Analyze this setup please

I'm no studio photographer, but I've just been made one in my karate school. I'm getting the 2-light Alien Bees package with 1600's and a background so I can do new black belt portraits after our students attain that rank. My daughter's (below) is a sample of what I'm talking about, but it was done by a pro a couple years ago.

Since all the shots will be the same setup, I thought I'd ask for suggestions on setting this up from you experts. My daughter was facing/looking to the side, but some folks do poses that have them facing the camera.

What I was thinking was a shoot-through umbrella or diffusion screen slightly higher than eye level at about a 45-degree angle on either side (depending on how the subject is standing), with an umbrella high at the camera position. I'd tape a tape measure to the light on the side so when I moved it I'd always know it was the same distance from the subject so the exposure didn't change.

Thoughts? Suggestions? I want this to be simple and for me to be able to rip through these sessions without a lot of thought and light fiddling between shots.

Thanks!

John

For simplicity, I would suggest using conventional white umbrellas with a black cover (such as the Photogenic "Eclipse" series - http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …ghType=category​Navigation ). If you try using shoot-through umbrellas, you will lose a lot of the light due to spill - a lot of the light will reflect back away from the subject and bounce all over the room.

If you have enough ceiling height, I would recommend the 60" white satin version of the umbrellas. If you don't have the height, then you could use the 45" version of the same umbrella.

The nice thing about the Photogenic "Eclipse" design is that you can take the black cover off and use it as a shoot-through if you care to but with the cover on, it's a conventional reflective umbrella.