Shooting / Lighting High School Band Members

[WooD]

I was contacted by the school I've shot for in the past.

They want group, and individual shots of each band member with their instrument.

The group shot I will have them on the football field, and shoot from the stands. There are only 70 of them so that wont be a problem.

The individual shots will be inside. I'll be using a AB800 in a 30x60 softbox, and another AB800 either shot thru or bounced off a 60" umbrella.

What concerns me is the people who play the big shiny things like tuba's and stuff. Seems like the light will be bouncing everywhere.

Anyone ever deal with something like this?

[Chip]

Wood - I'm not nearly experienced to know or to even have tried something like this. But, for what it's worth, why not treat the instruments as though they are eyeglasses on a model's face? Especially for the individual shots, can you take a test shot, see if any annoying reflections exist, and, if there are reflections, adjust the instrument so that the light bounces away from the lens?

If I'm off base or just too naive, my apologies.

Sounds like a good challenge. Good luck.

[zona5101]

keep the light big and soft... and from the sounds of it a 3x5 foot softbox should be excellent at big and soft... with fill coming from the 60' (or visa versa if you want a more specular light as the key)

[WooD]

It is going to be a challenge.

I've shot their wrestling team, and 3 of their football teams. That was all pretty much assembly line shooting.

I put a mark down for them to stand on, and shot 3 frames of each player. Only time I had to make any changes was for one super short player, and then all I did was lower the softbox.

I have a feeling I'll be making a lot of adjustments for this shoot. I will be able to group them into what they play thou. Like shooting all the trumpet players, then the sax player............

Should be a fun shoot. I always take an assistant to keep track of who I'm shooting, and what order I'm shooting them in. I may take a 2nd in case I need reflectors, or gobo's.