Deciding on lighting things

[ryangautier]

I have decided that I am going to start with 2x - WL1600's and now I need

modifiers. I also have 3 light stands coming and have 580 flashes.

 

I have a shoot where I need to figure out what to shoot and how. I havea

room 16'x32' x 8ft high ceilings.

 

I have to shoot team and individual shots in this room. The teams are going to

be 16 kids large (2 rows of 8 kids) and how would you light up the room?

 

I was thinking maybe getting a softbox (3x4') box for the main light on the

left shooting at whatever power will get me f8 or f11. Then use an umbrella

(bounced) on the right side at 1/2 power for fill and then MAYBE using the 580

flash for rear fill or backlight or something.

 

Any thoughts? What brands and modifiers would you use? What should I buy. I

don't know what I need so what should I buy.

 

Money is always an object, but lets say I am ok with buying Chimera brand (but

is it worth 3x the price). I was leaning with the WL brand because I get 5%

discount and it easier to order it all from one place.

 

I have 3x Avenger A635 light stands to go along with the lighting.

 

What are your thoughts.

 

Ryan

[nathan_stiles]

A 3x4' is too small. For the team shot, I'd use two lights and bounc the light off the ceiling for fill-- aiming at an angle in front of the team, so it's not directly down on them. Then I'd use a 5' Ocotbank (if I had one-- I don't do team pictures) as the key light from off camera axis, in a loop or rembrandt position about 11' feet away.

 

I'd go for a flatter ratio of 2:1, to avoid the hard tranistion of light, that I'd get w/ a deeper ratio using such a distance.

[ryangautier]

Nathan,

 

Thanks for the response. I noticed that you shot with Brooks a little. Do you live in the area? So what brand of modifiers do you recommend? Are the Chimera THAT much better? I won't be using them all that much. Maybe 20x a year or so. They will be mostly broken down waiting to be used and then used for several hours and then broken down again. Would the WL or AB modifiers be ok in this instance? I am ok with spending the money if it's THAT much better, but really would rather not.

 

Thanks

Ryan

[ryangautier]

Also please explain Loop or Rembrandt position.

[nathan_stiles]

First, Ryan, let me apologize for sluring "loop" and "rembrandt" into something that wasn't technically correct. I knew it at the time, but I was lazy. Those terms refer to the position of the light in relation to the subject's face, and I used them in reference for the camera position or if you were going to make everyone look straight at the camera.

 

Loop position is just slightly of camera axis and elevated some. Ir causes a slight loop shadow around the nose area. You can see it loop around from center nose to one nostril. Very "safe" lighting for most people.

 

http://www.photo.net/photo/6753043

 

Rembrandt is at a 45^ angle and causes a triangle of light to form on the shadow side. I think I need to upload an example of that. I'll find one and attach. Split lighting is 90^ to the subject, and butterfly lighting center and elevated (the nose shadow is supposed to look like a butterfly right under the nose, but I think it looks like a ram's head shadow *shrug*).

 

I assisted (free) for Brooks about a year ago to get some experience. I live near Tampa at the moment, and will be moving to North Tampa come April. I also had my pictures done by Playboy published model Reby Sky-- and while not as skilled as Brooks, much easier to stare at. :-P

 

W/ my limited experience w/ brands, I can only truely NOT recommend Interfit Paterson, which are junk and not worth the savings. I know that Brooks only buys Chimera softboxes, and they seem to have last him forever. I personally want Larson boxes, b/c they seem to be deeper recessed and I've heard good things about them (and many other brands).

 

For what brand to use, I'd ask Stephen Eastwood out of NY. You can probably google him, but he's much more apt to reply on ModelMayhem.com in the photography forums so others can read also. Not only has he used everything from Breise to Alien Bees-- the man is an incredible photographer, who really knows what to look for.

 

 

(attached is a rembrandt positioned picture (of me, by Reby), but not really "rembrandt style", which was soft window light. Instead this is a rather high lighting ratio and high contrast)

 

NOTE: I'm a Bucs fan, she was from NY.<div></div>

[ryangautier]

Nathan,

 

thanks again for the comments that helps, but i am still looking for more of a diagram to show me what I need and where i need to put it in relation to the group. I am about to post another thread and hopefully get more of a response with maybe some diagrams or something.

 

I guess I am looking for something a little more like this:

 

http://uk.fotopunto.com/articulo-explained-lighting-schemes_60

 

but with groups

 

thanks Ryan