Help to reduce cast shadows.

[crashtestmac]

Hi All.

I have recently made the move from studio strobes to speed lites to "help" me with location work and portability.

I did a shoot yesterday (i will try and upload an example later) and i was driving myself crazy.

I was shooting onto a grey/gray vinyl background and i could not get rid of the shadows being cast from the flashes, i was using 2 light stands with shoot through umbrellas.

I had the subjects about 2 meters from the backdrop but i was still getting a shadow cast on the backdrop, i know that this look is fashionable but how can you stop it happening, i reduced the flash power and moved the flashes back but no joy.

Should i have moved the flashes back and reduced the power then relied on the ISO and the aperture to up the exposure...?

I am driving myself mad with this because i know i SHOULD know the answer but i have always shot on White and Black backgrounds so this one has me stumped...

Help...?

Mac:shrug:

 

[Pete Bird]

You can move the lights in very close or flash the background which will eliminate the shadows. use one light for the subject and one for the background if you only have 2 lights.
You can't feather the light with shoot through that's where a soft box comes into its own.
Draping blackout drapes over the shoot through to try feather the light between the light and the background.
If you want to see the background then flood it with light.