Large windows may affect the lighting throughout the day. You may need to take further meter reading.
Ceiling lights will impact on the overall lighting of the studio, especially around the green screen area.
Lighting behind the green screen from signs, windows etc. that affect different area of the green screen.

Power Supply

Adequate power sockets with correct voltage for lights and laptop.
Ideally at the Camera end of the studio.
Extensions can be used but we should ensure wires are not running through a busy area.

Access

Will anyone need access, ensure your studio is not a throughway for toilets/kitchen etc.
!Never block an emergency exit!

Marketing – Registration Area

Adequate space for banners.
One or two tables with black table cloth to layout products.
Space for parents and children to queue safely.

2. What You Need To Build Your Green Screen Studio

Photographer

1 x Green Screen 1 x Blue Screen 2 x Support Stands 1 x Cross Beam 2 x Cameras (1 for Back Up) 2 X Lenses (1 for Back Up) 1 x Battery Grip 1 x SD Card 1 x Shutter Release Trigger 2 x US Camera to Laptop tethering leads (1 for back up) 1 x Camera Bag to fit 2 Cameras 1 x Battery Charger 3 x Camera Batteries 1 x Sturdy Tripod 2 x Laptops (1 for back up) 1 x Laptop Bag (to fit 2 Laptops) 1 x External Hard Drive or Large USB Stick (32gb should suffice) 4 x Studio Lights (2 for Back up) 2 x Umbrellas Black with white inlay 2 x Light Stands 1 x Light Meter ( Club legends use Sekonic L-308s) 1 x Tape Measure 1 x Masking Tape Green Matt 2 x Green Matt Stools 1 x Slip Matt 1 x Clip Board & Pens 2 x 10ft 4 Socket Extensions 1 x Team Sheets (Optional) 1 x Schedule

Photo Day Marketing Products

Sample Photo Pack – Pack D Sample Photos for Display Banner – 1x Generic 1 x Photo shoot Specific Flyers for Parents 2 X Black Table Cloths

Photo Day Admin

Team Sheets 1 x Clip Board 4 x Pens 1 x High Lighter Pens

3. Studio Set Up – Green Screen

Green Screen

Open the Green Screen lay it on the floor.
Fully extend both stands, ensuring the leg are fully extended so they are parallel to the floor for stability & safety.
Lay the stands down either side of the green screen. With the crossbar along the top.
Attach screen to stands and the crossbar with Velcro fasteners whilst screen is on the floor.
Stand the Green Screen up into position, this may take two people.

Camera & Tripod

Ensure camera is ready before you attach to tripod.

Club Legends Camera Settings	Agreed Freelance Photographer Settings
Camera Type NikonD7200	Camera Type-
ISO 160	ISO
Aperture F9	Aperture
Shutter Speed 160	Shutter Speed
White Balance 5560k	White Balance
Quality Jpg, Large, Fine	Quality

Approximate image dimensions need to be 6000 x 4000 pixels. Set individual camera to the closest dimensions possible.

Attach Skyport trigger to hotshoe.
Plug in shutter release trigger and tethercable for laptop.
Set up tripod with legs extended using the lowers extenders only.
Camera height should be approximately 1 metre from the floor.
Attach the camera to the tripod.
Flip tripod head to portrait position.
Do not increase the height of the centre pole, this reduces stability of the tripod.

It is VITAL that the camera does not move or focal length is changed during the shoot, this will cause inconsistencies making the group photo automation impossible.

Measure & Mark Out Your Studio

When you are happy with a suitable area for your studio, you can start to measure and mark out the floor plan.

To start, measure 13ft from green screen to camera.

Use masking tape to mark the position of the green screen and lights when in position.

Mark the bottom of the green screen horizontally (3ft piece will do).
The centre of the green screen.
Where the stands are located (the markings will help retain the correct position when turning to screen to blue).
Mark 3ft in front of the centre of the green screen where the foot-mats will go.
Also mark 2ft in front of the centre of the green screen (for tall subjects).
The position of the foot-mats.

Lights

Open out the light stands with leg support parallel to the floor for stability.
Extend the light stand to approx. 1.82M (72”) (floor to light)
Place lights slightly wide of the green screen and forward of the camera.

Measurements

70M (5.6ft) Lights to camera
3M (10ft) lights to green screen
6M (8.5ft) lights to subject

When the lights are in the correct position,

Direct the lights to the outer side of the screen, left side to left and right side to the right.
Careful not to angle lights to floor, keep them tilted at approximately half way up the green screen.
Mark the position of the light stands with a small piece of masking tape.

4. Lighting and Test Images

Before you take any photographs of the children you need to create a Test File and check the lighting of the Green Screen.

Create Test Images

Open your current job
Go to New Group, create a new group called Test
Create a new subject within the Test group and call it Test 1.
You can use the Test Images to check your lighting and check the framing within the green screen.

Lighting Overlay

The lighting of the green screen needs to be correct for the photographs to be cut-out in our software.

Use your light meter to get the correct lighting and take some images.

Use the lighting overlay in Photolink to check the green screen is lit correctly.

Access the Lighting Overlay in Photolink

Double click the test image, this takes you to the image check tab.
Click on the crop symbol and select the relevant overlay (green or blue lighting overlay) from the drop down box to the left.
Check that the lighting of the screen falls within the acceptable range, adjusting lights if necessary.

Framing Overlay

Use the crop overlay to ensure you only see green inside the thick green border (anything other than green will not cut out and the photo will not work in our software.

Get as much of the green screen within the border as possible to allow for the smallest to tallest person.

The image will be cropped around the white border, anything outside or touching of this white border will be lost.

Ensure you can only see green within the thick green border on the photo overlay.

Taking the Photograph

In order for us to cut-out and automate the photographs we must adhere to a strict set of guidelines. Any photographs taken that do not meet these requirements will be unusable in our software.

Posing Sample Images

Posing should always be decided by us (not the club) before the Photo Day. Football and rugby work best when kept simple. Dance is often a little more creative.

Posing Guidelines

Keep shoulders straight – leaning can create problems at the cut-out stage, even leaning a few degrees is a problem. The vertical lines on the grid should help.
No tilting heads this can also effect the group photo.
Feet should be at 45% angle, use the markings on floor-mats.
Usually two photo per person one angle to left and one angled to right.
When folding arms try to make sure hands are tucked out of the way and fingers are not sticking out. Folding arms can be a bit tricky for younger children, they may need a bit of help.
All the children should be neat and tidy!
Coaches usually decided if they are to have tops tucked in or out. The group photograph will look better if all the team are the same.
Drawstring should be tucked away and sock should be pull up and even.

Framing & Using The Green Mats

Ideally we would like the image to be from mid calf up. Use the floor-mats on younger teams to raise the smaller children getting more of them in shot.

Floor-mats must not be changed half way through a team, if you start shooting U9’s on floor-mats make sure all other U9 team members are photographed on the same height mat.

Keep a note of which height floor-mat each team is on, it’s difficult to remember if you get children from same teams coming at different times of the day.

When setting up, make sure you allow for your smallest to tallest person in that club, you should already know what age the children are from the schedule.

Keep the shoulders straight, use the grid on the overlay to ensure the subject is not leaning.

Your subject should never be outside or touching the thinner white line on the overlay.

Focal Length

Once the focal length has been set it must not be changed throughout the photoshoot, even if the photoshoot runs over two sessions the focal length must remain the same.

Never move the focal length once the camera is setup. The focal length of the images must remain the same for the software to work.
Where possible shoot with a shutter release trigger and try not to touch the camera once it is set up.
If possible use a battery grip, this will minimise camera movement throughout the shoot, especially on longer days.
If the focal length is moved ensure the exact focal length is recorded and matched before you start taking any further photographs.
If there is a catch up session, ensure the focal length is recorded from the first session and matched for the second session.(You can do this by comparing focal length in image properties (meta data) from the first shoot and the second shoot.)

In the example above players 5 & 7 appear larger because the focal length was different to the rest of the team when the photograph was taken. It is VITAL that the camera does not move or focal length is changed during the shoot, this will cause inconsistencies making the group photo automation impossible.

Image Cut-Out Problems

Our software will cut-out any part of the subject which matches the screen behind them, therefore subjects must remove unnecessary green/blue items (bracelets, hair bands etc).
Green shirts or shirts with green logos & badges, must be photographed against the colour they have least of, mark it down on the correction sheet.
If you are unable to avoid glare on glasses, take two photos, one with glasses on and one without.Mark this on your correction sheet.If the child does not wear glasses when playing their sport you could suggest they remove them for the photo.
The arms of glasses can act as a reflective surface and reflect the screen, especially the wider ones. This causes problems with the cut-out, mark down any glasses on your correction sheet.
If a child has any blemishes, cut, grazes or tears to their strip that would prevent a sale, mark them down on the correction sheet for retouching.

Common Problems While Taking the Photograph

Taking Photos Under Wrong Name

If you still have the subject in front of you and are able to take the photo again under the right name, do just that!
If the subject has gone before you notice, drag the photo onto the correct name and add the name to your correction sheet for renaming after the shoot.

Spelling Mistakes

If you notice the spelling mistake before you take the photograph it can be corrected in Photolink by adding a new a new subject with correct spelling and capitalisation (this must be exact) and deleting the old one.
If you notice after you have taken the photograph, add the name to your correction sheet for renaming after the shoot.
The correct name also needs to be amended on the team sheets.

Deleting

Any unsuitable images must be deleted before you take the next photograph.
If you do not delete in order the images will be incorrectly named and will be missed during the automation.
Add any undeleted images to your correction sheet for renaming after the shoot.
When deleting an image ensure you have clicked on the image and not the subject name, if you are on the subject name, the subject will be deleted and you will have to add a new subject and re-enter the exact details.

Adding A New Team/Group

Go to ‘New Group’ add in the name at the team with the correct spelling and capitalisation according to the other team names.
Ensure all the details of the new subjects are added to the team sheets.

Adding A New or Missing Team

Ensure you are on the correct team, go to New Subject, add the team members name and take the photograph.
Ensure the new details are also added to the team sheets.

When Child Plays for a Different Team

If you find out before you take the photo you can simply drag and drop the child’s name from one team to another.
If you find out after you have taken the photo, add the details to the correction sheet and move the image after the shoot.
Ensure the updated details are added to the team sheet.

Correction Sheets & Name Change Slips

Correction sheets should be used when an error occurs that needs to be correct after the Photo Day. This can be

Photographing a child under the wrong name. The names will need to be changed later. This is essential as the parents will get the wrong images.

An error in framing which will affect the cut out of the images.

A cut out problem like a green logo for a full team.

Someone has green top and blue socks.

If you have taken more than two photographs and not deleted in order.

Anything that may affect the cut out & automation. If in doubt, note it down!

Name Change Slip

Admin should use these when a child is not on our Team Sheet and therefore not in Photolink. The photographer can add them by creating a ‘New Subject’ in the relevant team.

They can also be used for spelling errors, admin should complete the slip, give it to the child to pass on to the photographer. Photographer will then create a ‘New Subject’ and delete the incorrect subject. (ensuring the details are 100% correct).

6. Admin Tasks

Admin Role

Your admin person will most likely be the first point of contact on Photo Day. Good communication between photographer and assistant is essential.

Correct spelling of names.
Check parents/carers email and phone numbers.
Keep the flow of children into the studio. Ask team managers to assist with this if possible.
If they have time, ensure children are presentable.
Communicate with the photographer, any changes to be made before the photograph is taken.
Complete Name Change Slips for photographers new subjects.
Give information on products and hand out leaflet.
Talk to parents about what will happen after Photo Day, how they will get photos, how long it will take etc.

Example Team Sheet

No’	Age Group	First Name	Last Name	Mobile Contact 1	Parents Email	ADMIN ONLY
1	U7 Comets	Alex	Young	07771234569	stubarnsmith@hotmail.com	Tally
2	U7 Comets	Jamie	Smith			/
3	U7 Comets	Alex	Waters
4	U7 Comets	Miles	Bell	07736020272	michael.b.12@gmail.com
5	U7 Comets	Zak	Hanson
6	U7 Comets	Charlie	Bilson	07736951357	danny.r.harry@hotmail.com
7	U7 Comets	Joe	Connor	07512369158	lesconnor69@hotmail.com
8	U7 Comets	Henry	Harrison	7913258741	gillharris258@hotmail.co.uk
9
10

7. Health & Safety

Safe Environment

Always ensure the route to the studio is free from wires or any other tripping hazards. Provide enough space for adults and children to walk through without knocking into your equipment

Wires tucked safely out of the way.
Wires should never running through the studio or through a busy area.
Stands should always have the legs fully extended so they are parallel with the floor.
Try to block off areas that will not be used……children will look for any small space to squeeze past.
Try to avoid parents and children coming behind the camera for a “quick Look”.

Controlling the Flow

The path to your studio should be clear of obstacles and safe for children.
If the room gets too busy, suggest that other teams wait in a separate area. A loud busy studio is not ideal for safety but also not conducive to getting a good images.
The ideal situation would be that team mangers/coaches gather all the children together and bring them to you all ready, neat and tidy. This doesn’t always happen!!

Hazards of Working with Children

Although we don’t want to take the fun out of a Photo Day we need to ensure safety for the children and your photography equipment. Don’t hesitate to politely ask the children or even the parents move to a different area of the room.

Kicking and bouncing balls.
Running around.
Playing near your equipment.
Wanting to see their images on screen.
Parents taking photographs behind the photographer.

8. End of Day Tasks

Backing Up

Back up your images to a external hard drive or UBS stick. By opening the job folder and copy the appropriate folder.
Store your back up in a separate bag to your laptop.

Leaving the Building

Always leave the room as you found it.
Return table & chairs and any other equipment used.
Ensure all masking tape is removed from the floor carefully.
Close the windows you opened throughout the day.
If you have keys return them to the key holder and let someone know that you are leaving.

9. Who to Contact

IT Problems

Laptop Problems
Error messages in Photolink
Error message in Digicam

Call Ben Harrison 07742 240724

Photography& Other Problems

Lighting Issues
Camera Issues
Data problems
Access to building

Call Sue Carruthers 07736071373

10. Check Lists & Layout

Set Up Quick Check List

Set up studio making sure all measurements are correct.

Ensure laptop & lights power is turned on.

Ensure camera and trigger are turned on.

Take meter readings. Aperture F9, Shutter Speed 160, ISO 160 (CL set up).

Image quality, Jpg, Large, Fine. Approximate dimensions 6000 x 4000 pixels (CL set up)

White Balance 5560k (CL set up).

Take test shot.

Compare test shot against green screen and crop overlay.

Posing Check List

Fingers tucked away, when folding arms.

Socks pulled up and even.

Draw strings tucked in.

Hair neat and ask children to move out of eyes if covering face.

Tops in or out – all team the same, coaches usually decided.

Skins/ thermal vests on or off, coaches to decide.

Contents

1. What You Need From Your Location

Space Required

Lighting