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Archive 2014 · Family Portrait Questions

  
 
dacop
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Family Portrait Questions


Hi Everyone,

I am basically a sports photographer. I have been asked by a friend to take a family portrait for his Mom's 80th birthday.

A few questions if I may...

1 . Are there any colors in clothing to avoid? The background will be white walls and a staircase.

2. I have 1 Alien Bee 400 with a white umbrella. What type of settings on the strobe and Camera should I try for?

Any other advise would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!





Jan 24, 2014 at 09:50 AM
Lisa_Holloway
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Family Portrait Questions


Hello! I would avoid all black, all white, or any crazy patterns and/or character clothing. I would also tell everyone to coordinate, not match. Pick a color palette that looks nice together, use accenting colors, etc. Do not have everyone dressed in the same exact color. With a white wall, you can probably get away with almost any color, but I'm thinking something bright and colorful would really pop and look great. I have a board on Pinterest with family fashion inspirations if you'd like to check it out: http://www.pinterest.com/lisa_holloway/family-fashion-for-photoshoots/

RE settings on the AB - I have no clue. I work primarily with natural light.

Good luck!



Jan 24, 2014 at 09:59 AM
bryanlindsey
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Family Portrait Questions


No patterns, solid colors. Get the light high up...think "raining down" light. The last thing you want to do is blast the front row and have the back row in darkness. FWIW


Jan 24, 2014 at 11:32 AM
Michaelparris
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Family Portrait Questions


How many people in the shot? Earth tones and jeans look best. What lens do you plan on using? Wider lens = less compression=less flattering look.

I like to get a couple with deep DOF and some with shallow DOF and let them decide which they like (not so shallow that everyone is not in focus.

Pick an area where they will be even light across everyones face get a BG that is not too distracting (nothing growing out of peoples heads). Set your camera a stop or two under exposed set your umbrella (big group,big umbrella or use two) camera right above your head a bit and adjust output so the light just kisses the skin.

I use an AB800 when outdoors make sure before you start that one AB400 is sufficient to project enough light that it does not have to be so close that it is in the picture, that would be my only worry with the AB400.

Or as lisa stated go all natural. Find an area where early in the day or later in the day the sun can be used as a back light (not directly behind 45 degree or more to either side) make sure subjects have even light across there face and snap away.....this would be my preferred method.

Friscoron should see this and give some good tips also in due time.....have fun with it. If your not having fun the clients wont be having fun either and it will show in the end product....



Jan 24, 2014 at 12:52 PM
Steve Wylie
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Family Portrait Questions


For strobe and camera settings, I'd start with the camera first. If you plan on using the environment in your shot, then expose for the environment, making sure that your shutter speed is lower than your camera's sync speed (probably 1/200 or so). Usually, in an interior environment, that's not a problem. So expose for the ambient if you want it in your photo. Be sure your f/stop will give you the depth of field you need to keep everyone in focus. That may require you to slow down the shutter speed, or increase ISO.

If the ambient isn't important, or if the composition is tight, then pick a camera setting (say, 1/200 at f/8 at ISO200), and move on to the flash.

For the flash, if you don't have a flash meter, then simply dial it up or down until you get the look you want. Bryanlindsey's point about getting the light up high is right. His advice illustrates the point that you want the flash to be as close to the front people as the folks in back. You do that by getting the flash up high. It's also a more believable place for the light to come from. (It's basically a cone, with the apex being the flash, the two longest "legs" the same length to reach the front and back people, and the base being the plane of the people in the photo.)



Jan 24, 2014 at 12:54 PM
Steve Wylie
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Family Portrait Questions


I thought this would be indoors, right? Or out?



Jan 24, 2014 at 12:57 PM





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