Even lighting for a group

donkeymusic

donkeymusic

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Hello,

Just looking for some lighting advice when lighting a group of 4 or more in a studio.

I had a group of 4 teenagers for a shot this week and everything was fine apart from i felt that the teenager that was stood the furthest from the key light was perhaps not as well lit as the teenager closest to the key light.

The setup is one key light with a 120cm(ish) soft-box positioned to the right just off centre, metered to f8, when tested along the line they all were metering f8 so i was happy. I also have a fill light positioned to the left which meters f5.

Now with this in mind i expected that the key light would have lit the 4 teenagers equally and the fill light removing any shadows, but it didn't really work this way.

So i am wondering if i should consider using both the fill light and key light on f8 and using the same soft-box on both so that i have equal lighting from both sides. How would this work?

Thank you for any advice on this matter.
 
What do you mean by fill light and keylight - do you mean 2 keylights, one each side of the subject?

If so, then yes, this will work up to a point, just as it works for event photographers. Whenever you put a light each side you will always get flat lighting and everyone ends up with both sides of their face lit, giving them a fat face, but it's quick and easy.
 
Garry Edwards said:
What do you mean by fill light and keylight - do you mean 2 keylights, one each side of the subject?

If so, then yes, this will work up to a point, just as it works for event photographers. Whenever you put a light each side you will always get flat lighting and everyone ends up with both sides of their face lit, giving them a fat face, but it's quick and easy.
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yeah i have two key lights.

If i wasn't to use them both on f8, how else could i achieve an even lighting across the four teenagers?
 
Garry Edwards said:
What do you mean by fill light and keylight - do you mean 2 keylights, one each side of the subject?

If so, then yes, this will work up to a point, just as it works for event photographers. Whenever you put a light each side you will always get flat lighting and everyone ends up with both sides of their face lit, giving them a fat face, but it's quick and easy.
Click to expand...

don't really want to go the quick and easy route, aiming for best setup
 
donkeymusic said:
don't really want to go the quick and easy route, aiming for best setup
Click to expand...
Then try a large softbox directly in front and very high as key light, and a fill light on axis with the lens.
 
will do, not got a group in again for a while but next time i do i will look at that setup.

With regards to my current setup, my key light has 90 cm octagon soft box and the fill light is a 60cm square soft box, would these be okay for the roles they play?

Thanks
 
donkeymusic said:
will do, not got a group in again for a while but next time i do i will look at that setup.

With regards to my current setup, my key light has 90 cm octagon soft box and the fill light is a 60cm square soft box, would these be okay for the roles they play?

Thanks
Click to expand...
You can manage with those but...
For the key light, a larger light source might be better. The usual limitation that people have is ceiling height, and the best workaround for that is a 140cm x 30 cm strip softbox, used horizontally. For the fill light, either a large softbox or a shoot through umbrella is best. If you place it immediately behind you it will be in the right place for an on-axis fill. And if it's big enough it won't matter that your own body is blocking part of the light
 
i always thought a key light was best to be octagonal to get the catch lights in the eye
 
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