For any group shot the best strategy is to keep the light centered so all faces are lit the same way. A light to either side will result in uneven light intensity and a different pattern on each flash.
Its also important to keep the light above the heads of the subjects, but not so high the brow shades the eye sockets and puts the eyes in shadow. If you make a diffuser like these, then stand on a chair or 3-step ladder to take the shot you will get a nice mix of direct light from overhead and spill off the ceiling in landscape mode...
Materials are not critical. Just take a sheet of 8.5 x 11 photo paper, several sheets of bond paper or white cardboard, cut in the same way as the template at the link in the photo, staple the top flap, then attach to the flash with masking tape or a rubberband.
Here\'s an example of an individual shot with the same strategy...
If possible shoot outdoors in the afternoon. The advantage outdoors is the huge amount of wonderfully soft light the sky provides, if used to maximum advantage.
First find a location where the subjects can stand with sun hitting their backs without any overhanging trees (which will create a green bias to the light). Ideally the background behind them should be uniformly dark, such pine trees. you don\'t want a bunch of bright distractions in the background.
Clothing is a HUGE consideration in any portrait shot and especially in groups. You can put perfect lighting on a face on a dark background but if the person is wearing a white shirt it will distract so much it will be difficult to see the face in the photo past it. So if shooting on a dark green background of pine trees you want the subjects to wear clothing in darker earth tones that will blend into it, so the faces will contrast. Its not just a matter of tone. Color contrasts such as blue jeans will also contrast. The bottom line goal is to make the front of the faces contrast the most, both by virtue of the clothes not contrasting with the background to start with, and by virtue of how you put light on them.
In a \"sun at the backs\" scenario the sun is used as \"hairlight\", the open sky as \"fill\", and the flash in front will create a highlight pattern over the sky fill -- thus it acts as the \"key\" light on the faces. As indoors you need to get the flash above the heads of the subjects so it creates a natural looking highlight pattern: natural light comes from overhead and the flash is the \"key\" light not the fill.
When the subjects are looking level facing the open sky the eye sockets will be darker than the cheeks because the sky light is coming down so steeply the brows shade the eyes. So bring along a ladder to raise the POV of the camera, then have the subjects look up into the camera. When they look up the brow will no longer shade the eyes and the flash will also stay above the faces. Raising the chins up to the light also works in a good why to slim them, eliminating the double chins and turkey neck
For any group shot the best strategy is to keep the light centered so all faces are lit the same way. A light to either side will result in uneven light intensity and a different pattern on each flash.
Its also important to keep the light above the heads of the subjects, but not so high the brow shades the eye sockets and puts the eyes in shadow. If you make a diffuser like these, then stand on a chair or 3-step ladder to take the shot you will get a nice mix of direct light from overhead and spill off the ceiling in landscape mode...
Here\'s an example of an individual shot with the same strategy...
If possible shoot outdoors in the afternoon. The advantage outdoors is the huge amount of wonderfully soft light the sky provides, if used to maximum advantage.
First find a location where the subjects can stand with sun hitting their backs without any overhanging trees (which will create a green bias to the light). Ideally the background behind them should be uniformly dark, such pine trees. you don\'t want a bunch of bright distractions in the background.
Clothing is a HUGE consideration in any portrait shot and especially in groups. You can put perfect lighting on a face on a dark background but if the person is wearing a white shirt it will distract so much it will be difficult to see the face in the photo past it. So if shooting on a dark green background of pine trees you want the subjects to wear clothing in darker earth tones that will blend into it, so the faces will contrast. Its not just a matter of tone. Color contrasts such as blue jeans will also contrast. The bottom line goal is to make the front of the faces contrast the most, both by virtue of the clothes not contrasting with the background to start with, and by virtue of how you put light on them.
In a \"sun at the backs\" scenario the sun is used as \"hairlight\", the open sky as \"fill\", and the flash in front will create a highlight pattern over the sky fill -- thus it acts as the \"key\" light on the faces. As indoors you need to get the flash above the heads of the subjects so it creates a natural looking highlight pattern: natural light comes from overhead and the flash is the \"key\" light not the fill.
When the subjects are looking level facing the open sky the eye sockets will be darker than the cheeks because the sky light is coming down so steeply the brows shade the eyes. So bring along a ladder to raise the POV of the camera, then have the subjects look up into the camera. When they look up the brow will no longer shade the eyes and the flash will also stay above the faces. Raising the chins up to the light also works in a good why to slim them, eliminating the double chins and turkey neck
Chuck
Nov 09, 2009 at 10:45 AM
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