Need suggestions on this shoot

[jml]

I asked about this awhile back, but now I have more specfic info on

this upcoming event and need more specific suggestions. I'll be

shooting about 34 people on a small stage about 25 to 30 feet across

and only about 10 feet deep. It is well lit by fluorescent light.

As is the rest of the room. They will line up in 3 rows, about 11

across, and probably the front row will be sitting. Not sure yet on

that. Tripod with remote of course. I'll shoot in Raw mode and

correct the light in PS as I don't like the look of setting the

camera for FD compensation...unless you think I'm better off doing

so?

 

Need I be on a step or ladder?

 

With the crop factor I need to allow space on both sides as they

will want 8x10's not 8x12's or 5x7's.

 

I'll shoot with a Canon 16-35L. Am I correct to not have the lens

wide open to avoid distortion on the sides? What would be good

then?

 

I need enough DOF to make sure all are in focus, what would you

suggest? I was thinking f/8. Too much for 11 across? Too little?

 

Now, I have a 580EX and a 550EX for fill but would both be

necessary? The light is lousy but bright enough I think. I could

bounce the 550 into a reflector on the other side with the 580 being

on camera. Or is just the one enough with the bright fluorescents?

The ceiling is relatively low, and I have a lightspere, but not sure

if that would be good or not.

 

This shouldn't be a difficult shoot, but it's a "class" pic and I

want to get it right needless to say and it's not a set up and

environment I usually shoot in. I have only a few minutes to do

this so will have little prep time, thus I have to get it right the

first time.

 

Thanks for the help.

[phil vaughan - yorkshire u]

You really need to go in there before the shoot and measure the light levels. It's OK deciding here that you'll need f8 then turning up and finding that at f8 you need a half second exposure. Remember if you're going to use flash it'll have to become the main light because the colour balance will look awful if not (or try to filter the flash). Could you hire or borrow a couple of studio flashes?

 

Take along a volunteer and check very carefully the eyesocket shadows, at various points on the stage, think about using a stepladder and having the subjects looking up at you to alleviate this.

 

If you actually start thinking about what might go wrong (details, not panicking), you can start to come up with solutions.

[conraderb]

Hi Jan - I can't tell if you do a lot of this work, but I have been very happy with my all manual Alien Bees lights.

 

<BR><BR>They are just as easy as autoeverything lights, and plenty of power and short recycle times for bang bang bang shooting at high apertures (ie. at ISO 100, bounced off a 25 foot ceiling room, F11 no problem). All you need is the light and a radio slave - total should be around $600 or so, which is more expensive than another 580EX, but it really makes your life easy (and the bounce lighting with the alien bees will be much softer and more than anything you use with a panel reflector).<BR><BR>In terms of power per dollar, they are really inexpensive.<BR><BR>

 

FYI - Alien Bees 1600 were used for <a href="http://www.genuineimagephotography.com/portfolio/small%20galleries/robertdana/">this wedding</a> and they are the primary indoor lighting source I use now. I shoot weddings mostly, and since I bought them, they always come with me for a gig...

<BR><BR>

That's my 0.02.

<BR><BR>

conrad

[bruce_rubenstein___nyc]

If they are on a stage above you, you have to up to their level. You either do this wilth a ladder, or if this is a typical auditorium where the rear seats are higher than the front ones, move back and use a longer lens.

 

The light has to even across everyone and you don't want shadows from side lighting. You have to do something about the different color temperatures of the flash and ambient light. You either just use the ambient and balance to that. Use some flash with them gelled to the same color as the ambinet and balance to that. Swamp the ambient light with your flash and balance to the flash. It will be easist to use only the ambient if there is enough of it.

[picturesque]

You have two ways of exposing the image. First is relying mostly on the ambient light with possible flash fill. The second is cutting out the ambient by using flash. There are pros and cons to each.

 

If using the ambient light, you need only do a custom white balance. If filling with flash, you'll have to gel the flash to match the flourescent. You might not have enough light to use f11, which would be a safe setting, if the resulting print needs to be large (you need low ISO, maximum quality). f8 on that lens set to a 35mm (non-converted) angle of view, and with a 1.6 crop factor camera would be adequate--even f5.6 if you focus carefully (1/3 into the depth of the group) and the group is packed tightly depth-wise. You could look up the info using depth of field charts. 50mm angle of view would be better if you could manage it (depth of field at desired f stop--definitely f8 and smaller). You also might get motion blur if forced to use too slow a shutter speed.

 

If cutting out the ambient, you need more powerful flashes than the 580/550, although if you didn't diffuse them, you might get away with them (using higher ISO) if the resulting print didn't need to be too big. Of course, two shoemount flashes aren't going to give you the most flattering light. You would white balance to the flashes and place one on each side of the camera to evenly light the width of the group (yes, you'll get cross shadows, but the light will be even). For a group this size, reflectors are useless unless you had a wall sized one. And I would set the heads to the wider zoom angles manually. You could rent a pair of powerful lights or look up previous posts about lighting groups. Danny Wong has a one light method, but the one light has to be darned powerful.

 

Have the first row sitting, the next row standing and the third row standing on chairs. You should be as close to the center of the group height-wise, as possible, so if you need a ladder for that, use one. The light should be placed fairly high to place the shadows down and behind the subjects as much as possible (without losing the light in people's eye sockets, of course).

 

You should not fill the frame to the ends, in case they want an 8x10. On the lens, by wide open do you mean set at the widest angle of view? If so, no, you shouldn't use the widest setting (or the widest aperture).

[35mmdelux]

Row #1 sits

Row #2 Stands

Row #3 Stands on chairs

 

good luck. PAA

[jml]

Thanks all, very helpful. Nadine, your instruction is always so beneficial and appreciated. Thanks again.

[ptucci]

A well lit office, such as mine is EV8, or f8 at 1/15s with 400ISO. Brightly flourescent lit rooms aren't really that bright. Get both of your flashes to your left and right on stands (Calumet has 8.5' footers for $20 each), then you'd need hot shoe adapters, and umbrellas (silver are the most efficient). I'd guess you've got the power to light it up at f4 or so with a slow shutter.