When you don't have a studio but love using light, you go through a whole series of gear changes before landing on something that actually works. For the self-taught photographer, that usually means progressing through the ‘strobist’ journey, learning off-camera flash with small speedlights before gradually realizing their limitations.
Your typical early setup might include three speedlights, a few lightweight stands, some white shoot-through umbrellas and maybe a snoot. It's compact, accessible and barely takes up any room. I definitely went through this phase, with additional radio transmitters and receivers back before they were built into flashes.
The trouble starts outdoors on a bright day. You're at full power with all three flashes zoomed into one umbrella – and it's still not enough to balance against the daylight.
Worse, you're shooting at f/22 just to keep your shutter speed below 1/250 sec – the dreaded sync speed. Go above that and the flash doesn't cover the whole frame. Bare flash almost cuts it, but it's not flattering and everything is in focus.
So you investigate higher-power lights and the modifiers to go with them. I went to the Elinchrom Quadra pack-and-head system – a 400Ws setup that I still have in boxes around the studio – but these are long out of vogue and there are far more options available now.
You discover high speed sync for creamy, shallow-focus portraits or start using neutral density filters to the same end. Both techniques eat into your power budget, pushing you into 400-600Ws territory. You need heavier light stands and, because you're still working on location, you need modifiers that pack down compactly.
So where does that leave things now?
I run two location setups: one very compact kit for indoors and a main system for most commercial jobs. Both are built around a three-light configuration: key light, fill / separation and background.
The compact kit started with three Godox V850II speedlights, but I've since moved to using two Godox AD100 Pros for more power in a smaller package. The key modifier here is the SMDV Flip 32, a wonderful octabox that opens in seconds, has a built-in stand adapter, and can be angled to suit your shot – similar in concept to the Profoto Clic system.
The stands are Manfrotto Nanos. A specific ring locks the AD100 in place on the Flip 32, though equivalent rings are available for V850-style speedlights. Depending on the shoot I might bring additional modifiers – a Godox snoot and a SmallRig FS30120 strip softbox (a 30x120cm box, hence the numbers!).
These are shared with the main system, mounted via Godox S2 brackets for Bowens-mount compatibility. The SmallRig in particular uses a quick setup and release system unlike anything else I've used. If I need additional light, I use one of the V850IIs I still have.
The main system is built around the Godox AD600BM (also sold as the rebranded Pixapro Citi600). These take Bowens modifiers directly and are more compact than the Elinchrom ELX 500s I use in the studio.
Alongside the FS30120 strips shared with the compact kit, I use the LA-90 Octa, which has a similar fast-assembly system. Stands are Neewer air-cushioned. Usually I travel with two lights, but I do have a third as backup, and sometimes I want a three-light setup (coupled with an additional FS30120.
I also use a version where I have the octa in front with an eye-lighter and a Lastolite (now Manfrotto) Hilite. Both systems are triggered by the Godox X3 – a compact touchscreen unit that handles the whole setup cleanly.
The weak point is transport. The main system currently splits across two Neewer bags – one for stands and umbrellas, one for lights and softboxes – which works for easy trunk storage but isn't ideal, no wheels for getting to the location from the car being the main issue.
The plan is to consolidate into a Think Tank Production Manager 40 rolling case, once I've confirmed the fit with the trunk of the car.
For a today version of this, you could reasonably use the AD100Pro II versions for the compact setup and the AD600Pro II for the main system – or even the AD400Pro II if you want a smaller size for about two-thirds lower power.
Best of all, you can use all the lights I’ve listed together, for those shots where you need more control or practicals on set. I’m not really sure I need eight lights on set, but you never know!
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