Studio A recent portrait. -

Hi

I like the photo and appreciate you giving the lighting info.
Could you help me understand the lighting a touch more as I can't get the grasp of both the key and fill being on the same side ? In my limited experience " at home using speedlights" I generally use one softbox and a reflector opposite if needed. I have read that a fill can be used on axis. I know you can do what you like really as long as the image looks great but I was just thrown by this.

Gaz
 
cargo said:
Hi

I like the photo and appreciate you giving the lighting info.
Could you help me understand the lighting a touch more as I can't get the grasp of both the key and fill being on the same side ? In my limited experience " at home using speedlights" I generally use one softbox and a reflector opposite if needed. I have read that a fill can be used on axis. I know you can do what you like really as long as the image looks great but I was just thrown by this.

Gaz
Click to expand...

Hi Gary,

A fill light can be used from any position but more commonly you see it used on axis or opposite side to the key.

The lights in this shot were stacked and both placed camera/set left.

You can see the position on once of the images in this set on my Instagram account.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BTIC7BCBtFi/?taken-by=rj_bradbury


The fill was about 1/23rd stops less than the key if I remember correctly.

I will tend to either fill from the same wide or more to camera axis myself and it's rare I place the fill on the opposite camera side or 45/45 because I don't like the look and don't really bother with ratios.

Any more questions give me a shout.

Rick
 
a nice photo, would like to see her look at the camera as well but still nice
 
It's certainly well lit etc but I'd prefer to see a little engagement, seems a little abstract for the subject. I'd probably prefer a little more fill as the shadow depth is a little too deep. But that's nitpicking a bit and quite subjective.
 
nice shot... though full length portraits seem to be a cultural thing.
As to key and fill... traditionally they have always been on the same side. Even more traditional in black and white, was to shoot the shadow side of the face, which might then require a touch more fill.
colour has somewhat changed perceptions wit many portraits being shot with virtually flat lighting which looses just about all modeling.
It is nice to see a studio shot with shadows, texture and fully modeled features. A rim or effect light might have made it stand out even more.
 
RJ Bradbury said:
A fill light can be used from any position but more commonly you see it used on axis or opposite side to the key.
Click to expand...
Hiya Rick.

Thanks for the great reply & for the link. I see exactly what your talking about now. The way I am looking at your set up image I would have been using that lower light to add light further down the body as the key would not reach the models feet. In my own hobbyist mind I would have just seen this as extending the light and wouldn't think to call it a fill. Maybe you used the fill for another reason and I'm missing the point.
The models clothing looks fab under these lights.

Gaz
 
cargo said:
Hiya Rick.

Thanks for the great reply & for the link. I see exactly what your talking about now. The way I am looking at your set up image I would have been using that lower light to add light further down the body as the key would not reach the models feet. In my own hobbyist mind I would have just seen this as extending the light and wouldn't think to call it a fill. Maybe you used the fill for another reason and I'm missing the point.
The models clothing looks fab under these lights.

Gaz
Click to expand...

You are correct the fill was to help out on the dress due to light fall off from the key light.

It's not really extending the key light, I still class it as a fill.

I had to back output of the fill off a fair bit (360ws head) because the lighter tones of the dress heated up in exposure real quick.

I have used fill in a number of ways to offer more control both to shadows and in post but I have also shot a lot with one light and gone to a larger modifier for more open shadows. Both are good ways to work but If you want to retain drama and direction offered by a smaller more directional modifier then adding a second light is a better option over a larger modifier.

This shot was lit with a 20 Degree grid and a larger light (7ft Parabolic Umbrella + Diffuser) as fill. You can see some of the setup in the video below.

Studio Fashion with Jenny Eve & MUA Charlotte Brookes by Richard Bradbury, on Flickr


BTS Video

 
Thanks for the link and explanation Rick. The penny as dropped and I see what you are using this light for now, I wouldn't have thought to use it in such a way. Or maybe I would but by pure accident in using another light as I said earlier to extend the light.

Great to see it in action on the video.

Gaz
 
cargo said:
Hiya Rick.

Thanks for the great reply & for the link. I see exactly what your talking about now. The way I am looking at your set up image I would have been using that lower light to add light further down the body as the key would not reach the models feet. In my own hobbyist mind I would have just seen this as extending the light and wouldn't think to call it a fill.
Click to expand...

That's how I'd think about it too. I've had it drummed into me - partly by some of the grumpier denizens of this place - that fill is always on axis - once it's not it's called something else.
Scarcely matters though, they're cool pics.

Fwiw there are some small (small, note!) things I would have tried to do differently but that's just me.
  • In the first pic I think the key light is too low and could be slightly more frontal. It'd be better if the nose shadow fell at a slightly different angle. I think that may be due mainly to the position of the lower light rather than the key but it's hard to tell.
  • The eye is drawn to the regions of highest contrast including the shadow around the feet. Assuming I'd spotted it I'd have tried to do something about that; failing that I'd have tweaked it in post.
  • I'd have tried to arrange her hands to see her finger tips; assuming that the subject didn't get all self-conscious about them they'd look more elegant and the image would have quite a different, less defensive, mood.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top