I'll be ordering a 10x36 striplight softbox to use with an Alien Bees B400 for use as a hairlight, but I could use some advice on how to place this light so that it doesn't spill over onto the face of the people being photographed.
I had used a 20 degree grid on the light and that's fine for one person, but with two or more people, it doesn't cut it. So a strip light seems to be the best solution.
I have a boom stand which will put the light directly overhead, but do I put this light directly overhead or should I go behind the people's heads and angle in slightly?
The last session I did, I had horrific problems keeping the light out of the face. But keep in mind that this was a direct light without any diffusion. The grid only helped narrow the beam.
I also will be ordering a grid for the striplight (these are from Alien Bees) to help with keeping the light where it's pointed and worse, from flaring the lens. Any advice on this?
Lastly, what do you use for a kicker light? Should this be set up with some kind of softbox as well? Should it just be a reflector? Help! I'm not sure how best to deal with this one.
If hair light is hitting the face it sounds like it is too far forward. Generally I put the hair light behind the subject a bit to ensure that it is hitting the back of the head feathered toward the top rather than hitting to top feathered toward to front.
Kicker could be strip box, softbox, or direct light w/wo grid depending on what affect you are looking for.
With the light going forward with a kicker, isn't there a fear of the light hitting the lens and causing flare? Is it best to put some kind of grid on the kicker or something to block the light from the camera?
Hair lights and accent (kickers) are double edged swords. Used judiciously they can provide needed separation, but overdone they become counter productive distractions on a dark background which pull attention off the more important front of the face.
For example, if a hair light spills over and hits the side of the face on the shadow side in an oblique pose creating a glancing highlight, that will work counter to the contrast created by the shadows which ideally pushes the attention to the brighter front of the face. Contrast attracts attention and anything brighter than the front of the face on a dark background will eventually pull the curious eye of the viewer there to check it out. Want to keep the viewer focused on the front of the face? Avoid bright distractions.
So when an hair or accent light is used you want to be able to control where it goes precisely. For a good idea on how to place accent lighting effectively watch the evening news or interviews on shows like 60 minutes. I watched the interview with Obama on 60 Minutes last night and was impressed, as I always am, with what a great job they do with the lighting and flattering oblique facial angles. The lighting is very much staged but comes across as looking very natural. There was an accent backlight hitting the shoulders of the dark suit creating a soft highlight separating it from the background but it wasn't hitting his head causing a distraction on the shadow side facing the camera. Steve Croft who was interviewing him facing the opposite direction was in similar lighting.
I noticed in the occasional wide shot showing the lighting for interview shows that every light typically has softbox with an "egg crate" fabric grid so I decided to try the same approach for my hair light. I bought a small PhotoFlex Multidome Q39 (16 x 22) and 40-degree egg-crate grid (which cost nearly as much as the box). I use the included circle mask and grid for my hairlight and like its softer more subtle look vs what the metal grids produced.
Thanks for the replies. I will be getting a strip light with a grid for my hairlight as well.
For the interview session with Obama, I wonder how they account for the possibility that he and his wife Michelle might move slightly out of the "sweet spot" during the interview? I have this problem with clients... you set up the lights to be just perfect and then they move just so slight to lose the effect.
Nikonguy59 wrote:
Thanks for the replies. I will be getting a strip light with a grid for my hairlight as well.
For the interview session with Obama, I wonder how they account for the possibility that he and his wife Michelle might move slightly out of the "sweet spot" during the interview? I have this problem with clients... you set up the lights to be just perfect and then they move just so slight to lose the effect.
Politicians and talking heads know better than to move while they are being interviewed. The problem is usually with the unrehearsed public.
Of course different modifiers will vary as to the spread, but when it comes to light control with grids there is a whole other world out there that most still shooters simply aren't aware of. Videographers can be very selective about their grids. Check out the "dark side":
Some guys are very tight lipped about their set ups which have taken a lot of time to refine.
I'm always impressed how documentary DP's, like Ken Burns, down to the lowliest network grip make it look soooooo simple.
BTW, I would also check out http://www.dvcreators.net/ for more help on equipment and technique from the video community.
Of course there are other tricks that can help to keep the subject in the zone, like not using chairs with casters or swivels, etc.
Personally I am not a fan of the round grids (BD and octas) as a hair light. They produce a nice light but I just find that rectas/squares offer much more edge control and are easier to feather and flag.
I also carry flex clamps, which are great for attaching and positioning sections of lightweight black foam core as a flag directly from the light. This capability also gives you the option to eliminate the grid if you absolutely have to in order to get greater coverage.
