Help with Gymnastics team picture

[run53]

I've taken plenty of action shots in the dark gymnastics dungeons with my 85 f/1.8, but the coach called me today and asked me to take a team photo.

So, I will need to use flash (I have the 430EX II - on camera only) and my 18-55 IS kit lens for this.

She wants to stage the picture with around the beam (some sitting on it, some standing behind and a few in front). I'm thinking f/8 or f/11 to get everyone in focus but now for the hard part. The ceilings are so high that a bounce would be ineffective. Also there would be no walls to bounce off of as the beam is in the middle of a huge gym. But I know a direct flash will yield very mediocre results (at best).

I've thought about ambient light and using my 85 f/1.8 but I would have to open it up to f/2 to get proper exposure. I know this will be an issue with DOF and most of the team would be OOF.

Does anyone have any suggestions for this team shot with my limited equipment?

[run53]

I just realized this is probably in the wrong forum and should be in the "Talk about Sports Forum". Unfortunately, I don't know how to move it.

[russbecker]

I have shot gymnastics team pictures. To get it right, you are going to need more than one strobe. Rent a 580EX and use an off-camera flash cord. Shoot both the 580 and the 430 through umbrellas on stands, one on each side of the team ( you didn't say how many girls, but this setup worked for me with 35 including coaches). Try to arrange them in about four rows compactly on and in front of the BB. I used a 17-50 set at 24mm ( would have liked to use 30mm but couldn't back up that far) set at f/5 ( use a DOF calculator, but I think you will find that will give you enough). I had the camera (40D) on a tripod, manual focus using Live View on one of the athletes in the second row. Set the 40D in manual mode with the ambient underexposed by 2 f/stops and let the strobes make up the difference. Worked quite well, biggest problem is getting the athletes to sit still that long.

[run53]

Thanks Russ...This is a high school team and there are only 13 girls.

I was thinking of getting a starter kit. Looking at B&H, I found this
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/425220-REG/Impact_DFUMK_Digital_Flash_Umbrella_Mount.html

Do you think that would work if I rented an additional flash? Or are those umbrellas too small?

[computerguru3190]

Those umbrellas should work, but you will need to find some way to trigger those flashes. So you may want to rent a 580 and a 430 or one of the speedlight commanders (580 in command with the two 430s, speedlight in command otherwise)

[Lacks_focus]

In a pinch I have done a group hockey shot with just my 430 and a bounce card made from a piece of white heavy paper stock I keep in my bag. The rink had a high ceiling too. The bounce card helps push some of the light forward.

Worked OK. Not a great pic, it was a quick unplanned grab after a father/son game I shot. But you can see the 430 with a bounce card didn't do a bad job of lighting a pretty big group in a typically dim hockey rink. In fact, in this case, I may have had too much light pushing forward. There are more shadows than I'd like, but then again, it is taken against a wall. Although not the best option, it can be done using just your shoe mounted 430 with out needing to buy or rent any additional gear.

1/125 f/5.6 ISO400 with the 17-40.
http://lacks-focus.smugmug.com/Events/Father-Son-Hockey-27Nov09/DLEV5446/725077944_K9sGm-XL.jpg

[run53]

Thanks folks, some nice suggestions here. I have a couple of weeks to figure it out and get some equipment together. If i can't pull it all together, I'll try the bounce card (and some PP work :)).

[russbecker]

With only 13 athletes, you may be able to get away with a single off camera strobe (430 or 580) on one side with some large ( six foot or so) reflectors on the other side ( Al foil over cardboard has worked for me, or a white sheet over cardboard). Definitely want to avoid a lot of frontal illumination.

Whatever setup you decide to use, get some of the subjects together and take some test shots before hand so you can see how well it is going to work.