Poor mans portraits... - DPChallenge Forums

Olympus 14-45mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital ED

08/26/2007 12:49:15 AM · #1

I'm just wondering if anyone has any tips or suggestions for taking portraits without complex lighting setups (and not outdoors, either.)

I want to take a shot of each of my children, similar to this one:

For that, I made a home made flash diffuser with some poster board, allumnum foil, wax paper, and glue (I have no external flash or any other accessories for that matter). It works pretty good, but I still get some shadows on faces, as you can see in the picture above, if they're turning too far to one side. For my son, I can have him properly positioned since he's eleven and will listen to me, so there's no problem there. For my youngest I need to figure something out to avoid that since she's even younger than the one above and she'll likely give me even more trouble than that one did.

Man_Called_Horse

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

08/26/2007 12:51:23 AM · #2

Your doing fine.

There is no right way to light, but there are plenty of wrong ways.

Home Depot is the poor mans lighting source by the way.

Keep going.

Jimbo_for_life

Olympus E-500 EVOLT

08/26/2007 02:13:28 AM · #3

id say the only thing i dislike in the photo is you can see an orangeish tint in her hair from the light bulb, unless it was ment to be there, id suggest using flourecent* light bulbs, i believe they are called that, you know, them ones that when your drivin down the road and someone has them really bright lights on but there not there brights, but you still get mad cause you think there the brights.

Marjo

Canon EOS-7D

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

08/26/2007 02:24:18 AM · #4

I agree you're doing great. What's funny to me is that what Jimbo dislikes, I love. The lighting showing through her hair is wonderful. :)

geoffb

08/26/2007 02:24:58 AM · #5

Originally posted by Jimbo_for_life:

Those are halogens. Or even worse are the Xenon lights.

Melethia

Canon EOS-80D

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

08/26/2007 03:03:40 AM · #6

I think you're doing just fine, too. Do you have a window in your house that gets pretty good light? Does that window have a sheer curtain in it? Put the kids in a chair next to that window, have them face it, and have a piece of white posterboard, or a sheet, hanging on the other side to reflect a bit of light back from the window to their face. This is just another thing you may want to try - the homemade diffuser seems to be working pretty well!

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D

08/26/2007 03:30:12 AM · #7

Thanks for all of your replies. As for that window light idea, it's pretty good and I'll probably use it for something in the future, but the black sheet I have set up for the background isn't exactly ideal. It'll turn up grey if I use it anywhere but the basement where I can cut out all ambient light. I could get a nice halogen bulb to use, I never thought of that. I noticed they do cast a beautiful light when I put in a halogen fixture in my dining room. AND, I work in an electrical shop so I have no shortage of light bulbs I can 'borrow'.

Thanks again. Will post the other portraits when I've taken them. =]

timfythetoo

Apple iPhone 13 Pro

08/26/2007 06:18:08 AM · #8

We spent $65 and had a a spare tripod to build our 6 light ring light ala

Pedro. We have used it on a lot of portriats lately - kids and others. Its a pretty hot light and can leave some funky catch lights but it really works well for the photogrpaher on a budget. Here are some of our examples using only the ring light.

We just picked up a strobist kit ala The Strobist so we can use our external flash on location. The ring light is a bit of a beast. If you are interested I can send you the recipe for the ring light.

WillSnaps

Nikon D70s

08/26/2007 07:46:19 AM · #9

I too have been recently trying to get a good lighting setup for taking portrates, and am also on a tight budget. Tim if you could send me the 'recipe' for the ring light you used I would greatly appericate it. bye the way love your work tim. :)

Hipychik

Sony Alpha a6000

Sony 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 E-mount

08/26/2007 08:02:41 AM · #10

Originally posted by mungik:

Hey Tim...I would like the recipe too if you don't mind. Thanks!

bassbone

Nikon Df

Nikon MF 105mm f/2.5 AIS

08/26/2007 08:07:45 AM · #11

Tim- I would love the recipe. This is something I want to begin to experiment with now that fall and winter are around the corner...

Gordon

RIM BlackBerry Curve

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

08/26/2007 08:49:13 AM · #12

I'd suggest trying them near your biggest window in your house.

Find one that faces the Northern sky, or any window if it isn't sunny. You want a bright light source, without direct sun. If you can see the sky from the window, so much the better (not one with a lot of shade)

Get them reasonably close to the window, or playing in front of it and shoot them there. You should be able to get reasonable exposures, with a moderately fast lens - shoot at about one stop above wide open on whatever your fastest lens is, ISO 200 or there abouts and you should get reasonable shutter speeds. If you can bear chasing kids with a tripod, it'll help a bit too.

Spend about $2 and get a big 4'x6' sheet of white foam core from Wal-Mart/ Hobby Lobby and use it as a reflector to bounce light into the non-window side.

As a for example, all of these were shot with natural/ available light and most of them indoors with just window light : portraits

Man_Called_Horse

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

08/26/2007 10:39:25 AM · #13

Originally posted by geoffb:

[ Or even worse are the Xenon lights.

Don't stifle yourself from a zenon.

Zenons have their place in photography. 5500K, shafts of light from a hand held flash light to a powerful 20kw monster can really do some interesting things if done correctly.

timfythetoo

Apple iPhone 13 Pro

08/26/2007 02:20:39 PM · #14

OK everyone - here are pics and my best shot at a recipe. Let me say again that it was

Pedro who turned me onto this setup. Since then I have seen other variations, but most took way more work to build and you had to be an electrician. This is a no brainer.

Ingredients -
6 Home Depot Clamp Lamps - approx $3.00 a piece
6 100 watt Reveal light bulbs
1 old tripod
12-18'' round piece of plywood
3 inch square piece of plywood
1 nut and bolt
1 cheap strip cord
1 extension cord

Drill a hole big enough for the bolt through the center of the circular plywood, the square piece of plywood and the center of the tripod top where the camera usually mounts. Mount the pieces of plywood onto the top of the tripod mount as seen here -

. The square piece of plywood pretty much just protects the plastic of the tripod from bearing the pressure and cracking.

Then just attach the clamp lamps to the plywood circle and install bulbs. Connect the cords to the strip cord and tie or bungee up the stray cords so they arent in the way. Hook strip cord up to an extension cord if you need to and you are ready to go.

This set up allows for several things. You can control how much light you are using by being able to easily turn off or on as many bulbs as you need. This set up also allow for an easy hair light or side fill light by being able to pull a light off and use it from another angle (works best if you have a partner with you).

Overall this is great if you are starting an in home makeshift studio. I think I spent all of $65 on it not counting the tripod I had lying around.

There are a couple of problems with it. The bulbs get hot. Since they are always on when shooting they can warm up the area pretty quick. Not as fast as the Home Depot halogen lights though I think.

It is big and slightly awkward. We have brought it with us to other peoples houses for portrait sittings and it is a bit inconvenient. My clamp lamps are a bit beat up from falling off when transporting.

And it is ugly. It doesnt look anything like a professional light setup. I could have done a better job making it look pretty I am sure (painting the plywood black, cutting it clean) but I am lazy and dont much care about its appearance. I get good shots with it.

Hope this helps some of you. We have been extremely pleased with its performance. We just recently purchased a strobist kit to turn our 420ex speedlite into an off camera strobe with umbrellas that we will use when we need to shoot away from electricity but we will continue to use the ring light in our home "studio".

Give me a shout if you have any more questions on it. And if you build it give pedro a shout and tell him thank you.

Here are some of the other shots of it -

fotomann_forever

08/26/2007 02:23:38 PM · #15

Originally posted by timfythetoo:

We just picked up a strobist kit ala The Strobist so we can use our external flash on location.

Spend some time on the strobist. It's a great resource for budget lighting.

timfythetoo

Apple iPhone 13 Pro

08/26/2007 02:26:57 PM · #16

Originally posted by fotomann_forever:

Originally posted by timfythetoo:

We just picked up a strobist kit ala The Strobist so we can use our external flash on location.

Spend some time on the strobist. It's a great resource for budget lighting.

I have been browsing through it for a while now and I am getting a bit addicted to the ideas presented there. I picked up a cheap light stand, couple of umbrellas and a sync cord so my 420ex can be off camera. We go on vacation next week to the Alleghneny State Park and I am looking forward to playing with my flash off camera in the woods. Hopefully we will come back with some interesting stuff.

fotomann_forever

08/26/2007 02:32:55 PM · #17

Originally posted by timfythetoo:

I have been browsing through it for a while now and I am getting a bit addicted to the ideas presented there.

Me too and this thing goes with me everywhere.
//leroydickson.blogspot.com/2007/08/sunpak-333-wireless-setup.html
It's shown with a shoot-through umbrella, but I use a reflective umbrella more often than not.

I've begun favoring it over my strobes for most purposes. Gonna pick up two Sunpak 383s and two more umbrella and stand kits soon for a three light setup.

Building homemade light modifiers is fun too :-)

Make sure to join the strobist flickr group.
//www.flickr.com/groups/strobist/

Message edited by author 2007-08-26 14:35:33.

violinist123

Canon EOS-6D

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

08/26/2007 03:10:47 PM · #18

Originally posted by timfythetoo:

Originally posted by fotomann_forever:

Originally posted by timfythetoo:

We just picked up a strobist kit ala The Strobist so we can use our external flash on location.

Spend some time on the strobist. It's a great resource for budget lighting.

I have been browsing through it for a while now and I am getting a bit addicted to the ideas presented there. I picked up a cheap light stand, couple of umbrellas and a sync cord so my 420ex can be off camera. We go on vacation next week to the Alleghneny State Park and I am looking forward to playing with my flash off camera in the woods. Hopefully we will come back with some interesting stuff.

Haha, I've been living on strobist for the past week or so. I only have my one 430EX, but I did pop for a stand, an umbrella and a pair of pocket wizards. Having a blast, and already feeling the itch to get another flash so I can try some more complex lighting.

Maybe someone can tell me as I can't find it anywhere in the flash literature (though I admit laziness for not digging up the 5D info) _ I thought shutter sync was 1/250? Anything above 1/200 I get the trailing edge of the shutter as a black line in the frame.

darnok

Nikon D850

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 16-35 f/4 ED VR

08/26/2007 03:43:30 PM · #19

Originally posted by routerguy666:

Originally posted by timfythetoo:

Originally posted by fotomann_forever:

Originally posted by timfythetoo:

We just picked up a strobist kit ala The Strobist so we can use our external flash on location.

Spend some time on the strobist. It's a great resource for budget lighting.

I have been browsing through it for a while now and I am getting a bit addicted to the ideas presented there. I picked up a cheap light stand, couple of umbrellas and a sync cord so my 420ex can be off camera. We go on vacation next week to the Alleghneny State Park and I am looking forward to playing with my flash off camera in the woods. Hopefully we will come back with some interesting stuff.

Haha, I've been living on strobist for the past week or so. I only have my one 430EX, but I did pop for a stand, an umbrella and a pair of pocket wizards. Having a blast, and already feeling the itch to get another flash so I can try some more complex lighting.

Maybe someone can tell me as I can't find it anywhere in the flash literature (though I admit laziness for not digging up the 5D info) _ I thought shutter sync was 1/250? Anything above 1/200 I get the trailing edge of the shutter as a black line in the frame.

The sync speed on the D200 is 1/250 (though you can go up to 1/320 without any shadow) so the sync speed on the 5D is probably less as it has a larger sensor and mirror, 1/200 would make sense.

I will also recommend reading Strobist ,it is an excellent reference for awesome lighting on a budget. I started reading Strobist before I got my dSLR, but since I got the D200 I have been following it religiously. I have a cheap 3rd party flash, a shoot-through umbrella and an old tripod that I use for a light stand. I attach the umbrella to the tripod with masking tape and a plastic tube I salvaged from a roll of graph paper. Using a PC cord to trigger the flash, gets annoying sometimes.

I even drag the whole umbrella set-up outside to shoot macros of bugs and stuff, as with the jumping spider (pictured below) in the 48 hour free study.

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

09/02/2007 12:36:09 AM · #20

O.k. I looked around my shop last week for spare materials I could use in rigging up some lighting. I have a bunch of those little 12v halogen lights lying around unused (mr16 bulbs). They are the ones used for display lighting in jewelry stores and art stores and such... I do love the color of the light, it looks very close to sunlight IMO.

They aren't the brightest, but I was planning to put a bunch of them (10, or more if I can get away with it) on a round sheet of plywood as recommended above. I also have directable trims for them, so I can direct each light where I want it.

I am worried about the large amount of wattage that many of them would be using, but again I can ask an electrician about that. Does anyone know if these lights are any good in a studio situation?

surfdabbler

Canon EOS-5D

09/02/2007 12:51:26 AM · #21

Incandescent lightbulbs will be very hot and chew the power. Halogens will really really get hot. On the other hand, if you want soft light, you can get daylight balanced energy saving bulbs. I've used them a bit, and they are pretty accurate to the daylight WB setting, and give great soft light with no heat, and much less electricity. They are a little duller when first switched on, but after a few minutes they come up to full brightness. Just be aware of this, that the exposure will change slightly as they warm up. But if you are anything like me, the lights are well and truly warmed up by the time I'm ready to hit the shutter.

They are also safer to diffuse/bounce/gel/mask close to the bulb because of the lack of heat.

However, you can't get knife sharp shadows from them. If you want really hard light, a speedlight or hot bulb will be stronger.

Here's the only folio image I've got with these lights...