simulating or enhancing candle light

Mom/dad/infant portrait, tight on faces, illumination by candle light.

Film, not digi, probably 3200ei, undecided color/B&W.

What kind of candle enhancement or candle simulation and would you use?

Multiple candles?

Links to examples?

Thanks!

You'll need alot of candles if you want to get the shutter speed up to let you keep the infant from disapearing in a storm of motion blur. If you end up shooting color and decide to use any supplemental light you'll have to take care to filter your lights to match the color temp. of candlelight.

Sorry I can't offer you anything else beyond that and a suggestion to check www.google.com (the 1st thing I do, using the "site:www.photo.net" option.)

In fact, using google gave me this useful url:

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=009bC3

It's a post for "WEEKLY LIGHTING THEME: Combining flash and a continuous light source." Should help you quite a bit.

Thanks Joseph...great link.

You're right about motion blur...I did a semi-ok version of this a few years ago...this particular baby's a fat, slow-mover, unlike her greyhound-like marathon runner parents...but I don't want to count on her slow metabolism, maybe it's changed since I last saw her, several months ago.

I don't mind grain. 1-stop-pushed NPZ 800 may work...I'll play with that in advance...thinking of two candles, close to faces, maybe small-flash fill, plus a lot of Photoshop dodging/burning.

More ideas?

...that Weekly Lighting Theme deals well with basic issues...the author's key to success is his exposure bracketing...I'll test that thoroughly in advance, don't want to bracket with a squalling infant.

I could meter any lighting combo on earth with my Minolta Flashmeter 1V, if I was as intelligent as it is :-(

The "Theme" didn't mention the wildly different color temps of candle Vs flash...candle's down around 2000K (warm light on faces) and flash is 5000-6000K (harsh daylight).

If I shoot color and flash, I'll attach a warm gelatine filter to flash and thyrister sensor, or use manual mode.

Maybe I'll use a continuous tungsten lamp instead, making everything very warm.