Group Portrait Help
FSPHOTO
advice on how to light it.
It will be a group of approximately 18 people, both indoors and outside at a
country club at around 5:00PM.
I would like to keep things as simple as possible.
With this in mind here is what I am thinking,
ISO 400 or 800 film
Quantum Q flash barebulb
Meter ambient light and use Q flash as a fill, 1-2 stops under ambient.
Maybe use Quantum's gold reflector for the Q flash to match late afternoon
light and flash.
Any suggestions for posing this size of a group would be welcome also.
So far I have thought of breaking them up into subgroups for posing e.g. 6
groups of 3 etc
Thanks for any help
Fred
TCAA
1. Rethink the film speed. It's almost summer. A print film (e.g., Portra NC
160 or 400; Gold 100 [not bad for the problem posed]) well under 800 ought to
do, and if you can shoot a smooth 100, why not?
2. One flash? I like your fill idea. Pray for a very overcast afternoon.
3. Nix the gold reflector. It has a lot of personality and needs to be
graphically integrated with the subject and subject scene -- it's better fit for
very controlled beach or studio glamour. If your wish is to warm your picture
or correct the blue side of an overcast sky, use an 81A warming filter. The
better strategy with print film is to have a custom processor skilled in
portrait color optimization. Considering the time of day of your shoot, you're
more likely to err on the too warm side rather than cool.
4. Geometry and social relationships aside, try to keep every face in either the
same plane of light or at least out of the shadows cast by intervening
shoulders, necks, and heads.
--jso
Jeff Adams
Monte has a lesson on posing groups, at www.zuga.net he's been there,
and it shows, great stuff, Eileen
>I have been asked to do a family reunion portrait and I would welcome some
>advice on how to light it.
>It will be a group of approximately 18 people, both indoors and outside at a
>country club at around 5:00PM.
>I would like to keep things as simple as possible.
>With this in mind here is what I am thinking,
>ISO 400 or 800 film
>Quantum Q flash barebulb
>Meter ambient light and use Q flash as a fill, 1-2 stops under ambient.
>Maybe use Quantum's gold reflector for the Q flash to match late afternoon
>light and flash.
>Any suggestions for posing this size of a group would be welcome also.
>So far I have thought of breaking them up into subgroups for posing e.g. 6
>groups of 3 etc
>
>Thanks for any help
>Fred
--
Fine Art Wedding Photography by Eileen Adams
weddi...@adamsimages.com
http://www.artisticbride.com/
Rroberts549
(FSPHOTO) writes:
>
>I have been asked to do a family reunion portrait and I would welcome some
>advice on how to light it.
>It will be a group of approximately 18 people, both indoors and outside at a
>country club at around 5:00PM.
>I would like to keep things as simple as possible.
>With this in mind here is what I am thinking,
>ISO 400 or 800 film
>Quantum Q flash barebulb
>Meter ambient light and use Q flash as a fill, 1-2 stops under ambient.
>Maybe use Quantum's gold reflector for the Q flash to match late afternoon
>light and flash.
>Any suggestions for posing this size of a group would be welcome also.
>So far I have thought of breaking them up into subgroups for posing e.g. 6
>groups of 3 etc
Use your Q flash set one stop under and do it .. I shoot a lot of Youth sport
teams, Groups of 15 or so and this will work fine. Sub groups?? Break them
as families 1st. then from there is you want and they have the patience.
Easy Easy Easy!!!!!!!! Good shooting!
Ron
zeitgeist
FSPHOTO wrote:
>
> I have been asked to do a family reunion portrait and I would welcome some
> advice on how to light it.
> It will be a group of approximately 18 people, both indoors and outside at a
> country club at around 5:00PM.
> I would like to keep things as simple as possible.
> With this in mind here is what I am thinking,
> ISO 400 or 800 film
> Quantum Q flash barebulb
> Meter ambient light and use Q flash as a fill, 1-2 stops under ambient.
> Maybe use Quantum's gold reflector for the Q flash to match late afternoon
> light and flash.
> Any suggestions for posing this size of a group would be welcome also.
> So far I have thought of breaking them up into subgroups for posing e.g. 6
> groups of 3 etc
>
Are you in South Africa or New Zealand? Here in North
America we can expect day light exposure around 5 PM, in
fact having moved a two states north I'm having trouble with
sundown as late as it is, I'm glad I don't live in Alaska
where a sundown image might have to be scheduled at
midnight. If you are not in the down under, you shouldn't
have any problem with regular film.
Usually the concept of a country club brings visions of lush
landscaping, and if a modern building, huge
skylight/atruim/greenhouse windows. There is usually no
problem finding a nice soft light, though often the best
locations are in use for the restaurant or bar, or if
outside, the putting green is right where the building casts
a very nice open shade like effect. On the other hand,
there are places that pieced together with additions without
the benefit of an architects vision. So scout the place
out, call the place and explain your need and they should
allow you to check it out.
I agree with the keep it simple concept and you should be
able to find a location to shoot without needing additional
light. though if you end up having to shoot with bright sun
as a key light or backlight, or end up in bar as dark as a
masoleum, you may wish you had two flashes to feather across
the set on either side, (yes the dreaded cross light but
large groups is one situation where it becomes a
neceessity.)
family reunion of 18 sounds like a 3 or four generation
portrait. place a dominate male at the top of the pyramid,
break the rest of the family into logical groups, this
family, that family, the unattached adults etc. these
other groups are positioned as secondary pyramids. One
rule to remember, no two people to gether at the same
level/height. odd numbers are easier to compose than even
numbers, to get an odd number composition when you are stuck
with an even number of heads is to make a compositional
element of a hand. and another neat trick is to place each
person equidistant to the camera. I know photogs that run a
string from the tripod to the alpha and pinch hold it and
adjust each person's forehead to the same distance. Makes a
subtle difference, especially if you are using a 'normal'
lens.
Other groups to get, it may seem obvious to get the
individual families but I would save that for last, the
first break out I would do is a multi generational, baby
girl, mom, grandmom, great grand. etc the next group, one
that is a sure seller is the older sibs, they live here and
there and have their own families, probably haven't seen the
others in years, and haven't had a picture together since
the oldest was in junior high. The individual families are
not quite a sure sale as they are more likely to have done
some with their church, Sears, or other shopping mall
photog. Oh, all the kids together is a trying but often
rewarding image.
One more thing, if the eldest must be sat down, try not to
leave a gap in the composition above them, place them
compositionally, I've done this, the patriarch is wheel
chair bound but instinct tells me to place them dead center
and the families on either side and it ends up as two
separate groups with some old guy in the middle.
Try placing them on one side or the other, in a power corner
and placing a couple grandkids around with a mom or two
leading up to the alpha male and keeping the pyramid going.
cloths, this is what kills the visual interest of most
family groups. and this is the hardest to co ordinate. It
is a difficult thing for a client to grasp, all the clothing
worn in one photo must co-ordinate, just like you wouldn't
wear plaid pants and striped shirts, neither should anyone
else in the photo. yeah right, but when you see a well
co-ordinated photo, half the impact of the image is in the
color of the clothes, it can overwhelm a well posed
composition, or make up for a mediocre one. Everyone
dressed in denim is the easiest but unlikely for a country
club.
flash fill if needed should be one stop under ambient, more
and it gets specular, less and it may not be effective
enough, you will have small heads on the image. I've never
understood gold reflectors or flash heads and have gotten
some unintended results. If you want warm images, ask your
lab to print them warm.
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