jack_lyric Posted April 15, 2004 Share Posted April 15, 2004 have a group of 11 to shoot outdoors...have 2 40" umbrellas and a med. soft box. 1000 ws pack. plan was to use the umbrellas shoot thru and either the bare head dyna lite with the dome, or same with the medium soft box in the middle lite making sure to get same readings on edges of group as in middle of group. so, the question is, which is more desirable??using umbrellas shoot thru or reflected? and bare head or soft box in middle? and are 40"umbrellas large enough? thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricM Posted April 15, 2004 Share Posted April 15, 2004 Are you going to make a correct exposure for the ambient and just add a bit for fill and catch lights? I�d just use the two bounce umbrella�s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j._scott_schrader Posted April 15, 2004 Share Posted April 15, 2004 Do you have a 1000ws pack for each head, or will they both be limited to 500ws because they are connected to the same pack? If you are only shooting 500ws from each head and then either shooting through or bouncing into an umbrella you are loosing an aweful lot of your power. If your group is in bright sunshine I doubt that you will see any effect of the lights at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Ingold Posted April 15, 2004 Share Posted April 15, 2004 I'd use a standard parabolic reflector(s) for fill-light outdoors, especially with a group. I'd center the light and keep it high to avoid shadows in the background. Balance the flash with ambient light and/or the background. It makes no sense to use umbrellas or soft-boxes. You will lose too much light, and are too far away for the softening effect. Likewise a bare bulb or dome is not effective; there's no surface to bounce from. If there's sun, you could also use a reflector for fill, or to supplement the flash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_levine Posted April 15, 2004 Share Posted April 15, 2004 Even on a completely still day,umbrellas will blow over outdoors!Try to shoot in the shade with bare heads up high, and on both sides of your lens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LenMarriott Posted April 15, 2004 Share Posted April 15, 2004 Jack, For a group as large as this I'd shoot in the shade, expose for ambient lighting and add standard flash (no light modifiers) at 1 1/2 to 2 stops under (to brighten the faces, & place a catchlight in the eyes - watch out for eyeglass wearers). Keep it simple! Directing 11 people will keep you busy enough. You don't need the worry of lights\stands blowing\being knocked over.Best, LM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack_lyric Posted April 16, 2004 Author Share Posted April 16, 2004 i did some test shots on my deck and it appears that i get much more light on the subject with the umbrellas shoot thru rather than bare bulb...yes, steve, as soon as i set up one umbrella and walked inside, bingo! down it came to suffer a broken modeling lamp..but the head was still firing...but some sand bags on the legs and that solved the blow over problem. when i shot bare head, i did not get as pleasing an overall light on the subject as i did with the umbrellas. thanks for anymore feedback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellis_vener_photography Posted April 16, 2004 Share Posted April 16, 2004 I'd use bowl of the umbrella towards the group not away. if you shoot the light through the umbrella you will lose a lot of power as the fabric will be bouncing most of it back and then absorbing a bit more as well. 2 x 40" umbrellas will be fine. Put the stands next to the camera and the umbrellas higher than the camera with the edge of one section of both just touching eanhe other -- that is if you want it to look like one big light source. The further apartthey are they more you will have crossed shadows. Use Sand bags -lots of sand bags -- as ballast. Which Dyna-Light heads? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack_lyric Posted April 16, 2004 Author Share Posted April 16, 2004 I HAVE 3 DYNA LITE heads: 2 # 2040 and 1#4040 with the frosted dome..which came with a reflector..the 40 inch umbrellas are the ones that came with the 1000ws set...photek with the black back...you know, i have been shooting myself on the deck to practice and i really think that i get a better light with the shoot thru rather than bare bulbs (which my friends with 25 years experience are recommnding)..tomorrow in the a.m. i will try with the umbrellas bowl towards the subject...me. both umbrellas close together and just above camera..sounds good. thanks ellis and all.jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellis_vener_photography Posted April 24, 2004 Share Posted April 24, 2004 Jack how did everything work out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack_lyric Posted April 25, 2004 Author Share Posted April 25, 2004 worked out just fine..set up 2 heads with unbrellas bowl towards groups, took ambient reading of about f8 or f11, adjusted my lights to about the same, bracketed, and got quite a few winners of the groupings..actually, the kids were more cooperative than usual..held poses and looked at me..and yes, used sand bags...now, of course, we hope they will order more prints than contracted for. thanks again for the advice.jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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