Luminous Landscape Forum
Equipment & Techniques => Lighting => Topic started by: rollsman44 on August 09, 2018, 11:18:29 pm
-
I use a few different ways of shooting groups and they are good. My question is when I have a large group say 10-20 people. Best way with 1 light is that possible?
I have a Large Shoot through umbrella or a Large Umbrella with a Black outer cover( White inside and black outside). Will this work better than a Large Softbox?
I dont want to spend a lot of money on a Big Softbox if the Umbrellas will work for me. Also, I sometime use a white wall behind me and bounce off the wall with a Higher ISO. Sometimes I dont have the white wall to bounce off. Thank you
Also, does anyone backlight when shooting groups? Thanks
-
Why limit yourself to one light? With only one light you are at the mercy of your natural light condition. Large shoot through umbrella will give more a spread than using a large softbox. Bouncing off a big white surface is also a good idea. Or if you have a large diffusion panel it will be the best provided your light is powerful enough.
-
I've never had any luck shooting groups that large with just one flash. Invariably there were shadows. If you aren't going to buy at least one more equal flash, you'd be much better off doing the photo on the north side of a building where the light is naturally even.
Kent in SD
-
I will reduce the amount of people to Max 20 I have multiple strobes and speed lights but at a wedding its tough sometimes to set up 2 lights .
I appreciate the suggestions
-
Use a very big honking light? :D
-
Use a very big honking light? :D
I shoot weddings and have eight "big honking flash." The problem is with only one flash, no matter how big, the people standing on the edges will always throw shadows on the faces of people standing around them. I generally have a room set up for the formals, with an assistant acting as a "people wrangler". Weddings aren't something to do casually. If you screw up you can't simply go back and reshoot. You really need to know what you are doing and have a plan in advance.
Kent in SD
-
I shoot weddings and have eight "big honking flash." The problem is with only one flash, no matter how big, the people standing on the edges will always throw shadows on the faces of people standing around them. I generally have a room set up for the formals, with an assistant acting as a "people wrangler". Weddings aren't something to do casually. If you screw up you can't simply go back and reshoot. You really need to know what you are doing and have a plan in advance.
Kent in SD
Yes I know. Shot lots of weddings in the 80s to pay for photography school.
-
1 light. Doable, not preferable. 60" umbrella, shoot through (you don't want to bounce bc you probably need all the power you can get), light on a stand next to me, as high as possible, slightly angled down. Works until the group gets too wide that folks on the edges don't get it, and more even than lighting from the sides (and more flattering). Most of these are 2-10 lights:
https://www.douglaslevy.com/index/C0000yJaBBOxN_TA/G0000epq5pF.fh2A
However, the roller derby is one light, a beauty dish, used as described above. Not super high in that case.
-Doug
-
Nice Group shots. I will stick to the Big Shoot thru umbrella
-
Doug,
Really nice work
-
Thanks Jim!
-
Here is example with a single 60" umbrella on the left and 28" beauty dish/softbox on the right:
(http://photovertex.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/BOAA_B_Group2_web.jpg)
Lighting non uniformity is correctable in post, just get enough light for mostly a clear picture.
-
Beautiful lighting. The beauty dish was on the right but shouldn't the light be the same ratio on both sides? How were the lights placed and aimed? Thanks
-
Generally you want the second light to be 50% of the primary (2:1) to give the faces depth and definition. In larger groups the danger is people will cast shadows on the faces of their neighbor, but here he has spaced the subjects far enough apart that doesn't seem to be a problem. My own thinking is that with casual acquaintances such as you see in work settings you probably don't want the people to be really physically close, but with families I almost always have to "tighten" them up so they do intrude on each others' personal space. I say, "Come on, move in close. Act as if you like each other!" :)
Kent in SD
-
https://www.douglaslevy.com/index/C0000yJaBBOxN_TA/G0000epq5pF.fh2A
However, the roller derby is one light, a beauty dish, used as described above. Not super high in that case.
-Doug
Excellent lighting and posing Doug, very creative.
Dave
-
Thanks Dave!
Also worth noting, from the master of groups - http://www.artstreiber.com/grid/7935/groups