Lighting tests

[juggler]

I feel a bit of a fraud, sometimes, spouting on about lighting stuff as if I know what I'm talking about. I've kind of gone in at the deep end with elaborate lighting schemes in grand locations without ever having really mastered the basics. Having been inspired by a few folk here I thought I'd see whether I could use my tiny front room to take high key headshots, and made a few subtle variations to the lighting in the hope that they'll be helpful one day. The received wisdom is that it's tricky to do high key stuff without either lots of space or flare and I wanted to see what I could actually manage.

So.. here's the setup.. a deep silver brolly & Godox AD360 tilted downwards, camera just below it, diffuser from a 5-in-1 reflector with speedlite & brolly behind.

I couldn't get a really even backdrop without the brolly, there were various patterns from the speedlite's own diffuser and lens on it. The backdrop was reflective metered at 3 stops above the incident reading from the brolly - which was enough to make it nearly but not quite pure white, but hasn't introduced any serious flare despite the proximity to the subject position.


Then I added a largely useless grid, played with a diffuser on the brolly and with various small white reflector cards:



I found the most patient if unphotogenic model available - myself - and got results from this with just the deep silver brolly:



to this with a diffuser and two reflector cards held in a V:


As well as about 20 other subtle variations. If you're actually interested and can bear repeatedly studying my kn*ckered & ill phyzog than take a look at the album here. All images are entirely unedited other than the usual lightroom import / export stuff.

 

[Kodiak Qc]

…Then I added a largely useless grid…

•
…just wait, it'll grow on you!
All my modifiers (octos, soft boxes, strip lights, reflectors etc) are equipped
with their respective grids, sometimes even in different falloff degrees!

 

[Phil V]

•
…just wait, it'll grow on you!
All my modifiers (octos, soft boxes, strip lights, reflectors etc) are equipped
with their respective grids, sometimes even in different falloff degrees!

This^
Don't be fooled by the fact that the grid nicked some light and appeared to do nothing else. Up the exposure and have a close look at the shadow edges, the transitions into shadow are harder, making for a more dramatic light. Though your light placement isn't the best way to show it.

 

[juggler]

•
…just wait, it'll grow on you!
All my modifiers (octos, soft boxes, strip lights, reflectors etc) are equipped
with their respective grids, sometimes even in different falloff degrees!

This^
Don't be fooled by the fact that the grid nicked some light and appeared to do nothing else. Up the exposure and have a close look at the shadow edges, the transitions into shadow are harder, making for a more dramatic light. Though your light placement isn't the best way to show it.

The grid clearly has had an effect - and as you say frontal lighting won't show it much. I often use grids in my usual work. By 'largely useless' I was referring to the fact that the grid I've got for this modifier has holes which are too wide, is too shallow and too floppy to work very well.

 

[Kodiak Qc]

…I found the most patient if unphotogenic model available…

•
Next time, give a smile to the photographer! ;-)

 

[juggler]

•
Next time, give a smile to the photographer! ;-)

Lol! I can't smile consistently for any length of time; sooner or later the friendly neighbourhood serial killer makes an appearance. Much easier to repeat a neutral expression

 

[Kodiak Qc]

… too shallow and too floppy to work very well.

•
This I can understand. I once ordered the largest Westcott Apollo and
I mounted it upon reception and returned it the same hour! The darn thing
could not support it's own weight and keep its shape.
I thought I could save a buck but…
Now, I'm only using my flash maker's modifiers.

 

[cargo]

Missed this Simon. Great little post. Had a look at the blog too. like you say some minor differances but I learned stuff_________I think

Also had another mooch of some of your fab circus freinds/images.

Gaz

 

[juggler]

Missed this Simon. Great little post. Had a look at the blog too. like you say some minor differances but I learned stuff_________I think

Also had another mooch of some of your fab circus freinds/images.

Gaz

Cheers Gaz!

 

[manda]

Great work. Is the brolly + wide grid without the diffuser? Just wondering as a grid is my next purchase. Thanks for taking the time to share, Mandy

 

[juggler]

Great work. Is the brolly + wide grid without the diffuser? Just wondering as a grid is my next purchase. Thanks for taking the time to share, Mandy

thanks - yes, there was no diffuser when I had the grid on; I was interested in how contrasty the image would become. For completeness I should have done some with both the diffuser and the grid.

Though as Phil said.. grids come into their own when the light is off the camera axis and you want to really control spill and flare. The increased contrast is something of a by-product.
I'd encourage you to splash out on a good quality and fairly tight one rather than an eBay bargain.

 

[manda]

Thanks for taking the time to respond, Mandy

 

[Tunbridge]

You've done a good job in a limited space, its just about experimenting and seeing what works. I have a bit more space in my house but are still cursed with the same issues of low ceilings and white walls.

I also use my grids a lot, find it really helps with the control as I get light bouncing off too many white surfaces where I don't want it too.