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Last week I did 45 min lighting and shooting demonstration in Road Show organized by Color-Kolmio and Foka. I wanted to demonstrate how to create 3 different portrait lighting set-ups when one has 3 studio strobes and few light modifiers, and one wonders what kind of light modifiers might be useful for portraits.

That’s why I used strip -soft boxes, honeycomb grids and barn doors in these lighting set-ups, and black fabric all the time 🙂

 

White background, controlled light – Model can move freely

Idea of first lighting set-up was that model can move freely and change pose without lighting changing that much, kind of fashion lighting set-up.

I lit background (white wall) with two studio strobes which both had umbrella reflectors as light modifier. With these modifiers light beams spread wide enough to lit wall evenly.

I placed main light behind camera and attached strip -soft box to it in vertical position. In this position light beam doesn’t spread that wide and models’ outlines appear darker and form of person looks more three-dimensional in image. Model wore dress made of glossy fabric on purpose, so main light made reflection on it.

Two images below demonstrate clearly what means controlling the light. White wall reflects most of the light which hits on it. Even though model stands as fas as possible from white wall some reflected light may hit accidentally on model, and to lens.

Uncontrolled background light can be seen on first image on model’s cheeks. It hits to lens too, and creates flare. Flare destroys all dark tones and image appears all gray.

Second image shows what happens when you place two frames with black fabric both sides of model to prevent flare. Light doesn’t spread uncontrolled around studio anymore, and black fabric helps models’ outlines to appear darker and that creates illusion of three-dimensional form of person.

Quite big difference, don’t you think. I never begin shoot in studio or in location without enough black material, clamps, frames and stands that I able to create black scrim in the place where it’s needed.

 

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Lighting diagram:

(1) Main light: Elinchrome D-Lite RX 4 + light modifier Phottix stripe 35 x 140 cm (vertical position)

(2) Background light: Elinchrome D-Lite RX 4 + umbrella reflector (16 cm, 90°)

(3) Background light Elinchrome D-Lite RX 4 + umbrella reflector (16 cm, 90°)

(4) Scrim to prevent flare: Lastolite Skylite 1 x 2 m + black fabric

(5) Scrim to prevent flare: Lastolite Skylite 2 x 2 m + black fabric

(6) Background: white wall

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Even though behind the scenes -image looks that I guided my model, I really didn’t because clock was ticking, and it was time to move on to next lighting set-up… 🙂

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Black background, rim lights and controlled light – Model can still move a bit

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In next lighting set-up I placed portable backdrop stand kit with seamless black fabric as background. I attached strip -soft boxes to two light sources (background lights in previous set-up) and turn them around; they became rim lights on both sides of model.

In main light I used 60 x 60 cm -soft box as light modifier. I turned soft box 45 degrees (first image below) because in this position it’s shape is closer to shape of cheek. And this way it’s easier to lit form and three-dimensionality to model’s face.

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It would have been great to have fourth studio strobe (as fill light) in this lighting set-up to get shadow tones more lighter. Now they remain too dark and there isn’t enough form or structure on them 🙁

And the fifth strobe – I would have wanted to lit model’s arm more because now it also remains flat and two-dimensional 🙁

… But we had three lights, and clock was ticking…

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Lighting diagram:

(1) Main light: Elinchrome D-Lite RX 4 + light modifier Elinchrome 60 x 60 cm –soft box

(2) Rim light: Elinchrome D-Lite RX 4 + light modifier Phottix stripe 35 x 140 cm (vertical position)

(3) Rim light: Elinchrome D-Lite RX 4 + light modifier Phottix stripe 35 x 140 cm (vertical position)

(4) Scrim to prevent flare:: Lastolite Skylite 1 x 2 m + black fabric

(5) Scrim to prevent flare: Lastolite Skylite 2 x 2 m + black fabric

(6) Background: Phottix portable backdrop stand kit with seamless black fabric

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Image below has taken direction of camera: on foreground you can see black scrims. In this lighting set-up both scrims were moved in front of the model because otherwise rim lights has hit straight to lens and create flare. Now black scrims prevent that.

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Black background, rim lights and controlled light – Model can’t move at all

To last lighting set-up I changed light modifier to main light – I switched soft box to tight honeycomb grid (8°) to narrow down light beam to hit just limited area of model’s face. I also moved main light near to camera, almost in front of it, to create butterfly lighting.

Honeycomb grid didn’t narrow down light beam enough so I used to two large barn doors to modify light beam more. Because lack of time I didn’t attach them to light stand, I just kept another one in my hand and my assistant Atte kept the other one.

One would have needed fill light (forth studio strobe) in this image: because once again dark tones remain too dark and formless. Especially which disturbs me is model’s arm on foreground. It remains so formless 🙁 And that’s why I cropped image a lot and made strong vignetting to disappear arm even more.

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Lighting diagram:

(1) Main light: Elinchrome D-Lite RX 4 + light modifiers: standard reflector (21 cm, 50°), honey comb (8°) and barn doors (44 x 35 cm)

(2) Rim light: Elinchrome D-Lite RX 4 + light modifier Phottix stripe 35 x 140 cm (vertical position)

(3) Rim light: Elinchrome D-Lite RX 4 + light modifier Phottix stripe 35 x 140 cm (vertical position)

(4) Scrim to prevent flare: Lastolite Skylite 1 x 2 m + black fabric

(5) Scrim to prevent flare: Lastolite Skylite 2 x 2 m + black fabric

(6) Background: Phottix portable backdrop stand kit with seamless black fabric

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… then it 44 minutes  were gone, and it was time to say thanks to all. I hope all participants got lighting tips how to use light modifiers different ways to visualize portraits. And then it’s just about guiding your model and create atmosphere for unique portraits of unique people 🙂

For me fun and new in this session was that I used Leica SL with Leica Vario-Elmarit-SL 24-90mm f/2.8-4. I got camera in my hands few hours before demonstrations but with help of Espen Harward/Leica all went well 🙂

I would like to thank students of VVI for great help in demonstration: Atte and Pete for assisting me, and for Suski for being great model 🙂

Thank you also for Pasi Salokannel/Foka and Jarkko Viljanen/VVI for behind the scnes -images.

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