From the banquet

I set up at the football banquet a few weeks ago hoping to get a few family portraits. Well, I got my family, but no one else. I guess in hindsight, I am glad, since the results would not have been pleasing to ME. I still have much work to do.

I had two Vivitar 285 flashes on stands and reflecting umbrellas. The light to the left is set at 1/2 or full power and the one on the right is 1/16th. Both are roughly 8-10 feet from the chairs and 7-8 feet high. Honestly, the lighting ratio SUCKED. I didn't have a rim light, (also called "back light" or a "hair light"). These are used to put light on a subject from behind or to the side to prevent them from blending into the background too much. Look at any magazine and you will probably see most pictures with the models having a glow on their hair, face or body.

A light RATIO is the term of how the lights are powered in relation to each other. A 1:1 means both lights are equal. A 3:1 is the main light is more powerful than the fill light. The main is the 3 and the fill is the 1. Even though I had the lights powered to a 4:1 ratio, there was just too much reflection from the walls and ceiling to create much of a difference. You can see some shadows, which is good. Perhaps my posing techniques need work too.....


The results from that above setup.






I will show you the high key in another post.