Best Lighting for Team pictures in a dark gym

I am beginning to get into school photography and purchased soft box lights from amazon which work well for single person portraits, but I am trying to rent lights for team pictures inside a gym, because my lights have no power. I do not know where to begin on what lights/umbrellas are the best. I have researched the best placement of lights, but can't find any information on best lights. With my light the ISO has to be very high and quality is very low.

Thanks

A decent shoe flash (direct flash, held above your head), should be adequate for yearbook stuff.

My old flash is a Vivitar 285HV.

I would probably do the same today.

Group shots with multiple flash can be tricky. I got burned by shadows that I did not expect and plan for.

Silver reflective umbrellas will gain you about 2 stops over white shoot-through or reflective brollies. However, they give a harsher light and can give a mottled effect unless you're careful to place the lamp in the correct "focus" for the subject distance.

White diffusers are safer, but need more flash power. A couple of 400 joule monolights into 4 or 5 foot brollies is about the minimum I'd go for with a formal group shot.

Clamshell lighting is pretty safe, if a bit boring. Get the lights high so that nobody's face is obscured from a direct line of sight with the lights.

One little 50 joule Vivitar with no head swivel ability - seriously?

 

One little 50 joule Vivitar with no head swivel ability - seriously?

Worked for me when shooting for the yearbook.

But a yearbook photo is not studio quality, as the yearbook printing process degrades the image somewhat.

So it also depends on what the target audience and media is and expects.

There is also the question of how much gear you haul with you.

I might want to use my Speedotron lights, but I am not hauling that stuff around, unless I really have to.