shot. I then adjust things around and take another test shot... etc. etc. until I'm happy with the exposure.
This can take quite a while. Is there a better way to estimate things to speed up my setup? Would it help if I got a light meter to trigger the flashes and measure the exposure?
All advice appreciated!