Portrait Lighting Techniques - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

06/25/2007 01:57:21 AM · #1

How about a quick sharing of portrait lighting techniques in the form of "show and tell"? I'll start with one of mine, but please jump in and share your own.

Here's an image, but before I tell you the answer, how about guessing the number and position of the lights in this image:

Sunniee

Canon EOS-40D

06/25/2007 02:00:59 AM · #2

I'm guessing 4 lights.... one on the background, one on the hair, one to her right.... softbox or window, and one front left???

06/25/2007 02:04:47 AM · #3

Very good Michelle. Yes, and the clues are these:

1 & 2) Two lights in her eyes, a large one on the left indicates a large softbox (5 foot, btw) that is close to her and a smaller one which is almost straight on is a smaller 24" softbox back behind the camera.

3) Light on top of her head indicates a hair light (just another strobe but with a long skinny softbox with a grid to control spillage).

4) And the light around the back edges of her hair. For this I had a small, unmodified, strobe pointing straight at her head. I used her body to shield it from the camera.

Message edited by author 2007-06-25 02:05:19.

06/25/2007 02:12:34 AM · #4

Your turn (anyone). Show and tell. :-)

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

06/25/2007 02:18:21 AM · #5

I'll play this game, although this is the only studio shot I've got on here that has more than one light, and it's a very common setup, although possibly done in an unconventional way for some:

David, you beat me to it with the answer...

I was thinking 5 though, Key off to your left, smaller fill above the camera and slightly right, hair, rim and backdrop. I assume the backdrop has the light splotch printed on it?

Edit: botched the image link.

Message edited by author 2007-06-25 02:18:54.

Sunniee

Canon EOS-40D

06/25/2007 02:23:04 AM · #6

3 lights?
2 background, 1 front left?

06/25/2007 02:25:40 AM · #7

Originally posted by Sunniee:

3 lights?
2 background, 1 front left?

Nup. :-)

I'll see if anyone else guesses it, but It's obvious if you know that I didn't use a white backdrop...

06/25/2007 02:47:33 AM · #8

You were right about the splotch on my background, it's painted that way so there was no extra light shining there.

On yours... Hmmm, I only see one light in her eyes, so there can only be one in the front (left of camera). And you mentioned not using a white background, so you must be blowing out the background by pointing a strobe at it, so that's two. But I'm undecided whether you needed a hair light or not. I'm guessing you had so much light bouncing around in there that a hair light wasn't necessary.

Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 Di II LD Aspherical (IF) for Nikon

06/25/2007 10:17:23 AM · #9

Just bumping to see if there is any interesting in doing more of these.

wsl

Nikon D80

06/25/2007 10:31:51 AM · #10

I ran across this thread at modelmayhem in the photographer section. They even have pdf version of the threads so its permanently backed up. I learned alot by looking the the diagram and the photo afterwards to see the results. Might be an interesting read for some

Check here

Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 Di II LD Aspherical (IF) for Nikon

06/25/2007 10:32:17 AM · #11

i'd like t o picth in ifi had more portrait lighting experience, currently i am relying on my SB-600 flash, and 3 big 500 W projectors.
so i hope this thread will have more contributors to help me improve.

anyway, here is my go at portrait lighting

can anyone guess the setup?

Nusbaum

Fujifilm X-T1

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

06/25/2007 10:42:14 AM · #12

for zaflabout...

I see an interesting catch light there. A dot (bare flash) and square (reflector maybe) to left of camera. I also see what looks like a big reflector (wall of foam core) to right of camera/subject.

am I close?

Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 Di II LD Aspherical (IF) for Nikon

06/25/2007 10:47:55 AM · #13

nope actually quite simpler than this,

2x500 wats projectors on why right side, and one 500 watt projector behind me.

my main objective was to make the eyes pop without post processing, i think i was able to accomplish that on the expense of the over exposed area under the right eye (left in the picture).

Message edited by author 2007-06-25 10:50:13.

Nusbaum

Fujifilm X-T1

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

06/25/2007 11:10:45 AM · #14

Originally posted by zaflabout:

so the square catch light is a 500 watt projector?

Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 Di II LD Aspherical (IF) for Nikon

06/25/2007 11:17:30 AM · #15

it's actually 2 of them next to each other

06/25/2007 11:17:34 AM · #16

Originally posted by zaflabout:

VERY NICE! You positioned him perfectly so you get the inverted triangle on his left cheek. :-)

So what do you mean by projector? As in the kind you hook up to your computer to project images onto the wall?

Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 Di II LD Aspherical (IF) for Nikon

06/25/2007 11:19:35 AM · #17

Originally posted by dwterry:

Originally posted by zaflabout:

VERY NICE! You positioned him perfectly so you get the inverted triangle on his left cheek. :-)

So what do you mean by projector? As in the kind you hook up to your computer to project images onto the wall?

oops my bad, i use the term projector to refer to the big halogen lamp they use for outdoor lighting in building.

so basically it's 2 big 500 w outdoor halogen lamps :)

and hence i need to learn more about this stuff to learn about the technical terms, sorry guys!

Message edited by author 2007-06-25 11:20:19.

Nusbaum

Fujifilm X-T1

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

06/25/2007 11:29:42 AM · #18

Originally posted by zaflabout:

Originally posted by dwterry:

Originally posted by zaflabout:

VERY NICE! You positioned him perfectly so you get the inverted triangle on his left cheek. :-)

So what do you mean by projector? As in the kind you hook up to your computer to project images onto the wall?

oops my bad, i use the term projector to refer to the big halogen lamp they use for outdoor lighting in building.

so basically it's 2 big 500 w outdoor halogen lamps :)

and hence i need to learn more about this stuff to learn about the technical terms, sorry guys!

Not a problem at all, I was just curious. I'm more interested in the type and quality of the light than what we call them. The square shape three me off until you described what you were doing.

Message edited by author 2007-06-25 11:35:26.

swankFoto

Fujifilm X-E1

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

06/25/2007 01:24:09 PM · #19

Originally posted by KiwiChris:

I'll play this game, although this is the only studio shot I've got on here that has more than one light, and it's a very common setup, although possibly done in an unconventional way for some:

David, you beat me to it with the answer...

I was thinking 5 though, Key off to your left, smaller fill above the camera and slightly right, hair, rim and backdrop. I assume the backdrop has the light splotch printed on it?

Edit: botched the image link.

Originally posted by dwterry:

On yours... Hmmm, I only see one light in her eyes, so there can only be one in the front (left of camera). And you mentioned not using a white background, so you must be blowing out the background by pointing a strobe at it, so that's two. But I'm undecided whether you needed a hair light or not. I'm guessing you had so much light bouncing around in there that a hair light wasn't necessary.

That would have been my guess too, so how bout it Chris?

renefunk

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

06/25/2007 01:32:19 PM · #20

what about this??

jemison

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

06/25/2007 01:51:11 PM · #21

Originally posted by dwterry:

It looks to me as if there is also a background light - or is this "spill" from the #4 listed above?

06/25/2007 03:52:29 PM · #22

Originally posted by rswank:

Originally posted by KiwiChris:
I'll play this game, although this is the only studio shot I've got on here that has more than one light, and it's a very common setup, although possibly done in an unconventional way for some:

David, you beat me to it with the answer...

I was thinking 5 though, Key off to your left, smaller fill above the camera and slightly right, hair, rim and backdrop. I assume the backdrop has the light splotch printed on it?

Edit: botched the image link.

Originally posted by dwterry:

On yours... Hmmm, I only see one light in her eyes, so there can only be one in the front (left of camera). And you mentioned not using a white background, so you must be blowing out the background by pointing a strobe at it, so that's two. But I'm undecided whether you needed a hair light or not. I'm guessing you had so much light bouncing around in there that a hair light wasn't necessary.

That would have been my guess too, so how bout it Chris?

Just got up..... (7:44am here)

You folks missed the obvious. ;-). I had my Daughter standing in from of my largest soft box, dialed down as far as it would go, and out front a 48" Brolly. There was probably a reflector off to camera right as well, can't remember for sure, but I normally use one when I shoot like this.

At F/11 pointing straight into the softbox it's totally blown out, and makes a great backdrop for waist up or head/shoulder shots, and it means I don't have to break out the stands, paper, and two strobes normally required for the white wrap around effect.

I saw a setup shot done like this a while ago, might have even been on here, and it was one of those 'Why didn't I think of that' moments... Quick to set up, and there is so much light about that you can do it anywhere the stands and boxes fit.

Now, where's my cup of morning coffee...

Message edited by author 2007-06-25 15:52:43.

06/25/2007 03:54:58 PM · #23

Originally posted by renefunk:

what about this??

Two lights, one diffused (brolly/box?) almost directly above the camera for fill, and a naked light, or grid/box off to the right. Plus some natural light from above and behind?

renefunk

Canon EOS-5D

06/25/2007 04:02:14 PM · #24

Originally posted by KiwiChris:

Originally posted by renefunk:
what about this??

Two lights, one diffused (brolly/box?) almost directly above the camera for fill, and a naked light, or grid/box off to the right. Plus some natural light from above and behind?

well actually this have 3 lights. the background is an other image.
this was in studio with a black background
a high umbrella behind the guy for hair detail (one stop higher, a soft box for fill at N exposure and my hand flash for the left side of his face