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11/23/2004 02:33:08 PM · #1 |
I have found that I really enjoy shooting lifestyle portraits. The challenge of being on location and working with mostly natural light is very satisfying and I like the almost documentary style results. There are times when natural light is not enough and I need some way to modify it. I am wondering if anybody on dpc has some experience that would help me? The options I have considered are:
1. Standard round reflectors to be held or mounted on stands
2. Lastolite tri grip reflectors which can be held with one hand (which forces camera onto a tripod is I don't have an assistant)
3. Battery powered strobe (off camera) with a diffuser or bounce off an umbrella. (probably a bit much for lifestyle)
4. Minimal mono light setup. Maybe one flash head and a reflector. This seems to be way to heavy for this type of work, but maybe a very minimal setup is still acceptable?
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11/23/2004 02:51:07 PM · #2 |
Originally posted by Nusbaum:
I have found that I really enjoy shooting lifestyle portraits. The challenge of being on location and working with mostly natural light is very satisfying and I like the almost documentary style results. There are times when natural light is not enough and I need some way to modify it. I am wondering if anybody on dpc has some experience that would help me? The options I have considered are:
1. Standard round reflectors to be held or mounted on stands
2. Lastolite tri grip reflectors which can be held with one hand (which forces camera onto a tripod is I don't have an assistant)
3. Battery powered strobe (off camera) with a diffuser or bounce off an umbrella. (probably a bit much for lifestyle)
4. Minimal mono light setup. Maybe one flash head and a reflector. This seems to be way to heavy for this type of work, but maybe a very minimal setup is still acceptable? |
You would be surprised at how much equipment gets used for "candid" lifestyle shots.
When I used to assist on these kinds of shots, at a minimum, there was a big reflector card, held by a peon assistant (frequently that was me) It's amazing how much sunlight you can bounce around with just a plain white 3'x4' card even more with a silver or gold metallic one. Usually though we used a multiple strobe setup, most often with a softbox.
The closest thing to window light using strobe is a big softbox, close to the subject. Not exactly conducive to natural, relaxed posing, but it's your job as the photographer to get them to relax and appear natural while surrounded by lights and stuff.
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11/23/2004 02:56:58 PM · #3 |
Originally posted by Spazmo99:
The closest thing to window light using strobe is a big softbox, close to the subject. Not exactly conducive to natural, relaxed posing, but it's your job as the photographer to get them to relax and appear natural while surrounded by lights and stuff. |
Can you use one big softbox to simulate window light and then modify with reflectors from there? I know that one of the ways to improve is by developing a consistent approach and then refining it. If I can get good with the reflectors and then toss in a softbox to replace natural light when necessary, my approach might be a little more consistent. Thanks for the response!
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11/23/2004 03:00:54 PM · #4 |
If you're replicating window light using a softbox on one side..why would you want to modify it using reflectors?
You could try another strobe further from the subject just to light the body or background, but I think using a reflector near your model defeats the purpose of trying to replicate window lighting. |
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11/23/2004 03:05:18 PM · #5 |
Originally posted by GoldBerry:
If you're replicating window light using a softbox on one side..why would you want to modify it using reflectors?
You could try another strobe further from the subject just to light the body or background, but I think using a reflector near your model defeats the purpose of trying to replicate window lighting. |
I didn't explain very well. I am suggesting that I like natural light from a window with some fill from a reflector. Now if there is no window or it's dark outside, I could use the large softbox in place of the window and then continue to use the reflector for fill, as I had with natural light. The other option would be to use a second strobe for fill, but then I have two completely different approaches to lighting.
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11/23/2004 03:33:25 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by Nusbaum:
Originally posted by Spazmo99:
The closest thing to window light using strobe is a big softbox, close to the subject. Not exactly conducive to natural, relaxed posing, but it's your job as the photographer to get them to relax and appear natural while surrounded by lights and stuff. |
Can you use one big softbox to simulate window light and then modify with reflectors from there? I know that one of the ways to improve is by developing a consistent approach and then refining it. If I can get good with the reflectors and then toss in a softbox to replace natural light when necessary, my approach might be a little more consistent. Thanks for the response! |
Yes, but typically, the softbox provides very diffuse, wrap-around lighting, so, fill is not always necessary. You can look into collapsable fabric panels for reflectors. These are available commercially, but, if you are handy, you can easily make some presentable ones from PVC and a trip to the fabric store.
Panels
You can also use these as diffusion for a strobe, but the light will be more specular than a softbox.
Message edited by author 2004-11-23 15:34:51.
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