Group Shot in Church pose/lighting suggestions?

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dancook

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Dan
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Tonight, soon after a choir concert event has ended, the client would like a group shot of 18 people for the front cover of their (private school) magazine (portrait orientation) - it will be about 9pm, so no daylight windows.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe...rd_-_East_end_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1268155.jpg

https://www.marriedtomycamera.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/surrey-wedding-photographers-22.jpg

I have a couple of AD600 portable li-on strobes

I haven't done any large lit groups, I was thinking the following.. and putting them on different level steps in the middle

Anything I should be aware of? or consider?

lighting-diagram-1568203268.png
 
It may even be that I put them on the red carpet at the back if there are too many bodies floating around.

I should also perhaps point each umbrella to the opposite side of the group for more even lighting.

and now there are 10 people not 18, so perhaps like this using all the steps and being most useful for portrait composition

lighting-diagram-1568207394.png
 
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Don't forget about Inverse square law Dan. I'm sure you are aware of this lol

I would use your 1st set up . Looks spot on to me mate

Les :)
 
make sure you have written permission from each who wants to be in the photo first from any parents or guardians. remember the golden rule "protect your back"
 
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Lez325 said:
Don't forget about Inverse square law Dan. I'm sure you are aware of this lol

I would use your 1st set up . Looks spot on to me mate

Les :)
Click to expand...

Twice the distance, half the light..? so in general I'd get it as close as I can without putting them in the frame.. i've never done calculations though and typically test fire until it looks good...
 
realspeed said:
make sure you have written permission from each who wants to be in the photo first from any parents or guardians
Click to expand...

No problem here, it's a typical school event and this is already handled by the school.
 
dancook said:
Twice the distance, half the light..? so in general I'd get it as close as I can without putting them in the frame.. i've never done calculations though and typically test fire until it looks good...
Click to expand...

Hence my suggestion that the 1st set up would be fine

Les :)
 
Typically as it goes, I got worked up over nothing and used the flood lights used to light the orchestra.

They weren't going to be as good as setting some lights up but
  1. There was no space to setup lights for testing, I arrived very early to find the orchestral seating took up all the space.
  2. More groups were thrown in - up to 30 people.
  3. I had just about enough time to setup the groups - none to faff with lights.
I managed it with about f5.6, 1/60th and ISO2500
 
Bobsyeruncle said:
This explains it visually...
https://www.diyphotography.net/visual-approach-inverse-square-law-affects-photographers/
Click to expand...
That's a good, easy to understand explanation, but it only explains the fact that the light that reaches the subject falls off over distance, there's a lot more to it than that.

The other (main) part of the Inverse Square Law is that the distance from light to subject doesn't just effect the exposure, it also affects the effective size of the light source, and uses the same physics. For example, a 100cm x 100cm softbox, used at a distance of say 2m, is only a quarter of its effective size when used at half the distance, in this case at 1m. So, at a distance of 1m, we get the effect of a 100 x 100cm light source but at 2 metres we get the effect of a 25 x 25cm softbox.

And of course when Newton published this theory (explanation) in the 17th century, we didn't have photographic lights - or photography - and he specifically stated that the theory holds true of any radiated source of energy (heat, light, sound) that has a point source and that is in free space. Nothing is actually as small as a point source, though for practical purposes a hotshoe flashgun comes close at a distance of a couple of metres or more, and free space is a vacuum of infinite size, with no pollution of any kind and no reflective surfaces. The theory still holds good but isn't completely linear in practical terms when we use large light sources, and is also affected by any reflective surfaces, which we nearly always find when lighting something indoors.

But still, understanding the Inverse Square Law is absolutely basic to all types of photography and is especially important whenever any type of artificial lighting is used.
 
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