Lighting
- This topic has 13 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated May 6, 2011 at 6:13 pm by
.
-
Posts
-
Well I’ve moved on to the next level now with a full studio setup with lights, reflectors, booms, remote flash, etc etc. People are my latest interest. The more I learn the more I realize I don’t know. This part of photography is definitely less about gear and all about lighting, lighting, and lighting. I’ve experimented with most of the modifiers, and placement of lights, and I’m playing around with some natural back lighting with remote front fill lately.
My question is are there any books, videos, tutorials, that you guys would highly recommend on things like how to use different lighting to accentuate or play down facial details, body shapes, etc, on your subjects. Just a good informative book or video set on portraiture and lighting is what I’m looking forIf you haven’t already, I would just join Kelby Training for a month and watch all the studio lighting tutorials.
This part of photography is definitely less about gear and all about lighting, lighting, and lighting.
Awww, come on guys, it’s so simple. Maybe you need a refresher course.
[leans arm on hot engine part]
Hey! It’s all ball bearings nowadays. ;D
… The more I learn the more I realize I don’t know. This part of photography is definitely less about gear and all about lighting, lighting, and lighting….
Lighting is important but not quite all. To bring it all full circle, I believe one should try to get to the point where lighting is second nature (you don’t have to think about it, you’re not trying to understand it, you’re USING it!) and concentrating on bringing your subject out where you can capture them. This doesn’t come any easier than camera settings, focal lengths, or lighting ratios and is just as important if not more. My advice is to become familiar with your gear so you know how to execute your vision photographically (the videos Neal suggest look great, for starters), then assist or watch some professional ‘people shooters’ at work to see what happens after the camera starts clicking. If he or she has any skills at all, it will show in the way the subject reacts. Watch closely and learn. The very best of all have their subjects forgetting that they’re even on a photo shoot in the first place. Very important skills! Conversation w/camera=Magic!
Hope this helps.
db
Thanks Douglas, all good info. I’ve been talking with a local about tagging along for some shoots. Lighting might be the most challenging thing about this hobby I taken on thus far. It looks so easy…. I think I can do well exposed general portraiture with out much problem. I have a light meter and it has really helped get perfectly exposed shots using shoot through umbrellas and soft boxes.
It’s when I want to get creative and or dramatic with the light that everything gets crazy. Sure is fun learning though I’ll never look at a people shot the same again. Always looking for the light now!I’ll never look at a people shot the same again. Always looking for the light now!
True, true, true.
I have learned more from observing or assisting pro photogs than any book could teach. However, the reading does provide the foundation of necessary knowledge.
A great mentor once told me, “shadow is light’s friend.” It took me about two years, hundreds of shots, and lots of wasted batteries to realize the truth in that statement. Drama, as created with flash/strobe photography, either in the studio or outside, is a delicate interplay between light and shadow. It is a constant struggle to expose for the highlights, while maintaining the depth of the shadows and mid tones.
Practice on your dog! My poor pooch has suffered more from strobe trauma than she deserves. Partly because my wife absolutely (positively) will not let me photograph herself, and more so because the dog is pure white, which makes it terribly difficult to properly expose her hair to maintain dramatic depth. Thus, a great challenge and good practice.
Find something interesting to photograph under controlled settings and force yourself to nail the shot. Similar to fishing – expect to catch something and keep at it until you catch the fish.
Don’t be afraid to take your flash/strobes on the boat. The off-camera flash (preferably with gels) will add great drama to any fishing photograph. For this shot, there was one gelled flash and one hot shoe softbox, both easily out of the way while fishing, but easily employed for the grip-and-grin.
Off camera flash is a ton of fun. I have been using it quite a bit lately, but have to give credit to Zack Arias for giving me a lot of the info to get started. He has a great blog, with lots of info. Check out http://zackarias.com/blog/
I learned an absolute ton there. Also, he has done some shows on creativelive.com. You can watch multi-day workshops that would cost a $1000 or more, for around $100. And, if you can catch them live, they are free!
http://www.creativelive.com/courses/zack-arias-again
Here’s a couple of mine from a shoot earlier this week for some custom bike builders. All of these are virtually straight out of camera, with only a little bit of contrast, and maybe a touch of fill added.
Has anyone found a “good” and practical solution for light stands/umbrellas et al for what we do?
Every time I think I’ve found a workable solution, I find something to shoot it down. Either too heavy, or too cumbersome, or too “envolved” to set up.
if you go light and packable, things like wind or lack of height shoot those down.
Has anyone found a “good” and practical solution for light stands/umbrellas et al for what we do?
Every time I think I’ve found a workable solution, I find something to shoot it down. Either too heavy, or too cumbersome, or too “envolved” to set up.
if you go light and packable, things like wind or lack of height shoot those down.
John, I found a perfect solution for just that situation (and it works great for hiking and/or fishing). The answer will make you laugh, but it is practical and cheap.
Buy two $19 microphone stands at your local guitar/music shop. They are flimsy but they pack down small and weigh next to nothing. You can use a Justin clamp or C-clamp to secure your hot-shoe flashes (or even the Quadra pack, which I use more lately). Take an empty sandbag or two and just fill them will dirt and rocks to secure the stands on location.
Alternatively, I have used the Gorilla tripods and secure them to either 1)a tree branch, or 2)break off a branch and stick it in the ground as a make shift pole and secure the Gorilla tripod to that.
John for Umbrellas I have 3 of these for portable use and I really like them alot so far. Pretty much a soft box but it folds down very compact and easily.
http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Light-100870-41-Inch-Umbrella/dp/B002DYIWWYFor stands I just use an old tripod that didn’t work out for camera use or just one of the ultra compact light stands.
This is the tripod I’ve been using as a light stand.
Thanks guys, gives me some ideas’
For the shot of the Turkey Hunter below I had a flash on a gorilla pod, set on the ground (wanted it low)….Later I got it up about 5 feet and secured to a branch.I find the pods work great so long as Im not wanting an umbrellaor soft box box.Any wind and it will grab the umbrella or soft box. If theres no branch/fence post they are a) too low and b) would make an umbrella near impossible without the height.
Problem I have (envision) with traditional light stands is uneven ground or worse, rocks on a bank…and have been wracking my brain for an idea to overcome that. (great idea on sand/pebble bags neal)I’ve looked hard at the flexible/aticulated arms that you would run off a stand in a studio as a possible solution but for what they do they are heavy and short.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.