Beginner First attempt at headshots with off camera flash - Feedback Please.

sduk

sduk

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Sammy
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So last week I invested in two Elinchrom D-Lite 2 studio lights and softbox kit.

Yesterday I had a practice at a friend's garage shooting the staff for him using the kit for the headshots.

First problem I encountered was that there was no clean wall to shoot against so had to just go with the messy garage backdrop.

Second problem I found was that the initial shots had well lit subjects but dark backgrounds. They appeared almost as if I had been shining a torch in their faces.

So I played with the settings and eventually got some shots I was happier (but not delighted by any means) with.

Would really appreciate some feedback and advice...


DSC08519 by Sammy Donaldson, on Flickr

DSC08533 by Sammy Donaldson, on Flickr

DSC08546 by Sammy Donaldson, on Flickr


These were shot with my 85mm prime, in RAW and camera settings were ISO50, f5, 1/250 shutter speed.

Am I expecting too much of my set up or should I be able to balance the subject and background light better?

thanks

Sammy
 
I quite like the background and the separation, Could have possibly go a wider aperture to get even more blur on the background.

You've said you're using a softbox, I would have used a tighter crop on the head and shoulders and put the softbox much closer to the subject to get a softer light.
 
ste0803 said:
I quite like the background and the separation, Could have possibly go a wider aperture to get even more blur on the background.

You've said you're using a softbox, I would have used a tighter crop on the head and shoulders and put the softbox much closer to the subject to get a softer light.
Click to expand...


so would you have balanced the wider aperture with less flash power? I did go wider but my shots were far too over exposed.

Yeah this shot was taken with two softboxes, I though the light was too harsh as I was too close so moved them away lol. So I should have moved them closer to make it softer?
 
Closer will make the light softer. The bigger the light source the softer the light will be.

Not sure why you're using iso 50, is it a native iso? Use 100, a wider aperture and less power. If iso 50 is extended then it is just in camera trickery and is more susceptible to clipping highlights.
 
•

The models are posing well for this work; they look friendly and inviting.

I see…
— the skin tones are anemic by the boys
— all model to BG ratios are too far apart (flash a tad too strong)
— the falloff on the BG and the resulting saturation effect
toward the right are not so pleasing

You're on to something good Sammy…
 
minnnt said:
Closer will make the light softer. The bigger the light source the softer the light will be.

Not sure why you're using iso 50, is it a native iso? Use 100, a wider aperture and less power. If iso 50 is extended then it is just in camera trickery and is more susceptible to clipping highlights.
Click to expand...

thank you so much for taking the time to explain, really appreciate the help. I have another practice session tomorrow and will be moving the lights closer. Softer is what I would like.

I shoot with a Sony A77 so just assumed the lowest ISO (which is 50 according to the camera) would be best. I will use 100 from now on :)



Kodiak Qc said:
•

The models are posing well for this work; they look friendly and inviting.

I see…
— the skin tones are anemic by the boys
— all model to BG ratios are too far apart (flash a tad too strong)
— the falloff on the BG and the resulting saturation effect
toward the right are not so pleasing

You're on to something good Sammy…
Click to expand...

thank you! it was my first time using models and I was nervous. Maybe in hindsight I should have had them not as straight on?

So if I was to move the lights closer for a softer light and move the model closer to the background this should see an improvement? Also reduce the flash and shoot a bit wider?

thanks for your help.
 
I like them. The facial expressions show them to be an inviting bunch of people.

I find the background rather cluttered and untidy though and if these were for the web I would crop them and tidy up the items in the background as much as possible.If you could get more separation and get in closer then that would help.
 
2 lights when used at the same, or close, exposure is rarely a good idea and here its not working in your favour

You now have 2 shadows across their faces, one from each side - which looks very odd and unflattering

The Key (pun intended lol) to lighting faces is to start on the principle that you are mimicking sunlight, there is only one Sun close enough to us to think about, and its usually higher in the sky than your lighting positions here too

So try just one light at the 10-to or 10-past (clock face) position and just out of shot i.e. in close and hence (as others said) softer

Once you've lit the face nicely you can consider if & where you need to place a second light; here it could be placed behind the subject and pointing back at them on a lower power for separation (adding a rim of light around them), or sometimes you may decide to use it to highlight part of the background too, to show their work environment

If you want to show their environment, as you would here in a garage, then your Key (frontal) light exposure only needs to be at most 1-stop brighter than the background. So start off metering the background first then bring in your Key light after you're happy with the background; this could mean using a wide aperture or higher ISO, but either (or both) is fine - you'll just need a much lower power setting on your flash

To recap...

2 frontal lights of similar power and one on each side is just what crappy snappers do, usually of kids, it is no good portraiture even for Headshots :D

If your Headshots need to place them in their work environment, sort the ambient exposure out first then bring in your lighting for the subject

If their clothing / hair means they blend into the background too much, use a second light as a hair/rim light to separate them from the background

Soft light is usually most flattering, the bigger the light source relative to the subject the softer it is - hence a 1m softbox 30 yards away will be a hard light source as it'll be tiny compared to their heads; whereas the same softbox 1 yard away will be HUGE compared to their heads and hence giving soft light

As a first attempt though - you have nothing to kick yourself over, just a bit of 'tweaking' now and you'll have a set-up that works for you everywhere :)

Dave
 
Take a look on YouTube for some tutorials by Joe McNally. He's great at environmental portraiture like this.

I would try a few different styles personally. Just watch your framing. The electrical box in the top right corner is a bit meh.

Your light also looks a touch low. I would try one softbox and then a second light as a rim light to add some separation to them and make them pop a little more.
 
They're a good start but there's definitely room for improvement. Don't worry about a plain wall enviromental portraits can be much more pleasing however the bckground in these is a bit cluttered. If you'd cleared the desk behind them and taken a step to the left to cut oiut the power box on the right of the frame and get a bit more of the tool carts filling the background it would have looked better imo.

As for the lighting it looks like you've gone for a kind 45/45 lighting with thelights too far away and too low. This has caused the light to be flat and can be seen in the sharp shadows coming off their jacket collars. I'd try to light the subject with one light get it higher and in as close as your framing will allow use positioning to avoid need for a lot of fill or add a reflector and use the second light as an accent light to seperate them from the background. A gelled light on the background to emulate headlights or something might add some further interest and depth in the image.

lencarta just posted an article which may be of interest http://www.lencarta.com/studio-lighting-blog/02/creating-a-simple-portrait/#.VsRuc-a8pc9 and joe mcnally has some great tutorials on enviromental portraits.
 
Last edited:
drounding said:
I like them. The facial expressions show them to be an inviting bunch of people.

I find the background rather cluttered and untidy though and if these were for the web I would crop them and tidy up the items in the background as much as possible.If you could get more separation and get in closer then that would help.
Click to expand...

they were lovely people and brilliant subjects to practice on. The hardest one of them was the lady who insisted (repeatedly) that she hated getting her photo taken lol.

Yes, I see in hindsight I should have moved them further away from the background, moved the camera (and lights closer) and then used a wider aperture.

thanks for the advice :)
 
CraigDHD said:
They're a good start but there's definitely room for improvement. Don't woprrey about a plain wall enviromental portraits can be much more pleasing however the bckground in these is a bit cluttered. If you'd cleared the desk behind them and taken a step to the left to cut oiut the power box on the right of the frame and get a bit more of the tool carts filling the background it would have looked better imo.

As for the lighting it looks like you've gone for a kind 45/45 lighting with thelights too far away and too low. This has caused the light to be flat and can be seen in the sharp shadows coming off their jacket collars. I'd try to light the subject with one light get it higher and in as close as your framing will allow use positioning to avoid need for a lot of fill or add a reflector and use the second light as an accent light to seperate them from the background. A gelled light on the background to emulate headlights or something might add some further interest and depth in the image.

lencarta just posted an article which may be of interest http://www.lencarta.com/studio-lighting-blog/02/creating-a-simple-portrait/#.VsRuc-a8pc9 and joe mcnally has some great tutorials on enviromental portraits.
Click to expand...

thanks! will definitely read the article. Yeah I used 45/45 lighting and moved them further away as I thought (wrongly) that would make it softer haha. Rookie mistake.

I also had both lights at head heigh pointing directly at the person. So higher pointing down would be better?

When you say use the second light as an accent, can you explain this? How would I position it to do this?
 
DG Phototraining said:
2 lights when used at the same, or close, exposure is rarely a good idea and here its not working in your favour

You now have 2 shadows across their faces, one from each side - which looks very odd and unflattering

The Key (pun intended lol) to lighting faces is to start on the principle that you are mimicking sunlight, there is only one Sun close enough to us to think about, and its usually higher in the sky than your lighting positions here too

So try just one light at the 10-to or 10-past (clock face) position and just out of shot i.e. in close and hence (as others said) softer

Once you've lit the face nicely you can consider if & where you need to place a second light; here it could be placed behind the subject and pointing back at them on a lower power for separation (adding a rim of light around them), or sometimes you may decide to use it to highlight part of the background too, to show their work environment

If you want to show their environment, as you would here in a garage, then your Key (frontal) light exposure only needs to be at most 1-stop brighter than the background. So start off metering the background first then bring in your Key light after you're happy with the background; this could mean using a wide aperture or higher ISO, but either (or both) is fine - you'll just need a much lower power setting on your flash

To recap...

2 frontal lights of similar power and one on each side is just what crappy snappers do, usually of kids, it is no good portraiture even for Headshots :D

If your Headshots need to place them in their work environment, sort the ambient exposure out first then bring in your lighting for the subject

If their clothing / hair means they blend into the background too much, use a second light as a hair/rim light to separate them from the background

Soft light is usually most flattering, the bigger the light source relative to the subject the softer it is - hence a 1m softbox 30 yards away will be a hard light source as it'll be tiny compared to their heads; whereas the same softbox 1 yard away will be HUGE compared to their heads and hence giving soft light

As a first attempt though - you have nothing to kick yourself over, just a bit of 'tweaking' now and you'll have a set-up that works for you everywhere :)

Dave
Click to expand...

thank you for taking the time to post that explanation, that is very helpful. It seems so obvious now that the lights should have been positioned differently and closer. One of my soft boxes is larger than the other so will use that as a main light for the subject and the other to help light the background.

Can't wait to try again!
 
minnnt said:
Use the second light as a kicker/fill. Or a rim/hair light.

TBH I'd start with just one light. Master that and then work on a second if you feel the need to.
Click to expand...

So one light at 45 degrees to the subject, up higher, pointing down and closer?

I assumed that I needed to use two lights on the subject to balance the light and avoid harsh shadows. Guess I was wrong :)
 
sduk said:
thanks! will definitely read the article. Yeah I used 45/45 lighting and moved them further away as I thought (wrongly) that would make it softer haha. Rookie mistake.

I also had both lights at head heigh pointing directly at the person. So higher pointing down would be better?

When you say use the second light as an accent, can you explain this? How would I position it to do this?
Click to expand...

Moving the light further away evens out the lit areas and can reduce contrast which some people equate as softening but it actually increases the hardness which deines the falloff between the lit areas and the shadows or unlit areas.

The article I posted talks about accent lights and kinda explains it but it's basically a light from a different angle that is used to seperate a subject. It can be called an accent light, kicker light, hair light or others and its usually a light between the subject and the background aimed back at the subject to add dimension and seperate them more distinctly.
 
sduk said:
thank you! it was my first time using models and I was nervous. Maybe in hindsight I should have had them not as straight on? So if I was to move the lights closer for a softer light and move the model closer to the background this should see an improvement? Also reduce the flash and shoot a bit wider?
Click to expand...
•

I think that the only thing that counts at this point is that you succeed
that shoot. You will get zillions of tips but I think you're doing the right
thing for a first time but not exactly the right way and this is normal and
part of the learning curve.

• your one light source is not the problem but the ration to the BG
• try getting the shot right on the BG and then only bring in and tweak
your flash
• try not to over work the PP: stay clean, keep an eye on your histogram.
 
They're not great, but for a first try they're 10x better than my first go with flash was.

What I will say is; take the advice given here on board and you'll do much better next time. Flash can be tricky to get the hang of but once you have a basic understanding, you'll see a massive improvement in your photos.
 
Yes, higher than your subject and pointing down at them.

Move them around the scene and get a few different perspectives. Some closer to the BG, some further away. Offer a variety of shots, close ups, environmental, groups etc.

Don't forget to have fun.
 
UaeExile said:
They're not great, but for a first try they're 10x better than my first go with flash was.

What I will say is; take the advice given here on board and you'll do much better next time. Flash can be tricky to get the hang of but once you have a basic understanding, you'll see a massive improvement in your photos.
Click to expand...

haha I know, these were the best of the bunch, you should have seen the first few, looks like i had lit the face with a torch with the intention of making a scary face haha

Everyone has been so helpful here, going to make notes to refer to tomorrow when I have another try.



minnnt said:
Yes, higher than your subject and pointing down at them.

Move them around the scene and get a few different perspectives. Some closer to the BG, some further away. Offer a variety of shots, close ups, environmental, groups etc.

Don't forget to have fun.
Click to expand...

excellent will do that, I don't know why I assumed that straight on would give the best lighting. Can't wait to see how I get on tomorrow!

thanks for all your help.
 
sduk said:
haha I know, these were the best of the bunch, you should have seen the first few, looks like i had lit the face with a torch with the intention of making a scary face haha

excellent will do that, I don't know why I assumed that straight on would give the best lighting. Can't wait to see how I get on tomorrow!

thanks for all your help.
Click to expand...

Front on would give the same results as using on camera flash which isn't very flattering for portraits and the whole reason off camera flash is needed.

45 degree camera left or right and just above should give you a nice result and get the softbox as close as you can with being just out of frame as above is a good place to start.

The 2nd light if you're going to use one for highlight or fill may not be needed if there is enough ambient light in the scene.
 
Everything I was going to write has been covered by Dave and Craig.

It's a shame but as I read the title I knew what I was about to write (too low, too far away), which just goes to show that you're not alone. Everyone makes the same mistakes.

Always always always start with one light, to paraphrase Garry; 'there's only one sun'.
 
I'll add...

There's nothing inherently wrong with frontal lighting, you just have to understand why and how, it's the most common pattern for beauty lighting, it's very flattering done properly.
 
ste0803 said:
Front on would give the same results as using on camera flash which isn't very flattering for portraits and the whole reason off camera flash is needed.
Click to expand...

This is a common misconception.

Front on with a small light source just above the lens will give the same results as on-camera flash - and even then it can be used to good effect, e.g. (faintly nsfw) https://www.flickr.com/photos/simoncarterphotography/23477980192/in/dateposted-public/

Front on with a larger light source can produce something like my avatar.
 
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