Candid group photos at Christmas Party
Dec 26, 2019 00:07:32 #
I've taken candid shots at our company holiday luncheon the last two years. Last year I was not satisfied with the uniformity of the lighting and exposure. This year, I set up a single flash into a 36 inch umbrella and set everything manually.
Overall, I was happier with this year's shots. I've got three here that I like the dynamics of the groups, but not totally happy with the lighting.
Next year, I think I'll add a backdrop (we will be at the same location), but not sure how to improve the lighting for best results. My first thought would be a bigger umbrella or soft box moved farther away to illuminate the group more evenly.
It is tough to experiment with this as it is a once a year event.
Am I on the right track?
Overall, I was happier with this year's shots. I've got three here that I like the dynamics of the groups, but not totally happy with the lighting.
Next year, I think I'll add a backdrop (we will be at the same location), but not sure how to improve the lighting for best results. My first thought would be a bigger umbrella or soft box moved farther away to illuminate the group more evenly.
It is tough to experiment with this as it is a once a year event.
Am I on the right track?
Dec 26, 2019 05:28:39 #
How do you get candid shots with a 36” umbrella? Lol.
My but there are a lot of Asian women working there, I’m jealous! Lol.
The lighting is decent it’s an event so it’s harder to control.
A backdrop might help. Getting the subjects to smile and look their best might be something to consider.
My but there are a lot of Asian women working there, I’m jealous! Lol.
The lighting is decent it’s an event so it’s harder to control.
A backdrop might help. Getting the subjects to smile and look their best might be something to consider.
Dec 26, 2019 05:58:36 #
Was it a reflective or shoot-through umbrella? A shoot-through umbrella will produce softer light and disperse the light over a larger area.
Bounce flash will produce soft light and disperse the light over a larger area but the ceilings and walls should be white for that. I used bounce flash off the ceiling for the photo of the young lady in the black dress.
Bounce flash will produce soft light and disperse the light over a larger area but the ceilings and walls should be white for that. I used bounce flash off the ceiling for the photo of the young lady in the black dress.
A shoot-through umbrella can produce softer light
(Download)
Bounce flash
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I used bounce flash for this photo. The ceiling is bright white
(Download)
Dec 26, 2019 06:43:09 #
If you use wide-angle lens settings look out for volume deformation. People or objects near the sides of the image can be stretched horizontally. I use DxO ViewPoint 3 to correct it. I took the photo of the building with my lens at 16mm. It can be seen how the side wings of the building are stretched horizontally. DxO ViewPoint 3 corrected it.
This photo is from the DxO Labs website
(Download)
I used DxO ViewPoint 3 to correct volume deformation caused by the wide angle lens
(Download)
Dec 26, 2019 08:53:55 #
Thanks, this was a reflective umbrella with a single flash mounted on it.
It was candid in the sense that we had a photo area set up, but the shots I liked best were not directed at all, just them self posing or even talking to each other and laughing.
It was candid in the sense that we had a photo area set up, but the shots I liked best were not directed at all, just them self posing or even talking to each other and laughing.
Dec 26, 2019 12:46:07 #
claytonsummers wrote:
Thanks, this was a reflective umbrella with a single flash mounted on it.
It was candid in the sense that we had a photo area set up, but the shots I liked best were not directed at all, just them self posing or even talking to each other and laughing.
It was candid in the sense that we had a photo area set up, but the shots I liked best were not directed at all, just them self posing or even talking to each other and laughing.
That makes sense. They are fun photos There are two distractions that I can see. One is the background is in focus and it distracts from the subjects a bit. The other is that there are visible shadows on the backdrop.
A different backdrop can help but you will still have the shadow problem if the backdrop is close to the group and you have a hard light source. Remember it's the relative size of the light source compared to the subject size, that determines the hardness of the light. That involves the physical size of the source and the distance from the subject. Even with a 36 " umbrella, it can be hard light.
E.L..Shapiro is an expert on portraiture, you might want to post some of you photos in the Professional and Advanced Portraiture category there and you will get some solutions and Ed will have some good advice.
Dec 26, 2019 17:50:37 #
To the OP- You are on the right track.
So...theses are candid shots- a group of folks at a party kinda posing for a group photo. You should not expect "perfect" portrait lighting on each face, simply because not everyone is at the same exact angle to the main off-camera light but you would still like portrait-like lighting to provide modeling, dimension and some direction of light.
Your off-camera large umbrella is a good approach to this kind of situation. If the main light is somewhere between 12 to about 25 degrees off the camera/subject axis, some of the subjects will receive a butterfly lighting, some will show a modified of loop lighting and if the lig is elevated enough for the depth of lighting, you should be able to address the inverse square law and prove even illumination for a few rows of people. You could achieve a similar effect by bouncing the light ofs the ceiling or a wall, in the corner where the walls and ceiling meet, but you won't have the same kind of precise control or the purity of color of a white or matte-silver umbrella. If the room is small to medium sized and the walls and ceiling are white, bounce fill will work, otherwise a second umbrella will work better in largeror darker painted venues.
To have more ratio control and more influence over shadow detail you can place another unit wit a large umbrella behind the camera of simply bounce another flash unit off the ceiling/back wall as I previously explained. If the fill light is 1 or 2 stops weaker than the main light you should get smooth even lighting with good modeling and dimension.
These are candid shots so the natural existing background should suffice. If you bring in a portable background, it would have to be very large and portable would be more suitable for a more structured and posed shot.
A normal lens will help preclude any foreshortening distortion, provided you keep the camera fairly level to any noticeable vertical lines in the background. If you space the rose correctly and have folks looking out between the shoulder of eh folks in the front rows you should not require too much elevation that would require shooting downward toward the group. If you run out of backup space and have to use a wide-angle focal length, you will need to be especially careful to avoid foreshortening.
I use the lighting scheme as I described to shoot casual and semi-candid groups and activities at weddings and corporate events. In the studio or on the location where there are time and space for a more formal and posed approach, I will use more precise light is for groups but the umbrella/bounce method is a good compromise for casual group shots in that you are not flooding the place with totally flat lighting, you will be able to achieve modeling and good illumination in the eyes and still manage to shoot quickly and efficiently to accommodate time restrictions.
So...theses are candid shots- a group of folks at a party kinda posing for a group photo. You should not expect "perfect" portrait lighting on each face, simply because not everyone is at the same exact angle to the main off-camera light but you would still like portrait-like lighting to provide modeling, dimension and some direction of light.
Your off-camera large umbrella is a good approach to this kind of situation. If the main light is somewhere between 12 to about 25 degrees off the camera/subject axis, some of the subjects will receive a butterfly lighting, some will show a modified of loop lighting and if the lig is elevated enough for the depth of lighting, you should be able to address the inverse square law and prove even illumination for a few rows of people. You could achieve a similar effect by bouncing the light ofs the ceiling or a wall, in the corner where the walls and ceiling meet, but you won't have the same kind of precise control or the purity of color of a white or matte-silver umbrella. If the room is small to medium sized and the walls and ceiling are white, bounce fill will work, otherwise a second umbrella will work better in largeror darker painted venues.
To have more ratio control and more influence over shadow detail you can place another unit wit a large umbrella behind the camera of simply bounce another flash unit off the ceiling/back wall as I previously explained. If the fill light is 1 or 2 stops weaker than the main light you should get smooth even lighting with good modeling and dimension.
These are candid shots so the natural existing background should suffice. If you bring in a portable background, it would have to be very large and portable would be more suitable for a more structured and posed shot.
A normal lens will help preclude any foreshortening distortion, provided you keep the camera fairly level to any noticeable vertical lines in the background. If you space the rose correctly and have folks looking out between the shoulder of eh folks in the front rows you should not require too much elevation that would require shooting downward toward the group. If you run out of backup space and have to use a wide-angle focal length, you will need to be especially careful to avoid foreshortening.
I use the lighting scheme as I described to shoot casual and semi-candid groups and activities at weddings and corporate events. In the studio or on the location where there are time and space for a more formal and posed approach, I will use more precise light is for groups but the umbrella/bounce method is a good compromise for casual group shots in that you are not flooding the place with totally flat lighting, you will be able to achieve modeling and good illumination in the eyes and still manage to shoot quickly and efficiently to accommodate time restrictions.
Dec 26, 2019 20:07:33 #
You have some good advise and I agree with Ed that you are on the right track. I would only add that your photos would tell the holiday party story and have much more impact if you found something other than that brown wall. Brown/yellow is just not a complimentary background for a portrait or group photo in my opinion of course. Bringing a backdrop would not be necessary if there was a white wall or large window available. You could also just replace the background in Photoshop. Try it and you will see what I mean. Good photos, particularly the second. Everyone has great expressions.
Dec 27, 2019 00:55:42 #
E.L.. Shapiro wrote:
To the OP- You are on the right track. br br So..... (show quote)
Thanks for the detailed reply. Terrific advice as always and a confidence booster that Next time will be even better.
Dec 27, 2019 00:57:09 #
jaysnave wrote:
You have some good advise and I agree with Ed that... (show quote)
I agree about the brown walls. I'll try changing it in ps.
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