High School Formal

Hey all,

 

now before you say anything I know that there have been loads of posts on prom

photography here but I've searched them all and I haven't found what I'm looking

for. Ok, so there is a possibility for me to photograph the formal (prom) this

year for the school which I graduated for 2 years ago. I have been doing loads

of photography work for the school since I left - dance shows, musicals,

advertising work etc etc. For the last few years the photographers hired have

been around average (some less than, in particular last year's in which

photographs were VERY blown out) and a while ago the principal commented that

she would like me to take the photographs this year.

 

That was all a while ago and I'm not sure that anything has really been thought

about me doing the evening so I would like to take a proposal to the school to

do it. However, despite reading many many articles on Prom photography I am

still unsure. I need to figure out a lighting situation (I will hire what I

need) that will be sufficient for shooting couples mainly (I don't think there

will be groups larger than 8). I know that a few people have outlined their

setup but I am a visual learner (don't laugh!) and think I might have perceived

them wrong. I have also searched strobist but with no luck.

 

I have been looking at what other photographers have been doing and really like

the work on Tango's website http://www.ootango.com/formals.html. Would anyone be

able to tell me what sort of lighting setup would've been used for most of these

shots?

 

Any other tips would also be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

P.S. I have done some studio work at Uni so I would be able to figure out ratios

etc and I have until November this year to practice.

The school needs to be very careful before allowing you to photograph the prom. Many schools have a contract with a local outfit to do the senior pictures. This contract generally provides the right of first refusal to any events that require pictures. The contract may also prevent others from selling any photographs they have taken. The schools reward for this is a percentage of the income from the sales of the pictures.

 

Before getting too involved have a look at the contract the school probably has with the outfit that takes the senior pictures.

If you want to do portable backdrop work you might want to start by learning studio lighting. The photos that you referenced above appear to be fairly straightforward Rembrandt style lighting, I don't see any evidence of a background light or hairlight so it all looks to be through a key light and fill. Flat lighting is simplier and generally safer. The equipment can get very expensive. The image below was accomplished in an VFW hall while we were at the reception with 2 lights w/umbrellas with a canvas background. This link can get you started: http://www.studiolighting.net/studio-lighting-setups/<div></div>

It sounds like this is your first time doing a more set-up style of lighting. I would suggest you keep it as simple as possible. One strobe, near camera and up about 8 or 9 feet, Wescott Halo or a shoot-through umbrella.

 

You will need to have another camera and strobe on hand, ready to go as a back-up. Same for cards, camera batteries, cords, etc. Everything. Two complete set-ups. Events like this move very quickly, and things are bound to go wrong. By being prepared you will know what to do.

 

Use manual settings on everything. Flash, white balance, shutter speed, aperture. Test before the event starts and get a good histogram, good exposure, color etc. Write down the settings. Set you back-up camera the same, and leave it next to you ready to go if needed.

 

Think of everything that could possibly go wrong, and have a well thought out plan on what to do in each instance.

 

For example, flash is not firing. Check cord or transmitter. If cord, check to make sure one end hasn't pulled out. Still no flash, replace cord with back-up cord. Still no flash, set up back-up flash. You get the idea.

In responce to the imgaes on the site you like. it looks like very simple, basic lighting. One light. Doesn't even look as though it was diffused much. No technical expertise shown.

 

Are you sure it is not the poses that intrigue you? Or the black background? Although the dark background provides a certain look, I am not a big fan of them. You will have most people's hair blending in with the background. Some will look like faces floating against a dark background. Stick with something more neutral. You may like a white background. Maybe use seamless paper. Smooth seamless will give the photos more a fashion look. A white background will bounce back some of your strobes light behind the subject, which will help give more definition to the subject.

"In responce to the imgaes on the site you like. it looks like very simple, basic lighting. One light. Doesn't even look as though it was diffused much. No technical expertise shown." -Greg

 

I disagree. The moment you take the flash/strobe off your camera it displays some degree of technical expertise. To judge good lighting you need to look at the specularity and the shadows. Although they appear to be using one light in several of the images, I would suspect that it is a large softbox and they have to be moving it around for the different subjects and spacing of the individuals.

To get the quality of shadows with only one light would require them to balance the 2nd light, which in the case of a one light setup would require them to meter the ambient light(fill light), in ratio with their key light. There are of course tricks and shortcuts to good studio lighting. Suggest that the OP begin with the basics: short/broad lighting, butterfly, flat (which sounds like a bad thing cuz it's "flat"...but it often produces the most pleasing results) and split lighting. To play with the lighting, you'll need a light meter and some portable lights The portrait below, another shot of Marlene is an example of butterfly lighting accomplished with some shortcuts using a single strobe with a muslin backdrop.<div></div>

I guess what I was trying to say was that their setup seems very simple. Holly will not have to learn all the different lighting techniques with multiple lights to achieve the effect she is after.

 

Back to my original advice, keep it simple.

The lighting on Tango's website appears to be one light--a softbox or umbrella that has been moved around to give short lighting or butterfly (frontal) lighting. Some of the images appear to be with on-camera flash. I don't see too much evidence of a fill light, plus the shot that shows the photographer shows her using just the camera with (presumably) the sync cord on it. The light looks harder because I think the photographer had it placed fairly far back in relation to the subjects (makes the light harder)--how else would she be able to photograph a large group of people evenly?

 

The few times that I've had to do proms, I've used short lighting because I prefer it, but if I were doing many couples in a very short period, I would opt for a more frontal lighting pattern because with this type of lighting, you don't need to worry about where the shadows will fall and you can pretty much go with only one strobe head. If you have two people, and you use short lighting, one of the two people will get the "good" light--the short light--and the other will have more shadows on the face, because one normally turns the couple inward toward each other. That's why with short light it is more important to have a fill light. For posing flexibility, the frontal light is easiest.

 

To do frontal light, use a powerful flash right next to you (one or the other side), and put the largest umbrella or Halo (as Greg suggests) on it that you can manage. As he said, everything is on manual, and once you figure out the exposure, nail the unit down. That is why the flash has to be powerful, because if you will be doing couples, full lengths, and groups, you have to put the flash fairly far back from subject position. Everything is on manual (except focus) so you can just shoot without fiddling with settings. If you are using a painted, scenic backdrop, you can use a smaller f stop (that's why the high powered flash) because a painted backdrop doesn't need to be blurred out. The smaller f stop helps because it gives you a margin of focus error. In fact, you could set the camera on a tripod, set the focus manually (even just set it on the distance scale) and leave it there, just zooming in and out for subject framing. Again--this helps you go faster. If you use a background like the one shown on the website, you may want to blur it out, meaning you'll have to be more careful with focus and use wider f stops.

 

I also would stay away from black or very dark backgrounds. With this type of event, one can't use background or hair lights, so natural subject separation is important. Medium tones are good, so that black tuxes or suits don't merge into the background.

 

If using short lighting, I personally use a fill light, not on-camera. The fill light is set for one stop less and close to the camera, than the main or key light, which is off farther to one side or the other. I normally use an umbrella or modifier on the fill light too, but watch out for large flash reflections in people's glasses.

 

Needless to say, tape your cords down so people don't trip on them. If you have to move your lights, mark where they were with tape so you can put them back. The whole point is to work fast by determining everything beforehand and then zipping through. If you have to shoot other candids, dedicate another camera and/or person to do those, as you don't want to take any of the backdrop pieces out.

Also forgot to say--you won't find info about shooting proms on strobist except in the most general, lighting-pattern way. Strobist deals mostly with shoemount flashes and with mostly editorial type shooting, and I suppose it is possible to use shoemounts to photograph prom style formals, but they normally are shot with corded, pack and head units for sheer power and consistency of light. When you have to photograph maybe 200 plus couples in one night, you need the power.

Great points Nadine. If this is your first big event, don't use an f-stop larger (smaller number) than 5.6. The subjects may appear sharp in the LCD, but you don't want to risk getting back and finding a series of shots out of focus. And keep the focus bracket off to one side, and pay attention to it. If you leave it in the middle you run the risk of it falling between two people's heads and foccusing on the background.

 

ALWAYS take two or more shots of each group. About one in 15 or so someone will have their eyes closed. Tell them you are going to take two when they get in position.

 

Glasses. Tend to get a glare with one light and older style glasses. Easist thing to do is ask them if they always wear them. If not, have them take them off. If they want to leave them on, slow down, take the shot, zoom in on their glasses on the LCD and check for glare. If you still have some, have the couple swap positions. With the light slightly to one side of the camera, sometimes just switching the subjects left to right works. Or you can have them slightly lift the glasses off their ears. This tilts the frames more towards the ground, thereby boncing the reflected light away from the lens. Make sure their chin isn't too high up either.

 

I can't stress enough having back-up stuff set and ready to go. It seems every time I've done an event like this there has been some kind of glitch, no matter how well you are prepared and tested.

Another quick tip on the eyeglasses, typically if you just have them drop their chin a bit that should do it as well. Use the modeling lights in the strobes to look for the glare. Practice your setups several times with different ambient light conditions and vary your couples/group sizes so that you can practice moving your light/s around the backdrop. Back in the day I had to rely on poloroid backs to check my lighting or I had to wait a day or two to get my film from the lab....now with digital it should speed up the learning curve tremendously. Good luck.

Wow! Thanks all for your comments.. I definately agree to a few points.

 

Thanks Raymond for that insight. I had not heard of that type of thing occuring but it will be very important for me to clear up before I even think about going ahead with it.

 

I agree that I will definately not use a black background. I shot a commercial portrait for a uni assignment with someone who had darkish hair on a black background and easily found my error. I am hoping to get a painted backdrop from a friend to use or rent one for the night.

 

In regards to f-stop use, thanks for the tip. I do sometimes find that my subject isn't quite in focus and on this night there will be no room for mess ups.

 

Overall, some REALLY great tips, thanks all.

 

Now just one more ask, would you be able to post up some of your images for me to look at. I would love to see some different ways of shooting this event.

 

Truly thank you, Holly

I don't have any handy to post (on my laptop), but I would suggest to stick to one framing and use that for 95% of the couples.

 

A lot of it depends on the finished size of the print. If things are going to be printed 5x7 or smaller, I like to do a vertical shot from the waist up. If 8x10 or so, then maybe a full-body. Be VERY careful about cropping. Your camera's image proportions may not line up with the print proportions. In other words, leave a little head room to allow for cropping. You could even put a small piece of tape over a side or two of your viewfinder to force you to shoot within 8x10 proportions. I took out the focus screen on my cameras and drew a small line with a sharpie along the short sides to approximate an 8x10. No more problems with the lab zooming in a bit.

 

Make sure your background is up real high and wider than what you plan to shoot.

 

Keep things consistant. The idea is to get a nice shot quickly and efficiantly. People don't like to wait. You run too many risks when you try to change the set-up or framing for each group.

 

You may find you like this kind of thing. The next step would be to get a dye-sub printer and offer prints on the spot. I do this often in the winter for corporate parties. We take their picture as they enter, then print everything off and stuff them into nice folders. Photos are spread out on a table for pick-up after dinner or later in the evening. It is pretty hairy, fast-paced work, but kind of fun. The nice thing is you have almost no post-production work, get a nice check, and people are happy to have a sovenier of the evening.

 

It's a nice break from the wedding work.

I'll give you one more trick, use tape on the floor to mark where your couple's feet go. Even better, get some footprint outlines and place them where you want your couples to stand. The setup shown below is the classic "prom shot" pose that I use all the time with couples. Get your setups well ahead of time and practice alot before the actual day.<div></div>

Thanks David, Greg, Nadine and Raymond. Your help has been so wonderful. Thank you for your supportive posts, you help to keep learning fun. :)

I'll keep you up to date.

 

Holly x

I looked at the sample photos that Holly referenced. Although the students probably like them, as far as lighting goes, I think that the results are far from professional. I agree that most of the photos appear to be lit with one light, probably a softbox, perhaps an umbrella, but I don't see any Rembrandt lighting. Perhaps half of Rembrant lighting, but no more than that. For true Rembrandt lighting, see a sample photo and article in the July issue of Rangefinder magazine (page. 122). Quoting the article, "Rembrandt lighting...is dramatic lighting pattern that prouduces fullness the face, accents the contour of the subject and shows textures." More than anything, Rembrandt lighting results in a visible trianglar highlight on one side of the face. The photos Ootango.com do not do that. They do show the whole face, but there are no shadows to suggest Rembrandt lighting.<BR><BR>

 

I think for a first time prom shooter, two umbrellas, each slightly away from the tripod mounted camera would be the safest bet. Although it wouldn't give the best results, not one parent or student will complain. I do think that some parents might complain if there is no visible separation between the hair and background, especially for dark haired students.<BR><BR>

 

Someone commented not to shoot any wider than f 5.6. I think that the photographer would be wise to shoot at the smallest aperture as possible (depending on the flash power) to make sure that you don't have any focusing problems. Although there are times when the background needs to be blurred, I think that the students want to remember their prom's theme, and they will probably like to see the background (assuming it is a nice background).<BR><BR>

 

Probably more important than anything, you need to make sure that you keep a very accurate log of each student photograph so that you print the correct packages. You don't want to have missing or incorrect packages. If it is a SMALL PROM, I would create a "slate" for each couple which would show the couple's names and packages. This would minimize package problems.<BR><BR>

 

You will also need to photograph the students quickly.<BR><BR>

 

A first time shooter will be worried enough about what they are doing, so I think printing on-site is a bad idea. They need to find a good lab that does this type of printing quickly. <a href="http://www.alfordimaging.com">Alford Imaging</a> in Memphis can do this for you.<BR><BR>

 

I'd also check with some of the students or look at old photos taken at this school. One of the first proms I ever photographed did not lend itself for vertical photos. I photographed everyone horizontally, cropping out the bottom of the dresses. Boy, did I have some upset parents! They had paid a lot of money for those dresses, and they wanted the entire dress to appear in the photo.<BR><BR>

 

I think that lighting is important in this job. But everything else is equally important.