Slave Flashes

[organicbmx 0]

does anyone out there use slave flashes?if so what type do you use and do you use them on there own or with another camera mounted flash?infrared/radio/ or light sensor ?i want them for dramatic sports shots and special different angled lightthanks

[Soleq 0]

Well, your question is quite complex. Most any flash can be set up to be used as a slave. The majority of the newer flashes (as in mid-90s to present) include a light sensor that will detect a primary flash and fire upon "seeing" it. Most of the time this works fine, but if the subject is far away, or you're shooting in daylight, the primary flash may be too weak to trigger the slave. In this case, you're looking at a radio transmitter, which will cost significantly more. The good thing about radio is that it's completely wireless, so you can really be flexible in how you set up your lighting. Of course, the third option is wired, but that's pretty cumbersome and risky (I wouldn't want a wire that could be tripped over connected to my equipment).Now, the real issue you'll have is what your subject is. For dramatic sports shots, you need a lot of power. Why? Because you need distance and speed. For this, you're looking at a flashhead with attached radio receiver. Forget about flashguns, as they won't offer enough power. Then becomes the question of how you're going to set them up to get the spread you want. I know that SI has lighting mounted on rafters in stadiums and whatnot. That's probably a bit out of your league. Now, one thing to keep in mind is that using powerful flashes will limit you on the lower end. You probably won't be able to take a 3200 ws head indoors for moody lighting.