First portrait session

[colinrayner]

Hi all,

Having done years of landscape, architecture and 'pictorial' photography, I'm doing my first proper 'portrait' session next week. :er:

I'm doing a session with a family of 8 including one grandparent and a baby. It will be indoors (their place) using SB600 flash and flash brolly. I have a black cloth background which I'm planning to use in addition to some more relaxed shots.

Any advice, hints, tips, does, don'ts etc etc. gratefully received.

I've been practising with my family, but it's not the same !

Colin.

 

[JerryPH]

Google portrait photography and get a ton of stuff. Portraiture is all about lighting, visit www.strobist.com to get your lighting down.

 

[colinrayner]

Google portrait photography and get a ton of stuff.

Thanks. Already started on that one

Colin.

 

[K_Pugh]

If you can get a hold of Dean Collins 4-DVD Box set, it's very good! making the most from each light source.. he works with panels and one strobe for a lot of stuff, indoor and out.

 

[GeneralBenson]

It'l be hard to get even lighting on a group of 8 with one light, unless you back it up pretty far, in which case, it becomes a harder light source. I would try to work as much as you can with ambient, then just ad in a minimal amount of fill or highlight. A really big window would be good. Use that as your main light source, then bring up the strobe on the shadow side, or something like that. Maybe bounce the strobe full power of the wall behind you to try and bring up the whole room to an even light. That would be big even lighting, but also pretty flat, and wouldn't give a nice directional studio quality.

 

[colinrayner]

It'l be hard to get even lighting on a group of 8 with one light, unless you back it up pretty far, in which case, it becomes a harder light source. I would try to work as much as you can with ambient, then just ad in a minimal amount of fill or highlight. A really big window would be good. Use that as your main light source, then bring up the strobe on the shadow side, or something like that. Maybe bounce the strobe full power of the wall behind you to try and bring up the whole room to an even light. That would be big even lighting, but also pretty flat, and wouldn't give a nice directional studio quality.

Thanks.

Problem is it's indoors after dark, so window light or ambient isn't an option.

Not all shots will be all 8 anyway. I'm anticipating doing a variety of combinations of the family members. And the 8 group will of course be arranged probably in two rows of 4 or something similar.