lighting a dancefloor

<p>I was asked to shoot a suprise party, and was wondering what configuration should I use to light the dance floor with 2 Oly 50R flashes, using an e3 as a commander.</p>

<p>Thank you in advance for all responses.<br>

Kevin</p>

<p>Are you talking about configuration as in lighting set up or are you talking about triggering set up?</p>

<p>Lighting setup</p>

<p>If you use the two flashes off camera, set them opposite each other across the dance floor, then try to shoot at angles to the axis. If you use one on camera and one off camera, set one up by the band or DJ or his lights and be aware of where it is so you can shoot so you get rim light on subjects and no flare, and deliberate flare and a hotspot at other times. If you have no on camera flash, you take the risk that sometimes, you won't have enough frontal light on subjects and may get motion blur if you are dragging the shutter.</p>

<p>Thank you Nadine, I am looking at using both flashes off camera. I will set the lights on opposite ends.......Should bounce off the ceiling with no modifiers, or point towards the floor with light modification (if so I have 2 cloud lightspheres, or should I use the stofen pmni bounce?)</p>

<p>I don't put modifiers on my off camera flashes. They don't make a lot of sense, since most modifiers assist bounce, are used as the 'bouncers' or merely diffuse, or are meant to make the light source larger in relation to the subject (softens light). For the distances you need for off camera lights at a reception/dance floor, none of the above make much difference, if at all. If you bounce the flashes off the ceiling, you sure don't need a modifier to further suck up the power. If you use them direct, distance and fall off actually make the appearance of the light less harsh.</p>

<p>A pair of shoe mount flashes will be hard pressed to light an entire dance floor from much of a distance. I'd bracket mount one atop my camera, and have an assistant hold the 2nd light on a stick. This light is usually held around 6 feet right or left of the lens, and a foot or two above it. Have the 2nd light fire 1-2 stops brighter than the on camera fill, and the effects are amazingly 3D-like.</p>

<p>Here's my latest example of cross lighting the dance floor. I agree with Steve that unless the place is white or light colored throughout, you may need an on camera flash for frontal light. You aren't always going to get the main parts of the subject facing into one light or the other.</p><div></div>