Help! Advice needed - indoor shots

[Kanikula]

Ok This coming Sunday i have my first paid job! (YAY me! )

Its a group of 11 show winning dogs and puppies. The lady would like stance, head and family shots of the dogs on a white background.

My worry is this, with the shot being indoors, im going to need my flash - thus creating shadows - whats the best way of preventing them?? Would a diffuser/softbox on my flash unit be any good??

I realy dont want to cock this up
HELP!!

 

[Kanikula]

can nobody help???????

 

[W.Smith]

Ok This coming Sunday i have my first paid job! (YAY me! )

Its a group of 11 show winning dogs and puppies. The lady would like stance, head and family shots of the dogs on a white background.

My worry is this, with the shot being indoors, im going to need my flash - thus creating shadows - whats the best way of preventing them?? Would a diffuser/softbox on my flash unit be any good??

I realy dont want to cock this up
HELP!!

Hi Kanikula,

with just one flashgun and a white background (I'm assuming you have that) you've got probs:
If you stick the flashgun on top of your cam you will get harshly lit subjects, hard shadows, and a middle grey background.
If you move the flashgun off-camera you will get more textured images, but also heavy shadowing (though you can mitigate that with a good (D-I-Y) reflector), and a graduated grey background. The images will be more 'moody', 'artistic', which your principal is probably not after.

To get good showdog photos with a white background – so that's almost 'high-key', though not quite – you need good, even, light onto the subject from both left and right of the camera – preferably from softboxes, and you need 3 stops more light than that onto the white background!

I.o.w. showdog photos with a white background require a looot of powerful light gear.

Unless that background can be a large, north-facing window on an overcast day. You'd still need at least 2 softboxes though. And a reflector would be advisable.