photo at reception with back drop ??? for pros

[JS4NARO4]

need advice on lighting for reception?
i have two 440 and 550 and two umbrellas and to light
reflectors with stand and of course back drop so the question is its dark, what do you advice me to use, or do, cant really spend more on lighting right know so please advice on camera settings and light recomendations
using digit rebel

[5 Type]

Personnaly I have a friend's graduation that I have to shoot next week end. It will be mostly couple pictures. So here's my setup :

Camera : 10D
Flash : 550EX off camera mounted on
Tripod : Manfroto 8" with
Umbrela : Photoflex 45" (bounce)

I will not use any backdrop background since they don't want one.

As you can see, you're better equip than I am.

[JS4NARO4]

QUESTION about the Photoflex 45" (bounce) and 550
what will your setup will you place the one photoflex
on right of shot and also will it be dark our average lighting and one more question what do you think your camera setting will be 1s 4.0 iso 400 with awb
or flash setting for wb

[5 Type]

WhiteBalance
-Don't mid because for this type of work I would shoot RAW and balance afterwards.
- But if you shoot raw, I would bring a white paper (like Paper CD Sleeve), shoot it, and set my Custom White Balance to this picture.
*** Note : Even if you change your CF Card, you don't need to re-set your CWB.

Where to place my umbrela
- I only have one, so I will place it in the middle of my group. I don't want to be fancy here, just want everyone (in my case 2 people at a time) to have the "same" amount of light.

Camera settings
I would set to ISO 400
I would use a flash meter to set my exposuer and apperture.
*** Note : I would propable shoot my 28-135 at f/8 (this lens is a little sharper stopped down) and let the flash meter tell me the exposure.

Since I'm no expert here, I'm sure that I might be wrong in my planing.... time will tell.... I shoot in 2 days.

[JS4NARO4]

thanks for the info new my self and as of right now self taught for what little reading and 1000s of photos taken and printed

but back to the topic could you go more into the raw setting you touched on , only if you have time
really dont know to much on this topic of white balance
and white balance in raw what pros and cons on white balance in raw will do for me and the white paper dont understand how that to do that , but if you dont have time understand , will learn when i go to school hopefully in summer

[evilenglishman]

if i were you i would use 1 light/brolly in front , slightly to one side of the camera with a reflector filling in and use a second light/brolly behind, high and to the opposite side of the front one as a modelling light to give them a nice 3D quality.

[JS4NARO4]

thank you for the input a believe the brolly would mean my unbrellas yes ?