Two Group Shots (60 men / 60 women).... help needed

<p>Hi all<br /> I capturing a 50th Birthday tomorrow evening and the customer has requested a shot of all the ladies attending in one picture and another of all the men.<br /> The venue is below ground under a theatre, low ceiling, dark, and the only place I can see me doing this is on the dance floor. <br /> How would you guys arrange the people in the shot under these circumstances.<br /> Thanks for your time.</p>

<p>Simon, 60 men or women in a dark room with low ceiling - I would pass on this. Maybe the stairs are a better place to arrange them all. georg</p>

<p>Sounds like you will need to arrange them school style.</p>

<p>Back row on chairs, next row forward on feet, next row forward sitting on chairs, and the front row seated on the ground. You will need two rows of 15 chairs and a couple 800ws (+/-) with 45" brollies.</p>

<p>If no chairs are available, you can seat the front row, kneel the second row, have the third row lean on the shoulders of the second row and stand the third row. Don't forget to put them in order of tallest at the back.</p>

<p>I recently did a shot like this in a factory.<br>

The main thing I would suggest is testing your lenses to see which one is the sharpest at the left and right edges at f8.<br>

For my shot I used an old Tamron 28mm manual focus prime at f8 on a crop camera. I tested it by shooting pictures with a person's head in the corners at about 20 feet.<br>

The objective is to make sure that all the faces will be recognizable.<br>

I used RAW to get the sharpest capture. Tripod of course. 1/200th to overcome any sway in the lift or subject movement.<br>

I used exposure delay (mirror up before shutter) to reduce the effect of mirror slap.<br>

I was about 20 feet from the front row with the farthest person at about 30 feet. Depth of field was not a problem at f8.<br>

My key lighting was two 300ws monolights with 90 degree reflectors at camera left with Rolux diffusion- it only soaks up 1 stop.</p>

<p>Also recently did a shot like this for 70 people in a room with no windows and lowish lighting. Tripod, two flashes (one bounced)</p>

<p>If you don't have room or access to chairs and couches etc.. you'll have to have back row standing (short people) next row kneeling (tall people) and next row sitting. Or, if you do have chairs - Dave's solution is best</p>

<p>Thanks for the answers........Yes I think the chair route is the way to go...<br>

Watch this space.....I will show you how I get on...How about that?!</p>

<p>I agree with the chair route. How low is low, re the ceiling? If is difficult to evenly light rows of people with a low ceiling because one is hard pressed to get the lights and modifiers up high enough.</p>

<p>10-12ft high I think</p>

<p>If you have 10 ft stands and a light colored ceiling you could consider putting bare bulb heads or reflectors only high up.<br>

When I shot my group the heads were pointed straight ahead so they would feather the light at the edges. <br>

I was using Light Tough Frost which cut the hard edge without canceling the natural falloff of the reflectors.</p>

<p>You should be fine with 12' but 10' may be a tad close.</p>

<p>Two things. First, as Steve said, you can use bare bulb and a reflector. That would get the head/bulb closer to the ceiling and perhaps offer better modeling. Secong is that you can lower the camera angle which has the effect of showing more of the downward shadow, thus increasing the apparent height of you lights. That will put your cameras lens at about 3 - 4 feet from the ground. Test both of these before committing IMO.</p>

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<p>If the ceiling is white, or close, you'll get fantastic results bouncing two monolights (w/small reflectors) off the ceiling. I'd place them a few feet to each side of you and tilt them at an angle whereas some of the light will hit your subjects directly, but most of the light will hit the ceiling. That way around 70-80% of the light will be coming off the ceiling and the other 20-30 percent direct (fill light). This will prevent any "raccoon eyes" from the main light coming from above.<br /> <br /> Another pointer; keep your lights pretty close to the ceiling and have your subjects keep their heads tilted down slightly if they're wearing glasses. This will help prevent reflections from your lights.<br /> <br /> And use the longest lens possible.<br /> <br /> All the best.</p>

<p>Yep...agree with Steve, David and Dean.</p>

<p>If you are using flashes with circular reflectors you can put them up high, point them straight out, and put diffusion on the lower half to reduce the light on the front rows.<br>

Also remember that circular reflectors can be tilted up or turned to feather the light.<br>

Your group will probably be around 20 feet across, so you will need to take meter readings across the set to get it even.</p>

<p>How did the group image work out for you?</p>