Lighting a group shot

[tester99]

get a tripod, set your camera height at the eye level of the second row people.

use 50mm lens if you are using full frame body, 35mm if you are using 1.5x crop body

get a studio mono light 500ws, with a reflective umbrella,

mount it on a very big and tall light stand, you need to let the light taller than the last row people.

set the light just right above your camera, don't bother light spill, you should be more concern to get the exposure is very evenly from left to right, front row to back row.

forget about mixed with ambient light, just use another flash to light the background, unless you can get ambient light at 1/60 with f8, or else if someboby keep moving, you will not able to get any sharp photos.

btw, one light one shadow, two lights two shadows, multiple lights many shadows, and also if one hotshoe flash deliver f4, you need 4 flash to deliver f8, 8 flash to deliver f11.
so it is easier and faster to set up just one mono block.

or you can just simply shoot the group photo in very high ISO with one hotshoe flash

hmm, if lets say i have 3 flashes and the background are just some curtains ( if not they are windows, even worse ).. so i won't need to light the background. should i use the 3rd flash and bounce off ceiling instead? if yes, hide it behind the group or behind my camera? or what can i use it for?

sorry for the lousy diagram - it was pretty hard to adjust them. haha.

i can only make do with my equipment though :
2 stands
3 flashes ( all have equiv. power to 430exII - possible to shoot @ f11, iso400? )
2 shoot-thrus
1 tripod
1 full set of gels

should be around 3 rows of 8 also. relatively small room.

 

[catchlights]

do you have time to set up and test before get the people come in?
do you have assistants to help you fine tune position of lighting while you pose or arrange the people?
can the people wait for you to see reviews and fine tune poses or lighting?

if not, keep it simple.

since the room is small, ceiling could be normal height, just set all three lights ceiling bounce, you should able to get soft even lighting from corners to corners and yet powerful enough.

 

[tester99]

do you have time to set up and test before get the people come in?
do you have assistants to help you fine tune position of lighting while you pose or arrange the people?
can the people wait for you to see reviews and fine tune poses or lighting?

if not, keep it simple.

since the room is small, ceiling could be normal height, just set all three lights ceiling bounce, you should able to get soft even lighting from corners to corners and yet powerful enough.

haha. yes to all questions posed. cos it's just my family portrait. gonna do it on 1st day of cny.

hmm, but i received opinions that shooting straight on with umbrellas would give a better,softer effect? i know this doesn't make sense - since the ceiling has more size than the pathetic 33" umbrellas. care to explain?

another qn is - if the ceiling is slightly tinted, which means i can't do ceiling bounce. so what do i do with my 3 flashes?

 

[Bellaraphon]

just to share.

i took a large group shot outdoors (at the YOG countdown timer opposite the Padang) at 2am+. the lights of the building was switched off by then.

Used a single 580EXII mounted on the horseshoe, f/2.8 with exposure compensation at +2 and flash compensation at +2.

finally product is adequately lighted, with the faces of everyone shown clearly.

 

[blurry80]

haha. yes to all questions posed. cos it's just my family portrait. gonna do it on 1st day of cny.

hmm, but i received opinions that shooting straight on with umbrellas would give a better,softer effect? i know this doesn't make sense - since the ceiling has more size than the pathetic 33" umbrellas. care to explain?

another qn is - if the ceiling is slightly tinted, which means i can't do ceiling bounce. so what do i do with my 3 flashes?

Unless you have a seriously tinted like mine is bright yellow like a lemon it should work fine. Also considering the ceiling is even in color should be easy to correct in post. Color accuracy may be less of a concern if its not too serious. I dont think you need to worry about spill if the place is very open if you have your lens hood on coz the lights are high.

 

[tester99]

Unless you have a seriously tinted like mine is bright yellow like a lemon it should work fine. Also considering the ceiling is even in color should be easy to correct in post. Color accuracy may be less of a concern if its not too serious. I dont think you need to worry about spill if the place is very open if you have your lens hood on coz the lights are high.

hmm, mine is actually sky blue, so i guess its not gonna look very nice on the subjects. haha.

 

[tester99]

just to share.

i took a large group shot outdoors (at the YOG countdown timer opposite the Padang) at 2am+. the lights of the building was switched off by then.

Used a single 580EXII mounted on the horseshoe, f/2.8 with exposure compensation at +2 and flash compensation at +2.

finally product is adequately lighted, with the faces of everyone shown clearly.

you used direct flash i presume? :sweat:

 

[jeanie]

family portrait?then WHY bother to make them stand in 3 rows?

you should pose them as comfortable as they are since they're your family.

I've lit a large group of 38 using 1 single profoto soft box.however, the softbox is a octagonal one and it's friggin big.

one light will do (IMHO),
else, up your iso and use ambient light.

 

[wildsoyabean]

family portrait?then WHY bother to make them stand in 3 rows?

you should pose them as comfortable as they are since they're your family.

I've lit a large group of 38 using 1 single profoto soft box.however, the softbox is a octagonal one and it's friggin big.

one light will do (IMHO),
else, up your iso and use ambient light.

maybe he got big big family must stand in 3 rows.

yup if possible use as much ambient light as you can.
you would want to avoid uneven lighting across different people

 

[jeanie]

maybe he got big big family must stand in 3 rows.

yup if possible use as much ambient light as you can.
you would want to avoid uneven lighting across different people

the less number of flashes you use, the less the problems of thinking HOW to eliminate the shadows.

 

[Bellaraphon]

you used direct flash i presume? :sweat:

ah, yes. forgot to add. plus the built-in diffuser. also, the group and i were seperated by a 3-lane road.

picture did not turn out to be harsh at all.

 

[catchlights]

the less number of flashes you use, the less the problems of thinking HOW to eliminate the shadows.

jeanie you are so correct.

maybe TS want a clan association type of family portrait.

 

[catchlights]

ah, yes. forgot to add. plus the built-in diffuser. also, the group and i were seperated by a 3-lane road.

picture did not turn out to be harsh at all.

I don't think it is harsh at, perhaps is so under and flat.

 

[Bellaraphon]

nope, it is definitely not under.

unfortunately, the rights to the photos belong to the organisation now. i can't put them up anywhere.

 

[tester99]

family portrait?then WHY bother to make them stand in 3 rows?

you should pose them as comfortable as they are since they're your family.

I've lit a large group of 38 using 1 single profoto soft box.however, the softbox is a octagonal one and it's friggin big.

one light will do (IMHO),
else, up your iso and use ambient light.

erm, it's actually a few families combined together ( from parents to grandparents with uncles & aunties ), tads why it adds up to quite a number of them. all ages also.. few mths old to 80+ yrs old. pretty hard to get them to be spontaneous rite :sweat:

i'd prefer a cleaner image.. my 1000d does quite badly (imo, i know 1000d is one of the best in the budget segment alr) from 800 and above. 400 is a pretty gd spot for my cam i guess.

 

[cabbySHE]

who is asking the question ?

 

[blurry80]

erm, it's actually a few families combined together ( from parents to grandparents with uncles & aunties ), tads why it adds up to quite a number of them. all ages also.. few mths old to 80+ yrs old. pretty hard to get them to be spontaneous rite :sweat:

i'd prefer a cleaner image.. my 1000d does quite badly (imo, i know 1000d is one of the best in the budget segment alr) from 800 and above. 400 is a pretty gd spot for my cam i guess.

My gf's family pic is 100+ ppl need uwa + lighting lol.