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03/08/2011 02:12:21 PM · #1 |
so, i have a friend who has enlisted me to help shoot at her wedding...
yeah, yeah, i know.... and trust me, i have been EXTREMELY up front with her in that i dont do this sort of thing at all really, and not to rely on me as her one and only photographer. so she is hiring a pro and i am there for backup pictures and before and after/reception stuff...
she is still paying me though, and so i can afford to do a little bit more than just being the "cousin with a camera" type thing... and i had a nice little idea that i think she will go for, proving i can pull it off...
the reception "photo booth".
im just concerned about the lighting set up, because i will be buying some lights to do this with and want to make sure i have enough/the right sort of thing.
i (will) have a d5000 and im thinking i will use my 50mm 1.8 - i know it wont auto focus, but i manual focus anyway and assume i will be shooting with enough DOF that it really wont be a problem, as long as i have enough light... which is where im having some concerns...
i asked about lights on here recently, tossing up between getting some alienbees or getting a ttl flash... but what would be best for doing a photo booth type thing? if this works out well i would seriously consider going and just doing booths at weddings around here (we have the market for it, and i dont want to "shoot weddings" per se) so the light investment would pay it self off after the second one... so do i get a studio strobe (or two?) and a softbox/no softbox... maybe a ringflash? anyone have experience with this sort of thing? i googled "home photo booths" but not too many of them had details aside from "a strobe/and or flash, maybe 2" and i have come to respect DPC'ers experience/opinions more than random googles too...
secondarily, how would you set the lights up? im sure strobist has some great ideas, but again, varied opinions and experience off of members here is always of use....
Message edited by author 2011-03-08 15:16:53. |
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03/08/2011 02:51:51 PM · #2 |
How much time do you have before the wedding? You will want time to practice with whatever you get, and if the time is short, you may want to rent gear a couple times to practice, and again for the event.
For me, I would shy away from speedlights for this sort of thing, mainly because you could go thru enough lithium batteries to nearly pay for a strobe :-) Seriously, though, while they are more portable, etc, they do chew thru batteries, the recycle times get more and more sluggish. Depending on your setup, it can be a bit of a pain to replace batteries and then restore your setup.
AlienBees would be a reasonable choice, not too expensive, with a variety of available modifiers to grow into in the future. You could start with two, and either soft boxes or umbrellas for both. A medium softbox for main/key, a strip box for fill could work, but you might want to consider a couple of 51 or 64 inch white parabolic umbrellas (PLMs) from them, instead. The quality of light is very nice, they are very portable, easily set up, and affordable. With two AB's and two PLMs you could easily set up to light individuals or couples, and you could back them up to light larger groups, if that will be needed. I would guess that AB800's would be about right for this, AB1600's would be overkill. If you have time to wait and a few extra $, the Einsteins are a better light overall. But about double the cost, so might not be warranted in this case (though, if you plan to do this regularly, might well be worth it).
A ringflash is definitely cool, and can give a unique look to images. You might want that look to differentiate yourself from other booth operators. It won't work quite as well with large groups, though, so if your booth will be small, it might be a cool way to go. If you think you will be shooting families or friends in groups of ten, spread out, etc., maybe not.
You should be able to find some decent set-up descriptions for two light portraits. A common set up is Main/Key light up at a 45-ish degree angle above level from the subjects (light "looking down" on them), often off to one side by 30-45ish degrees, too. Second light for Fill is lower, often on the other side from the main, to fill in shadows so they are not harsh, but still visible as shadows. Power settings depend on your lights, the modifiers, distance, etc.
Depending on your set up, you may or may not need a background light. I'd assume you'll have your own backdrop, and you won't likely have a lot of room to move the subjects far from it. You can likely get away without a third light for the background.
Also, think about sandbagging your lightstands, taping cords to the floor, arranging your booth with a clear path for the subjects so they are not really stepping over cords, near lightstands, etc. Keep in mind some will be inebriated :-) Might be worth considering a PPA membership (lowest level lowest cost) and then they insurance they offer for liability, gear etc.
Message edited by author 2011-03-08 14:53:20. |
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03/08/2011 03:13:23 PM · #3 |
its not until june/july, so i have a few months for the camera. the lighting would be a little closer to the time, because i would be paying for it from what she would be paying me - unfortunatly i dont have the means to but it outright, or credit options.
i was intending to keep the booth small - more like the old style film strip ones they have at carnivals etc. singles, couples and more people if they want to cram into a tight space, haha. im not sure of the room i will have so i am aiming towards a smaller set up.
do you think it will be possible to do it with one strobe for fill and the on camera flash? i can definitly pull off one strobe/umbrella and the backdrop, but two lights may be pushing the budget a little much... if this takes off for me i will definitly be able to upgrade to more and better lights, but right now it is just too big of a financial risk for me to go too far out of pocket, unfortunatly. the refurbed d5000 i picked up out of the tax return this year was a super big investment for me :(
thanks for the help btw!
eta: taping/sandbagging almost goes without saying for me - i shoot roller derby, which is actually how i know the bride, hahaha, i dont even think about not doing it anymore, why would anybody NOT tape? lol
Message edited by author 2011-03-08 15:24:13. |
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03/08/2011 03:48:03 PM · #4 |
Think about getting a pair of 24" fluorescent lights, and mounting them vertically on eather side of the seat. You want light coming from both sides and above and below to reduce shadows, and you don't want hot lights inside a small space. If the subject(s)'s seated, you should be able to position the lights vertically at the average head height to get light both above and below without having to adjust them.
You can either get daylight-balanced bulbs, or just do a custom white balance when you get set up. I would get fixtures with two bulbs and a reflector, and if possible mount them so you can adjust them a bit. They should be mounted at about a 30° angle to the center of your subject, essentially the same setup as if you were trying to make copy photos of art on a wall.
Here are some rough schematics:
Top view:  Front view:  |
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03/08/2011 03:51:56 PM · #5 |
Ah, cool.
So, I think yes you could do this with one strobe as the main. Not sure about the on camera flash, but it might work for fill. Better bet might be a large piece of white foam core to bounce the strobe light for fill, or a larger sized 5 in 1 reflector. Since your booth is small, the single umbrella approach might work best.
Since you have some time, might look for a workshop where you get to use somebody else's gear to practice :-) I'll send you a link later to a couple I recommend. |
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03/08/2011 06:04:51 PM · #6 |
Not too long ago someone posted a link to a photo booth at a wedding video and what it did. Maybe someone can recall.
It was a simple setup and automatic so you didn't have to man the booth. It consisted of a constant light at the top of the booth,a camera mounted inside with a fast lens I think 1.2, and an iPad. So what happens is someone would walk up touch the iPad the countdown of 3,2,1 and the camera snaps the photo. They also had it teathered so it would print right away.
Not surre if this is what you are looking for, but you mint find it in a google search.
Or if you are set on strobes you would be fine with renting a couple of speedlites for a few bucks and setting them up like mentioned before and you are set.
Message edited by author 2011-03-08 18:08:50. |
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