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Group Portrait lighting diagrams...?

  • 30-07-2010 1:09pm
    #1
    mehfesto
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,277 ✭✭✭


    Hey all,

    After a fairly disasterous (albeit brief) photoshoot with a band recently, I've realised I need help regarding lighting groups.

    I have McNally's books and as great as they are, they're not exactly technically in-depth. I'm looking for something along the lines of this, but for groups.


    If you have an idea yourself, I'm currently working with two sb-600s - and a 900 on the way - with an ezyboxsoftbox and lasolight 40(?) shoot through umbrella. I've got individual portraits sorted to a standard I'm happy enough with currently, but groups have me baffled. Should I just shoot at 1/1 and bouce light everywhere?


Comments

  • #2
    Sleepy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,367 ✭✭✭✭Sleepy


    Seems like it's more than you that needs it... the lighting of the recent Connacht Rugby squad picture was horrific...


  • #3
    eas
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,435 ✭✭✭eas


    see if you can find a book on choosing backgrounds while you're at it! :eek::D


  • #4
    mehfesto
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,277 ✭✭✭mehfesto


    eas wrote: »
    see if you can find a book on choosing backgrounds while you're at it! :eek::D

    :D

    I know, I know... at the time, I thought it was cool. I just didn't get it right at all. It tied in with the whole gritty rock thing they had going on, but I missed it by miles.


  • #5
    eas
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,435 ✭✭✭eas


    really though, the lighting on the band looks OK. Basic, but OK.


  • #6
    pullandbang
    Hosted Moderators Posts: 4,948 ✭✭✭pullandbang


    mehfesto wrote: »
    I've realised I need help regarding lighting groups.

    Have a read of this blog post - very informative.


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  • #7
    mehfesto
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,277 ✭✭✭mehfesto


    pullandbang wrote: »
    Have a read of this blog post - very informative.

    Thank you!
    Exactly what I was looking for. See? This is why boards rocks!


  • #8
    oozler
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10 ✭oozler


    That'd be my blog linked to last so thanks for linking pullandbang and glad it is what you were after mehfesto.

    FYI in case you haven't seen them on the same blog, two more examples of the same idea in very different ambient light, but using the same equipment (three speedlights) are here:

    1) Strong sun high behind the group (at the bottom of this post)

    2) Group of 70 in a dark church - this uses a different scheme - cross lighting front and back with on-axis fill from the camera.

    I find using two or three speedlights can give you very adaptable ways of lighting a large group once you adhere to two things:

    * Don't use modifiers (umbrellas/softboxes) so you get most out of the flashes - they'd have to be so far away to stay out of frame for many groups that they'd be ineffective anyway
    * Feather the light across the group for even illumination

    All learnt from JoeMcNally and Strobist - in fact that last link, the church shot, was linked to by Strobist on twitter and is the most viewed post on the blog.


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