Whatever flash you end up using you have got to get it off the camera. The fireplace background is acting like a mirror, and your focal lenght is to short (wide).
It is hard to second guess a shooting set-up without being there and knowing the size of the room, etc. but here goes.
Back up if you can and use about 50mm as your focal length for full length figures. You can also zoom in from the same position and made waist up shots of couples.
I don't think you can use a standard two light set-up (key and fill) with that reflective wall and fireplace background. Your fill light would bounce right back at you almost like flash on camera. Have you considered renting a backdrop, or is that not in the budget?
However, renting a big strobe and using an umbrella is a good idea. Have the big strobe as your main light and have it high and to the right or left of your camera. Rent the biggest umbrella you can and a tall sturdy light stand. A weight on the stand would be a good idea so it doesn't tip over. Along the same vein, you may want to tape down your electric cords to prevent tripping if the other waiting coluples start to horse around as they watch you shoot their friends. However, it would be nicer if you could only allow the subjects you are shooting in the room or shooting area with you.
You and the rental strobe should be the same distance from your subject. The big strobe should be about 9 or 10 feet high.
You can probably get away with using just this one main umbrella light if it is not placed too far to your right or left. If you can rig up one of your small strobes to be up by the ceiling and over the couples heads and use it as a hair light or back light it will give your shots more snap. Just be sure the hair light does not shine into your lens. Use a scrim or small card taped to the hair light so your lens cannot see it. The back light should just kiss the heads and shoulders of your couples. It should be much less evident in the portrait than your main light. If you end up shooting a bald headed staff person then unplug the hair light. If possible have your hair light powered by AC and tripped by a photo cell. Make sure the big main light and the hair light recycle at the same rate.
Don't allow your couples to stand too close to the background. The couples should be standing about 6 feet away from the fireplace background, and you and your big rental strobe should be about 10 feet from the couples. Mark the floor with a small piece of dark tape and have the couples stand on it for every shot. Your exposures will then be uniform for each couple.
Set up ahead of the time when your plan to shoot and check your exposures and balance out your main light with the hair light using real people in the setting.
If the back light is too hard to set up then just go with the big rental strobe and umbrella as your only light.
An alternate lighting set up would be to bounce the single big rental strobe off the ceiling if the ceiling is white or cream. You still need the big strobe to be fairly high on a sturdy light stand but with just its reflector and no umbrella.
Others may have better suggestions as I am not a portrait person.
Good luck,
Walter
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On Friday, November 19, 2004, at 03:17 PM, Timothy A. Holmes (W8TAH) wrote:
Good Afternoon:
Several weeks ago, I posted a message asking for help with an upcoming shoot that I will be doing for the school I teach at. I will be taking the Homecomming banquet portraits for the students, and then taking orders and fulfiling them. Many of you offered great suggestions about generalized techniques and other items I asked about. I recently had a chance to visit the facility where we will be having the banquet, and I shot some pictures of the area where I will be taking the portraits. The pictures are posted at http://www.w8tah.us/Photography/banq/index.html .
The gear that I have available to me is as follows
Nikon D70
Sigma 70-300 f4 - 5.6 Zoom
Sigma 28 - 70 f2.8 - 4 zoom
Promaster Flash - FTD 5200
Sunpack Auto 555 thyristor flash
I am mostly concerned at this moment with proper lighting, I can probably rent a 1000 watt/second 2 light system from my local pro camera store - 2 strobes, umbrellas (silver and white) stands slaves etc. But I have never used this type of a system, and I am not familiar with using studio strobes, nor really with doing portraiture, as I am mostly a sports and landscape photographer. I also need suggestions on posing, most of the students will be friendly couples, with a few serious dating relationships in the mix.
Any suggestions that you can offer, or advice, would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for all your time and help
Tim
Timothy A. Holmes
Fine Light Photography
