Evening all, quick question on lighting please. I've been asked to do a shoot in our town's medieval Guildhall of children (grand-children of volunteers) in costume 'doing things' (activities etc at a table and looking at artefacts, as opposed to 'smile at camera' shots) in a group as promotional material for future events. Organiser has suggested using lights 'to make images pop'.
The issue of child safeguarding / parental consents is being handled by the venue management and I am happy that this is being dealt with correctly. I am not being paid for this work (I am one of the volunteer photographers) and I have shot with the team before - they know my capabilities and also my limitations and despite the latter are still happy for me to do the shoot.
Being an old building there is not an excess of natural light. The ceilings are too high to bounce flash and the walls are mostly dark (regency blue and green paints, there is also dark wood panelling in places) so the ideas I've come up with/had suggested to me so far are:
1. Use a large reflective umbrella (60"? - will buy or hire) with a flash head (I have two Lencarta 300w) to bounce light back to the group. Pro for this (as I see it) is that the umbrella/flash will be far enough away from the children not to intimidate them. Con is loss of light through the bounce, and fall-off
2. Use a large shoot-through umbrella. Pro: more light, con: will need to be nearer the children and don't want to be in their faces.
3. Use an on-camera flash with a soft box
4. A camera shop in town suggested that I hire an ice-light (or buy a cheaper version). I haven't worked with LED lights before so have no clue as to whether this will provide sufficient light. If this would work, one benefit I can see is of not having a distracting flash.
5. ?
I have two 85cm x 85cm soft boxes - but worry that these might seem too intimidating as are quite large.
All advice and other ideas/suggestions gratefully received with thanks.
The issue of child safeguarding / parental consents is being handled by the venue management and I am happy that this is being dealt with correctly. I am not being paid for this work (I am one of the volunteer photographers) and I have shot with the team before - they know my capabilities and also my limitations and despite the latter are still happy for me to do the shoot.
Being an old building there is not an excess of natural light. The ceilings are too high to bounce flash and the walls are mostly dark (regency blue and green paints, there is also dark wood panelling in places) so the ideas I've come up with/had suggested to me so far are:
1. Use a large reflective umbrella (60"? - will buy or hire) with a flash head (I have two Lencarta 300w) to bounce light back to the group. Pro for this (as I see it) is that the umbrella/flash will be far enough away from the children not to intimidate them. Con is loss of light through the bounce, and fall-off
2. Use a large shoot-through umbrella. Pro: more light, con: will need to be nearer the children and don't want to be in their faces.
3. Use an on-camera flash with a soft box
4. A camera shop in town suggested that I hire an ice-light (or buy a cheaper version). I haven't worked with LED lights before so have no clue as to whether this will provide sufficient light. If this would work, one benefit I can see is of not having a distracting flash.
5. ?
I have two 85cm x 85cm soft boxes - but worry that these might seem too intimidating as are quite large.
All advice and other ideas/suggestions gratefully received with thanks.