I need help!!!!!

A friend of mine wants me to do some family portraits at the location in the picture below on the stairs. I have a SB900, SB800, and SB600 flashes with stands and Pocket Wizards for all of them including the AC3 controller. I do not have any umbrellas or soft boxes. Can I pull this off and do you have any suggestions of how to go about doing this.
There will be anywhere from one to five people in the image. This will be my first attempt at using my speedlights, stands and Pocket Wizards. All suggestions, ideas or videos to watch are welcome.

This is at the Mississippi welcome center on I10 and I have already gotten permission to shoot there from the supervisor in charge of the center. The rope can be removed for taking photos, it is just there to keep people off the stairs.

Sorry but I'm likely newer to portraits than you are, so I can't be of any real help except to suggest using the 85mm lens if you have one! I just want to congratulate you and wish you the best my friend!

It will be ghetto, but yes you could pull it off. Pvc piping, very white material strung across the framing, and your flash(s) behind it. If the shoot through its coming through too harsh, frame up a silver windshield reflector and bounce the light into that and back into the sheet.

You can do this, just got to think out of the box and be resourceful.

Not being able to see the other wall, maybe you could bounce your flash off the opposing wall. Or maybe you could bounce your flash off a silver reflector and back at the stairwell.

I do have a set of 5 reflectors.I just haven't gotten around to getting umbrellas or softboxes yet!

Moab Man said:

Not being able to see the other wall, maybe you could bounce your flash off the opposing wall. Or maybe you could bounce your flash off a silver reflector and back at the stairwell.

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There is no other walls. It is open to the right and behind me. This is in a corner of the room.

So with the reflectors I would definitely try bounce flashing your flash into that reflector and then back into the room. Hopefully that will work and you could avoid creating a ghetto softbox wall.

The more I look at the setting for this photograph I am envious. The light challenge will be interesting to not cast shadows on the wall from the flash lighting the people up and the perspective could be difficult because the left wall in the photograph appears to be leaning outward. This could be a fun and challenging shoot. I think in the end you're going to really improve your game a lot by figuring this conundrum out.

The bigger the light source the softer the light.
If you could set up some sort of transparent wall on the right - such as a white sheet - to shoot your lights through you wuld creat wonderful soft light from the right to compliment the light coming from the windo on the left.
You'll be surprised what you can achieve with bounce flash. Put a reflector directly behind and above you and one of your flashes on camera (or on a stand behind you) pointing at the reflector and bouncing back.
Consider also lighting from the top of the stairs.
Great sertting with so much potential.
The danger is hotspots.
Try and get an opportunity to practive there.

I am thinking that if I shoot in manual I could expose for the ambient light and use a little fill flash on the subjects.I could put a reflector high and to the right and bounce a speedlight off of it like I was shooting with a big softbox. Would that work and probably eliminate or soften shadows on the wall?

Get white cardboard/plastic/styrofoam if you must, rubber band a pizza slice of it to each flash and just bounce away.

With the reflectors and the flashes you will be good.

Bounce 2 of your flashes on the ceiling and one with a diffuser right over the camera for fill-in. You should be fine Jeff. Just make certain that you do some tests and balance the fill-in to your taste.

I would like to add something. I did a shoot on some steps and have to admit the composition was very challenging. It was a family of about 8 people and getting everyone suitably in frame going up stairs was difficult for me. You will have to consider everyone's height PLUS family hierarchy plays a role as well.

I'm sure you will do great with this. I just wanted to add my piece.

Curious - sitting or standing and why there?

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This might make for a fun photograph shooting down from above with the spiral of the stairwell.

Bill4282 said:

Curious - sitting or standing and why there?

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Probably standing and the reason we picked there is because it is near to where they live and is different from all the other well used locations.

I ended up getting three 45 inch umbrellas and from what I see playing with them they work very well. My family shoot will be on Monday and I am expecting things to go well. I will let everyone know next week how it turned out.

you will do it Jeff

Just enjoy yourself Jeff and remember that their expressions is more important than the perfect lighting. You have to be relaxed and keep them happy even if you have to fake it.