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ragamuffingirlComment by dwterry: I'd probably dodge the faces of the people in the back just to bring the exposure closer together.
One problem with light is that it diminishes with the square of the distance. So the further away the people in the back are from the light, as compared to the distance from the light to the people in front, the darker they are going to be.
Two ways to combat this before you ever take the picture: 1) Keep the distance between the rows of people as minimal as possible, and 2) Move your lights further away from the front row.
Explanation of #2: Let's say your lights are 3 feet away from the front row and there is a 3 foot separation between the front row and the back. That means the lights are 6 feet away from the back row. Remember the square of the distance rule? Twice as far away means 1/4 the light.
Now, if the lights are 6 feet away, and the rows are still separated by 3 feet, the differential is 6' versus 9' and that means about 1/2 the light falls on the back row (instead of 1/4). See the difference?
So if you can keep the rows closer together, and move the light further away, the light fall-off will be easier to correct in post.
Keep in mind that the further the light is away from the people, the more it turns into a point-source-of-light which means ... you guessed it ... harsh shadows! So it's a balancing act. Close enough to keep the light soft. Far enough to keep the light even.
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