Lighting for group shoots

[morales]

keNa tasked to do up a POSED group photo for a bunch of high level executives but have no prior experience in using studio lighting. Any kind soul can help me out with these queries?

1) For a group of about 30-40, forming up 3 - 4 rows, can the 1 x nikon SB 800 handle it to evenly spread out the lighting?

2) If studio lighting is needed, what kind of lights should i rent and how do i use it? how should i adjust and meter the light?

currently using a D70s with a nikon SB800 speedlight.


swimming in the sea of questions

[Suekay]

hehe... have no idea, but UP for you, so that more ppl can view your thread and help you with it...

All the best ya.

[waileong]

1. If using SB800, meter the flash for the middle row, but this means those in front row will be slightly overexposed, those behind will be slightly underexposed.

2. If can bounce from ceiling, do so-- direct flash will look quite flat.

3. If using studio lighting, depends how big a studio you have and how many lights you can get. 30-40 people will require a damn big studio.

4. If using studio lights outside, same principle as using SB800, except that since the lights are not attached to the camera, they won't be so flat. However, 30-40 people may require quite a lot of lights, esp. if you want everyone to be perfectly exposed.

[Luval]

You can go wrong with studio lights .. in posed group or in executive shoot. always divide then into smaller group.

[jacob]

Originally Posted by morales keNa tasked to do up a POSED group photo for a bunch of high level executives but have no prior experience in using studio lighting. Any kind soul can help me out with these queries? 1) For a group of about 30-40, forming up 3 - 4 rows, can the 1 x nikon SB 800 handle it to evenly spread out the lighting? 2) If studio lighting is needed, what kind of lights should i rent and how do i use it? how should i adjust and meter the light? currently using a D70s with a nikon SB800 speedlight. swimming in the sea of questions

my 2cents worth.......

find out the exact location of the photoshoot. see how high ceiling. how wide is the area. decide how to arrange your people.eg are there steps for them to stand etc. basically is to use the environment to your advantage. then only you struggle with lighting. nevertheless don't forget your tripod.

[jdredd]

borrow 2 slave flashes and wireless transmitter?

[yklim]

CLS is the way to go..

[pianodancer]

You may not need to use flash if the ambient lighting is sufficient. Natural light is better than uneven strobe-lighting. Using SB-800 at near distance will definitely result in light fall-off, unless you keep a considerable distance from the subjects. Quoting the 'inverse square law' of light fall-off:

"the light falling on any object will be inversely proportional to the square of its distance from the light source"

In other words, the further the light source is from the subject, the greater depth of coverage achieved. This is at the expense of the strobe firing at full capacity, and assuming your strobe is powerful enough to light up the subjects correctly from a distance.

[Tsangstudios]

Originally Posted by pianodancer You may not need to use flash if the ambient lighting is sufficient. Natural light is better than uneven strobe-lighting. Using SB-800 at near distance will definitely result in light fall-off, unless you keep a considerable distance from the subjects. Quoting the 'inverse square law' of light fall-off: "the light falling on any object will be inversely proportional to the square of its distance from the light source" In other words, the further the light source is from the subject, the greater depth of coverage achieved. This is at the expense of the strobe firing at full capacity, and assuming your strobe is powerful enough to light up the subjects correctly from a distance.

I thought this rule is to explain the further you are from your subject the more dramatically you loose light hitting the subject? eg the distace times 2 your light strength is quatered?

[yqt]

going by your questions, I think you might not want to do a shoot with the studio flash. Studio flash is something which is not easy to control, tilt up or down and you get diff. light. As pianodancer have mention, " Natural light is better than uneven strobe-lighting " whatever the shoot, always use equipment which you're comfortable with. Select a location which is outdoors but under shade and if possible, with stairs so that you can form rolls. Worst case, use the SB600/800 on bounce with the fill card pulled up.

[tvs]

Try to go for natural light with reflectors. You may need a couple of ur friends to hold the reflectors of you. I prefer this way... ., but relying on nature is a gamble as weather is unpredictable...

If Studio strobes are not set up properly,then you may get shadows of front row people on the back row. so watch out for this. I guess using strobes with umbrella may help.

Using SB800 alone may reduce the light at the corners even it is bounced... Use more than one SB800 one as master and others as slave...

I hope and wish u get the best.

[catchlights]

Originally Posted by tvs Try to go for natural light with reflectors. You may need a couple of ur friends to hold the reflectors of you. I prefer this way... ., but relying on nature is a gamble as weather is unpredictable... If Studio strobes are not set up properly,then you may get shadows of front row people on the back row. so watch out for this. I guess using strobes with umbrella may help. Using SB800 alone may reduce the light at the corners even it is bounced... Use more than one SB800 one as master and others as slave... I hope and wish u get the best.

How many reflectors is needed to do a group photos of 40pax?
how many pairs of hands need to hold the reflectors?
where are all these helpers position/standing?
infront or behide the camera?

[yqt]

Originally Posted by tvs Try to go for natural light with reflectors. You may need a couple of ur friends to hold the reflectors of you. I prefer this way... ., but relying on nature is a gamble as weather is unpredictable... If Studio strobes are not set up properly,then you may get shadows of front row people on the back row. so watch out for this. I guess using strobes with umbrella may help. Using SB800 alone may reduce the light at the corners even it is bounced... Use more than one SB800 one as master and others as slave... I hope and wish u get the best.

Using natural lights with reflectors for a group shot of about 30 to 40 people? I won't suggest this. Bear in mind that reflected light is a reduced light source, the further away it is from the subject, the less light it is able to reflect back to the subject. Where are you going to place the reflectors? You'll need a very big reflector for this and even than, I'm not too sure it'll work. For a small group like no more than 10 maybe, just maybe, with a few big reflectors.

Using a umbrella will be helpful but if you're able to control the strobes, any type of strobe with any attachment can be use. The key here is where you're going to place the light. How far from the subject? How high/low? Left/right/centre ? Bounce/direct? Even bare flash can be use. It all depends on the location. But as I suspect that the TS is not too sure of using the strobes, it will not be helpful to encourage him to use it.

You can try using more than 1 SB600/800 but note that the more lights used, the more shadow will be created. Light ratio are to be properly controlled if not you'll end up with more shadows. I would not worry too much about light fall off at the edge. When the flash is set to wide and is bounce it can cover a very wide area and bounce light are soft as well as even lights. Once again, it all depends on the location. Do a location test with your camera before the shoot, that will be your best bet.

[eng_keow]

My suggestion:

Use a tripod (a must). Close down the aperture to 8 or at least 5.6. Use high iso if necessary. Meter the ambient lighting and use setting (shutter speed) somewhere in between the brighter an darker areas. Use manual mode. ETTL on flash. Shoot in RAW and try to get couple of shots, one higher setting and one lower (make sure your guests try not to move too much) - at least can PS and get the correct exposure for the whole pic.



Wonder if this will work?

[dragos]

another way is to use continuous lights...at least u can play ard the light source.

but dun take too long...

[ellery]

You are in over your head - fact. If you are not working there as a photograpgher I would suggest that you make know your level of expertise ie that you cannot do the shot with at least 80% confidence level and this not not talking about equipment - its your software that is not up to task. Let who has tasked this to you know that you cannot guranttee the shot - do you want to guranttee the shot ? Get them to get in a pro who has the equipment and the expertise to do this. Shooting family groups is not quite the same as shoot board of directors. I do not think there is a short cut thru this. No amount of friendly advice can see u thru if you do not basically know what to do. Its no just a lighting thing a shot is more than lighting.Some how I suspect you will ignore this and try - hopefully you donot over sell your expertise - within 2 minutes a season board of directors will know if you have done this or not.

[reachme2003]

wishing you all the best.

[dragos]

Originally Posted by ellery You are in over your head - fact. If you are not working there as a photograpgher I would suggest that you make know your level of expertise ie that you cannot do the shot with at least 80% confidence level and this not not talking about equipment - its your software that is not up to task. Let who has tasked this to you know that you cannot guranttee the shot - do you want to guranttee the shot ? Get them to get in a pro who has the equipment and the expertise to do this. Shooting family groups is not quite the same as shoot board of directors. I do not think there is a short cut thru this. No amount of friendly advice can see u thru if you do not basically know what to do. Its no just a lighting thing a shot is more than lighting.Some how I suspect you will ignore this and try - hopefully you donot over sell your expertise - within 2 minutes a season board of directors will know if you have done this or not.

agree on this, being directors, they might already been photographed to death liao...

[reachme2003]

yes, the 'high level executives' may even suspect that the 'photographer' is not familiar with his equipment. i hate to be put in such position as the 'photographer'.

Originally Posted by dragos agree on this, being directors, they might already been photographed to death liao...

[yqt]

Originally Posted by ellery You are in over your head - fact. If you are not working there as a photograpgher I would suggest that you make know your level of expertise ie that you cannot do the shot with at least 80% confidence level and this not not talking about equipment - its your software that is not up to task. Let who has tasked this to you know that you cannot guranttee the shot - do you want to guranttee the shot ? Get them to get in a pro who has the equipment and the expertise to do this. Shooting family groups is not quite the same as shoot board of directors. I do not think there is a short cut thru this. No amount of friendly advice can see u thru if you do not basically know what to do. Its no just a lighting thing a shot is more than lighting.Some how I suspect you will ignore this and try - hopefully you donot over sell your expertise - within 2 minutes a season board of directors will know if you have done this or not.

Please take note of what ellery have posted, there's a lot of truth in it.
It's easy for the one who task this to you to said that he know that you can't promise result but once he/she got questioned by the boss, it may be a diff. story. I've seen it happen too many times.