Finally used a light meter, my shiny white tile board and a Muslin background!

WingsOfLovePhoto

I am so excited that I finally am learning how to use a light meter. I went out and bought a white tile board like was recommended here and bought my first scenic muslin. Though not quite sure how to get the wrinkles out so I had some extra pp time for that. I also have to get used to reading a histogram on a black background or dark background. How can you REALLY tell what's up with that? Here are some from all of the above. Whaddaya think?

1.


2.


3.


4.


5.


6.


7.

heatherfeather

#7 is just precious.... Could his eyes be any bigger?

I think you did well! Not that I am some kind of lighting wizard, but to my eyes what you have going on is pleasing.

jeffreaux2

FWIW, I like the BG on the last two best.

...and HeathertarredandFeathered is right....that last is super duper cute!

clemensphoto's

What a wonderful photo series.clap

Art Scott

WingsOfLovePhoto wrote:

I am so excited that I finally am learning how to use a light meter. I went out and bought a white tile board like was recommended here and bought my first scenic muslin. Though not quite sure how to get the wrinkles out so I had some extra pp time for that. I also have to get used to reading a histogram on a black background or dark background. How can you REALLY tell what's up with that? Here are some from all of the above. Whaddaya think?

Really a great set of photos......the one on black needed a bit of back light, rim light , hair light to separate him from the background.....but other than that FANTASTICALLY WELL DONE!!!!

If your using an exposurte meter now, it will cut down on your studio time as you will not be spending valuable time trying to read a histogram,.....which by the way looks as unprofessional as chimping does to your clients........putting that meter up close to them and firing of the flash to get a meter reading is so much more proffesional to the client, to me the only thing worse than trying to read a histogram or chimping in front of a client is pulling a moist dirty string out from under your camera to measure the distance from nose to film plane (sensor) and setting your aperture and shutter that way.........(remember the good old days of the school photog and taht nasty string)...........I di once use a tape measure and asked the client to put it on the tip of her nose.....then I took the photo with the end of the tape measure touching her nose.......it was a riot when she saw it.....

How to get wrinkles out of muslin...........
1- hang it and let it hang straight down for a few days.....lightly sprinkle with water.........I SAID LIGHTLY........

2- hang and steam it .....LIGHTLY

3- the pros way........find a paint rail at a theater (one where operas and musicals are pu on live) stretch the muslin from side to side top and bottom hold using nails, screws or stapels 9the painted side away from you so you'll be spraying the backside)......now with a standard garden sprayer....spray a dilution of CHEAP spray starch and water (normally a 50/50 dilution) on a small area to test....let it dry.....check painted/dyed side and if all is good.....re stretch and spray away.....when it drys it will look as if it had been pressed by the very best of dry cleaners.

Reading a histogram on blk back grounds.....if doing studio work in studio or on location....jsut use the exposure meter and do not worry about the histogram at all...........
I just moved up from a Minolta Flash Meter lll to a Sekonic L-558 Dual Master.......Ohhhhh I love that thang Oh Yeah........

BTW .....Which Sekonic did you get???

WingsOfLovePhoto

heatherfeather wrote:

#7 is just precious.... Could his eyes be any bigger?

I think you did well! Not that I am some kind of lighting wizard, but to my eyes what you have going on is pleasing.

I would say that you are a pretty good light wizard! thanks for the comment

WingsOfLovePhoto

jeffreaux2 wrote:

FWIW, I like the BG on the last two best.

...and HeathertarredandFeathered is right....that last is super duper cute!

FWIW are you kidding? Jeff commented on my photo's !:ivar

Though that's not very nice...HeathertarredandFeathered.... meanie...:smack

WingsOfLovePhoto

Art Scott wrote:

Really a great set of photos......the one on black needed a bit of back light, rim light , hair light to separate him from the background.....but other than that FANTASTICALLY WELL DONE!!!!

If your using an exposurte meter now, it will cut down on your studio time as you will not be spending valuable time trying to read a histogram,.....which by the way looks as unprofessional as chimping does to your clients........putting that meter up close to them and firing of the flash to get a meter reading is so much more proffesional to the client, to me the only thing worse than trying to read a histogram or chimping in front of a client is pulling a moist dirty string out from under your camera to measure the distance from nose to film plane (sensor) and setting your aperture and shutter that way.........(remember the good old days of the school photog and taht nasty string)...........I di once use a tape measure and asked the client to put it on the tip of her nose.....then I took the photo with the end of the tape measure touching her nose.......it was a riot when she saw it.....

How tro get wrinkles out of muslin...........
1- hang it and let it hang straight down for a few days.....lightly sprinkle with water.........I SAID LIGHTLY........

2- hang and steam it .....LIGHTLY

3- the pros way........find a paint rail at a theater (one where operas and musicals are pu on live) stretch the muslin from side to side top and bottom hold using nails, screws or stapels 9the painted side away from you so you'll be spraying the backside)......now with a standard garden sprayer....spray a dilution of CHEAP spray starch and water (normally a 50/50 dilution) on a small area to test....let it dry.....check painted/dyed side and if all is good.....re stretch and spray away.....when it drys it will look as if it had been pressed by the very best of dry cleaners.

Thanks for the advice Art! Though no theater around... will try the steam.. Do you have a suggestion about lighting that background? because it doesn't look at all like when I ordered it. Was supposed to be really light spring like colors.... not at all...The company said I must not be lighting it right....

I actually did use a background light and hair light but ended up increasing the blacks because I had wrinkles in my black background too! And the light was accentuating them...ugh...

Funny story about the measuring. I actually was preparing today to attach a string to my lights so I could stay accurate....though after hearing moist and dirty I decided no! A nurse who is a purell freak can't deal with moist and dirty

WingsOfLovePhoto

clemensphoto's wrote:

What a wonderful photo series.clap

Thank you Ryan...I appreciate that you are always saying nice things about my photos

cmorganphotography

6 and 7 - straight through the heart.

speedsk8r

When i shoot baby's i never smooth there skin,the colors are wonderful,love the clarity too.

Art Scott

WingsOfLovePhoto wrote:

Thanks for the advice Art! Though no theater around... will try the steam.. Do you have a suggestion about lighting that background? because it doesn't look at all like when I ordered it. Was supposed to be really light spring like colors.... not at all...The company said I must not be lighting it right....

How long have you had the back ground and re-check their catalog and wesite for a disclaimer ...something like ....what you see is just a visual of waht the actual might look like, there will be variation dues to the backdrops beinghandpainted...blah blah blah......if you find one your sorta stuck with it......if there is no disclainer then send it back as way to light and also ask for a lighting diagram of how they shot the background, because you want the same results.

you may shoot the bak ground sans a model and take your meter reading and then go (-) 1 stop shoot ( shoot a series in 1/3 brackets) raw and jpg and see how it looks in your processing software...........NOT the LCD on the camera..............
HOWEVER by metering with an exposure meter it should be dead on as you not measuring reflected light but incident light (light falling on the subject).

I actually did use a background light and hair light but ended up increasing the blacks because I had wrinkles in my black background too! And the light was accentuating them...ugh...

on painted background the creases and wrinkels can be a bad thing, I like thm on solids gives a bit of texture



Funny story about the measuring. I actually was preparing today to attach a string to my lights so I could stay accurate....though after hearing moist and dirty I decided no! A nurse who is a purell freak can't deal with moist and dirty
as longas you only use it to mesure the distance from camera to lfight stands taht would be acceptable in my thoughts.....then again i use the step measurea method....my shoes are xactly 12" long so I can get an accurate measurement by stepping toe to heal...also keeps me in practice should I ever get stopped and checked to swerving and driving

comments above in BOLD

jeffreaux2

WingsOfLovePhoto wrote:

FWIW are you kidding? Jeff commented on my photo's !:ivar

Though that's not very nice...HeathertarredandFeathered.... meanie...:smack

...well...

I don't often comment on studio work. I don't really do studio work.....and know very little about the gear/set ups. I do know that the BG in those two shots is VERY pleasing to me.