I would be very interested to hear from others as to whether I am setting up my lighting for the best possible shot. I have to repeat this image six times a year (with different people of course)
Usually, I have 20 or so people with ladies in ball gowns and men in black dinner suits. They have to be pictured together as a group, so I get them to stand on a stone staircase. The staircase is about 2.5m wide at the bottom. I usually place the guest of honor in the centre, at front, with some of the ladies either side. I then position the remaining guests behind and tiered up the steps. I have two Bowens 500w studio flash lamps that I position, equally spaced, either side of the group and about 45 degrees to them. The lights are about 3m from the group, placed about 3m high on tripods and fired into white umbrellas. I have, of course, found it difficult to get even lighting covering the group from front to back.
My exposure is always 100 ISO, F16, 1/125 sec. I am NOT unhappy with the resultant image but wondered whether others have any ideas as to how they would do the same shot or how I could improve on this.
Usually, I have 20 or so people with ladies in ball gowns and men in black dinner suits. They have to be pictured together as a group, so I get them to stand on a stone staircase. The staircase is about 2.5m wide at the bottom. I usually place the guest of honor in the centre, at front, with some of the ladies either side. I then position the remaining guests behind and tiered up the steps. I have two Bowens 500w studio flash lamps that I position, equally spaced, either side of the group and about 45 degrees to them. The lights are about 3m from the group, placed about 3m high on tripods and fired into white umbrellas. I have, of course, found it difficult to get even lighting covering the group from front to back.
My exposure is always 100 ISO, F16, 1/125 sec. I am NOT unhappy with the resultant image but wondered whether others have any ideas as to how they would do the same shot or how I could improve on this.