SB-800

Hi to all. I need to do a h.s. football team on riser and wondered if two or

three Nikon SB-800's would do the trick? My other consideration would be

Quantum or Lumedyne, but seems pricey and more than I need. I already have one

SB-800 and like the way they would all work together with Nikon's CLS system.

Also thinking of maybe two SB-600 instead, any comments on 600 vs 800 for this

job? Any suggestions from those who have shot teams before would be helpfull.

Thanks, Michael.

No, it would not, unless you're on the bottom bleacher, right next to the sideline where the action is happening. Neither the SB 800 or 600 would help--you would need a lot of them!

Michael...I believe Michael M. is getting at photographing the team for the team photo. Not while they are actually playing. Otherwise, I don't see why they'd be on a riser. If this is the case, a couple of SB-800's should work fine. It will also depend on the ambient light.

not enough information to provide an answer. What time of day? where is your primary light source? are you asking about key light, or fill light? daytime/nighttime?

 

give us something to work with here.

Sorry, I thought I had enough info. Most likely dusk for photo, about 90 to just over 100 kids. and I need general pan lighting, these are not individual portraits, but group photo. Like I said, I have one flash and I think two more on stands should work, without spending alot of cash. Michael.

You can get a Speedotron Force 10 monolight for the price of two SB-800 flash units, and have about 12 times the power (3.5 stops). Put it on a stand to eliminate red-eye and shadows, and far enough away to equalize the light reaching the front and back rows. Forget about "CLS" for demanding situations. Get and use a flash meter.

 

If you need to shoot large groups, it's time to get serious.

2 flashes would be better than 1, so there will be less shadow and all heads could be shadow free. Placing flashes high would drop shadows down behing front row heads and not casting shadow to the second row.

 

With SB800, they can be easily placed high, by assistants holding them high on extended monopods, and no wires needed. Easy to move if needed, and take quick corrective action or just experiment in fraction of minute.

 

Of course more power, like 2 powerful studio strobes will give you better chance to obtain greater depth of field. But that also depends on the lens you will use. With longer lenses you will need more power, and you stand back far. With shorter lenses, you need to pay more attension of the even light distribution, and avoid distorion.

 

Possible 2 or 3 SB-800 would do it.

 

You do not need all the kids to test it, you can test your setup earlier agains a wall, or on the spot, and see if you get even light with whatever you use.

Two flashes will give you two shadows. A single flash high enough and in the center to subtend a 30 degree angle will hide the shadows behind the subject, and not cast a visible shadow on the subsequent rows.

 

Light falls off with the square of distance. If the far row is twice as far from the flash as the front row, it will receive 1/4 the light, or two f/stops less. If you have 4 or 5 rows of subject, that will result in a subject depth of 8 to 10 feet. If the flash is 20 feet from the first row, the last row will receive 1 stop less light - move closer and the effect is even greater. Raising the light helps equalize the distance, hence the exposure.

 

The coverage of an SB-800 is not very uniform. Shoot a blank wall some time and see for yourself. A team photo should not look like it was taken with a spotlight, so to get acceptible results, you have to zoom out with the flash or use a diffuser cap - neither being conducive to adequate exposure for a large group. You won't get much help from walls or ceilings in a gymnasium.

 

Like I said, you can fish or fool around. Look at the kind of results professionals get for team shots, going back 80 years even - and learn.

Michael, what about a fast lens? and no flash.....