Set up advice please

Hi everyone,

I will be having a massive photo shoot for yearbooks starting next week and I wanted a different approach for this school year's senior's photos (yearbook). For the past years, I did a redundant set ups and that is 2 softboxes 45 deg infront of the subject and one for hairlight only. This time I'd like to try a different set up for my lightings. I will include my 430ex II in the set up.

My idea is to retain the old set up and add the speedlight for the background, or maybe give me suggestions on this one (will be appreciated). It will also be great if you post some samples too for the set up you have suggested but that will depend on you of course. I already checked the thread for multiple lighting set ups but I think the gears being used in there are way beyond my gadgets.

The quantity of senior students is about a thousand and have to finish them all by January next year. Hope you can help me on this one.

Here is the gear list: 70D, 24-105L, sigma 50 1.4, ND filters (8 and 64), 3 150W studio strobes, 2 50x70 softboxes, 1 reflective silver umbrella, shoot through umbrella, YN rf triggers and the back drop as well.

Thank you in advance.

Instead of lights at 45 degree angles consider moving your fill light to the camera axis.

gonzogolf wrote in post #17293087
Instead of lights at 45 degree angles consider moving your fill light to the camera axis.

You mean placing it behind me?

Jiggo0109 wrote in post #17293145
You mean placing it behind me?

Behind and slightly above.

I'd keep it simple. That is how I shoot a photo booth. I use a shoot through umbrella centred, above me and slightly angled down. I place a white reflector on the floor. Not necessary but some light reflects up off it it and helps eliminate a bit of shadows. A piece of white cardboard will do. Mind I shoot those in very dark venues and the flash is the only light source.

This is a Two light setup.

Subject about 8ft from backdrop
Camera Right 320ws @1/2 in a 48" octabox
Hairlight Camera Left and behind 180ws 24"x30" softbox
Large reflector camera left front

After some reflection, I realized that I should of put the hair light higher and light the backdrop for a light more omph.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/pV17​6H

Thanks for the suggestions guys... Allow me to post a photo taken a year ago. Just to show how I deal with my lights. Please disregard the editing. The background is composite and never mind the logo too. It's the school director's idea to place it on their photos.

Jiggo0109 wrote in post #17293722
EDIT: The subject looks flat to me and want to improve on this as well.

That's totally because of the equal lights placed 45° left and right from the camera. What you've been doing is precisely what you'd want to do when photographing a painting or something like that which requires flat even lighting. It's definitely not ideal for portraits.

Experiment with the lighting concepts that folks have been recommending to come up with something you can work with.

Jiggo0109 wrote in post #17293074
Hi everyone,

I will be having a massive photo shoot for yearbooks starting next week and I wanted a different approach for this school year's senior's photos (yearbook). For the past years, I did a redundant set ups and that is 2 softboxes 45 deg infront of the subject and one for hairlight only. This time I'd like to try a different set up for my lightings. I will include my 430ex II in the set up.

My idea is to retain the old set up and add the speedlight for the background, or maybe give me suggestions on this one (will be appreciated). It will also be great if you post some samples too for the set up you have suggested but that will depend on you of course. I already checked the thread for multiple lighting set ups but I think the gears being used in there are way beyond my gadgets.

The quantity of senior students is about a thousand and have to finish them all by January next year. Hope you can help me on this one.

Here is the gear list: 70D, 24-105L, sigma 50 1.4, ND filters (8 and 64), 3 150W studio strobes, 2 50x70 softboxes, 1 reflective silver umbrella, shoot through umbrella, YN rf triggers and the back drop as well.

Thank you in advance.

Consider purchasing Photo Light Pro, a powerful and versatile virtual studio appplication. The program allows a photographer to test a lighting setup and learn how it will work in the real world.

SkipD wrote in post #17293748
That's totally because of the equal lights placed 45° left and right from the camera. What you've been doing is precisely what you'd want to do when photographing a painting or something like that which requires flat even lighting. It's definitely not ideal for portraits.

Experiment with the lighting concepts that folks have been recommending to come up with something you can work with.

Thanks, I'll do that as soon as my new backdrop arrives.

@Tacoman: Your gears are bigger than mine, is it possible to attain that effect with my modifiers and lights?