Event Photography Lighting Advice

Gypsy_Biker

Gypsy_Biker

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Pat
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I'm pretty happy with my portrait work, and like the depth and character my lighting gives these. Typically I'd use 120cm octabox and 300w studio strobe for key, 2 x speed lights and brolley for fill and hair light, and 1 x speedlight and snoot on the background (2m grey paper)

I'm doing my first event, a black tie ball, and wondered if there was any advice?

Do I play safe with flat lighting (2 reflector brolleys blasting all shadows away)?
Or try and keep some of the character of my portraits, how will that work for groups using the equipment above?

I'm worried about not being able to fiddle about with the lighting between shots, as I would do at home. I need a set-up that works for everything, but isn't too boring....

Appreciate any advice.
 
We have people on here who do this for a living, I'm not one of them...

Hopefully Mike Weeks, Jeremy Nako or Paul Rogers (to name but 3) will see this and help.
My take on this is that the same flat lighting for every shot is the only efficient way of coping with the time pressures.

Speedlights are a bit of a no-no, too little power, but even worse, far too slow at recycling.
 
2m wide grey paper, just to the floor - so no full length shots.
 
Your problem will be keeping shadows off the paper, especially if you are looking at group shots. Couples and individuals won't be so bad as you can bring them forward, but as soon as you try to use the full paper width with a group you will need to push them back and that's when your shadows will appear.

I'd look at may be 3 lights. One either side with something like soft boxes attached, aimed with some spill onto the paper. Add one central key light. That should do for your group shots, then switch off your key light, and use your side lights for couples and individuals. Using this set up, you will have flexibility to be a little more creative than flat lighting it, and no need to move people around, and, consequently no need for adjustments in camera also.
 
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Thanks Garry - you're right, I'm looking to increase my number of studio lights from 1!! I'm loving my EP300 BTW!

The only thing that helps be out with speed lights is the great ISO performance I get from the D600, it really takes the pressure off the little guys - both in power and re-charge time.


Paul - thanks so much for your advice, this sounds spot on.
(One of the guest attending my event was at a football ball that you covered last Saturday; she showed me the print she'd bought and asked me if that was the type of thing I'd be doing! I said not quite..... Don't expect anything as good as that!! Your work is amazing).
 
Paul has been doing this for some time so knows how to pose people and how to light them. It is easier to learn to pose and use flat lighting to start with. 2 lights with even lighting will suffice. Once you have workflow and posing sorted you can start to get artistic i.e. walk before you can run. The more space you can get between client and background the better you can reduce the shadows.

Mike
 
Thanks Mike - good advice too!

Wish me luck tonight, I'm bricking it!!
 
You'll be fine.

I have a set routine for each combination of subjects, singles, couples, threesomes, etc. So try to have a set number of poses in your head, and stick to them, don't experiment during the night. It will make your flow easier and more efficient, especially if it gets hectic.

For your first one, as Mike says, keep it simple.
 
I just wanted to report back and say thanks again to Mike and Paul. The event went well with no disasters!

It was pretty full on with no time to catch my breath all night!

I've posted some samples in the portrait section, you can see them here
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=5592685#post5592685

It certainly is not up to your standards, but I'm happy with my first go. I need to try and put right some of the many things I learned for next time!
 
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