[BorisMD]

Hi all,

I'm no pro, but know my way around an f/stop, etc.

My darling wife, a middle school teacher, has, ahem, recruited me to help chaperone the middle school dance, and as a part of that, to take portraits (the kids will get a photo printed off my little Epson PictureMate for $1 -- it's a fundraiser for a school trip).

Here's what I've got for equipment:

Canon Digital Rebel XT
Nifty Fifty
24-70L 2.8
EF-S 10-22
70-200L f/4 IS
Speedlight 430EX II (w/omni diffuser)
Tripod w/ball head.
An OLD sunpak flash on a crappy old tripod with a photoelectric eye to use as a slave (might get triggered by pre-flash from the 430 if that fires).

The setting will be a generic middle school hallway outside the cafeteria.

I'm usually not a big portrait kinda photographer, but I don't mind experimenting a bit, and I'm not shy around these kids.

So, any ideas on how to maximize the setting and equipment to come up with something that doesn't look like a) a mugshot, or b) a photo from some booth at the mall?

I can grab some chairs or a table from the cafeteria if needed.

Thanks,

Boris