The Right Set up for the Flower/Garter Toss

[Peacefield]

I'm planning to stand on a chair in front of the bride at an angle shooting back at the crowd, getting it all into the frame. I'm thinking of two flashes metered a little differently for the bride and the crowd. My question is on aperature. How small do I really need to go to shoot that much depth and will my flashes (a580EXII and Sunpak 544) be powerful enough to light the scene at that f stop?

Thanks.

[form]

Aperture...I dunno. Who says you need everyone in focus?

Wider angle lenses may offer greater depth of field so you can try that as an alternative and crop later.

Not sure if you like it or not, but here's what I did here: multiple flashes, one left main on bride, two bare flashes on everyone else (one in front and one behind)...
http://xs435.xs.to/xs435/09051/img_7591-3_potn792.jpg

If you can light them separately it's great because what hits one will not hit the other at the same angle or distance, so you could try two bare flashes, one on the bride and one on the others, at least around 45 degrees off camera axis to make it more interesting. And with bare flash you can lower ISO, increase aperture, etc...

[tim]

Wide angles will make some people look larger than others so be careful of that. Otherwise multiple flashes is a good way to do things, and that's a great example of how things come out if you do it right :)

[Peacefield]

Good ideas. And that is a great shot; thanks.