lighting setup for formals

<p>The group formals have always been my hardest challenge. And the hardest part of shooting the formals for me, is setting up and getting to work quickly. If I could ask the priest and the couple to stand at ease for 5-10 minutes while I set up umbrellas, adjusted the placement of my lights, fiddled with exposure settings on the lights and on the camera, and took test shots, I could do great. I do okay with lighting in my studio setup. But getting things set up at church in a hurry is difficult. It's quite possible that I feel some pressure at this point and that it clouds my thinking. I have actually had some very good outings, but I am not consistent. The last time I did this—after a recent First Communion—when I ran into a small problem that I didn't understand, I abandoned my game-plan (which involved a couple of flashes) and went to a single hot-shoe flash. Results were okay but I've been trying to move beyond "reliably okay" into "reliably pretty good". When I get there, I'll start working towards "reliably outstanding."</p>

<p>Anyway, my question is, <strong>how do you go about getting ready for the formals? </strong>That is, how do you set up your lights and your camera and how long does this take you before you're ready to say "smile"?</p>

<p>*</p>

<p>I can't really tell you what I'm doing these days, because it changes from event to event. Here's what I MIGHT do, if I were shooting a group photo in a church today. (Actually I <em>am </em>shooting group photos in a church tomorrow, which is partly why I'm posting.) Anyway, the following plan is probably the one I've used most often:</p>

<ul>

<li>Place the tripod in the center aisle and mount the camera on it. Camera has 21mm or 28mm prime lens (= 32 or 42 FF FOV equivalent). I would guess that I'm usually 10-12 ft from the group.</li>

<li>Flash #1 into camera's hot shoe, aimed at group.</li>

<li>Ask assistant to hold flash #2, aimed at ceiling—probably with a Demb Flip-It attached to push some of the light from flash #2 forward.</li>

<li>Camera is in M. Settings usually something very close to f/5.6 or f/6.3, ISO 400, 1/80th sec.</li>

<li>The flash units are set to optical wireless mode. Flash in the hot shoe is master, flash #2 is slave.</li>

<li>I use P-TTL (Pentax's version of E-TTL/i-TTL). I have radio triggers and use them when I'm doing a portrait. But the radio triggers require that I adjust flash output manually and I just can't seem to do that effectively without taking a number of test shots. By using optical triggering, I can use P-TTL, and let the P-TTL system figure out the right flash output.</li>

</ul>

<p>I think that about covers it. </p>

<p>Note that I have the camera and flash #1 on a tripod, but I am reluctant to bother with a stand for flash #2. As it is, at every event, I'm terribly afraid somebody is going to knock over my tripod. With relatives and friends crawling all over, many of them wearing long dresses, using a light stand just seems to be a bad idea.</p>

<p>By the same token, I'm not using umbrellas or softboxes. I have them but they seem contraindicated here, for several reasons.</p>

<p>I have more equipment than I've mentioned above. I could deploy a third flash unit, for example. I just have not figured out WHERE I'd place it or aim it. And that would mean finding a second assistant or volunteer to hold it, which is sometimes difficult. Actually I don't always have my wife with me to help, and I've actually considered bringing a bracket so that the second flash could be mounted on the bracket obviating the need for an assistant to hold it.</p>

<p>Be grateful to hear what parts of my approach are sound and which you think could be adjusted (or totally rethunk). Thanks in advance.</p>

<p>Will </p>

<p>Addendum:</p>

<p>I'm not wild about the results I'm getting using P-TTL. (If I were, I would not have posted.) The photos are generally underexposed slightly, even if I goose the exposure compensation on the flash. I am pretty sure that the best results I've gotten come when I have used radio triggers and put the flashes into manual mode. My flash units seem to put out more power in M than they EVER put out in P-TTL. And I get fewer problems with folks blinking, which is a side-benefit.</p>

<p>But there are 2 problems with using the flashes in manual mode.</p>

<p>First, if I want to use 2 flash units, I now have BOTH of them off the camera, which means I need 2 assistants or 2 light-stands. As a solo shooter, that is sometimes difficult for me.</p>

<p>Second, despite the somewhat anemic results I get with P-TTL, it's a snap to setup. I set the camera (as described above), turn the flashes on (channel has been preset), dial in 1+ FEC, and go to work. With the flash units in M, on the other hand, it takes me at least a couple of test shots to sort things out—usually more like half a dozen. This confuses the subjects. </p>

<p>Do you usually do at least a few formals beforehand? I'm not sure where you are located, but where I am it's pretty customary to do <em>some</em> portraits before the ceremony to save time afterwards. I get to the church early enough to get my lighting setup all figured out so that I don't have to monkey with it while all the guests and family are milling about...takes up precious minutes during the little bit of time I have before the reception! My setup is simple... two strobes at 45's with pocket wizards. My last wedding was in a very dark, old church. I shot the formals at ISO 400, f 6.3 at 100th of a sec. I shot the pre-ceremony formals, lowered the lights on their stands, closed the umbrellas, unplugged the cords from the outlets and moved them to an inconspicuous corner of the church for the ceremony. During the recieving llne, as the sanctuary emptied, I went back up to the front, pulled out the lights and got ready to fire away! <br>

I would strongly suggest investing in a couple stands for your flash units and going with radio slaves (like a pocket wizard)...IMHO they're just more reliable. If you use regular or rechargable batteries, there's no reason to fear anyone tripping over cords (and in my experience, those involved in the photos are usually seated in the pews awaiting their turn anyway). I'd also suggest umbrellas! You'll get more out of your flash units with them than without. <br>

As an alternative... Many couples opt for the outdoor option these days. Why not discuss the benefits of getting out ot the dark church and finding a garden or a tree-lined area on the church grounds? People seem to be more relaxed when they're outside and not faced with giant studio lights. Plus...it can make your whole transition from the ceremony to the reception a little faster...and more fun for everyone involved! Again, this depends on your location among other things...but it works!<br>

Good Luck!</p>

<p>It takes me about 2 minutes to put my Sunpak 120J on a stand, add the battery pack and plug in the trigger receiver. The Sunpak already has an umbrella stand adapter on it (it travels that way) so I plunk it on a stand, add the other stuff and I'm set. I usually set this up before the ceremony even starts, because if I am in a church, I often rim light the processional.</p>

<p>After the ceremony, since I work alone, I do not follow the couple after the recessional (rarely, I do), since I find people don't put that high a priority on the kissing and congratulating pictures--half the time, you don't see faces clearly. Instead, I double back to my Sunpak on the stand, grab it and put it into formals taking position, grabbing my large 60" umbrella (Paul C. Buff PLM) as I pass my gear case, add it to the Sunpak and place it about 12-14 feet from the altar to my right--in the pews to prevent knock over. Time--maybe another 3-5 minutes.</p>

<p>The Sunpak is always in manual flash mode. I know what setting to put it to for either the umbrella or direct, at the subject distance I have, for the aperture I want to use. I do not need to adjust it because after my first test shot, I adjust the aperture or ISO, because the adjustment is usually only 1/3 or 2/3 stop. My on camera flash (already there) is fill.</p>

<p>I drag the shutter so I usually don't need any other separation light. About the only time I might need one is if the wall behind the group is black or very dark--it's happened maybe once or twice. Sometimes my shutter is 1/15th or slower but I am careful to have the flash exposure correct to avoid blurring. This EV is still not full--the ambient is still underexposed by a stop or two.</p>

<p>I use a tripod, but a bit differently. I have an upside down The Pod on my tripod head (stuck to a RRS rail since my tripod head has a clamp). I rest my camera on the top of The Pod, mashing it down slightly, and shoot that way. Works well for maybe down to 1/8th second. The advantage is quick on and off, and you don't need to leave the tripod and camera in the aisle when you walk up to the group to direct placement--no trip over worries. The camera comes with me on a neck strap and I can stash the tripod into the pew if I need traffic space. Yet the benefit of being able to look over the camera to watch for blinking etc. is still there.</p>

<p>For churches, I have taken to using the large umbrella. While it is contrindicated re softness, it still helps a little. I have my gear modularly packed, so usually, my Sunpak is in my rolling case. For churches, I bring my 'church case', which is a long case with regular stand, umbrella and tripod. This case doesn't come with me for outdoor weddings, etc., where I don't use the umbrella and don't need the tripod or regular stand (I have compact stands in my case). I can bring everything into the church in one trip from the car, although I do look like a pack mule. I need rolling access, though.</p>

<p>When I'm making groups of 4 to 6 or less & I'm not using natural light, I run my Quantum, with umbrella & Pocket Wizard, at 1/2 power at a f5.6 200 ISO. I do not vary the Quantum because I've found it can get real confusing. I put my 580EX on a Custom bracket attached to the hot shoe of my 5D and use as a fill light. The PW transmiitter I mount next to the 580 and use the PC plug on the 5D. For fill I operate the 580 operate in ETTL -2 stops. For groups larger than 4 to six, I run the 580EX as the main light and use the Quantum as a fill as I don't want to worry about shadows. <br>

This works quite quickly during a fast paced wedding. I've found that people don't like shadows but don't mind more or less flat lighting with large group photos.</p>

<p>Heather, thanks for the reply and for a description of your practice.</p>

<p>I have radio triggers (FlashWave II system) and they work great for me when I have time—easy and very reliable. I have light-stands and umbrellas, too. </p>

<p>But the light stands are really easy to trip over. I'm not worried about cords—the radio receivers, like the flash units, are battery powered. The problem is with the light stands themselves. Their legs spread out wide at the bottom, and the stands themselves are fundamentally not very stable. </p>

<p><strong><em>...and in my experience, those involved in the photos are usually seated in the pews awaiting their turn anyway</em></strong></p>

<p>Ah, well, perhaps you are luckier than I, because this has NOT been my experience. I have people sitting in pews waiting their turn to be photographed, which means they have to get up and walk around when called. I have other people sitting in pews simply watching the photos get taken and perhaps waiting to take a few shots themselves, but they get bored and start moving around too. I always seem to have people milling around everywhere. I tend to stay right by my tripod, because more than once it has been knocked.</p>

<p>Tomorrow night, I'm shooting a Roman Catholic Confirmation. There are about 60 young people being confirmed, and I'll be shooting them in two groups. The former, now-retired bishop of Dallas will be presiding. The church will be packed and I feel confident that it will NOT empty immediately afterwards as there is no reception to rush off to in this case. To set up light stands, I think I'd HAVE to put them in the pews where nobody could trip over them—and I'm not even sure that's possible.</p>

<p>I may go with the radio triggers and manual flash settings. I will have a chance to do some testing beforehand (although it's difficult for me to get a group of 30 people to test with!). But I'll probably ask a couple of people to hold the flash units for me.</p>

<p>Will</p>

 

<p>I"d get better stands, and I have yet to see pews I couldn't put my stands in. There is even a problem with putting stands in pews--sometimes people still sit right next to the stand and light and/or climb over it repeatedly (why, I don't know). I often have to tell people to get out from under my light--that umbrella is pretty large, although in pews, a knock over isn't as disasterous. Also, kids...what can I say.</p>

<p>I also have people milling around in the aisle. I am constantly (nicely) asking everyone to clear the aisle. Even though I have my The Pod tripod, it is still an irritation, if no longer a hazard.</p>

<p>@ Nadine:<br>

I can't quite visualize your "The Pod" setup. Never heard of The Pod. Found it at B&H. I gather you have the RRS rail attached to the top of the tripod, and the The Pod attached to the rail, and the camera attached to The Pod. Don't understand the "upside down" part. More to the point, I'm not sure I see how this is better than using a quick release tripod connector. It's not too difficult for me to pop my camera out of my Slik or Manfrotto tripods. I don't DO it very often because when I put the camera back into the tripod, it always seems that I have to double-check the positioning and make a slight adjustment. I'd think that would be the case with The Pod, as well.</p>

<p>Your second post was as interesting to me as the first, because it tells me that you DO have the problems I'm worried about, even with stands in the pews, but that you just deal with them. Maybe my basic problem here is that I just have not yet had the courage to do what I need to do. Maybe I need to start eating Powermilk Biscuits. :-)</p>

<p>*</p>

<p>@Bill: Where do you place the Quantum—at 45° to the group, and perhaps off to your right (their left)? </p>

<p>Yes, I place it at about 45 degrees to the group on the side the bride is located usually camera left, group right.<br>

I try to have the light as high above the group as it is away. So if it's 5 feet away it should be 5 feet above them. This can be a challenge with people standing or above the light stand.</p>

<p>William--I guess I didn't explain it well. The Pod does not come off <strong>with</strong> the camera. It does not get unclamped, and it isn't attached to the camera. It just sits there on the tripod as an oh-so-convenient place to mash the camera down on so that slower shutter speeds can be used. When the picture is taken, I still have my hands on the camera, mashing it down, but I don't need to have my eye to the viewfinder.</p>

<p>The advantages are as follows.</p>

<p>1.) Instantaneous on and off. No clamps, screws--nothing. Just grab the camera and go. I use it during the ceremony too. It does not slow me down at all.</p>

<p>2.) No fiddling with positioning. Small changes in angle, leveling, etc., all done as you mash. The only thing you do is raise or lower the tripod standard and move the tripod into position.</p>

<p>3.) No fiddling or adjusting with vertical camera position. Just turn the camera and mash down.</p>

<p>4.) During formals, you need not worry about knock over, since the camera does not sit on the tripod. I use a neck strap, and I know you just got a Cameraslinger strap. You would keep the camera on the Cameraslinger. If you need to walk around, the camera comes with you, the tripod can stay or be stashed into a pew. I often have to move the tripod to let people in wheelchairs or canes come through.</p>

<p>Here is a picture. I made the contraption at Christmas time, so my tree is in the background. The Pod is upside down because the 1/4 20 screw is on top, and I use it to screw into the RRS rail, plus I need a smooth surface to mash the camera onto.</p><div></div>

<p>Nadine,</p>

<p>Wow, what a brilliant approach. I'm speechless (almost). Thanks for the photos. </p>

<p>Will</p>

<p>For me, I don't have any one approach. It all depends on if I have assistants or I am shooting solo and how much time I might have. I have an upcoming wedding where we will be lucky to have 15-minutes to take pictures after the ceremony at the church. Set doesn't bother me so much as I have all the time in the world with the receiving line. Tear down and getting everything out is another story. My current plan is pretty simple: RRS wedding bracket with two flashes mounted on top. One points forward @ -1 iTTL; fill. I will grab someone from the wedding party or guest to stand behind me and hold a reflector. The 2nd flash fires into that @ probably +1; key. Simple, fast and pretty decent for group shots. At the other end, when I have time and assistants, it's the assistants job to set up an Alien Bee and an umbrella/softbox hybrid. It gets set up to the right, feathered across the group. We have a Sekonic light meter w/PW trigger to trigger the AB and I usually want it set up to something like f/5.6 or maybe 8 with a really large group. I will often set up just a QFlash on a stick, to the right and fire it bare bulb, using the on-camera flash as fill. Yes, it's hard but the on-camera fill helps balance that. And while the umbrella will offer some diffusion, if I am shooting this set up, it is because I don't want to fuss with an umbrella! This set up is pretty quick as well. I just picked up a Cheetah stand so that will really help! Quality of light wise, the AB and umbrella/softbox is fabulous. But it's big, requires an outlet, sandbags and so on making it the most cumbersome. A QFlash on a stick comes in 2nd. Biggest issue here is direct reflections. But the color is great. I have shot with a flash pointed behind me at a reflector and when it works, it's pretty darn good. I say when it works because without a dedicated assistant you really have to watch the person holding the reflector. And I miss that pop of light forward. Which is why I am trying the two flashes on the bracket this next time around. </p>

<p>John--how about the Q flash with the umbrella: no cords, no sandbag. You could even put it on the stick and have the assistant hold it. I use my Sunpak 120J reflectorless into the umbrella so the light spread in my 60" umbrella is great--very efficient. I have the predecessor to the Cheetah--and if the latter is the same, the leg spread isn't all that great. Just be careful if you try a monolight on it.</p>

<p>John, thanks for the description of the two-flashes-on-a-bracket approach. This, I can understand and imagine doing. Does seem to me you may still be at the mercy of the person holding up the reflector. If they tilt it back even slightly the light could bounce over the heads of your subjects, no? </p>

<p>Nadine, it all depends on the crew I am working with. But in general, I don't fuss with an umbrella with the QFlash. And I know I wouldn't trust a 60" umbrella (or a monolight) on the Cheetah stand! For my taste, the umbrella diffused the light but took away my punch. So for the extra time involved and equipment to carry (better stand, probably a sandbag, and the umbrella), for a <em>different</em>, but not necessarily better image (and of course vice-versa), for me it just isn't my thing. That is what I love about the umbrella/softbox: you get it all. </p>

<p>William, yes, you need to keep an eye on the person holding the reflector. This is why a dedicated assistant is better. But you work with what you have! In the past I have fired a single flash into a reflector behind me and while it was OK (probably better than OK), it wasn't great. I haven't yet tried to the dual flash approach as of yet, other than to test it out on the bracket. But I am looking forward to it. The idea is to keep the one flash forward (with a Sto-fen style diffuser to help prevent specular reflections) and dialed down... but still hard and still giving me that little punch of light. While the reflector behind provides the broad, somewhat softer light. From past experience, the largest issue with the reflector behind you isn't whether the group gets any light, it is watching for diffused reflections in surfaces behind the group.... which again is where you usually want to adjust the tilt more downward. All that said, for <em>fast</em> shooting, I don't see how to beat it. I can shoot right up until the time I need to leave. Then leave. No stands, no nothing. Camera in one hand, reflector in the other. Now this isn't ideal by any means! I usually try to put a flash in a softbox and get a 180mm shot with the bride & groom to really blow out the background. And there are of course other shots I like to get. But if I have 15-minutes, a 16-member wedding party with a large family, I do what I can! And besides, I love the reflector. Just thinking out loud, I can still do an aisle shot having someone hold the reflector to the side, pointing the flash straight into that and still using one flash for a bit of fill. All-in-all I am liking the idea more and more! Only problem: that rig is heavy. Definitely not how I will be shooting all day!</p>

<p>I'd love it if I could just walk out of the church with no packing to do after the formals, and I experimented with minimal gear at one point. But I like my off camera flashes too much so I concentrated on efficiency with the gear I wanted for my desired results. As it stands, I can pack up in about 5 minutes once I start. My typical routine is, after the last formal, I leave my lighting gear (not my camera bag, etc.) in the church, follow the couple out to their limo, shooting as I go, do shots of them with and in the limo, and before I let them go, I tell them not to start (formal announcements) until they see me there and that I'd probably be 10 minutes behind them. This is usually the case--sometimes I beat them there since the limo will usually be pokey for full enjoyment.</p>

<p>If I'm shooting formals in a church I will often use 2-3 off camera flashes on shoot-thru umbrellas, usually positioned in the center and pointing out to either edge of subjects. I will pick the longest focal length I can get away with - which is usually not long in a church unless something allows me to get safely above the pews. I always use manual flash because 1. I don't have reliable eTTL off-camera units, and 2. I need consistency with my exposures, which manual does much better than eTTL.</p>

<p>I almost never have the luxury of bouncing flash in a church because the ceiling is too high and sometimes too dark.</p>

<p>If you have an extra flash you don't know what to do with, put your omnibounce on it and put it behind the groups to see if you can get a good rim light.</p>

<p>Nadine-<br>

How is your on-camera flash set when you are using it for fill on the formals? TTL? Manual?</p>

<p>It is in ETTL-averaging. I just comp it down to act as fill. I usually use a Presslite Vertex panel in a white card/bounce situation. Even in large churches with dark ceilings, the 'bounce around' helps a little while the white card makes the light put forth more efficient, going forward, not to mention giving more flash-like/daylight white balance. I probably should use manual, but I am lazy, and the above works for me--or at least, I make it work.</p>

<p>Just so I am clear, I prefer off camera flash myself (hence the QFlash on a stick). But I have been in situations where I don't even want to spend 5-minutes breaking down. I have such a case coming up which is why I came up with my two flashes on the bracket idea. Provided I can recruit someone to hold a reflector, that 2nd flash is as directional as I need it to be! A couple of years ago we had a we had a wedding start late, run long and the short of it was we had less than 5-minutes for pictures in the church. I wish I had thought of this two flashes on a bracket back then! As it was, it was on-camera flash and that was it. Yikes! </p>

<p><strong><em>"In the past I have fired a single flash into a reflector behind me and while it was OK (probably better than OK), it wasn't great. "</em></strong></p>

<p>I'm wondering: How close are you to the group here? 12 ft? Further? Can you really hope to get the light to bounce that far (12ft x 2) effectively? I guess so. </p>

<p>*</p>

<p><strong><em>"All that said, for fast shooting, I don't see how to beat it. I can shoot right up until the time I need to leave. Then leave. No stands, no nothing. Camera in one hand, reflector in the other. "</em></strong></p>

<p>Yes, I can certainly appreciate this.</p>

<p>Thanks,</p>

<p>Will</p>

 

<p>Well, I went this evening to the rehearsal for tomorrow night's Confirmation. Actually, I went up an hour early to play with some different approaches to lighting.</p>

<p>I had no success bouncing my stronger flash into a large reflector. Obviously I'm doing something very wrong, but I don't know what it is.</p>

<p>I also tried using a bracket, with one flash up high on the bracket's vertical arm and the other in the hot shoe; using optical triggering. Pointed the hot-shoe flash (the key) straight forward, while the bracket flash was turned up to max power and pointed at the ceiling, about 15° - 20° off straight up. As far as I could tell, the bounced flash was contributing almost nothing.</p>

<p>So for the purposes of tomorrow night, I have decided to revert to what I know works. I think of it as the Neil van Niekerk approach, although I suppose it's unfair to NvN to credit him in this way. The basic idea is: try to expose camera in M for ambient light, then turn on flash and use it in x-TTL to finish the job.</p>

<p>I took a reading with my light meter, but I ended up setting the camera about -2 stops, because I didn't want to shoot at ISO 1600. Camera settings: ISO 800, f/6.7, 1/125th sec, in M mode. Flash was in P-TTL mode, with FEC of +1. The flash is not pointed straight at the youngsters, but rather, angled slightly upwards, as if I were trying to throw the light at the kids in the back row. The flash I used here is a Metz 58AF, my best (strongest and most reliable) flash. </p>

<p>Anyway, here's a test photo of the youngsters who will be confirmed tomorrow. Obviously I didn't care too much about posing them here; I was grateful to have the chance to take some test shots. Tomorrow night the bishop will be sitting in the gap in the center, and the kids will be cleaned up and (I hope) looking at the camera.</p>

<p><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_E63StVg0FS8/S-I9Ic_Uo3I/AAAAAAAAc-k/xKA6W7lBf88/20100505-200741-0275.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>Unless I can practice some more and figure out something better, this will have to do for now. Next week I am going to get permission to go back when the church isn't in use and work on this. Just need to round up half a dozen kids to model for me.</p>

<p>Thanks everybody. I've bookmarked this thread and will be rereading all these suggestions more than once, I'm sure.</p>

<p>Will</p>

<p>Manual flash does great for formals because it's extremely consistent.</p>

<p>In the future....my suggestion is to get some triggers for manual flash, put them on umbrellas/etc., with stands that go as high as 10' or more, and put the prepped equipment (1 or 2 such assembled stands/umbrellas/flashes/receivers) under pews in the back or otherwise out of sight before the ceremony. Once the ceremony is over, bring them out and position them - takes about 2 minutes for me when I do it right. As a standard rule, I use my flashes around 1/4 to 1/2 power, and the exposure is very close with my first test shot - something like ISO400, f/2.8 or f/4 with my old sunpak 383s.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>I took a reading with my light meter, but I ended up setting the camera about -2 stops, because I didn't want to shoot at ISO 1600. Camera settings: ISO 800, f/6.7, 1/125th sec, in M mode. Flash was in P-TTL mode, with FEC of +1. The flash is not pointed straight at the youngsters, but rather, angled slightly upwards, as if I were trying to throw the light at the kids in the back row. The flash I used here is a Metz 58AF, my best (strongest and most reliable) flash.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>William, this could just be a personal preference of mine, but I feel that you need to be letting in far more light in order to obtain a pleasing image. The example you supplied is an image with an underexposed background and (what looks to my eye like) direct flash used to light the group. You have room to open up the aperture (I would move in closer to the group, wider angle and try f5) and slow down the shutter speed - no need for 1/125 if nobody's moving.<br>

Having said all that William, I know it can be a real nightmare doing group shots in dark rooms when you're not using big lighting set-ups - I work alone and typically use only on-camera flash.<br>

Hope it went well for you.</p>

 

<p>I think 1 stop more exposure on the sample would have been fine. </p>

<p>The background is a bit dark - and that doesn't bother me - what bothers me more is that the back row of kids is dark... Keep in mind also that they are probably going to be wearing gowns of some type...our church uses white ones - which adds a degree of difficulty... since it (white) reflects light... If they are darker gowns (black - blue) then they will suck up all available light and you will have to add a couple of stops...</p>

<p>As for the background - it's fine that it is dark - since you don't want to have the focus be on it in the first place. </p>

<p>My setup for group shots is 2 bowens flashes 45 degrees - with shoot through umbrellas to defuse... Fired via Pocket Wizards - Camera is always set on RAW and Manual... The only time I change this is if someone is shooting over my shoulder then I'll set both up to fire on flash for a few minutes... That usually gets them shaking their head and looking at obscure menus...</p>

<p>Dave</p>