Pictures with Santa...need tips!!

Kevin CTMP

OK.....so the company I work for is having its annual "Breakfast with Santa" for all of the kids of the employees, and I have been asked to take pictures of the event for the company website.....So basically, I'm looking to be taking a portrait shot with Santa of about 300-400 kids!

I want to make this look good but at the same time not go nuts...this is a somewhat of a charity shoot. So what I'm asking is has anyone had any experience shooting pictures with santa before? And does anyone have a good idea for a set up?

so far, I just plan on getting there early, and setting up my camera on a tripod with a remote shutter (so all the pictures will be the same) and setting a custom white balance an exposure ahead of time so hopefully I'll only have to take one shot of each kid, and that way if I do have to idea, I should hopefully be able to edit one picture then sync the rest with lightroom.

Im most likely going to have to use flash, its in a fire hall and the lighting is pretty dim, buy i'm wondering if it would be better to set up maybe one light for fill, or possible bounce the flash off of an umbrella or reflectore rather than the ceiling...any suggestions?

thanks,

Kevin

www.ctm-photography.net

Scott_Quier

Kevin CTMP wrote:

OK.....so the company I work for is having its annual "Breakfast with Santa" for all of the kids of the employees, and I have been asked to take pictures of the event for the company website.....So basically, I'm looking to be taking a portrait shot with Santa of about 300-400 kids!

I want to make this look good but at the same time not go nuts...this is a somewhat of a charity shoot. So what I'm asking is has anyone had any experience shooting pictures with santa before? And does anyone have a good idea for a set up?

so far, I just plan on getting there early, and setting up my camera on a tripod with a remote shutter (so all the pictures will be the same) and setting a custom white balance an exposure ahead of time so hopefully I'll only have to take one shot of each kid, and that way if I do have to idea, I should hopefully be able to edit one picture then sync the rest with lightroom.

Im most likely going to have to use flash, its in a fire hall and the lighting is pretty dim, buy i'm wondering if it would be better to set up maybe one light for fill, or possible bounce the flash off of an umbrella or reflectore rather than the ceiling...any suggestions?

thanks,

Kevin

CWB - Yup, a "standard" setup will make the editing much easier. Hint: Depending on what you use for a backdrop (bring your own, a wall, open space behind the model), if you can keep ambient exposure 4 or more stops darker than your lighting (take a test shot with your lighting turned off - do you have a dark frame?) your WB will not change much (if at all) over the time of the shoot.

As for lighting - without knowing your location or your kit, this is a tough one. With my kit, I would show up with three lights and some modifiers but probably only use two:

1. Key light with an umbrella
2. Fill light shooting through a large softbox

But, as a mentor of mine used to tell me, "Add a light only if there is a problem in the shot that can be solved by adding that light. When you run out of problems that can be solved by adding a light (or your run out of lights), stop adding lights. KISS - Keep It Simple, Stupid" See, he really was talking to me. In other words, if you can get the results you want with just one speed light boucing off a white foam-core board - go for it. You may have great success simply bouncing off the ceiling. But if you've not done much of this, watch out for shadows under the brow-ridge (dark eye sockets).

marikris

Kevin CTMP wrote:

...so hopefully I'll only have to take one shot of each kid, and that way if I do have to idea, I should hopefully be able to edit one picture then sync the rest with lightroom.

Kevin, just to be sure, take at least 2 frames of the same kid. In case he/she blinks etc. I have a Santa shoot tomorrow morning and I'll have to set up a station in front of the tree, but luckily, I was told there's a huge window there and it'll be around 10AM. I'll have one speedlite in a softbox for fill (maybe). I might even just keep the speedlite on camera and bounce. I might not even need fill lol. Guess I'll see tomorrow!

Good luck to you! (and me, ha!) I'm sure you'll be fine, and please post your stuff!

Gary752

Kevin CTMP wrote:

OK.....so the company I work for is having its annual "Breakfast with Santa" for all of the kids of the employees, and I have been asked to take pictures of the event for the company website.....So basically, I'm looking to be taking a portrait shot with Santa of about 300-400 kids!

I want to make this look good but at the same time not go nuts...this is a somewhat of a charity shoot. So what I'm asking is has anyone had any experience shooting pictures with santa before? And does anyone have a good idea for a set up?

so far, I just plan on getting there early, and setting up my camera on a tripod with a remote shutter (so all the pictures will be the same) and setting a custom white balance an exposure ahead of time so hopefully I'll only have to take one shot of each kid, and that way if I do have to idea, I should hopefully be able to edit one picture then sync the rest with lightroom.

Im most likely going to have to use flash, its in a fire hall and the lighting is pretty dim, buy i'm wondering if it would be better to set up maybe one light for fill, or possible bounce the flash off of an umbrella or reflectore rather than the ceiling...any suggestions?

thanks,

Kevin

www.ctm-photography.net

I don't know how long you have until the shoot, and what you'll have available for a background, but I found out that if you don't want to buy a christmas background, you can rent one for something like $49.99 a month from Backdrop Outlet. If you go this route, you could schedule several shoots, and possibly recoup the expense of renting the backdrop, or make enough to buy it if you like it. Just a thought.

GaryB