Portrait photos
Richards
> Does anyone have any suggestions as to where I'll find good advice on
> low light portraits?
>
> I want to take the sort of photos that have the subject half in
> shadow, but with some features highlighted.
>
> When I use my digital, it tries to expose the whole scene, and if I
> have the light so subdued that I get the right effect then it's hard
> to see what I'm doing.
>
> Am I best off using spot metering and shooting in really low light, or
> would it be better to just create the effect using software after the
> photo is taken ??
>
> Bob T.
If I understand the question right, you're really asking how to expose
for *high contrast* lighting. Normally, some portion of the photo is
exposed *correctly*, i.e. the normally lit side of the average caucasian
face is exposed at zone 6 (1 stop more open than the meter indicates).
The *shadow* side is lit to give a contrast ratio of 1:4 to 1:6, or
2-1/2 to 3-1/2 stops less exposure than the high light side of the face.
When I setup for that type of shot, I use a hand held reflective light
meter to measure the high-light side of the face, then open up one stop
from the indicated reading. Then I adjust the shadow side (move the
lights back) until the shadow side of the face is about two stops less,
giving me a three stop difference between the highlight side and the
shawdow side.
If you adjust the lights carefully, and have the main light set to give
a *rim light* effect, you might get the overall effect that you want.
Patrick L.
"Bob Thomas" <bo...@REMOVEmelbpc.org.auCAPITALS> wrote in message
news:6cs1nvglhbo0l4d7l...@4ax.com...
>
> Does anyone have any suggestions as to where I'll find good advice on
> low light portraits?
>
> I want to take the sort of photos that have the subject half in
> shadow, but with some features highlighted.
>
Like this?
http://www.beatphoto.com/selfportrait.htm
I shot this very easily using only one studio flash head, bounced of an
umbrella, set to F/8, at a 45 degree angle from the camera, high on the
light stand. Camera was set to F/8, of course. A soft box might be a bit
better, though I have yet to use one, but I'm going to buy a set of them,
soon.
Patrick
Richards
> On Wed, 24 Sep 2003 07:02:08 -0600, Richards <mi...@xmission.com>
> wrote:
>
>
>>>Am I best off using spot metering and shooting in really low light, or
>>>would it be better to just create the effect using software after the
>>>photo is taken ??
>>>
>>>Bob T.
>>
>>If I understand the question right, you're really asking how to expose
>>for *high contrast* lighting. Normally, some portion of the photo is
>>exposed *correctly*, i.e. the normally lit side of the average caucasian
>>face is exposed at zone 6 (1 stop more open than the meter indicates).
>>The *shadow* side is lit to give a contrast ratio of 1:4 to 1:6, or
>>2-1/2 to 3-1/2 stops less exposure than the high light side of the face.
>
>
> in those terms but I guess that high contrast does describe it.
>
>>When I setup for that type of shot, I use a hand held reflective light
>>meter to measure the high-light side of the face, then open up one stop
>
>>from the indicated reading. Then I adjust the shadow side (move the
>
>>lights back) until the shadow side of the face is about two stops less,
>>giving me a three stop difference between the highlight side and the
>>shawdow side.
>>
>>If you adjust the lights carefully, and have the main light set to give
>>a *rim light* effect, you might get the overall effect that you want.
>
>
> the one in the camera - but I might be able to do that using different
> reading on the camera. I had been thinking of it in a different way,
> but now that you talk in terms of the difference between the two sides
> I guess it doesn't matter so much how light there actually is as long
> as there is a marked difference between the two sides.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Bob T.
I think that you've got it. Except in documentary photography and
photojournalism, the photographer is responsible for creating an image
that conveys his/her impression of the subject. To me, a properly
exposed image has some detail in the highlights and some detail in the
showdows. Knowledge of light and metering helps in determining the
proper exposure.
A hand held meter is very easy to use. In reflective mode, it measures
a neutral gray (18% gray card - the same value as the gray card sold by
Kodak). With a little expermentation, the photographer soon learns how
to adjust the exposure to compensate for the desired result, i.e. if the
subject is caucasian, and the phototographer reads the reflectance from
the highlight side of the face, the photographer would normally give one
stop more exposure to the photograph. If the subject were darker, an
American Indian, or an African American, the photographer would normally
use the indicated exposure, or stop the lens down one stop. In either
case, the photographer would have to adjust the exposure based upon the
subject. It's really very easy. If the subject is lighter than a gray
card, the photographer would open the lens. If the subject is the same
as a gray card, the photographer would use the indicated reading. If
the subject is darker than the gray card, the photographer would stop
the lens down a little. Unless I can totally control the area that a
relective meter reads, I prefer to use an incident meter.
Using an incident meter (my prefered meter for most scenes), the
photographer would normally just use the indicated exposure. Again, a
little expermentation, with very accurate notes, would help.
Adjusting the contrast of the photo gives *tone* or *feeling* to the
photo. Normally, I use a contrast ratio of 1:2 - 1:3 for most portraits
to most accurately reproduce the full tones in the image. Raising the
contrast ration to 1:4 - 1:6 is possible, but reduces the accuracy of
the image. If that is the effect desired, then a little expermentation
will help the photographer learn exactly *how* to create the desired effect.