I've been asked to take a bunch of publicity and personal photos at my mother's Dementia Care unit at a Holiday party.
It would involve:
1. About 3 hours of actual photography
2. One formal, posed picture of each of 85 residents with family
3. Various grab shots of people/relatives at the party that day
4. Minimal (but some) editing of images for online use and printing.
5. No actual printing by me - will be sent to local lab
- What lens should I use or rent?
- I have a "soft portrait" filter I've never used - would that be good to use with my trusty 19-200 lens?
- What is a good backdrop for the formal photos? Do I need to rent studio lights??
THANKS to any who reply to my ignorance!!
Sandy
Posted by Richard Ditch on November 5, 2012 at 6:17 PM
When I got stuck doing a directory for a couple hundred fellow employees back at Bell Labs in the mid 70's I did a simple production line setup: my 105mm on an FE2 body on a tripod, with a flash pointed into an umbrella off to my left and cabled to the camera to provide soft light on the subject's face from a "3/4" position. The example is a "lost friend" who contacted me out of the blue a few years when he bumped into one of my photos on line somewhere and then found my web site.
This is a very easy approach and eliminated any need to touch up any images. I took a series of three frames (this was film after all) to improve my chances of getting open eyes and an acceptable expression.
Something around 70mm would do the same on your D300 if you don't need the full frame D800.
Posted by John Mumaw on November 5, 2012 at 8:15 PM
I sure wouldn't use a soft portrait filter. You can get similar results using this simple Photoshop tutorial with much more control (e.g. erasing the effect from the eyes, teeth, jewelry, etc.).
Posted by Kent Staubus on November 6, 2012 at 12:07 AM
Use a north facing window and a white reflector for the posed portraits.
Kent in SD
Posted by Jim Bullard on November 6, 2012 at 7:43 AM
If you need a backdrop to get an uncluttered background, a king bed sheet will work fine. When possible allow several feet (at least 3-4) between the subject and the background to keep it soft. A north facing window is great light if you're lucky enough to have one available, otherwise a single diffused light with a reflector for fill. I'm assuming talking about individuals and small groups. For that sort of job I'd probably charge by my hourly rate.
If this is a one time event for you I would suggest a Gary Fong Lightsphere on your flash. Works great. Check out his website for details and a video. No need to put a lot into this. Nikon makes a great 50mm F1.8 lens for about $125 for DX version or just rent it. They also make an FX version for a little over $200. Use the backdrop as Jim suggests. Good luck.
Andrew
Posted by Buck Ward on November 6, 2012 at 10:27 PM
Hi Sandy
For portraits I use a couple of zoom lenses, Canon 28-135 Or Nikon 28-70, usually near the long end for individuals or small groups. You can zoom out for larger groups if you don't have room to back up. Avoid wide-angle lens at close range - it distorts portraits. Your 19-200 ought to do the job.
I'm not a fan of soft-focus filters, but that's a matter of taste.
A diffuser like Gary Fong will give you a better look than straight flash, IF you are in an enclosed space with white walls. Outdoors or in large or dark spaces, small omni0directional diffusers mostly just reduce the light output. Off-camera strobe is better, but placement of lights takes a bit of learning and control of the lights is as important as the lights themselves. Before you commit to renting studio strobes, you need to make sure you know how to use them. OTOH, a sync cord and voice-actuated-light-stand, (a.k.a. a helper) with a speedlight and a soft-box or shoot-through umbrella could do the trick.
Visit strobist.com for some ideas on using speedlights off-camera.
If you are doing a run-and-gun affair, on-camera flash and zoom lens will give you versatility. On-camera flash can be used to fill shadows outdoors on a sunny day.
You can use fabric for a backdrop but wrinkles can ruin a portrait - use a steamer to de-wrinkle. (It's a pain in the neck.) A king-size or queen-size plush blanket makes a good backdrop for a fraction of the price of a professional backdrop. I got one on sale at JCPenneys for $20. Just brush it with your hand to get a nice mottled texture.
Keep your subjects 5-8 feet from the backdrop to avoid shadows, especially if you are using on-camera flash. Remember also that your flash may light the subject and leave the background under exposed. sometimes this is a good effect and sometimes not. It depends. A white background ends up looking grey, a dark background becomes black.
Formal posed photos of 85 residents and family in 3 hours is a tall order. It might be a good idea to practice on friends and family to get the feel of it and boost your confidence. Something along the lines of Richard's assembly line setup might be the best bet for that.
Visit some people photography web forums, such as photocamel.com for some insights.
Whew! If you can get them outdoors in soft sunlight or open shade, your nature photography skills will carry the day.
How much to charge? Wow, that's a whole subject in itself. You can charge by the hour or by the image or a combination of both. You have an idea of how much time will be involved, and what your expenses may be. Figure out how much it will take to make it worth your while and charge accordingly. You may be able to get an idea of what you should charge by checking out the websites of event photographers.
With a project like that Sandy, we've had the best luck adhering to the good ole KISS principle- Simple lighting, simple camera, simple people handling, and especially, simple admin of the resulting photos.
Back to front, if you're working with a pro photo lab, check with them and their "event" photography. They work in "units" of the same image, which are a single 8x10 photo sheet, whether it is one 8x10, two 5x7's, four 4x5's, etc, all the way through 16 wallets. For our events we assembled packages of one, two or three units to come up with combos of image sizes. I don't know current unit prices, but we used a multiplier of that price to establish our package prices. If a unit costs $2.50, we might sell it in a package for $10, letting us offer packages A, B, C for $10, $20 and $30. We'd have a worker taking money and filling out order sheets, another worker managing people, and finally the photographer in sequence of a "booth" type of arrangement at an event. Pretty simple for such a busy operation.
In your case I'm assuming the facility is footing the bill, in which case it would be pretty straight forward to negotiate a standard "package" and a per-subject price.
For lighting we've had the best luck with either two lights or with a single light offset to one side with a large reflector on the other side of the subject. KISS again.
We use zoom lenses WITHOUT filters. The zoom is handy for the inevitable group photos that are mixed with the single portraits in our events, allowing the framing change with no tripod movement. Since so many of your subjects may be in wheelchairs, I'd arrange your "set" with a chair and short tripod for shooting eye level to the subject. Then it will be a simple matter to move the chair in and out while not affecting your setup as wheelchair subjects arrive.
Backdrops come in all flavors, but when not using a dedicated backdrop we've had the best luck with cheap king-size velour blankets rather than sheets. More color choices, and much better results. King size is good even with single subjects because it allows you to move the subjects forward from the backdrop and let it fall slightly out of focus via your choice of apertures. If your subjects are more than about 4' from the backdrop (8-10' is more likely for correct DOF), you will get the best luck with a backdrop light, a light positioned just far enough from the backdrop to allow about 1/2 stop under-exposure compared to the subject. If I was working with only two lights as usual, I'd use one of them and the reflector on my subject while dedicating the second to the backdrop.
The big deal in all this is to keep it very simple for you, and especially for your subjects. The fewer adjustments you have to make and the less fuss for the subjects, the more relaxed everyone will be and the better the results.
Edit- I just reread your post and see I overlooked the photos will be of the subjects with family. Same setup applies, but for ease of arranging groups I'd still work around a chair for the subject, whether one on your set or the wheelchair. The only changes I'd make are to shoot from a standing position with an erect tripod, ditch the idea of keeping the backdrop further back and lighting it separately, and lighting your groups with two lights- one from either side. If the ceilings were low enough I'd bounce. If not, I'd use umbrellas.
Posted by Kent Staubus on November 9, 2012 at 12:05 AM
I read the replies, and re-read your question. I used to work in nursing homes as a therapist, and am familiar with the people. If you don't have lights, I'm still thinking the easiest set up would be to find a north facing window, to provide you with soft, even light. Use a white sheet on the opposite side of the person to kick light back into the shadowed side of the face. I would go with having them sit in a nice comfy chair of some kind, upright, of neutral color (so a weird color won't reflect back on their face.) I would try to have CNAs transfer anyone in a wheelchair into the comfy chair. For one thing, keeping the same set up will simplify things for you. For another, I think it enhances the dignity of the person. I'd hate to think their last portrait will be taken in a cheap nursing home wheelchair. For a lens, something that can stop down to f2.8 would be best. A 50mm would work on a D300.
Now for something else. Many dementia patients are "sundowners." That means that as the day progresses, they have a harder and harder time mentally. My suggestion would be to begin all of this right after breakfast, when your subjects will likely be at their best. Ask the nursing staff if any of them are better earlier in the morning or later, and schedule them accordingly. If you allow 10 minutes per person, that's going to work out to at least two hours.
Studio lights are great and give you more options, but if you haven't used them before there is a learning curve to them. I'd use radio triggers with them to eliminate having sync cords strung around for people to trip on. I'd allow at least a week of some daily practice to learn lights. If done well, you'll get nice soft light that looks like it came from a north facing window.
Discussion
8 repliesI've been asked to take a bunch of publicity and personal photos at my mother's Dementia Care unit at a Holiday party.
It would involve:
1. About 3 hours of actual photography
2. One formal, posed picture of each of 85 residents with family
3. Various grab shots of people/relatives at the party that day
4. Minimal (but some) editing of images for online use and printing.
5. No actual printing by me - will be sent to local lab
- What lens should I use or rent?
- I have a "soft portrait" filter I've never used - would that be good to use with my trusty 19-200 lens?
- What is a good backdrop for the formal photos? Do I need to rent studio lights??
THANKS to any who reply to my ignorance!!
Sandy
This is a very easy approach and eliminated any need to touch up any images. I took a series of three frames (this was film after all) to improve my chances of getting open eyes and an acceptable expression.
Something around 70mm would do the same on your D300 if you don't need the full frame D800.
Kent in SD
Andrew
For portraits I use a couple of zoom lenses, Canon 28-135 Or Nikon 28-70, usually near the long end for individuals or small groups. You can zoom out for larger groups if you don't have room to back up. Avoid wide-angle lens at close range - it distorts portraits. Your 19-200 ought to do the job.
I'm not a fan of soft-focus filters, but that's a matter of taste.
A diffuser like Gary Fong will give you a better look than straight flash, IF you are in an enclosed space with white walls. Outdoors or in large or dark spaces, small omni0directional diffusers mostly just reduce the light output. Off-camera strobe is better, but placement of lights takes a bit of learning and control of the lights is as important as the lights themselves. Before you commit to renting studio strobes, you need to make sure you know how to use them. OTOH, a sync cord and voice-actuated-light-stand, (a.k.a. a helper) with a speedlight and a soft-box or shoot-through umbrella could do the trick.
Visit strobist.com for some ideas on using speedlights off-camera.
If you are doing a run-and-gun affair, on-camera flash and zoom lens will give you versatility. On-camera flash can be used to fill shadows outdoors on a sunny day.
You can use fabric for a backdrop but wrinkles can ruin a portrait - use a steamer to de-wrinkle. (It's a pain in the neck.) A king-size or queen-size plush blanket makes a good backdrop for a fraction of the price of a professional backdrop. I got one on sale at JCPenneys for $20. Just brush it with your hand to get a nice mottled texture.
Keep your subjects 5-8 feet from the backdrop to avoid shadows, especially if you are using on-camera flash. Remember also that your flash may light the subject and leave the background under exposed. sometimes this is a good effect and sometimes not. It depends. A white background ends up looking grey, a dark background becomes black.
Formal posed photos of 85 residents and family in 3 hours is a tall order. It might be a good idea to practice on friends and family to get the feel of it and boost your confidence. Something along the lines of Richard's assembly line setup might be the best bet for that.
Visit some people photography web forums, such as photocamel.com for some insights.
Whew! If you can get them outdoors in soft sunlight or open shade, your nature photography skills will carry the day.
How much to charge? Wow, that's a whole subject in itself. You can charge by the hour or by the image or a combination of both. You have an idea of how much time will be involved, and what your expenses may be. Figure out how much it will take to make it worth your while and charge accordingly. You may be able to get an idea of what you should charge by checking out the websites of event photographers.
Back to front, if you're working with a pro photo lab, check with them and their "event" photography. They work in "units" of the same image, which are a single 8x10 photo sheet, whether it is one 8x10, two 5x7's, four 4x5's, etc, all the way through 16 wallets. For our events we assembled packages of one, two or three units to come up with combos of image sizes. I don't know current unit prices, but we used a multiplier of that price to establish our package prices. If a unit costs $2.50, we might sell it in a package for $10, letting us offer packages A, B, C for $10, $20 and $30. We'd have a worker taking money and filling out order sheets, another worker managing people, and finally the photographer in sequence of a "booth" type of arrangement at an event. Pretty simple for such a busy operation.
In your case I'm assuming the facility is footing the bill, in which case it would be pretty straight forward to negotiate a standard "package" and a per-subject price.
For lighting we've had the best luck with either two lights or with a single light offset to one side with a large reflector on the other side of the subject. KISS again.
We use zoom lenses WITHOUT filters. The zoom is handy for the inevitable group photos that are mixed with the single portraits in our events, allowing the framing change with no tripod movement. Since so many of your subjects may be in wheelchairs, I'd arrange your "set" with a chair and short tripod for shooting eye level to the subject. Then it will be a simple matter to move the chair in and out while not affecting your setup as wheelchair subjects arrive.
Backdrops come in all flavors, but when not using a dedicated backdrop we've had the best luck with cheap king-size velour blankets rather than sheets. More color choices, and much better results. King size is good even with single subjects because it allows you to move the subjects forward from the backdrop and let it fall slightly out of focus via your choice of apertures. If your subjects are more than about 4' from the backdrop (8-10' is more likely for correct DOF), you will get the best luck with a backdrop light, a light positioned just far enough from the backdrop to allow about 1/2 stop under-exposure compared to the subject. If I was working with only two lights as usual, I'd use one of them and the reflector on my subject while dedicating the second to the backdrop.
The big deal in all this is to keep it very simple for you, and especially for your subjects. The fewer adjustments you have to make and the less fuss for the subjects, the more relaxed everyone will be and the better the results.
Edit- I just reread your post and see I overlooked the photos will be of the subjects with family. Same setup applies, but for ease of arranging groups I'd still work around a chair for the subject, whether one on your set or the wheelchair. The only changes I'd make are to shoot from a standing position with an erect tripod, ditch the idea of keeping the backdrop further back and lighting it separately, and lighting your groups with two lights- one from either side. If the ceilings were low enough I'd bounce. If not, I'd use umbrellas.
Now for something else. Many dementia patients are "sundowners." That means that as the day progresses, they have a harder and harder time mentally. My suggestion would be to begin all of this right after breakfast, when your subjects will likely be at their best. Ask the nursing staff if any of them are better earlier in the morning or later, and schedule them accordingly. If you allow 10 minutes per person, that's going to work out to at least two hours.
Studio lights are great and give you more options, but if you haven't used them before there is a learning curve to them. I'd use radio triggers with them to eliminate having sync cords strung around for people to trip on. I'd allow at least a week of some daily practice to learn lights. If done well, you'll get nice soft light that looks like it came from a north facing window.
Kent in SD