I firmly believe that every photographer should know how to use off camera lighting effectively. Whether they use it or not is an entirely personal choice, but it’s a skill that you should have! You never know when you’ll absolutely need to use off camera lighting, and feeling confident about how to use it will make all the difference in your photos!
This past year or so, I’ve done a lot of work with my OCF setup. I attended the Get Lit Workshop last March and I’ve gotten a pretty good handle on my lighting gear! Here is a list of what I bring with me to every wedding for my off camera lighting!
- (2) Yongnuo Speedlite YN560IV – these are my primary flashes that I use, and I love that they can talk to each other! These are seriously SO fantastic and they don’t cost as much as a Nikon version, for example, and still work just as great! Honestly, I think they’re more reliable than most flashes I’ve played with!
- (2) Neewer Speedlite – These were my flashes before my Yongnuos and I don’t really use them all that much, but I still bring them with me as a backup! I plan to eventually replace them this year so I have 4 of the YN560IV speedlites!
- (4) Yongnuo Wireless Triggers – I bought all of these for my Neewer flashes and I swear by them! I still need to use one ON my camera to fire the two off camera flashes, so the extra three are merely extras at this point, haha.
- (24) Eneloop Batteries + La Crosse Battery Charger – Honestly, I might have more batteries at this point. Eneloop is a great brand and hasn’t failed me yet! I only need these for my flashes so I have more than enough on hand! The battery charger is great because it charges each battery individually to ensure that all batteries are being 100% charged!
- (2) Light Stands – Essential pieces of gear to set up your flashes around the room! These are great and are pretty heavy duty, but any light stand will work! These also come in their own bags with straps so it makes it easy to carry.
- (2) Soft boxes + attachments – I use these during engagement sessions and during weddings to get really cool photos with OCF that isn’t too harsh! The specific attachment (pictured above to the right of the flashes) that comes in this set that allows you to adjust the flash is so great. I had a different version before and it was awful. So hard to use and modify! I LOVE these new brackets!
- (1) Reflector – I don’t use it all that much, but I always bring it with me just in case!
Later this year I totally plan on investing in some MagMod gear for each of my flashes because I LOVE what you can do with them and how easy they are to use! I used some last year at the get lit workshop and I was sold! The only thing I wish that was better about my OCF setup is how I store it, haha. I have this big bulky bag that I’m starting to not like. If you have any suggestions for easy storage to trek these to and from weddings, please share them below! 🙂
If you missed my last “What’s in My Bag” post, check it out here! It explains all the lenses I use on a wedding day!
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