How do I light traditional Shots? HELP!!!

[bradenjones]

Ok I just bought a strobist kit from midwest photo exchange. I have to lights with umbrellas im using 580 ex flashes and the cactus triggers. Now how in the world do I use them? I just want to use them for the traditional shots in the front of the church. I tried to set them up for my last wedding but got nasty shadows( I tried to cross-light them). I also couldnt get the background lit up enough. So if someone could let me know how I should light traditional family shots that would be awesome. How far they should be from my subject, where at ,and what is a good SS and F-stop to use, etc....

[spphoto]

I usually shoot those with natural light and a bit of on camera fill flash (almost always necessary). The SS and aperture change dependning on the lighting conditions, but I usually try to stay at f8 or above. These generally aren't the shots to be experimenting with crazy lighting techniques, you just want everyone to be decently lit and in focus.

[cdifoto]

I usually shoot those with natural light and a bit of on camera fill flash (almost always necessary). The SS and aperture change dependning on the lighting conditions, but I usually try to stay at f8 or above. These generally aren't the shots to be experimenting with crazy lighting techniques, you just want everyone to be decently lit and in focus.

Where I come from, there isn't enough light in the front of the church for fill-only flash at f/8.

[tim]

Inside at the alter, or outside in front of the church? I've done alter formals once, I used a studio strobe but it caused problems with reflections off the big wooden background. I would tend to put one light by me pointing at the people, and one or two pointed at the background.

[spphoto]

Sorry, I forget that people actually get married in churches some places. Around here like 99% of weddings are outdoors. As such, I'm not a fan or master of setting up lights for big group formals, so someone else might be able to help more.

[bradenjones]

Inside at the alter is what I'm talking about. Like the old churches that are lit on the dark side to begin with.

[jamiewexler]

I subscribe to the KISS method for lighting wedding formals if I an forced to shoot at the altar.

One small strobe shot through an umbrella on a lightstand as high as you can get it, and slightly off of my right shoulder. f5.6 aperture. As high an ISO as you can get away with, as slow a SS as you can get away with. These last tow are to ensure that you get as much of the ambient background light as possible.

This wedding was the last one where I did formals at the altar. Last December, an evening ceremony in the darkest church I have ever worked. One single Nikon SB800 in the setup I described above:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y216/jamiewexler/0781a.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y216/jamiewexler/0780a.jpg

[Big Mike]

You might want to test out those Cactus units with your flashes. I have the V2 version, which is supposed to work well with Canon units...it does work, but not consistently enough to be used for a wedding shoot.

[gateruner]

You can always add a 3rd flash behind the group aimed at the background. Might have to power it down alot so that it helps with your ambient. Strobist is typically a shoot and chimp style and will vary with every venue.

If I were to do this I might start at f8 125 with 2 strobes set 2 stops under, one to the left of camera as high as I can get it and one to camera right same height. Take a shot and then dial it in with Aperture or shutter speed so you arent having to raise and lower your flashes to vary their power. this means you need to set your group up so the shadows arent cast onto a person standing behind them. Single row is best or have them at different levels. I would practice this beforehand if at all possible.

[Philco]

I second what Jamie said. Seriously, if you can start with one light, near the lens axis, just to get your flash nicely diffused and off-camera, that may be more than enough. Only bring in a second light if you've mastered the use of one and your really need to, otherwise you're complicating things in a very time-sensitive situation.

[tim]

If I were to do this I might start at f8 125 with 2 strobes set 2 stops under, one to the left of camera as high as I can get it and one to camera right same height.

Be careful doing this if you have more than one row of people, you get strange shadows on the people in the 2nd and later rows, and takes HEAPS of photoshop work to fix. I did this on one of my first weddings and it was a pain in the butt.

[bradenjones]

wow thanks guys for all your input....i think im just going to do the one strobe by me and if need be maybe put the other for the background or just leave it out if possible...you guys are awesome

[tim]

(thinking out loud) If you use a long shutter speed to get ambient light maybe you should gel the flash to match tungsten?

[dlphotography]

PWs and light the subjects just enough for fill and shutter. Rely on ambient lighting for the rest or else your subjects will be lit and the back is black! =X