Help With Light Placement

[princer7]

I received some new softboxes and a beauty dish in the mail today. I need some help/pointers for best placement of the lights. My boys will be getting their tuxedo rentals next week for a wedding they will be participating in.

I really want to practice this weekend so I can hopefully get great results with as little fuss as possible when they get all dressed up (extremely rare). They are my only test model options for this right now so my window of patience from them is short.

Here is what I have available...

(3) Alien Bees AB800 Strobes
(1) Alien Bees ABR800 Ringflash

(2) standard duty light stands (Impact)
(1) heavy duty light stand (PCB)
(1) C-Stand w/ Boom (Cheetah)
(1) Westcott Stand w/ Reflector Arm

(1) 30" Moon Unit for ringflash
(1) 64" White PLM w/ options (Diffusion, Spill Kill or Black Outer Cover)
(2) 24"x36" Softboxes
(2) 10"x36" Softboxes
(1) 30"X60" Softbox
(1) Beauty Dish
(1) 34" 5-in-1 Reflector
(1) Set of grids for 7" Reflector

10"x20" Black Muslin
10"x20" White Muslin
10"x20" Cream Tone Muslin
10"x20" Brown Tone Muslin

[Tom]

Solution to need for model:

Amazon.com: Male Mannequin White Styrofoam Head: Beauty

Amazon.com: Male Mannequin White Styrofoam Head: Beauty

(but buy it from the Pixtus store, so they get some cash back)


As for what to use - well, it depends on what type of look you want to get. Or whatever Paco tells you to do.

[princer7]

Great idea on the mannequin head... and even cheaper than me having to bribe my boys. I will definitely have to pick a few of these up!!

[princer7]

These will be upper body indoors as I don't have the distance in my living room to get my 17 year old son (6'3") in a full body shot. My youngest son who just turned 12 is 5'8".

I am also open to ideas for outdoor photos but they would have to be after the wedding to ensure their rentals do not get ruined by sweat from the extreme Texas heat.

[tomdrink]

"Or whatever Paco tells you to do"

+1, Good one Tom!

TomD

[princer7]

Measured the living room and usable space is 18' long x 16.5' wide.

[hdctx]

You could rent a wide angle lens mail-order for the wedding. Wouldn't cost you much. There are lots of lighting tutorials on line too. Three Alien Bees and reflectors should be great.

[David Whatley]

10X36 softbox on the boom as a hair light 1/8 power
24X 36 " " behind then and to the side, as a sligh rim/backlight 1/4 power
30X60 as a main in front and bout 30 degrees to them, between 1/ & 1/2 power
ISO 100
F 7.1
SS 160

Adjust power down as needed.

[princer7]

Thank you, David. I'll give your suggestion a try tomorrow

[David Whatley]

So..... How did they turn out?

[princer7]

Ran out of time last night to get it done. We will be back Sunday and will have more time then.

[princer7]

This is one that I managed to get last night before running out of time. Just had a few minutes before having to put everything away. Not too happy with the shadow under the chin. I'll have more time on Sunday to relax and get the lights set up better.

[David Whatley]

Main light is to low for this shot, bring it up a 12 to 18" but meep the catch lights in the eyes. Was this the beauty dish?
You can use a reflector under his face to remove the shadow, but I dont think it looks bad as it. Shadow is not noticable on my monitor