Quote:
Originally Posted by bobbyz
Benji - Can you please provide some pointers as to the placement of the lights? For now I am only shooting h/s and 3/4 of single person but need to do family of 4. Placing my main on 45 deg angle put lot more light on the person closer to the main light. So I tried using only 1 light above my camera position. But then it didn't help as some family members were wearing glasses.
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Bobby,
Place your fill light just above the camera at about 1 stop LESS than the main light aimed at the group. It should meter the same all the way across the scene. Set up your main light about 1/2 way between the camera and the group off to one side but aim it at the person furthest from it. That way it will skim light across everyone as it travels to the far side. It should be perfectly level (NOT aimed down toward the floor) and it should be about two feet to three feet or so above the groups faces. Meter it so it also gives you the same reading all the way across and one stop more than the fill light reading. Set the
camera aperture at the
main light reading. You may have to move the main light closer to the group and power it down, or you may have to back it away from the group and power it up. I suggest you feather it toward the camera so you are using just the edge of the light not the hot spot in the center of it. If you keep taking meter readings and keep adjusting and feathering the light eventually you will get the same reading all the way across the group. SHUT OFF the modeling lamp of the fill light and all other lights in the camera room so you can see EXACTLY what the main light is doing. If you have shadows on someone's face, move the main light until the shadow is gone. You may wind up with rather flat lighting, but better flat than big shadows across anyone's face.
Benji