Lighting for event portraiture

What is your setup for something like a prom or homecoming where you are there to take the formal pictures of the couple? My friend and I have been contacted to do a sort of photo booth at her wedding reception where we take pictures of the couples and groups like you would do at prom. We currently only have speedlites so we are considering our options.

Would you use 2 580exIIs on light stands reflected off umbrellas? Would you prefer another setup?

If you have two 580's, thats what I would use. I use a pair of AB's for this type of work, one for the people, the other for the background.

My best advice with this situation would be to leave yourself plenty of room for group shots -- what may start as a setup for couples only will quickly grow into small then large groups.

tenoverthenose wrote in post #8325973
If you have two 580's, thats what I would use. I use a pair of AB's for this type of work, one for the people, the other for the background.

My best advice with this situation would be to leave yourself plenty of room for group shots -- what may start as a setup for couples only will quickly grow into small then large groups.

That's my experience too. Especially with kids involved.

Two lights on stands for couples, one slightly to the side, one over the camera, with umbrellas. As the groups expand move the lights out on each side to get more even lighting.

jstrattonphotography wrote in post #8325871
What is your setup for something like a prom or homecoming where you are there to take the formal pictures of the couple? My friend and I have been contacted to do a sort of photo booth at her wedding reception where we take pictures of the couples and groups like you would do at prom. We currently only have speedlites so we are considering our options.

Would you use 2 580exIIs on light stands reflected off umbrellas? Would you prefer another setup?

I do this kind of shoot three or four times a year. Office Christmas parties are a big for example. I use a strobe - an Alien Bee bounced into an umbrella. I've just used one as I only had one radio slave receiver and a light slave would be triggered by every Aunt Gertrude's point and shoot flash! The light is OK and the clients have been more than happy.

Now I know that you have said that you only have the 580's but this might be your excuse to go get a studio strobe. The advantages are that the exposure is very consistent and because it's a AC you can go all day. With one strobe you don't even need a flash meter and can get the eposure by just checking the histogram.

If you do use the 580's I'd use one at the camera position and I'd use it in a bracket that holds it directly above the lens so that there's no side shadow. I'd also use it on a manual setting. While ETTL-2 works OK there is going to be a variation in exposure and if you don't use it on manual you'll be tweaking every shot in Photoshop.

The reason that I suggest using only one 580 is that the other 580 will be on your second camera for doing groups. I have a background setup for the couples and it's 8 feet wide, but it isn't nearly large enough to go behind the groups that I've been asked to shoot. So I grab a second camera and just shoot the groups with the room as the background.

jstrattonphotography wrote in post #8325871
Would you use 2 580exIIs on light stands reflected off umbrellas?

Yes.

Byte size: ZERO | Content warning: NOT AN IMAGE

Byte size: ZERO | Content warning: NOT AN IMAGE