NewB help with portraits

Hi all,

I have done some searches about lighting and flashes, etc - most of them involve off-shoe adapters, etc (stuff I don;t have yet).

I will be taking headshots of my staff for our website, but would like them to look as best as possible (within my skills and equipment etc).
We will be in a 8x14 room with a large window to the "models" left (west facing). 8ft ceiling - flourescent lights above.

All I have for flashes is a 420 and 430II and a couple of hotlights (lights, no reflectors, etc).

If the weather cooperates and I get some nice natural light, will use it, but if not, any suggestions on lighting position (this is about as crude as you can get I'm afraid). Should I just keep my flash in my bag and work with the hot lights and ambient light?

Also, for back-drop - was probably going to go with white.
Lens: either the 50 1.8 or 100 2.8

My plan: use the flash on camera (i know, boooo), bounce off ceiling and use hotlight opposite window below model to eliminate any chin/nose shadows.

Thanks for any advice you may have (besides hire a professional :lol

If you get good strong light from the window, that might be plenty. Try this:

Turn off the lights.

Set up with one willing and patient test subject. Have them face you with the window to their side. Take a test shot with the lens stopped down as far as possible while still maintaining and OK shutter speed (like 1/125 at least).

take a look at the image and judge the shadows. If they are too strong, mount the 430 and point it at the ceiling. Dial in -2 FEC and take a shot. Keep increasing the FEC in 1/3 stop increments until the bounced flash is filling in the shadows enough to look good but not wiping them out completely. You want some nice shadows on the face to give it a 3D look.

Once this looks good on subject one, you can shoot the rest in rapid sequence. This should yield some pretty good looking headshots.

Thanks very much! Will try it out.

Below are a couple of the photos that I took last week. I'm pretty happy with them - the staff really likes them. I think they will be good for a website. Any C&C is always welcome.
Natural light coming from my left, camera handheld, had a 430EX camera mounted (set at -2/3 or something) - used 50/1.8 at about 100 and 5 or 5.6 - should have gone to 8 I think - pointed up at 8ft ceiling - room lights - flourescents were kept on. It was a small room, so I was only able to get the background a maximum of 2-3 ft behind the staff.
Most came out quite sharp, some not as sharp - if I had more room, I think I would use the 70-200 or 100 2.8 macro next time.

My dad...

I like #2. It would have been real good with white bg even if turned a little gray.

But I am not sure about the ambient light part. The shadow in #2 is coming from flash mounted camera axis at high position.

It was an overcast day, not a whole lot "sunlight" coming in (models right side) - too dark though to try to shoot w/o flash - esepially with animals!
Anything I can do with only a cam mounted flash to minimize the shadows?
(I wanted a white BG, but I was given the charcoal or a white/blue combo - the white was too distracting in it)

Nothing wrong with the shadows in #2. I was just mentioning it as I don't think ambient light was the main light.

Gotcha. Thanks!