Family Reunion

Been asked to do a family reunion and there wanting generational photos. My plan on managing this to. First take the group photo. Then take individual family photo then break the family down into individuals. The diagram is how I plan to set it up. The hairlight will only be used when photographing the women of the family. For the men I will move the mainlight in and raise it high.

Will this plan work and if not what is some other ways of managing it?

Sounds like a plan, but how will you light the group? (how big a group is it?) Will bringing your main light around next to/above the camera and moving the back light out of camera range work easily?

Phototeacher wrote in post #14646395
Sounds like a plan, but how will you light the group? (how big a group is it?) Will bringing your main light around next to/above the camera and moving the back light out of camera range work easily?

The group is about 25-30 people my plan is to hit them with two AB800 set high angled down and on camera axis, using a 17-50mm set to 24mm.

Does having the fill and hair one stop lower then main be the right why to light this?

24mm is a bit wide; you may get some distortion of the people at the edges. If you could back up farther, (closer to the 50mm end) that potential problem will be reduced. Straight-on front light for the group is fine.

For individual portraits the one stop difference between main and fill should be fine. Hair light might be better off at f/8 also if most subjects are dark-haired. If they are blonde or gray, then the F/5.6 setting should be fine.

Surprised you have not gotten any other opinions on this yet!

Phototeacher wrote in post #14646964
24mm is a bit wide; you may get some distortion of the people at the edges. If you could back up farther, (closer to the 50mm end) that potential problem will be reduced. Straight-on front light for the group is fine.

For individual portraits the one stop difference between main and fill should be fine. Hair light might be better off at f/8 also if most subjects are dark-haired. If they are blonde or gray, then the F/5.6 setting should be fine.

Surprised you have not gotten any other opinions on this yet!

Thanks and me too. Maybe everyone on vacation

shoot for flat/even frontal lighting if you are going to shoot a large group. The rules for portrait sort of go out the window when trying to shoot 25 people vs 2-3, unless you have an abundance of strobes available.

c2thew wrote in post #14647506
shoot for flat/even frontal lighting if you are going to shoot a large group. The rules for portrait sort of go out the window when trying to shoot 25 people vs 2-3, unless you have an abundance of strobes available.

That's the plan I am going to meter and make sure that my lighting is even across. I will be using shoot through umberellas on both heads.

Depends on how deep you are stacking those 25 people...I'd back up the main light since you won't have as much falloff if you have them 3 deep. A main light up close will have at least a stop difference between front and back rows. Everything else for the portraits looks good.

Drive4show wrote in post #14650029
Depends on how deep you are stacking those 25 people...I'd back up the main light since you won't have as much falloff if you have them 3 deep. A main light up close will have at least a stop difference between front and back rows. Everything else for the portraits looks good.

This diagram is what I am thinking of doing for posing. The row in the middle will be the elder man of the family seated. Then on each wing will be a family stack appropriately. The women will be seated in the wing. Two strobes set and F.8 160 ISO200 at 50mm. What you think?

extrememc wrote in post #14650104
This diagram is what I am thinking of doing for posing. The row in the middle will be the elder man of the family seated. Then on each wing will be a family stack appropriately. The women will be seated in the wing. Two strobes set and F.8 160 ISO200 at 50mm. What you think?

Much better.

Should I be at f 8.0 or f 11.0?

Seek and ye shall find http://www.dofmaster.c​om/dofjs.html A lot depends on distance and lens selection, but for group pics more is good.