Westcott 7' Parabolic Good choice for group family shot?

I am going to a family wedding next weekend and I am taking the shots. This will be a new experience for me so I am read up and trying a lot of things out. Luckily its a small wedding. Never the less I'm the type of guy when I do something I like to do it as wells I can. For the family shot outside I was going to use a Westcott Parabolic 7'. I haven't bought as it as of yet. I was going to get the silver for more throw. I was going to use the Indra 500 since it is mobile.

Another question is LOL during the actual ceremony. I have one of those cheetah stands that open and close with a 24" cheetah box. Should I use that and leave that up there?

Or have Indra in an 41" umbrella to the side and flash on camera? I am trying to figure out whats considered rude or expected. I don't want to get in anyones way and flashes popping off.So if anyone can chime in with any advice.

Don't bother. I've the same exact brolly and it sux for groups: it's just too deep and the light is too collimated and the falloff too quick to be of any use –the person the umbrella is aimed at and his neighbours to each side will be properly exposed and everyone else will be underlitten—not optimal. The only way you could pull something decent off would be by using the sock, but then you require too many Joules.

Try a bowl reflector or even a bare bulb.

I would agree. That sounds like a lot of trouble for something that isn't really optimal. You'd be better off with three or four strobes if you've got the stands. Stick them in the corners and put a strobe on the camera with a diffuser and use it to fire the other flashes and go to town. As for the family shot, depending on the location, you can use a flash with a diffuser and get great results.

This was going to be outside. Ok this is good to know I thought shooting into a silver Westcott 7' black back might make sense. I have a mola setti other then that right now a 7" reflector. Also a 41" Profoto Deep umbrella which won't work here. I could place the sock over the Setti?

Bare bulb. Trust me.

When it comes to groups, you pretty much have to check your notions of dreamy, creamy, silky and ethereal soft light at the door –unless you have the gigantic softboxes used to shoot cars: http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …era_8980_F2X_10​_x_30.html

If you're gonna be outside, it's even worse: not only will the wind turn your brollies into sails, but you won't be able to diffuse the light and compete with the ambient.

Bare bulb. Or bowl reflectors.

Ok thanks a lot. All I have is a 7"reflector right now and the 28" BD would the 7" do the job?

Quick demo here:

This is a group shot done with four lights. I had just gotten the mombrella (Westcott 7' parabolic silver) and was eager to use it. I was thinking, 'mother of all umbrellas, more than enough light to light a regiment, let alone four people'. So I set up like this:

To contrast with the above:

Here's a group shot I did using just bowl reflectors:

Ah ok those images help. Thanks. I see what you mean.

Just remember to aim the light towards the opposite end of the group, to get an even exposure across. If you're outdoors, I'd use the bowl reflector rather than bare. Indoors, using a bare bulb will provide you with some free fill as the light bounces all around the room: if the room's got white walls you're golden, but if the lights are coloured, the shadows will take on that hue.

Ok then that's a 7" reflector wow. That's what I will use and save money thanks

This is the 7" reflector for my system: http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …7_Grid_Reflecto​r_for.html

Yours should look similar.

And this is the umbrella reflector (very similar but designed to funnel the stray light from the bulb into the brolly): http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …_Flood_Reflecto​r_for.html

I wouldn't use a beauty dish: they tend to have a narrower beam (which is useful when you want to throw light over long distances) BUT a hot spot and a quick falloff (which kinda negates the benefits of the narrow beam):

Alveric wrote in post #17581578
To contrast with the above:

Here's a group shot I did using just bowl reflectors:

That's straight out of camera.

After minimal post, this is the final image:

And this is one of the lights:

All I used was the 7" bowl reflector on the light to camera left, and –as I only have one 7" reflector– the umbrella reflector –which is very similar with only a smidgen larger spread– on the light to camera right. Both are 500J monolights and neither was at full power.

Great help with whether to use that Parabolic or not. I bought one also and only because I saw Anne Leibovitz using one for some single portrait work and thought give it a go. Use it on occasion for single portrait stuff now.

We just recently did a shot like this with a large group sitting in a long formation across the stage and we did the same thing on the left and right. We did add another umbrella light up front near the camera though. It filled in the faces on the front row a little better of the people sitting out to either end. Thanks for the help and examples.

Yup. A third light behind and above the camera, set to at least -1 stop the power of the main ones is strongly recommended to fill in shadows. I wanted to have one for that group photo, but I only had two monolights.

the westcott will work great for group shots if you have enough power and know what you are doing...