How were these images lit...

[wormishere]

Hi,

I was browsing an auction catalogue this morning and found a whole group of images lit very dramatically.

I am guessing they were lit with one light above which had a either a honeycomb diffuser or a honeycomb grid on a softbox? Can anyone help?

In essence I ike how dramatic they are and want to recreate the look myself!

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated!

Here are two sample images from the catalogue...

 

[twhite87]

Judging by the shadows in the second image, I'd say there were two lights involved. One directly above the subject and one at a 45 degree angle from the camera (right), but quite low. For the first image, it looks like it's one light on the centreline but at something like 70 degrees up from cameraline. Best option for you to create something like this, is to have a go and see what works best. Set the camera up on a tripod, with the subject on a desk or something, then use a torch (flashlight for our American friends) and start on camera line quite low, and move the torch around 45 degrees each image you take, then move the torch up a bit and do another sweep around, and finishing directly above the subject.

Have as look at this as a guide

http://www.diyphotography.net/portrait-lighting-cheat-sheet-card/

 

[juggler]

Hi,

I was browsing an auction catalogue this morning and found a whole group of images lit very dramatically.

I am guessing they were lit with one light above which had a either a honeycomb diffuser or a honeycomb grid on a softbox? Can anyone help?

In essence I ike how dramatic they are and want to recreate the look myself!

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated!

Here are two sample images from the catalogue...

View attachment 55861 View attachment 55862

The shadows – especially in the first - are too hard-edged for it to be a softbox unless it was a long way off. The circle of light rather suggest a snoot, possibly with a grid, but that may be added in post.

The second one has fuzzier edges, so perhaps no grid, maybe just a standard dish reflector. The top light is slightly behind the bowl as the shadow is coming forwards. It also seems to have an additional light from a larger source just to the right of and slightly above the camera.

fwiw I don’t think either are terribly well lit; the second is better than the first.

Now I'm waiting for Garry's take on it...

 

[Garry Edwards]

The shadows – especially in the first - are too hard-edged for it to be a softbox unless it was a long way off. The circle of light rather suggest a snoot, possibly with a grid, but that may be added in post.

The second one has fuzzier edges, so perhaps no grid, maybe just a standard dish reflector. The top light is slightly behind the bowl as the shadow is coming forwards. It also seems to have an additional light from a larger source just to the right of and slightly above the camera.

fwiw I don’t think either are terribly well lit; the second is better than the first.

Now I'm waiting for Garry's take on it...

My take is the same, although I would guess that the tool used was a focussing spotlight, I can't think of anything else that would produce such a clearly defined transition from light to shadow.
Personally I like hard lighting for a lot of subjects but it's very unusual for this type of lighting to be used for auction photos, the whole purpose of auction photos is to show any faults that may exist, and hard lighting masks faults in the shadow areas, so auction photos are normally very soft lit.

 

[wormishere]

Thanks for your help. I will have a go myself and see what I can achieve! Not quite sure that they will turn out like but worth a go eh!

I should say these were the sexy catalogue illustrations of some Chinese jade that made well into five figures...there were typical documentary type images online.

Thanks again.