Using the FL-50R Flash Off-Camera
For this portrait, we first set up our key light with an Olympus FL-50R flash unit angled into a Photoflex 45-inch Convertible Umbrella.

This required the use of a Photoflex Shoe Mount Multiclamp, which attaches to any standard light stand, holds any brand of shoe mount flash, and supports the use of many standard size umbrellas. We also attached the latest Photoflex Accessory Hardware, which has two shoe mounts and a connection point for soft box connectors. [figure 1]

Using the RC Mode on the E-520
We then turned on the FL-50R and set it to the wireless RC mode, to Channel 1, and to the flash 'A' setting. To do this press the power button to turn on the flash and then press the mode button until the RC Mode appears on the LCD. Turn the left dial to toggle between channels and flash A through C. [figure 2]

At this point, the flash unit itself is setup and all of the controls to operate the flash can be from the camera. If you're still unclear about some of the terms mentioned above, such as the Channel 1 setting and the Flash 'A' setting, the following steps should clarify how these settings work.

The following set of diagrams illustrates the camera menu settings required to make the Olympus E-520 ready for wireless flash shooting. First turn the RC Flash mode on by navigating to Camera Menu 2, selecting the RC Mode option and selecting On from the sub-menu. [figures 3 & 4]

Once the RC Mode is turned on from within the camera menu, you can control virtually every aspect of your wireless flash operation right from the E-520's Info Menu. In normal shooting mode, press the Info button until the RC Flash control menu comes up on the LCD. To navigate this menu, press OK, use the Arrow keys to highlight the different fields, and OK again to change settings for the selected field. [figure 5]

Before we continue, let's take a closer look at the various fields and settings inside the RC Mode control menu. Notice that there are three rows of flash settings labeled A - C. Then turn your attention to the lower right corner of the screen and notice the CH 1 (Channel 1) setting. This system has four channels with each channel supporting three separate flash units.

For these studio portraits, we used two flash units. We set the channel to CH 1 on the camera and on both of our flashes. As previously mentioned, we set the Key light to the A setting and planned to have our second light set to the B setting.

Selecting Manual Mode
Back in the RC Flash control menu, you should see that each of the flash units is set to the OFF setting. Select the Flash A OFF field, and press OK. Here you have the choice of TTL, Auto, or Manual flash operation for Flash A. We selected the Manual mode, which gave us complete control over our power levels of the flash. [figure 6]

When using the RC Flash Mode, the built-in flash acts as a communication light, which tells the FL-50R flash unit to fire. In RC mode, the built-in flash power is set so low that is has little-to-no effect on the subject matter.

The flash unit must be with in a visible range, however, so that the light from the built-in flash can reach the sensor located on the front of the FL-50R flash. The communication light has three settings: LO, MID, and HI.

For more detailed instructions on using the RC flash system, please refer to page 76 of the Olympus E-520 User Manual.

The Key (Main) Light
With the technical aspects of our first flash dialed in, we began building our lighting set-up to demonstrate the effects and positioning of each light. We first positioned the umbrella set-up 90˚ camera right, about three feet high. [figure 7]

We had our young model sit about a foot and a half back from the light. This allowed the umbrella light to feather and wrap around our subject for a more dynamic, three-dimensional look. [figure 8]

Once everything was in position, we took our first shot. [figure 9]

As you can see from the result, this first set-up with only one white shoot-through umbrella created a nicely diffused quality of light on our model. The umbrella threw soft, feathered light and lightened the shadows on the camera left side a fair amount, but could not reach the other side of her head and far arm, which both fell into deep shadow.

Filling in the Shadows
To lighten these areas, we decided to bounce some light from the umbrella into the shadow side of our subject.

We attached a 42" silver/white circular reflector to a reflector holder and secured it to a light stand. With the silver side of the reflector facing our subject, we angled it to bounce light from the umbrella into the shadows. [figure 10]

The reflector ended up being positioned directly across from the umbrella, about two feet high. [figure 11]

Once the reflector was in position, we came in a little tighter and took another shot. [figure 12]

As you can see, the addition of the silver reflector made a noticeable difference in the shadow areas of our subject, who at this point was becoming rather rambunctious and chose to model for us on the ground.

In the comparison below, you can more readily see the effects of the added light reflector. [figure 13]

Upon reviewing this latest result more closely, we saw that the dark shadows rimming her head and shoulders needed to be addressed to take the lighting to the next level.

Creating a Hair Light
Our last step was to set up a hair light to create separation between our subject and the background. This hair light consisted of another Olympus FL-50R flash unit attached to a Photoflex Shoe Mount MultiClamp and 45-inch Adjustable Silver umbrella, mounted to a Photoflex LiteStand.

In this second FL-50R flash unit, we activated the RC Mode and turned the dial to the Channel 1, Flash B setting. [figure 14]

Then, we set Flash B to the Manual (M) setting using the RC mode control menu on the E-520 as described above.

Adjusting the Flash Power Output
Since our second flash would be used as a hair light, we wanted to power it down so that it didn't overpower our key light.

This leads us to one of the great features of the Olympus RC flash system, which is the ability to manually dial in the flash output for three separate flashes. In other words, this feature makes it easy to achieve precise lighting ratios without ever having to set the camera down. The diagrams below illustrate how to vary the flash output from the RC mode control menu. [figures 15 & 16]

With our second flash ready to go, we brought the light in about 130˚ camera left, raised it up about three and a half feet, and angled it down about 30˚. We also reshaped the umbrella bu making it straight on one side so that we could squeeze it right up against the background.

This placement would not only create a beautiful hair and rim light on our model, but would also add light to our background and make the colors pop more. [figures 17 and 18]

Once everything was in position, we took our final series of shots. This one ended up being one of our favorites. [figure 19]

Here, you can see the effects of our final lighting set-up. The main light beautifully illuminates the majority of our subject, the reflector eliminates the dark shadows on the left, and silver umbrella hair light throws an accent light on our model's hair and shoulders, creating separation between her and the background.

Note that the hair light also increased the color saturation and brightened the background by about a stop, making the overall visual impact more lively. Below is a side-by-side look at our three main results. [figure 20]

Here's a synopsis of our lighting set-ups:

LEFT: One light with dark shadows and background.
CENTER: One light and a reflector filling in the shadows.
RIGHT: Two lights and a reflector, creating a balanced image with great color and separation between our subject and the background.

Now that you've seen how to wirelessly trigger your FL-50R flash units using the E-520, as well as how to create beautiful soft light using simple light modifying tools, take some time to experiment with these guidelines. This set-up is great for the studio, yet easy to take on location as well. Remember that there are endless possibilities with the combination of these lighting and photography tools.