Group photos lighting-

[FlyingKiwiGirl]

Originally Posted by Doug Sundseth

If your lights are relatively far from your group, you need either more light from the flashes or less ambient light and a fast lens. (This assumes that you want the flash as a key light rather than a fill light.)

Other effects: A distant light is a harder light, because the apparent size from the subject's position gets smaller as the light gets farther away. Distant lights will give more even lighting across a larger/deeper subject, because inverse-squared falloff is proportional to the relative distance of different subjects from the light source, and the relative distances are quite similar when lights are far away. With distant lights, you need to be a bit more careful about shadows cast by group members on other group members, because the lights are harder and because it's harder to get lights high enough to reach down between rows of subjects.

Great information Doug, thanks very much. You know, 6 months ago I would not have understood a word you are saying, now I can honestly say while I don't understand it in great detail I basically know what is being said. All thanks to this awesome site and it's generous contributors.

[ccting]

Originally Posted by zona5101

excellent points to consider...

Anyone has a ladder? How about the issue with specs.. particulary the polarized reflection from the glasses? Lighting angle & distance...? I believe without using diffuse lighting we can use polarize filter to change the light reflection to convert direct reflection.

[FlyingKiwiGirl]

Originally Posted by ccting

Anyone has a ladder? How about the issue with specs.. particulary the polarized reflection from the glasses? Lighting angle & distance...? I believe without using diffuse lighting we can use polarize filter to change the light reflection to convert direct reflection.

ccting, I do have a small step ladder that I am taking and thankfully none of the bridal party wears glasses but here is a great article on taking photos of people with glasses-

Photographing People in Glasses | Pioneer Woman Photography | Ree Drummond

I do have a polarizing filter but haven't had the best of luck using it in general so far, I need to practice more, so I am passing on that one for the wedding.

[ccting]

Originally Posted by FlyingKiwiGirl

I do have a polarizing filter but haven't had the best of luck using it in general so far, I need to practice more, so I am passing on that one for the wedding.

Hopefully you can buy a polarize filter later and try it out.
Concept: If polarize filter can filter reflection from windows, water, they should work too for the specs. The article is suggesting using angle to eliminate reflection, but are you sure all 15 ppl will understand your instruction? I don't think so.. So.. i wish someone validate my understanding.. I am not going to doo the experiment myself.. as i don't have the filter.
...they are expensive...


Anyone filter your flash with linear polarize filter? polarize filter on flash+ polarize filter on len.How's the result...?


So, what will be the focal length, and distance from the group to your len?

group1.JPG where will you put the source of light?


group2.JPG Are all eyes in focus plane?

I wish to learn and please discuss. Side lighting will cause unbalance lighting. Lighting near camera will promote balance lighting, but lights tend to reflect. Lighting outside the shape is the best but will cast shadows on members.. bounce back lighting may eliminate hash light as the bigger source of light but promote insuffient GN, shooting near camera with bounce back lighting will cause flat image. Shooting to ceiling will cause unwanted shadow below eyes..and not possible to ask them to hold reflector,, B]polarize filter on flash+ polarize filter on len[/B]+ flash near camera.. ...sry i am extremely new to lighting,, wish to know a bit..

" i shot virtually in my brain"

[Doug Sundseth]

One way to think about light reflections is to think of it as playing billiards with light. The light will leave the flash, hit the reflector, and bounce off at precisely the opposite angle. (The technical term is: "Angle of Incidence equals Angle of Reflection.)

If you change the location of the light, you change the place from which you can see the reflection. If you change the angle of the reflector, you also change the location from which you can see the reflection.

Glasses are generally somewhere between perpendicular to the ground and angled slightly down. If you place your light above your subjects, the reflection will go toward the ground rather than toward the camera. If you place your light to the left of the subjects, the reflection will go to the right of the camera. In either case, you won't see it in the photo.

Alternatively, if you change the angle of that one pair of glasses that's giving you a troublesome reflection, the reflection will go somewhere else. Classically, this is done by moving the back of the bows of the glasses up about 1/2", which is essentially invisible in a group photo.

The one thing you have to consider is that if your light source is very large, every part of that light source will reflect somewhere. So there will be more places from which you can see a reflection. Not usually a problem when the lights are back a ways.

It's really not as hard as some people make it out to be though. (And if you're good at pool or billiards. )

[ccting]

Originally Posted by Doug Sundseth

One way to think about light reflections is to think of it as playing billiards with light. The light will leave the flash, hit the reflector, and bounce off at precisely the opposite angle. (The technical term is: "Angle of Incidence equals Angle of Reflection.)

If you change the location of the light, you change the place from which you can see the reflection. If you change the angle of the reflector, you also change the location from which you can see the reflection.

Glasses are generally somewhere between perpendicular to the ground and angled slightly down. If you place your light above your subjects, the reflection will go toward the ground rather than toward the camera. If you place your light to the left of the subjects, the reflection will go to the right of the camera. In either case, you won't see it in the photo.

Alternatively, if you change the angle of that one pair of glasses that's giving you a troublesome reflection, the reflection will go somewhere else. Classically, this is done by moving the back of the bows of the glasses up about 1/2", which is essentially invisible in a group photo.

The one thing you have to consider is that if your light source is very large, every part of that light source will reflect somewhere. So there will be more places from which you can see a reflection. Not usually a problem when the lights are back a ways.

It's really not as hard as some people make it out to be though. (And if you're good at pool or billiards. )

Thanks Dough, i think i need sometimes to understand ....