Flash allowed,dark inside,rainy outside...what's the problem, right?

Advice wanted:

This large church is going to be dark inside at 3:30, one, because most of the overhead lights will be off and there's only one entry through stained glass. I tested with 580ex II on flash bracket using my 70-200 2.8 IS L., with a Fong cloud LS aimed straight up and the FES at +3. Bare in mind I'm standing on the other side of the church. Even w/o flash at ISO 3200/f2.8 it's dark!

For those standing up front during the ceremony, mainly along the sides, like the singers are getting a slight shadow casted off the subjects. Is there any way to avoid this at all....I'd rather not even use flash, but since it's so dark, I don't see any way around it.

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First thing I would do is ditch the Lightsphere. All it's doing is wasting power.

This church is 2 hrs south of Erie....does look similar.

Since you're allowed to use flash, stick the Bees off to the sides towards the front (but not all the way up). Halfway would be good. You could experiment with removing the reflectors altogether for a bare bulb. That'll sling light all around the room.

cdifoto wrote in post #6558323
First thing I would do is ditch the Lightsphere. All it's doing is wasting power.

....and not use flash at all? or direct the 580 straight up bouncing from the built in card? I think I might first try no flash, 3200/f2.8...since it will be earlier in the day and may be brighter than when I took these test shots.

Lightspheres are useless in any room bigger than a closet.

cdifoto wrote in post #6558330
Since you're allowed to use flash, stick the Bees off to the sides towards the front (but not all the way up). Halfway would be good. You could experiment with removing the reflectors altogether for a bare bulb. That'll sling light all around the room.

I gave that a thought too........I thought I wouldn't be able to avoid getting the burst of the opposite strobe in some of the shots.

cdifoto wrote in post #6558339
Lightspheres are useless in any room bigger than a closet.

I used it in a room half this big from the balcony and it worked great.

When you need your speakers as loud as they can get, you don't put a blanket over them.