Portrait in Color III

[Digital]

C&C welcomed. Please comment on the lighting. Thanks.
Bruce

[Manfred M]

Looks like another on-camera flash shot. The tiny central catchlights are one give-away on that lighting technique.

As a general rule, experienced speedlight photographers try to avoid that type of lighting if at all possible. They tend to use off camera flash (usually a light stand with shoot through or reflective umbrella) or by bouncing the light off the ceiling or wall.


Direct flash produces flat, hard light that is generally not all that attractive. We tend to like using a large light source (relative to the size of the subject) to produce a softer, more nuanced light.

[Digital]

Manfred, +1 to all you stated.


Bruce

[Digital]

If one wanted to purchase a book on basic lighting in photography, what would you recommend? Thank you.


Bruce

[Manfred M]

If one wanted to purchase a book on basic lighting in photography, what would you recommend? Thank you.


Bruce

Two books I found quite useful were by Neil van Niekirk, a South African photographer who works out of New Your City:

1. Off-camera flash; and

2. On-camera flash.


The first book deals primarily with shooting with your flash(es) mounted on light stands and remotely triggered, generally with light modifiers;

The second book is primarily using a flash on the hot shoe and bouncing the light off walls and ceilings.

[Stagecoach]

If one wanted to purchase a book on basic lighting in photography, what would you recommend? Thank you.


Bruce

Why not consider the many tutorials available on You Tube Bruce? One of the advantages with these is that you have cheap access to a number of different ideas/opinions and presenter styles.

As an example I watched one by Tony Northrup last night that went through shooting a portrait indoors and outdoors using a single flash and umbrella. What it showed was him not only demonstrating a very cheap 'light kit' $29.00, but the results achieved by differing positioning. In other words, the basics.

[Digital]

Manfred, thanks for the information. I believe I have these two books By Neil Van Niekirk hidden somewhere in my house.

Grahame, thanks for the information. I will definitely check them out.

Bruce

[Digital]

I took Grahame's (Stagecoach) advice, and watched a tutorial on lighting. One technique that caught my attention was to place a reflector behind the camera position, and rotate the flash head 180 degrees. One would bounce the light from the flash onto the subject.
Has anyone tried this method, and where you pleased with the results?

Bruce

[Stagecoach]

I took Grahame's (Stagecoach) advice, and watched a tutorial on lighting. One technique that caught my attention was to place a reflector behind the camera position, and rotate the flash head 180 degrees. One would bounce the light from the flash onto the subject.
Has anyone tried this method, and where you pleased with the results?

Bruce

I have not tried or seen that method demonstrated Bruce but if the reflector were immediately behind the camera wouldn't the light be hitting the face straight on, the result being flat lighting.

One option could possibly be pointing the on camera flash backwards to a reflector at 45/45 deg (loose term) but the control would be difficult unless fixed positions were maintained. Interesting to hear what others will say.

[Digital]

Grahame, I failed to mention that the reflector was held in place by a light stand. Also the flash was NOT positioned in a 45 degree angle. The flash was shot head on.


Bruce

[Manfred M]

Grahame, I failed to mention that the reflector was held in place by a light stand. Also the flash was NOT positioned in a 45 degree angle. The flash was shot head on.


Bruce

What you have described is a variation of bounced flash. The flash is a small light source, relative to the subject, so bouncing it off a reflector will create a larger light source that can be quite soft. It depends on the size of the reflector, the distance the flash is from the reflector and the distance the reflector is from the subject.

I don't use this technique, other than when demonstrating bounce flash, as my reflective umbrella collections is doing very much the same thing. I have both a 5' and 7' umbrella which give me some beautiful on-axis lighting.

[Stagecoach]

Grahame, I failed to mention that the reflector was held in place by a light stand. Also the flash was NOT positioned in a 45 degree angle. The flash was shot head on.


Bruce

I see Bruce. I read it as ................... the reflector/umbrella was placed 'directly' behind the camera putting it on the same axis as lens to subjects face. Hence my comment regarding flat lighting. My reference to 45/45 was with respect to the light source being above and off axis of the camera/face.

[royent]

Have you had a look at the tutorials on this site ?

[Manfred M]

One option could possibly be pointing the on camera flash backwards to a reflector at 45/45 deg (loose term) but the control would be difficult unless fixed positions were maintained. Interesting to hear what others will say.

That is a very standard lighting setup for portraiture, Grahame, but trying to position the reflector, shooting position and aiming the on-camera flash sounds like pure hell to me. That is why I initially spent a fairly small amount of money to buy a light stand, a convertible umbrella (I can use it as either a reflective umbrella or a shoot through umbrella) and a device to hold my speedlight. Initially I used the optical triggering system built into my flash and my camera. That made lighting with off camera infinitely easier than trying to do what Bruce was trying to do.

[Digital]

That is a very standard lighting setup for portraiture, Grahame, but trying to position the reflector, shooting position and aiming the on-camera flash sounds like pure hell to me. That is why I initially spent a fairly small amount of money to buy a light stand, a convertible umbrella (I can use it as either a reflective umbrella or a shoot through umbrella) and a device to hold my speedlight. Initially I used the optical triggering system built into my flash and my camera. That made lighting with off camera infinitely easier than trying to do what Bruce was trying to do.

The tutorial did not look on that complicated Manfred. It just a matter of placing the reflector behind the camera, and shooting into it. If the look does not please me, I can always move the reflector to another position.

Bruce

[Manfred M]

The tutorial did not look on that complicated Manfred. It just a matter of placing the reflector behind the camera, and shooting into it. If the look does not please me, I can always move the reflector to another position.

Bruce

I was looking at Grahame's post here, rather than yours. Putting a surface behind you and firing the flash off is simple, but trying to do this with a 45 / 45 reflector is trickier.

[odds]

...book on basic lighting...?.

I think "Light Science and Magic" by Fil Hunter et al. is one of the better ones: https://www.amazon.com/Light-Science.../dp/0367860260 It is currently in its 6th edition. You may find "open" copies of older editions on the Internet for online reading or even as downloadable documents (pdf or epub).
--
Odd S.

[Manfred M]

I think "Light Science and Magic" by Fil Hunter et al. is one of the better ones: https://www.amazon.com/Light-Science.../dp/0367860260 It is currently in its 6th edition. You may find "open" copies of older editions on the Internet for online reading or even as downloadable documents (pdf or epub).
--
Odd S.

That is a great book on lighting and I own two editions of it. The main issue I have with your recommending it is that it is aimed more at the studio photographer than someone shooting on location with speedlights.

[Digital]

I was looking at Grahame's post here, rather than yours. Putting a surface behind you and firing the flash off is simple, but trying to do this with a 45 / 45 reflector is trickier.

I am a little confused. The reflector is parallel to the floor. It is not placed at a 45 degree angle facing the subject nor is it at a 45 degree angle above the subject. The reflector is directly behind the photographer at the camera position.

Bruce

[Manfred M]

I am a little confused. The reflector is parallel to the floor. It is not placed at a 45 degree angle facing the subject nor is it at a 45 degree angle above the subject. The reflector is directly behind the photographer at the camera position.

Bruce

Again, look at the comment Grahame made about 45 / 45. Setting an off camera flash at 45 degrees to the subject pointing down at 45 degrees is one of the most common and effective ways of shooting with an off camera umbrella or softbox. That is what I was referring to.

Bouncing your flash of a flat reflector that is perpendicular to the floor is simply a variant of bounce lighting. To get good, soft light the reflector has to be huge. A small reflector may not perform much better than direct flash.