You all pretty much nailed it. Some of you have some interesting ways to approach this scene! Wow, now that my dream team of lighting guru's, I need to do this more often! Thanks for all your input and for some great ideas! Check out my results....

Interesting comments - personally I would like underpowered flash tucked away shooting up through the 3 tiers of the umbrella (bottom right) gelled if appropriate. Think this would give a nice diffused light around the seating area with a suitable complimentary effect for the umbrella and dangly things. I like the suggestion of lighting the palm tree but also the sea which would make great shots for the top left area. If you thought carefully about angled placement of flash using the flower stand (to the right of the palm and set back) you'd get the best of palm and seating, if not sea or second dedicated unit for sea. Everyone's leaning toward lighting the veiled parasols - which would be nice. Not sure how to go about this - if tucked up inside the roof would be the right way to go. Would like to think that subtle lighting to the inside of the veil shooting up to the top of the parasol would give enough to the inside and overspill to the dance floor. My thoughts - but hey - I am not worthy!

Aside from making those three huts pop.... Will the DJ lights be gelled? If not Matt, I'd break out the red-or-orange-gelled-flash-on-a-monopod that you blogged about a couple months ago. Aim that down on a key figure or two on the dance floor. Also, depending on how much you kill the ambient, throw a strobe or two out toward the ocean.

I assume you're asking how we'd do it with access to equipment like yours. Some of us are poor and can only dream of a sack full of SB-800's and PWs. 1/2 CTOs under the tiki shelters. And I kinda like the strobe lighting up the palm idea. Maybe 1/4 CTO. Keep it all dialed down so we don't kill the sunset, candles, or colored dance floor lights. We'll be using your sexiest primes, so we wont need too much flash. If we find a situation where we need some extra, or want to white light, we can add it as needed.

wow guys!..., I have to say you are all creative... My Matt did pretty good... he anticipate the moment & the light and plan a strategy to shoot some really cool shoots, wait to see the next post... :) I'm glad to see some participation with great ideas!! keep it coming!

My first thought was to hide some flashes under the umbrellas, bouncing the light off the undersides. A flash pointed up the side of the palm tree on the left. And depending on where exactly the DJ's lights are pointed, lighting up the seats one the left and right would help with the black hole effect when the sun sets.

light diagonally across the dancefloor with two lights, one stop difference. then use those free colored diffusers the venue has so thoughtfully provided as backlight or accent. best to have that light on a separate channel, so you can turn it off if it gets annoying.or just have an assistant run in there from time to time with an extra strobe. on camera flash for fill.

Mind you, I dont have as much toys are you folks but if I did, I would probably hide some flashes all the umbrellas, possibly underneath the tables with some gels more so if there are big crowds around the couches and back light the crowd and if I could somehow maybe rig one or two on the lights, tree (to light up the tree and not the people) and or speakers and just have my usual floater assistant with a flash in hand. ~Kris

Well I reccon the shoot would be closer to the evening time or at least I hope it would be. One thing I would say... Try putting some flashes in each litlle hut facing toward the ground at 1/2 or 1/4 power so that as you make each shot from the other side of the dance floor you get any body that might be in there makin out, or enjoying some drinks with the combo of pink or orange coming from the little huts.

Hi Is there anybody to see the...sea ? I'll try to find a point of view not too much cluttered to have a piece of sea in the field and ask the assistant to point a flash on it. Next the pink and orange tent must pop so a barebulb attached pretty close to their roof. This is not a lightning dancefloor ? I'll stick two flash on speakers aimed 45° to the floor cause it seems enough reflective. Definitely i'll kill dj lights that can give a awful mix of colors on skin tones. But a bit of semi-long exposures would be nice too.

Just some thoughts. Not quite clear on everything but here goes. It looks like the dance floor will have more than enough light. What catches my attention are the three huts and the colour drapes hanging down from them. I'm thinking pop some flashes into the roof of the hut firing into the coloured drapes toward the dance floor. Let the dancefloor lights take care of the main light and let the coloured drape lights and the colour and ambience.

might be fun to send a monkey (assistant?) up that palm tree with a flash - leave it up there and have it fire through the leaves as a cookie towards the dance floor action.

For the dance floor I'd use a flash on a stick (or in hand) and drag the shutter to emphasize movement and action. The colored lights will look awesome in the background. The huts would ideally be lit with a single strobe in the center of the ceiling pointed down... the colored curtains should be fun compositional elements. The sitting areas with a flash from the nearest DJ light. ditto on the palm tree

My 2 cents: I'd place the first 3 lights under the little huts pointed up, stopped down a stop or so. I'm still wondering about this one, but I'd have one bungeed high up on the top left palm tree pointed at the seats on the bottom right. I'd probably gel that orange, especially if the sun is setting in that direction. I'd have an assistant hold the 5th light.

I think it was mentioned in one of the above comments but I would clamp three strobes under the umbrellas shooting up if you got enough useful light bouncing back down or pointed down diffused and lightly gelled a stop or less below your main lights (the stage lights for example) just to add some depth for an establishing overhead shot.

are you shooting it for advertising as it sits or full of people? if full of people/in use - pick a target on the dance floor having fun & spotlight them, work a light toward the tables to bring some detail out...maybe even get down at the level and let the view go to show close up someone having fun if as it sits for advertising - i love the idea of waiting for sunset, turn the dj lights on to create some patters/flava on the dance floor (music on for flava for the crew :) throw some lights under the canopy thingys to open them up, make 'em look inhabitable, brighten some details on the tables (especially the one in the lower right). i like idea of lighting the palm tree another observation - the tent thingy's look superimposed, as does the umbrella thingy in the lower right hand corner.

I'm with Ken, the dj lights should be enough with some held in hand off cam flash for a bit of fill. I thing the huts with pink and orange material should have light, at night they'd look great lit up; and the flash on a stick idea is a good one too.

Hola Mateo, Assuming the reception will be after the sunsets with the goal to eliminate black holes to give your photos depth. With the help of an assistant (flash on a stick) to give you the most possibility/flexibility through out the night I would: - back light or place flash 45 degrees from your subject with the umbrellas - Would not worry about the dance floor existing lighting will suffice - Not sure what’s on the opposite side of the beach (behind hotel/venue?) use the mix lighting and fill subject with flash (on a stick) from above subject - For guest sitting on couches and not appearing obtrusive have assistant off to your side 45 degrees - Light up the palm tree from below with a gel to create a mood ~lorenz

I might be crazy here... but I wouldn't do anything. With lights on all four corners of the dance floor what more do you need for drama other than some fill on camera from time to time? (Nicely done Antonio... much better than I could do in Portugese!)

5 lights...since I know you have them and that many pw's. My main would be where ever you are standing to take this photo...I presume theres shrubbery that you are standing in, so I'd ball bungee it to the tree behind you. I'd stick the kicker light on the stands with the DJ's lights to the left. Those DJ lights are heavy, and are not as prone to be knocked over by guests (besides, those speakers may be covered with drinks by the end of the night...not a good place for a flash.) The last 3 flashes would be under each umbrella to add ambiance...and some "flavor." Smack some pretty gels on em and you've got a sweet setup. Great post.

One flash inside the umbrella on our left straight up to give light to the people that would be around there and shape for the pictures which should be taken from the candles place. Another one on the top of the palm tree on our left directed to the center of the dance area. A third one from our right besides the shooter with little power. I would try to take advantages from the light spots on the far right which I thing make colored lights randomly. I would change my point of shooting from my own height to the ground - or near it - and just 0,5 meter above me using the bench. I hope I made myself understand. :)

Well - here's my take - The dance floor seems to be covered with the DJ's set-up, all four corners are covered, so I wouldn't focus on that. I'd meter my camera 1.5 to 2.5 stops below ambient, and set the on camera flash at -2 or -3. - Instead I'd work on the background - Mount one strobe in the Palm firing up to light that. - Put another strobe on the front right speaker pointed at the seats (dialed way down) to cover them - finally have my assistant walk around with a flash on a stick set at 0 or +1 as the main light. They would be at a 90° angle to the subject for a nice side light effect. The settings are a ball park and subject to change. Finally I'd wait for the sun to set for a panorama money shot from this exact location. All with SB800's using Nikon's System of course.