RobertLynn
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 p.1 #1 · The theme is simplicity | |
Some of you who frequent the forum may recall a recent thread where I posted a horizontal shot of a woman.
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/860766/0#8064342
We can all agree that it's not award winning by any definition or stretch. What it is, is simple and to the point. It works. It serves and excels at it's purpose (well that shot in the other thread was more for "me" since I like seeing horizontals in portraits, though I shoot verticals for clients).
Okay, what is the point to this thread? The point is that simplicity is the theme. There's certainly nothing wrong with a 5 light shoot, featuring elinchroms or profoto gear, with a hair, background, main, fill and kicker light. Those set-ups have plenty of uses and there's many of reasons for shooting them.
However, a lot of beginners start out thinking to get 3-4 lights down at the beginning. I'm going to tell you to STOP! Get one...or better yet? Get a window! It's freakin' free!
I had originally thought about posting a shot that I'd taken with key, fill, b/g and reflector (3 lights, 4 sources). Then I though, instead, I'll post a 1 light set-up taken with a studio strobe, and a window shot. I had initially thought about saying "guess which is which", but there's a few indicators that would "out" me if I did it that way.
So, here's 3 photos. All taken with one light, and in 2 of them, a reflector.
Photo 1:
Apollo soft box. reflector, AB 1600, triggers, blah blah blah. A reasonable amount of money in non-camera/lens gear. A slight warming was applied in post.
Photo 2:
A window. A reflector. Easy, breezy. Simple, soft, and salable all day. The only thing is that it's not the "perfect" highlight/shadow shape. The window in the room was lower, and resulted in the light coming from more side, then above. This could be hidden more by turning the subject more towards the light...but that's cheating. You're hiding a mistake in the lighting. While it isn't quite split lighting, the nose shadow isn't quite correct. Still though, when you can't go ANY lower in the stool or floor, and the window isn't going higher...well the expression, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
Photo 3:
A Westcott 60" umbrella. Ambient killed via shutter speed, so I could shoot f/2 or 2.2 (can't remember)
Again, none of these are award winners, but everyone is a salable portrait will serve the purpose set forth. Forgive the posing quirk in 3.
So again, what is the point? Rather than get 5 lights, and not have a clue how to use them. Get one, or get a window, and run with them. In the studio, you have a lot more options that you can run with, but if you're a location photographer, a lot of the times your set-ups have to be quick and dirty.
Notice the light in number 2, and in number 1. Catch lights look similar, and the light is soft. One was shot with an expensive strobe in a $150 softbox with triggers and the like. The one was shot with a white sheet over the window.
I am by no means a portraiture master, and I learn on every job I do. Just like with anything though, you need to have a SOLID understanding of the basics before you can move onto more elaborate set-ups.
The first step is GET THAT LIGHT OFF OF THE CAMERA! Don't let dumb-luck be the bread-winner. THen when you do get lucky, recognize what happened when you did.
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