Portrait Lighting -- Learning Thread

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED

08/18/2006 07:43:57 AM · #276

Originally posted by idnic:

Hi Beau! I saw these in the other thread and thought you're doing pretty great considering you just picked up this set of lights. One thing I would point out though...It looks like you have the lights about about 45 degrees to each side of you. This creates a fairly even light on each side of the face, but leaves the front of the face in shadow. While its a fun lighting effect, its not the most flattering lighting style for portraits - especially of older people or people with imperfections. My suggestion: turn one of your lights down by 50% and move it to behind and above the camera. This will allow one side of the face to be a bit brighter and the other side to fall into shadow a bit. Its a flattering look that emphasizes the natural curves of the face. Hope this helps.

great will try...

cabshutterbug

Canon EOS-20D

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

08/18/2006 09:18:40 AM · #277

Can I ask what you used for your background material? Looks like you had fun!

08/19/2006 01:28:57 AM · #278

Originally posted by cabshutterbug:

Can I ask what you used for your background material? Looks like you had fun!

Carol, as far as I know, Beau is using a white or gray wall and making the color changes in Photoshop.

Message edited by author 2006-08-19 01:29:08.

albc28

Canon EOS-50D

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

08/19/2006 02:12:35 PM · #279

Just thought I'd say that shooting my friend this weekend went amazing. We got some very good photos, that I'm very happy about. I would post em up here, but I'm going to wait until September because I might enter one of the shots into a challenge here.

I do have a post processing question though. I want to make my background a brighter white..but I'm having problems with getting the selection around her hair. How do you deal with the ends of a models hair during post processing?

Nusbaum

Fujifilm X-T1

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

08/19/2006 02:27:10 PM · #280

Originally posted by albc28:

I do have a post processing question though. I want to make my background a brighter white..but I'm having problems with getting the selection around her hair. How do you deal with the ends of a models hair during post processing?

An approach that works for me sometimes is to use a curve adjustment layer with a mask. For the curve I select a point that I want to be consistent, like the hair, and then I select a point on the area that needs to be adjusted, background in this case. I then use the curve to bring the adjusted area up or down. I use the mask to keep this from having an affect in unwanted areas. As I paint on the mask it won't matter if I overlap the hair because it should have remained constant as a fixed point on the curve.

hope this makes sense and maybe helps a little...

Cutter

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED

08/19/2006 02:57:44 PM · #281

Originally posted by idnic:

Originally posted by cabshutterbug:
Can I ask what you used for your background material? Looks like you had fun!

Carol, as far as I know, Beau is using a white or gray wall and making the color changes in Photoshop.

yeah, that correct cindi...it is grey which allows the hue adjustment slider or color blend mode to work nicely!

Message edited by author 2006-08-19 14:57:55.

acrotide

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

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

08/24/2006 07:41:04 AM · #282

Originally posted by idnic:

Side note:

The following is some titles from my book shelf; these are the ones I go back to again and again when I need inspiration or feel stumped.

Portrait Photography â�� The Art of Seeing Light, by Don Blair & Peter Skinner

Corrective Lighting and Posing Techniques for Portrait Photographers, by Jeff Smith

Learning to Light, by Roger Hicks & Frances Shultz

50 Portrait Lighting Techniques â�� For portraits that Sell, by John Hart

The Best of Portrait Photography, by Bill Hurter

I would recommend any of these. This is also where I will dig for answers to many of the questions that come up in this thread.

Cindi, could you name one or two of these books that are absolute "must haves"? I've researched these online and they all seem pretty good. Since I don't have an indoor studio setup (yet), I'd be more interested in a book that includes outdoor lighting scenarios. Thanks!

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

08/24/2006 10:53:51 AM · #283

Originally posted by acrotide:

Hey Bill. If I had to recommend only one book from that list, I would definitely go for Portrait Photography â�� The Art of Seeing Light, by Don Blair & Peter Skinner It includes info about lighting indoors and outdoors, using reflectors, and some good posing info. Its the book I go back to most often on my bookshelf.

Also, I understand a group of our Two Peas friends has been reading along here and getting some good info from this thread. Welcome, guys and please please, join in the discussion and post your examples. All participation is welcome.

Cindi

acrotide

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

08/24/2006 10:55:32 AM · #284

Originally posted by idnic:

Originally posted by acrotide:

Cindi, could you name one or two of these books that are absolute "must haves"? I've researched these online and they all seem pretty good. Since I don't have an indoor studio setup (yet), I'd be more interested in a book that includes outdoor lighting scenarios. Thanks!

Hey Bill. If I had to recommend only one book from that list, I would definitely go for Portrait Photography â�� The Art of Seeing Light, by Don Blair & Peter Skinner It includes info about lighting indoors and outdoors, using reflectors, and some good posing info. Its the book I go back to most often on my bookshelf.

Thanks a bunch, Cindi! :D

nolajade

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

08/24/2006 11:20:44 AM · #285

Also, I understand a group of our Two Peas friends has been reading along here and getting some good info from this thread. Welcome, guys and please please, join in the discussion and post your examples. All participation is welcome.

Cindi [/quote]

HI Cindi I am reading everything you all have to say .. GREAT info for this Newbie still to chicken to post my stuff . I will put into practice some of your suggestions here and then maybe I will feel better about posting . it has been great reading here on the forums and looking at all the inspiration from you all Nola (a Pea)

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED

08/24/2006 11:43:35 AM · #286

Great to have you here, Nola. Enjoy and DO post, we won't bite! :)

nolajade

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

08/24/2006 01:29:32 PM · #287

Thanks Cindi ..
I will spend this weekend giving it a try .. Nola

carisakD70

Nikon D70

08/26/2006 01:37:59 AM · #288

Well...I have had another go at the lighting thing. This was for a senior session this week...thought I might get more in depth lighting comments here...

1.

She was a lot of fun to work with...we are going to take more in the fall as well.

C&C appreciated...

Message edited by author 2006-08-28 18:42:47.

dale99

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

08/29/2006 11:05:48 PM · #289

Well, a new attempt with different lighting. I would welcome criticism or comments. And thanks again, Cindi, for all your effort on this thread.

08/29/2006 11:07:18 PM · #290

Hey Carissa! You're improving with the lighting technique, no qestion. The two naturally lighted images look really good. I like that the skin tones look very natural and the lighting is subtle, like daylight. I question, however, your two b/w / high key conversions. You've lost so much detail in those two.... granted its "a look", but I would offer the client some more natural looking b/w conversions as well, and maybe some sepia too.... keeping the nice skin tones. That's just me.

08/29/2006 11:19:45 PM · #291

Originally posted by dale99:

Well, a new attempt with different lighting. I would welcome criticism or comments. And thanks again, Cindi, for all your effort on this thread.

Hi Dale! :)

When I first viewed these two shots I thought love the second, not the first... then I pulled both to Photoshop. With proper adjustments, the lighting is actually better on the 2nd one... as you see here:

Your lighting is a bit "flat". Meaning it's hitting the model evenly all over, not allowing for shadows or highlights. It looks like your lights are very evenly set, which isn't the most flattering look for the human face, we need to see dips and rises, valleys and peaks, we need shadows and highlights to make the face's shapes stand out. Try moving one of your lights off to one side a bit, and make it stronger than an other. That is called a "key light" and will set the direction of light. Any other light used should just brighten the dark spots enough for detail or separation, but never compete with the key light.
Here is an example of using lighting to contour a portrait:

See how the light grazes the face? Across, not directly ON the face. It's kind of late, I hope this explanation makes sense.

alfresco

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

08/29/2006 11:21:19 PM · #292

*still following along, still reading, still taking notes*

08/29/2006 11:22:10 PM · #293

Originally posted by alfresco:

*still following along, still reading, still taking notes*

There will be a test later! ;)

alfresco

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

08/29/2006 11:27:59 PM · #294

Originally posted by idnic:

Originally posted by alfresco:
*still following along, still reading, still taking notes*

There will be a test later! ;)

A. This is a good thread
B. There is way much good info here
C. Always a good choice
D. We should thank cindi
E. All of the above

wavelength

Nikon D300

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D

08/29/2006 11:35:18 PM · #295

I've been meaning to ask about these Cindi,

They were all shot with the Gold challenge in mind, so ignore the weird makeup and glitter.

I was just wondering, on the second two, how better to keep the nice glowy skin tones while also providing enough fill light in her eyes, I couldn't seem to get both at the time.

I probably have a lack of lights though, only two right now. I have learned a better way to use my flash since then on manual (instead of TTL, duh) to trigger and hepl provide extra fill. Maybe bounced off a refector, do you think this might do the trick?

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D

08/29/2006 11:44:41 PM · #296

Hiya Steve! Well.... here's my go at your issue... lets go with this shot:

See the shadows below her eyes? That tells me your light is too high. You're obviously lighting her hair with the same light that is "key light" on her face, but not only is it casting shadows under her eyes, but see... the shadow under he neck as well. I would pull that light down to just a smidge above her eye level, so on that side it hits the middle of her head (not face, head! the eyes are in the center of the head). This would give plenty of light to the eyes and preserve your directional lighting as well. Another alternative, and I've used both, is... if you need to keep that light high to double as hair light, use a reflector between you & the model, on her lap if necessary to brighten the shadow areas - under the eyes & chin.

The first shot you posted is flat, light hitting them so straight on that it looses the contour and detail of the curves. The last one is about perfect. Lighting-wise, that one shows the details, but still preserves the shapes & contours.

Just my humble opinion, I hope its helpful.

Message edited by author 2006-08-29 23:45:40.

wavelength

Nikon D300

08/29/2006 11:55:09 PM · #297

AH-so! Sank you, oh Sensei of the lights. Most gracious of you.

I shall now attempt to catch the proverbial fly in the chopsticks, meaning, do it right next time.

08/29/2006 11:59:40 PM · #298

:) I'm feeling surrounded by Llamas suddenly. Can't wait to see more shots from you, Steve .... and uhm... JP???

alfresco