Can we please stop will all the petty bickering? :x
Why do you use 4 lights? Is that to blow out the background and/or seperation? I think the two light setup will be ideal... im just still experienting where to put them. The fill light gets in the way so I wind up putting it more to the left instead of near the camera axis. I do want to put the lights behind me but i read somewhere that the further away a light is, shadows will be more harsh? I don't know... ill experiment.
For shooting portraits, I find that 4 lights is the right number. One is my main (key) light, one is my fill and then I have two more that will change, based on the shot. For example, when I'm shooting for an even white background, I hit the backdrop with two lights, one from either side. This gives me a nice even background that is free of wrinkles etc.
If I'm shooting on a dark background, then I might still hit the background with one light, and I may use the other one as a hair or separation light. If I want a black background, then I won't put any light on the backdrop and use the lights for hair, kicker etc. to give separation.
As for the 'flat' light issue....sure, for most portrait shots, you want to have a lighting ratio, where one side is darker than the other. But when shooting kids, who won't sit still or even stay in the same spot, getting a light ratio can be very frustrating. That's why I was talking about setting up a more even, more 'safe' lighting set up, then concentrate on getting a great expression.
Someone mentioned it, but if we are talking about clients, a good expression in flat lighting will often sell a lot more than a missed expression in dramatic portrait lighting. And since we are talking about toddlers, I think that safe lighting is the way to go (for your bread & butter type stuff. It's a good idea to try out more dramatic lighting as well, just don't expect cooperation from the kid).
