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The term " Strobist " was all the rage a few years back - it was applied to people who use small electronic flash units to light their fieldwork. It started out small, then got quite complex as different manufacturers came out with systems of accessories designed to aid it.
Frankly, it did the normal thing in photography - like Topsy, it just grew. From a simple website and idea, it got bigger with workshops, seminars, experts, accessories, contests, etc. The amount of gear that you were encouraged to take to cut down on the amount of gear you take with you became enormous. I bought into a system that now sits and sets. And then I just went back to a good old electronic flash unit made by the manufacturer of the camera I use.
If you're able to afford the more expensive small systems you may still be on a climb - the newest portable strobes are far and away better than trying to do anything with tiny flash units. You'll be able to make complex lighting setups as well as simple ones and the only thing that will limit you will be trying to remember which group is the hair light and which is the broad flood. But beware - eventually you will be struggling up the back stairs of a Perth hotel with 300 Kg of simple accessories, batteries, stands, and wireless boxes and you'll ask yourself how you ever got into the position.
The unit you see in the heading image is the next generation of those bounce brackets that fire an electronic flash into an umbrella. This one, however, is the idea on steroids - it has hot shoes for three basic non-TTL flashes and an internal trigger mechanism. You flash toward it or command it by other means and it'll fire all three off. 3 x small flashes is actually a large flash.
Note there are two channels for umbrella or diffuser stalks on this bracket - you could make a large beauty dish out of it. But remember that you'll still be climbing those back stairs with all the components of whatever good idea you've thought up.
