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Strobist
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Learn How to Light.
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Understanding Optical Slaves, Pt. 2
Editor's note: There are enough questions coming in via the comments that I am prepping a slave-related Q&A for later this week. If you have a question that has not yet been asked, please get it into the comments ASAP. Thanks.
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 In part one, we talked about the differences in optical slaves, and why internal slaves were usually better solutions.
In this post, we'll look at the practical side -- how do you get the best performance out of your slaves?
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#$!%! Thing Didn't Fire!
Slaves are a little like radio remotes in that they are not 100% perfect and reliable. (But the good ones are damn close.)
And unless...
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Understanding and Using Optical Slaves, Pt. 1
First off, this is a long-overdue post. It arguably could have been in Lighting 101. But this week (four-plus years later) we'll be looking at choosing and using optical slaves.
In this post, how to figure out which kind is right for you.
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Only Two Things Matter
Slaves are not particularly complicated. They see a light pulse, and then they complete a circuit -- hopefully firing your second flash in the process.
There are only two variables that should concern you -- connectivity and sensitivity. (Okay, price, maybe. But as you'll see later, it is better to wait a little bit and buy a little further up the scale if you possibly can.)
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Going Rogue with FlashBenders
I know what you are thinking -- this snoot looks a little familiar, perhaps?
Well, it is -- and it isn't.
Actually, better lemme explain.
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Okay, long story short -- and without going into too much detail:
Honl creates a line of snoots and gobos. Sells them independently. Signs with ExpoImaging as distributors. A falling out occurs. Honl back to independent. ExpoImaging releases new line of Rogue FlashBenders.
So now you know some backstory. And yeah, there is a certain level of familiarity involved. But they are different enough to make them of interest, so here goes.
Mounting Tension
There are...
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Cheap, Powerful On-Axis Fill
Here's a quick little tip for the next time you find yourself in need of a little impromptu on-axis fill and you do not have a ring light: Use a direct speedlight instead.
It's small, hand-holdable -- and very powerful. The trick is getting it off of top of the camera, and even closer to the lens.
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On-Camera vs. On-Axis
The problem with on-camera flash is that the flash is mounted in possibly the very worst position possible. It's too close to the lens to offer any real shape, and yet far enough away that it leaves gnarly shadows under the chin of your subject.
But if you get it right next to...
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Lastolite Triflash Sync: Triple Threat
 Multi-speedlight brackets are a great way to gang up your small flashes when you need a little extra oomph, as in when trying to overpower the sun for a portrait.
Why not just buy a monobloc, you ask? Well, for one thing, it is easy to gang up small flashes. But it is a little more difficult to hack a monobloc into key, fill and background lights. Different folks, different workflows.
There are a few options for ganging speedlights into a more powerful, single light. And they have all been pretty much the same -- until now.
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Ahead of the Curve
Unlike most multi-flash brackets, the Lastolite TriFlash Sync includes three hot shoes,...
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