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 05/29/2009 10:53:19 PM · #1
Hi all,

I am very amateur, but I want to get better at portrait photography. I need help with getting lighting right.

Currently I have a camera-top flash and an Alien Bee 800 with umbrella. I have noticed that my portraits are often very limited with only one off camera light source. I really like LalliSig's use of lights. I know he uses lights to highlight hair. I know one of my favorite photographers (Yousuf Karsh) commonly used a light to highlight the hands of his subjects.

I guess my question is what type of light am i looking for? Should I be getting another strobe w / umbrella? strobe w/ softbox? If i am looking to do something like highlight hands what should i be looking for?

Sorry if my questions dont make sense, but I am very new to understanding lighting.

Thanks,
Brian
 05/29/2009 11:05:43 PM · #2
Originally posted by bfurner:
Hi all,

I am very amateur, but I want to get better at portrait photography. I need help with getting lighting right.

Currently I have a camera-top flash and an Alien Bee 800 with umbrella. I have noticed that my portraits are often very limited with only one off camera light source. I really like LalliSig's use of lights. I know he uses lights to highlight hair. I know one of my favorite photographers (Yousuf Karsh) commonly used a light to highlight the hands of his subjects.

I guess my question is what type of light am i looking for? Should I be getting another strobe w / umbrella? strobe w/ softbox? If i am looking to do something like highlight hands what should i be looking for?

Sorry if my questions dont make sense, but I am very new to understanding lighting.

Thanks,
Brian


My suggestion would be to master one light first, and only get more when you hit the limitations of using just one light. Perhaps look into Zack Arias' One Light Workshop DVD, Strobist, and Light: Science and Magic.

Good luck!
 05/29/2009 11:20:05 PM · #3
You might try sticking with the lighting you have, and add some reflectors and white foam core boards to your kit. The umbrella in close (just out of frame) just above and to the side slightly, will throw some light on the hair. A silver or white reflector on the opposite side will fill in the side nicely. A foam core or white reflector down in front of the subject's face (just above waist level) and angled toward the face some will fill in nicely under the chin, as well as further softening the light on the face. A reflector up above can also enhance the hair light.

These shots were done with a single AB800 light with an umbrella in half of them, a softbox in the other half, and reflectors only:



You could add another AB800 (or 400) with the cone/funnel reflector and a grid to use as a hair light, etc, and a second light would give you some more flexibilty. But if you really learn to use the single light well, you'll have a better idea of how and why to use a second light. You could add the Alien Bees snoot or the grid probably for the hands, I suppose.

But you could stay with the single AB800, maybe add a decent size softbox and work in close--softbox as close as possible without being in-frame. A bit of reflector use, beautiful light.

Message edited by author 2009-05-29 23:22:02.
 05/30/2009 11:03:29 PM · #4
Thanks for the advice. I will continue to use one light as that is what my budget dictates and make sure i have that mastered before looking at another. Perhaps i will post in the Individual discussion forum and see if anyone can give me some pointers on how to best use my one light.

Here is a sample portrait with my one light.


Thanks
Brian
 05/30/2009 11:39:54 PM · #5
Are you using a reflector umbrella? Or a shoot thru? A shoot thru will give a softer overall light, more flattering in some cases, and you can bring it very close to the model (and dial the AB800 down quite a bit). A reflector umbrella will give a bit more directional, harsher shadow sort of light--really good for certain subjects.

It seems like you have the lighting you need, and playing with some reflectors can give you a lot of extra choices, some subtle and dramatic controls.
 05/31/2009 07:59:59 AM · #6
Right now i have a reflector umbrella. I also picked up two windshield sun reflectors (each 36" x 30") from a Canadian Tire. They have a silver reflective surface and seem to do the trick. THanks for the tip on the shoot through as the harshness of the directional sometimes has been something i have struggled with.

-Brian
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