Lighting a holiday family shoot

adam, this is going to be an interesting project to work out. I need to do it in the next couple of days though as my mother in law is coming into town and I want to get her pic with my boys. Actually, given the fact that her and my wife are about as willing as your subject, it might just be the boys.



I might even take this project out to the back yard one evening.

Edit: nice work emagine!

Emagine, nice work. I think with a busy background like that it works. I think trying to do it with hung lights the cord becomes visible from that close.

My other fear was that at F2 or wider it would be very tough to get everybody in focus given the time I had for each photo.

BTW, I'm doing this event tonight. Taking family photos on a white background and will do individual portraits with the OOF lights.

Good luck! Here is one I took many moons ago. Id had my camera for about 1 year. Dont judge. 1/200th, F2, ISO 400

IMAGE LINK: https://www.flickr.com …/56709879@N07/6​479453579/

Thanks. Let us know how the white background works out. I'd think black or dark would accentuate the lights more. But let's see...

ISO 100
1.8 1/100 @ 85mm

She is about 5' from the background

550ex w/softbox 1/64th power

PHOTOBUCKET EMBEDDING IS DISABLED BY THIS MEMBER. Photobucket sends ads instead of embedding photos from their free galleries. Click the link (if available) below to see the image in a gallery page. http://i372.photobucke​t.com …-IMG_0194_zps54528dde.j​pg

really like JakAHearts pic ... your inbox is full !
my lights come out yellow :S

hardflipfive_0 wrote in post #17288863
really like JakAHearts pic ... your inbox is full !
my lights come out yellow :S

I undid my inbox.

You could also put the speedlights (1 usually does it for me ) on a stand and point it backwards and bounce it off the white wall/ceiling behind you and shoot ETTL on manual - that would give you nice soft light. Try that with ISO 800 with maybe a +1 FEC, camera on manual.

wishucould00 wrote in post #17288053
ISO 100
1.8 1/100 @ 85mm

She is about 5' from the background

550ex w/softbox 1/64th power

IMAGE LINK: http://s372.photobucke​t.com …0194_zps54528dd​e.jpg.html

Just my opinion, this looks like direct flash, a little to harsh maybe?

It is direct flash through a softbox. Harsh I think not.

I don't see anything harsh either.

If yoh are using old element bulbs they will be yellow as thry are a low power tungsten bulb. Newer LED lights might be less yellow but you would need to tedt them,. Regardless iv you want ghrm to look white you need to gel your flash to match snd adjudg the wb settinv accordingly. .