Indoor group shots with a single speedlight

A friend of mine that is a full time photographer helped me out with an event and he set up two 580 Ex's on stands to do the group shots and they came out great. I was wondering the best way to bounce the light using a single 580 for group shots because I wont have this setup next time.

Thanks

I like to use 60" umbrella

hmm I only have a 46"

got a big wall behind you? Bounce it against the wall. How big is the group(s)

hawk911 wrote in post #12309348
got a big wall behind you? Bounce it against the wall. How big is the group(s)

Yeah that's what my uncle to me to do. Yeah, its a pretty big open space...Maybe 6-8 people at most.

If It was me I'd use my 5 foot photoflex umbrella. Simple light bomb and it will spill light too so light bounces. Directly behind me above my head. It'll have even spread will have light fall off at the end of the rows of people (depending on how large the group.)

Depending on on location shoot a wall directly behind you with bare flash. Mind you your probably going to have to use higher ISO's like 800 in a room with little ambient. I'd imagine FEC will be higher than +1 1/3 or more.

mind you this type of lighting will be somewhat flat but at least it will be lit adequately. Having the umbrella up higher will hopefully cast shadows lower behind them.

in this case, you can use the 48" in the same configuration Alan described. Put the light close to them, group them in rows, not fanned out. Feather it so the light is hitting the group in back a little more than the group in front, since the front group will benefit from being that much closer to the light source. Angle the light downward but not so acute that you have raccoon eyes.

You don't say how many of the shots you are going to have to take. Make sure you've got plenty of battery power if it's going to be a lot. You'll probably need to be on a pretty high power setting.

awesome, thanks for the help everyone.