My turn again

reyvee61reyvee61 Registered Users Posts: 1,877 Major grins
edited October 15, 2010 in People
It seems that I am so quick to jump in and give advice here and yet I have not tried some of the techniques that many of you are doing a fine job with. High key or illuminating the background (back light), rim lighting (still waiting for a 60 degree reflector attachment for my strobe) and other styles of studio portraits.

Today I git off my butt and did a quick setup using two strobes as shown below with a very wrinkled off white sheet.

Elinchrom D-Lite 400s

1049234120_FcBVr-L.jpg

My unwilling model/daughter Clair (she was in the middle of some serious PS work)


1049232648_DETqG-L.jpg


Raw processed with some tweaks in Levels and Curves screen-capture:


1049232703_PrhdC-L.png

Camera settings:

1049253283_kk93H-L.png

I think the lighting just looks flat on her face but pointing the soft-box directly at her was a bit much (bright) even when I dialed it down.

I keep hearing from others here to stick that light right close to your subjects.
Will have to mess around some more with this...

C&C please

Let me have it!!!
Yo soy Reynaldo

Comments

  • fizzyfizzfizzyfizz Registered Users Posts: 61 Big grins
    edited October 15, 2010
    Yeh I agree, the light on her face does look flat. Does it need a reflector of some sort? I'd be interested to know the answer to this one myself.

    By the way, nothing wrong with that wrinkled sheet! I have one too almost exactly the same and it's seen me through many successful shoots :)
    IAN

    www.iwpics.com
  • anonymouscubananonymouscuban Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 4,586 Major grins
    edited October 15, 2010
    I'm still learning myself but I will try to help. First, were you using a Key and fill light or just Key? Looks like one light source on your subject. It looks really flat too.

    I don't know but you may be getting quite a bit of light reflected from your BG as fill, where it's the ratio with your key. One thing that I read that really clicked with me is that your fill is the base light. So setup your fill first, then adjust your Key light to get the ratio you want.

    BTW, what were you going for... High Key, 3:1, 4:1?
    "I'm not yelling. I'm Cuban. That's how we talk."

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  • reyvee61reyvee61 Registered Users Posts: 1,877 Major grins
    edited October 15, 2010
    I initially was going for the 3:1 high key but I was blowing out the background so badly in relation to the key light even at f/10 or higher. Plus the spillage on her hair and face was so bad I couldn't get satisfactory results SOOC.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
    <o:p></o:p>
    I used the smaller soft box to illuminate the back drop and the larger on her face but as you can see form the image I posted I bounced it off the white ceiling.<o:p></o:p>
    <o:p></o:p>
    Will try again tonight probably with her full size Barbie head since she'll be at a slumber party tonight :-)<o:p></o:p>

    Thanks for your input guys.....
    Yo soy Reynaldo
  • angevin1angevin1 Registered Users Posts: 3,403 Major grins
    edited October 15, 2010
    How far away was your unwilling-subject from the BG? It looks relatively short?

    Did you meter this?

    What distances are you working with in-toto?
    tom wise
  • reyvee61reyvee61 Registered Users Posts: 1,877 Major grins
    edited October 15, 2010
    angevin1 wrote: »
    How far away was your unwilling-subject from the BG? It looks relatively short?

    Did you meter this?

    What distances are you working with in-toto?


    She was about 3 1/2 feet from the background and the light on the backdrop about two feet with the diffuser on.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
    <o:p></o:p>
    I didn't meter this but I have considered purchasing a flash meter.<o:p></o:p>
    <o:p></o:p>
    The key light was about a foot away from her and I was about four feet from her since the 85 has a minimum focus of 3ft<o:p></o:p>
    Yo soy Reynaldo
  • anonymouscubananonymouscuban Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 4,586 Major grins
    edited October 15, 2010
    Not sure you need the modifier on the background. Also, high key is actually 1:1 (2:1) ratio... hence high key, meaning only mid and high tones.

    I'd try bumping everything up a bit.
    "I'm not yelling. I'm Cuban. That's how we talk."

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    My Smug Site
  • reyvee61reyvee61 Registered Users Posts: 1,877 Major grins
    edited October 15, 2010
    anonymouscuban wrote: »
    Not sure you need the modifier on the background. Also, high key is actually 1:1 (2:1) ratio... hence high key, meaning only mid and high tones.

    I'd try bumping everything up a bit.
    Ah I see, thanks for the tip
    Will be busy tonight with different configurations
    Yo soy Reynaldo
  • Scott_QuierScott_Quier Registered Users Posts: 6,524 Major grins
    edited October 15, 2010
    The light looks flat because it is. Hmmm that was a bit rude - sorry.

    Now for the help. Do some research on lighting ratios. If you have one light that is one or more stops brighter (as measured at your subject), you will get a lot better depth definition and that's what you are striving for.

    HTH
    Scott
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  • reyvee61reyvee61 Registered Users Posts: 1,877 Major grins
    edited October 15, 2010
    Scott_Quier wrote: »
    The light looks flat because it is. Hmmm that was a bit rude - sorry.

    Now for the help. Do some research on lighting ratios. If you have one light that is one or more stops brighter (as measured at your subject), you will get a lot better depth definition and that's what you are striving for.

    HTH


    Thanks Scott
    I'm reading right now and figuring out the ratios. :D
    Yo soy Reynaldo
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