Some help with kickboxing lighting!

[Duncan.F]

Hi
I have a friend who does kickboxing and they are happy from me to use flash during sparring. I went last night and just used one studio light with an umbrella.
I only had a very short time to set up so it was set at about 7ft high and angled down, shoot through. I used manual, about f10/1/200 and about 400ws. I have 2 Paul Buff heads and was very pleased with how they operate, had them on 'action' mode and with about 400ws they show about 1/2500 sec, as you adjust power it displays flash duration
Took about 200 shots and happy with a fair number but i wanted to know what wouls be the optimum set up if I used 2 heads and had a bit more time? The lighting is that orangey sodium type. The ceiling is sloping and dull white the type in industrial buildings.
Obviously the biggest issue I found was the light fall off and wondered if a light at each corner would be a better bet or set up for a particular area of the ring and just shoot in that area? Softboxes or umbrellas...?
Thoughts and guidance appreciated!

Dunc

 

[hairboy]

You have Einstein? Nice

To answer your question, well, it's kinda not an answer, but if you are lighting it, why would you want ambient contamination? Personally, if I was taking any action shots, I would kill the ambient first, as that would defeat the object of fast light.

After that, I would get in tight, and single light with a gridded dish or something. If you have 2, then second light to rim light, probably. Or possibly a very low powered fill, just to bring up a small amount of details int he shadows.

There's no optimum light. You just have to visualise what you want the shots to look like, and experiment towards it.

Have fun, and good luck the next time.