Children School portraits

[Mary]

Hi everyone,
i am going taking shots 2moro at a local school, i have a canon 20d, i dont have a flash. depending on the weather i prob will have to take the shots indoors.the lighting prob wont be great it will be flourescent lighting too. i was wondering whats the best colour backdrop to use and how would i hang it up as i dont have the stands for it. they will be wearing navy uniforms and blue shirts, i was thinking white wud be too white with their faces, i was thinking of using a baby blue colour? any other advice on how to take the shots wud be great (",) thanx

 

[Mary]

wud be great if i got ya advice by d end of 2day coz i will be takin d shots in the mornin, Thanx (",)

 

[jols]

baby blue would be good.

i recently saw school phots taken in the library with the books in the background it looked quite effective and you could position a book shelf using light from a window

 

[Dave Hoffmann]

Without strobes/umbrellas, I think you will be at a great disadvantage.

 

[D-50]

If your going to be taking school photos I would strongly suggest getting a flash, the on camera flash is more or less useless and trying to work with overhead flourecents is not going to produce great light. Is this a paid gig? if so you should invest in some equiptment. Also there is an expectation that when you hire a photographer he/she is going to come prepared with lights,stands, backdrops. Although you can tack a sheet to a wall and get decent result it does not look professional. If you bring decent equiptment and do a great job you will get more busines from this, if you come off as a fly by night operation(not saying you are) it may not help you in the long term.

 

[skieur]

Are you talking individuals or class groups? If you are talking individuals, are you going to do re-shoots, retouching etc?

Class shots are usually done in a gym using risers to stand on and a little bit of the top of the stage curtain as a backdrop. Camera is always on a tripod, lights are used as well as a flash. Equipment can be rented of course, but you need to know how to use it effectively.

Individual shots are usually done with a pale backdrop...a light blue/grey combo with a minimal pattern works well for the light metering. The library also works well as a background for indivdual shots as long as the colours of the books on the shelf in the background do not distract from the person in the photo.

skieur

 

[Mary]

thanks guys, i am a student photographer doin my third yr diploma, its my local school and they know i am startin off, i previously did a communion and confirmatiom outside but i havent done anything inside, i dont have much money and my big spend was for a digital, a canon 20d, i hope to get a flash soon maybe an xmas pressie! (",) i am hopen that a flash wudnt be totally essential for an inside shoot, did a couple of test shots tonight with the blue backdrop it looks gud though there is shadows behind him a bit, i think this wont happen with natual and flouresent light if i have them right against it?, they will be individual and group shots, any more advice wud be great (",)

 

[Flash Harry]

Flouresent (god hows this spelt) lights will give you a green cast so reset your white balance for this, personally without decent lighting I wouldn't be doing the job unless it was outside, then again I haven't seen the place. H

 

[Mary]

thanks, jst put the seting to flourescent on white balance, i wud prefer somehow to do it outside with d backdrop somewhere but i will see when i go back in an hour, i betr go get ready! any more tips on how to take them wud be great , thanks (",)

 

[D-50]

Pay close attention to your shutter speed, if the light is not strong enough your going to have a slowshutter and if Iknow kids its going to be tough to have them hold perfectly still for a slow shutter. Maybe consider bringing in some basiclighting, get acouple compact flourecents from the hardware store, you should be able to get 4 or 5 for about thirty dollars, find a couple desk lamps to use, (if your in schoool im sure between you and your friends you can gather up four or so) and use these to increase your lighting, this willalso allow you to create more favorable light for your subject than overhead flourecents. Just because a light is not professional does not mean you cant use it to achieve decent results. Bring a couple pieces of white sheet as well to difuse the light. You could create a bootleg lighting set up for under $50 that will get the job done.

 

[luis_relampago]

Can't you rent some strobe lighting kit? Indoor fluorescent lighting is kind of tricky in most of the cases not the best light source, try a custom white out and shoot at slow-shutter speed and tell the students to hold still. Use a lighter color backdrop, and good luck to you, God Bless!

 

[Alpha]

You could even rent a hotshoe flash.