lights ...
Michael binder
i would like to ask you to give me some tips for fna photography regarding
background, lighting... is it a good idea to use 2 flashes as
lights and 2 brollies? does it work? has somebody got experience?
michael
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Peter Madeley
from mbi...@hotmail.com (Michael binder) contains these words:
> hy folks,
> i would like to ask you to give me some tips for fna photography regarding
> background, lighting... is it a good idea to use 2 flashes as
> lights and 2 brollies? does it work? has somebody got experience?
> michael
I use just two lights at present. One (GN40) to light the subject and
the other (GN 36) as an effects light for backgrounds or hair/rim
lighting. Using one light on the subject simplifies the lighting and
you get around the problem of dark shadows by using white and silver
reflector boards. For the type of work I do, single portraits and
small fmaily grooups I have no problem getting an aperture of f5.6
even when using brollies and softboxes. Obviously if I were working
in a larger studio with larger sets and the lights futher away then
more power would be useful. If you get hold of the Pro-lighting
Portraits book you will notice that much of the work in there is done
with just one or two lights. My setup can be used to produce both
high and low key according to the way the lights are set up. I also
can use it for copying flat artwork with two heads with brollies at
45o to the copywork. You have the basis of a powerful starter system.
Only trouble is once you really get into it, you'll start to want
more power. If you are thinking about using this sort of setup on a
commercial basis shooting portraits all day, I would sugggest you get
the best flash system you can afford. Other threads here this week
suggest manufacturers.
----------------- background
\ background light
(0) subject
C / camera and main light at 45o to subject to put
triangle of light onto cheek in shadow
This basic set up is nice for single person portraiture, particularly
men. For a female portrait I would also use a reflector on the
opposite side to the main light to put some reflected light back into
the shadow area.
----------------- background
\ background light
(0) subject
\
refl. \ C /
For beauty photography or to reduce the effect of facial blemishes,
long nose etc., put the flash head directly over the camera looking
down on the subject. Put a larger silver reflector on the subject
knees and tip it towards them. You shoot between the gap made by the
main light (above camera) and reflector (below it). I can't use text
characters to show this diagram, sorry.
If you were lighting a larger group ie a family, then you need to set
up a main light and a fill light. This lighting setup uses a broad
sweep of light so the background is not lit separately
----------------- background
(0) (0)(0)
(0)(0) subjects
\ C /
main fill
The fill light gives a broad illumination and if used alone would
give a flat lighting with as few shadows as poss. and underexpose the
shot by about 1 stop. Put the fill as close to the camera as
possible. the main light is used to create modelling across the face
and must be 1 stop brighter than the fill. to create the modelling,
put the main light at about 45o to the camera angle. Again look for
the triangle of light on the shadow side of the face (you may need to
turn out the fill ight to see this clearly). (This is where a 3rd
light would be useful to light the hair or background). Set your
camera to the aperture of the two lights firing together.
I won't go into the possibilities for one light as they are almost
endless. You can also start to experiment with other attachments such
as snoots, honeycomb and also bare lights to get more creative
portrait effects.
If you are using brollies remember than shooting through creates a
harder light and this can give problems with the contrast between
highlights and shadows, and boucing off brollies esp white, gives a
softer, broader light where the contrast is more controlled and the
shadows tend to be softer edged.
The best tip I was given was to look at other peoples work and try to
guess what lighting had been used to create that effect. Even a
fashion magazine can reveal surpiring amounts of photographic know
how when you start to LOOK FOR THE LIGHT. Let that be your motto when
you start to use your flash kit.
--
Peter (DPS Design & Photography Services)
Treat every day as if it were your last
'Cos one day you'll be right
Regards and happy shooting
Pete Dixon
KKnieriem
culture.
Steve1chsn
>culture.
And thank you for renewing my faith in the AOL users penchant for not quoting
the post to which they are responding
**** steve ****