photo shoot at a school - what backdrop??

[amycary-hult]

Hello, I am a full-time middle school teacher and also shoot weddings and

portraits (outdoor) on the side. Because I do not have a studio or do many

indoor portrait shoots, I really don't have any studio equipment.

My problem - my principal wants my Spanish Club to shoot some "Buddy Photos"

on Thursday and Friday for a club fundraiser. We have a huge Christmas tree in

the cafeteria with a freshly painted cream wall in the background. But what

else should I use? For seating, I planned on using the teacher's chairs, which

adjust for heights. That way I could stagger the seating, as we may have

groups of four. I want to cover them with something, so I was thinking of

getting some velvety red or gold fabrics to help richen the scene. What do you

think? Any other suggestions on backdrops or seating?

 

There is also another area (minus the Christmas tree) which has a huge window

to the right of the area. As I have no studio lighting, I thought this might

be a better placement?

 

Any help you could give me would be appreciated! Thanks!

[andrea_robinson]

If you want to use the Christmas tree while being lit, then you'll proably want to use a tripod.

[BrettPrucha]

I think your first concern should be lighting. After that you can start thinking about how to get a better background. You can prop up a sheet or move the group/camera around and make sure you have a large separation between background and subject. In a cafeteria that shouldn't be much of a problem. Use as shallow a DOF as you can get away with.