Studio Attempt

sweet caroline

My second born came home yesterday to find me setting up a backdrop and decided to play along. Of course, she had to throw on some jammies first. She was going for a "floating on a cloud" look. She wanted dreamy. So here's my attempt. I seriously lack studio lighting, so getting the white background white took some photoshop work. Let me know what you think. Lighting tips especially appreciated.

Nikolai

sweet caroline wrote:

My second born came home yesterday to find me setting up a backdrop and decided to play along. Of course, she had to throw on some jammies first. She was going for a "floating on a cloud" look. She wanted dreamy. So here's my attempt. I seriously lack studio lighting, so getting the white background white took some photoshop work. Let me know what you think. Lighting tips especially appreciated.

Lighting is actually pretty nice, so is the pose/framing/expression, but I think you really got to get easier on the brush:-)

sweet caroline

Lighting is actually pretty nice, so is the pose/framing/expression, but I think you really got to get easier on the brush:-)[/QUOTE]

Yeah, the background looks overdone. I'll try again.

sweet caroline

Here's that same shot. Very little processing.



And another from the series:



Caroline

Scott_Quier

Caroline - to provide lighting suggestions - can you give us a list of what equipment you have. I'm thinking that it's all well and good to give suggestions that you could use 3, 4, or 5 lights to do such and so but that's not going to help you if you are currently limited to a couple of SB-600 flashes (not this would limit you so much - you can do wonderful things with just a couple of strobes).

dogwood

Scott_Quier wrote:

but that's not going to help you if you are currently limited to a couple of SB-600 flashes (not this would limit you so much - you can do wonderful things with just a couple of strobes).

Scott is correct. We'll need to know what equipment you're working with.

A really easy white background can be created by hanging a white sheet, pop a couple of softboxes behind it, and voila, the whole sheet turns into a solid white background. Of course, that's more for 3/4 length shots but would work for this image too. All depends on your equipment.

sweet caroline

All the lighting I own is the SB600 and a really cheap light I got on Amazon. I use a softliterII also. I just ordered a portable background stand, and for now I'm using a white sheet and a black sheet. I'm trying to figure out what I need next. The sb800 is a high priority. Usually, I shoot outdoors, but I want the ability to do good studio work.

I like the idea of using the flashes when working with children because they don't get hot and if they were to fall on someone they are unlikely to cause injury. They are also easily portable and I could see setting them up quickly for wedding group shots. I guess I'm looking for practical tips for someone on a tight budget! I also need more sets of eyes, preferably non-family members, to tell me how the lighting looks.

I think the subject looks pretty nicely lit to me in these with the sb600. I used my softliter with silver reflector on the cheap "studio" light to light the background, hoping the reflector would boost the power of my light. I also used a small lamp with a fluorescent bulb coming from the other side also on the background. I used the Fong lightsphere on my flash off camera to light the subject.

Caroline

P.S.
Anyone else here turn their dining room table/china cabinet into a studio just hours before dinner?

divamum

I don't know if it's "commonly" done, but when I had headshots done in the UK, the photographer there used a large sheet of white styrofoam as his background. It was fabulous! Absolutely matte and flat. I remember thinking at the time what a neat idea that seemed...

Back to the pix - I can't speak to the technical details of lighting, but I like the results you got, especially the upside-down one.

sweet caroline

divamum wrote:

I don't know if it's "commonly" done, but when I had headshots done in the UK, the photographer there used a large sheet of white styrofoam as his background. It was fabulous! Absolutely matte and flat. I remember thinking at the time what a neat idea that seemed...

Back to the pix - I can't speak to the technical details of lighting, but I like the results you got, especially the upside-down one.

I love the idea of the styrofoam, but between my cats and my kids, it wouldn't hold up in this house! If only I could think of a place to store such a thing. Anyone used foam board like this? That would be harder to destroy, but I don't know if it may be too reflective for a background.

Caroline

Scott_Quier

Can you trigger the SB-600 off-camera? I'm not a Nikon guy, but I've read something about commaner mode or something like that. Anyway, if so, put the flash up 45 degrees and off subject-camera axis by 45 degrees. Get a 2' x 3' white foamcore board (from any arts/crafts shop, $4.00 or less usually) and put that 45 degrees to the other side of the subject camera axis to reflect some of the spill light back as fill. Bouncing the light off the board will cause that light to loose a stop or so of light. The closer that board is to the subject, the softer the light and the brighter that light will be (that's a twofer:D)

Take that "cheap light" and put that behind the sheet - now you have a white background.

What all the above has done for you is to turn your 2 lights into three. At the same time, you will get some nice shadows on the face of your subject, but they won't be harsh - they are going to be filled by the light bouncing off the foam core board.

As for storing the foam core board - at 2x3 feet, it'll hide just about anywhere. Larger pieces can be hidden behind dressers, the couch, lots of places

sweet caroline

Thanks, Scott.

Yes, I use the sb600 off camera with my on camera flash in commander mode. I hadn't thought of trying to put the light behind my background. I'll have to try that this weekend. I already have a piece of foam board that I use as a reflector, and that hides behind furniture when not in use. I just don't have a place to stash something larger (and in one big piece) that could be used as a background, as suggested by divamum.

I really appreciate everyone taking the time to offer suggestions. I'm working hard on getting better and this forum helps so much.

Caroline

sweet caroline

Okay, new attempt. First born. This time I have the light behind the white sheet and an actual background stand. I also have a new softliter in the 60 inch size. Yes, the second one was tinted in processing.

1.

2.

3.


What do you think?

Caroline

ChatKat

Good job
It works! This is a much better job of lighting! I like the skin tone of #1 and #2 but #3 is a different shade. Did you change something?

For the first series, could you do a cut and paste/clone of the fuzzy stuff over the background?

Scott_Quier

- the lighting is soooooo much better. Take a good look at the shadows on her face - that's what gives a portrait depth and interest. Well done!!!

sweet caroline

ChatKat wrote:

It works! This is a much better job of lighting! I like the skin tone of #1 and #2 but #3 is a different shade. Did you change something?

For the first series, could you do a cut and paste/clone of the fuzzy stuff over the background?

I think in three I desaturated and added a touch of warmth. Just playing a bit. These were all processed in about 5 minutes or less each.

When I first opened the umbrella I thought it was a bit cumbersome, but I'm loving the 60 inches. Having a background stand means I could move into a larger room and have more control over my light placement. Before I was hanging it from my china cabinet! Amazing what just a little equipment can do to free you up.

I liked the light placed behind the white backdrop, too. Good tip.

Caroline

Scollardical

sweet caroline wrote:

Okay, new attempt. First born. This time I have the light behind the white sheet and an actual background stand. I also have a new softliter in the 60 inch size. Yes, the second one was tinted in processing.




What do you think?

Caroline

Hi Caroline,

If you don't mind I thought I would give it a shot at a PP white background on this image. Here is what I came up with:



This is a pretty quick job but I think it shows what can be done with a little patience.

Please let me know if you would rather I did not leave this image viewable in the message. I hope you don't mind my effort.

Maurice

Edit: Fixed to see image.

Ed911

I can't see your fix...image is an X. Make sure that you have sharing turned on. You may be able to see it, because it's cashed in your memory and the rest of us can't. I've done that trick a time or two. ....

sweet caroline

Ed911 wrote:

I can't see your fix...image is an X.

I can't see it, either.

I'm quite a novice at photoshop. I have CS currently, but I'm hoping to get the upgrade for Christmas. So any tips on processing are appreciated.

Caroline

sweet caroline

alexkhoo82 wrote:

Is that a fake high key I'm looking at? Nice job~

Well, I don't have enough lighting to properly light the white sheet in the background, so I tried to fake it with some PS work. Thanks.

Caroline

Sam

Caroline,

I hope you don't mind but here is my interpretation of dreamy.

Sam

Scott_Quier

Oh, that is a very nice edit!!bow

sweet caroline

Scott_Quier wrote:

Oh, that is a very nice edit!!bow

I like it dreamy, too. I had a similar edit (yours is better, I think), but such things hurt my husband's eyes, so it was tossed. No, I don't always edit to my husband's specs, it was just a moment.

Caroline