Nicely done. The diagram was such a good idea.
Walter
=======================================================================================================
On Saturday, November 20, 2004, at 09:24 AM, lea wrote:
Tim,
snip,snip,
snip,
I've drawn a photo of the set-up and the angle I'm speaking of and put
it on my website. This should help you visualize what I mean when I say
to put yourself and your subjects at an angle to that wall.
http://www.whinydogpress.com/flashdiagram.html
This diagram will serve you no matter what lighting you use...on camera,
flash on stand or studio lights. Keep your subjects away from the wall
to avoid their shadow falling on it. Keep yourself and the lights at an
angle and you'll be fine.
Lea
----- Original Message -----
From: "Walter Holt" <locnleave@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "List for Photo/Imaging Educators - Professionals - Students"
<photoforum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, November 19, 2004 8:56 PM
Subject: Re: Help With Banquet Pictures
Tim,lenght
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
is to short (wide).so
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
it doesn't tip over. Along the same vein, you may want to tape downshooting
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
in the room or shooting area with you.hair
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
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
=============================upcoming
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
beshoot 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
willhaving the banquet, and I shot some pictures of the area where I
portraiture,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
couples,as I am mostly a sports and landscape photographer. I also need
suggestions on posing, most of the students will be friendly
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
