Help with photo shoot tomorrow

[pyterps]

I'm going to be taking some head shots tomorrow at a beauty shop and the only lighting I have is the 420 flash. I'm looking at getting the Lumiquest Pro Max System and wonder if this will be good for close up shots.

Out of all the shots I take one will be used for advertising.

Also looking for any tips on any backdrop I should use. From what I have been able to find most head shots have either a white or black background.

The picture will be converted to B&W if this helps.

Any sample images would help also and I will post a couple for your thoughts.

Dave

[Eric DeCastro]

I would get an off camera hot shoe cord and just bounce the flash off a reflector or umbrella, or us natural light. or see if you can slave the 420ex.

if they are just head shots I would make the background completely black.

[pyterps]

Blow Dog....the selected image will be in kind of like the yellow pages. Not too glamorous but we have to start somewhere.

Eric....the black background would be good for B&W?

[DaveG]

I'm going to be taking some head shots tomorrow at a beauty shop and the only lighting I have is the 420 flash. I'm looking at getting the Lumiquest Pro Max System and wonder if this will be good for close up shots.

Out of all the shots I take one will be used for advertising.

Also looking for any tips on any backdrop I should use. From what I have been able to find most head shots have either a white or black background.

The picture will be converted to B&W if this helps.

Any sample images would help also and I will post a couple for your thoughts.

Dave


I'd use window light. As a matter of fact that's how I shoot my wedding bridal portraits. Indirect window light - NOT direct sunlight - will be your best choice without doubt. Any kind of 420 mounted device like the Lumiquest is not going to soften the light unless you get it bounced all over the place. You can SEE what window light is going to do and quite frankly all of those softboxes and strobes are TRYING to be indirect window light.

Sit her on a stool and use a medium grey backdrop. A large piece of grey Bristol board should do the trick. I'd be afraid that white might flare some and you'd need to have a hair light to separate the model's head from the black background.

Use a tripod and a focal length between 50 and 85mm on a 10D/20D type camera. Don't shoot at any aperture wider than f4. It would be too likely that her eyes would be in focus at f2.8 (say) but her hair may not be. I've shot wedding portraits down to 1/4 of a second, although I'm a lot more comfortable with 1/15 of faster - and of course on a tripod. But don't raise the ISO higher than 400 if you can possibly avoid it.