I'm hoping that some of you have enough experience with this to suggest which option might work best. I have an upcoming shoot where I'll be doing headshot portraits of maybe a dozen women. All are in their late 30's, 40's, and possibly 50's. I realize all aren't necessarily "middle-aged," but the same basic rules should apply. All want portraits that make them look good and younger. For starters, I know I want a nice, soft, diffuse light, but I have a number of options in this space. My wife is reluctant to let me experiment on her, and my mannequin (with perfect fake skin) won't tell me what I need to know. I'm sure there are portrait photographers out there who could steer me in the right direction.
My options for main and fill light modifiers includes the Elinchrom 27" DO and 39" DO, Photoflex medium (60") octa, Elinchrom 74" indirect octa, and a couple of 60" Softlighter II's. Other possibilities include a 22" BD, and I have a collection of reflectors that includes the Lastolite Triflector setup. Here are some options I've been considering:
1. 39" DO for main with deflector dish and both inner and outer diffusers and the Photoflex octa for fill.
2. Photoflex octa with both inner and outer diffusers for main and the 39" DO for fill.
3. Boomed 39" DO (or 27" DO) for main with Lastolite Triflector for fill.
4. 74" Octabank directly behind me for main and fill
5. 74" Octabank as main with Photoflex octa for fill.
Some of these configurations are because they're relatively easy to setup in my environment, but without trying each one on a representative subject, I'm not sure which will provide the most flattering lighting. So I'm hoping that folks with experience in this area can help narrow the possibilities for me. Thanks.
