In product photography, how you trigger your flash can greatly affect the final outcome of your shots. There are several ways to remotely trigger your flash and understanding the nuances of each can help you choose the method that best fits your needs.
Optical Triggering
The first method is optical triggering. This is a simple process where, if the sensor sees a flash, it fires. They’re incredibly fast, so sync issues are typically minimal. If you can control your camera’s built-in flash unit, this method should work well for you. However, if your camera can’t control the flash, using the built-in flash can cause pre-flash for metering, which may trigger your slave flash and potentially ruin your image. Some speedlights can ignore pre-flash, so it’s worthwhile to check your operating manual.
A workaround is setting up off-camera flashes in optical slave mode. You then place a flash module in the hot shoe and turn down the flash so it doesn’t affect the scene. Instead, it only fires the remote flashes. This method avoids preflash, making it a useful strategy for certain setups.
Radio Triggers
Radio triggers are another option. Some speedlights have built-in radio receivers, making them ideal for this method. Radio triggers are versatile, often capable of switching between receiver and transmitter modes. They can also connect to the camera and trigger it to take a picture with any other connected flashes. This functionality allows you to move around with your light meter and test fire your connected flashes. Once you have the setup the way you want it, you can remotely capture your image by firing your camera shutter and the flashes simultaneously.
PC Sync Cables
Lastly, there are PC sync cables. These cables fire the flash upon shutter release. They can also be attached to your radio transmitters to fire flashes that don’t have a hotshoe, such as a studio strobe. You can even connect individual flashes with PC sync cables. Additionally, there are optical triggers that have PC sync ports, providing even more versatility.
In conclusion, mastering different methods of remotely triggering your flash can greatly improve your product photography. Whether you choose optical triggering, radio triggers, or PC sync cables depends largely on your specific needs and the equipment you have at hand. By understanding these methods, you can choose the best approach for your setup, leading to more control over your lighting and better product shots1.
