This is the first time I am posting on here. I just started playing with lighting. I have 2 flashes mounted with 2 umbrellas straddling both sides at about 30 deg and shooting down about 45 deg for this shot. It's taken on a long hallway so I can get the black background. Interested in C&C and also any suggestion on how to get the hair to show up better.
It's looking pretty good, Charley...I agree with John here. Either a third light on the hair or a backlight (adding a rim-lighting effect) would really make the top half of the head more visible against the black background. If you don't have a third flash to play around with, consider removing one of the front lights and using a large white or silver reflector in its place, using the second flash to bring out the hair.
I think you have too much light coming from the left side of the image. If you had the key light coming from the right side of the image across your face, it would give a more 3D look. Then you could use a flash near the camera at a low power just as fill.
Thanks for the suggestion. I was trying to avoid adding a third light. I am using a Nikon D700 to control my speedlites and it is only capable of controling up to 2 groups of flashes. If there's a way around this, then I think I can justify getting a 3rd flash.
Ben,
Thanks for the suggestion. I really new at this. My key light was from the left and the fill was on the right with -1 ev. I guess I had it backwards. Is there a general rule on this, or it's pretty much trial and error?
Hi, Charley, welcome to FM. Yes, there are several general rules on portrait lighting. What Ben is saying is you have used what is called "broad" lighting - putting the key light on the same side as the subject's visible ear. He is recommending "short" lighting, which is just the opposite. For a guy with big, full features like your subject, most would use short lighting.
You can go a long way with a book like "Light: Science & Magic" by Hunter, Biver and Fuqua. Learning lighting requires lots of practice. It does involve trial and error, but that doesn't mean that results are random. It's a science and it can be learned. You're doing great! Keep asking questions.
Thanks for the suggestions. I'll try that the next time my friend drops by again. Not too many ppl with his head shape... My wife refuses to let me post pictures up of her, so I need to find willing subjects.
As for the book, I think it's recommended by the Strobist blog also. I tried looking for it at my local B&N to see if it's worthwhile getting. I'm not really a book person, so I want to make sure I'll read it before I get it.
I do have another general question. I've been trying to get my blackground black. If I wanted to get a white background, what's the best way to do this? My apartment doesn't have enough wall continuous wall space to just light up the wall. Looking for some suggestions on lighting up a background in tight quarters.
Okay, my subject dropped by again. Here's another try. I moved the key to the right of the camera and didn't use a fill. Instead, I moved my second umbrella behind on the left for some hair lights. I also stood up on a stool to take the shot about 1 feet above the subject. C&C welcome.
Worlds better. As Thi says a snoot (long thin tube to constrain light spread) or some kind of gobo (a go-between card or panel) would be nice to keep the hair light controlled and off his right ear and back of neck. The short lighting is working great on his face shape. A reflector (even a piece of white card stock) would give a touch of fill to the right side of face and make the transition from dark to light a little softer.
But those would be tweaks to a very nice lighting job, well done!
Two minutes of post work could take down the hot spot on his nose (clone stamp set to darken mode at 30-40% opacity usually does a pretty good job).
Snoots are a little tougher on a speedlight then they are with a studio flash and modeling lights, but you can kind of sight along the edge and get a pretty good idea of what they will hit. Then, of course, comes a bit of trial and error.
At least the 30" size, but 40" adds a lot of versatility. When using as a diffusion panel in direct sun bigger is really better.
