5
5
CHAPTER
Setting Up a
Wireless
Studio
Aportable studio is a handy thing to have. It enables
you to go on location and photograph your subjects
in their own environment. This way you can take your studio
to your client. A portable studio should be exactly that—
portable. You should be able to fit everything you need into a
minimum amount of space and be able to transport it quickly
and with little effort.
The great thing about the Nikon CLS, or Creative Lighting
System, is that it enables you to make your portable studio
even more portable and easier to set up. You no longer need
bulky studio lights in order to create professional looking
images. The Nikon SB-600 and SB-800 are small and afford-
able, and best of all they can be used wirelessly off camera.
With the prosumer Nikon dSLR camera bodies, such as the
D70, D70s, and the D200, the built-in Speedlight acts as a
controller for the CLS-compatible flashes. Nikon’s pro level
cameras lack a built-in Speedlight, therefore, you have to pur-
chase an SU-800 wireless commander or use an SB-800 as
the commander. While the consumer level D50 has a built-in
Speedlight, for some reason Nikon chose not to have it func-
tion as a commander. As with the pro level cameras, you can
achieve this function with the SU-800 or the SB-800
The SB-600 functions as a remote flash only when
using CLS. It cannot be used as a commander for
other flash units.
Note
✦✦✦✦
In This Chapter
Introduction to the
portable studio
Choosing umbrellas
Using a softbox
Backgrounds and
background stands
Space requirements
Traveling with your
wireless studio
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