backdrop colour

[Curtis Cunningham]

Originally Posted by Mark Swindler

Curtis- If I may, I'd like to comment on your lighting set-up. I think your lights are slightly in the wrong place, and you have shadows on the background. Personally, I start by putting the main light about 45 degrees from the subject. Also, the main light should be next to the camera and just above camera height.

One question Mark. Maybe I'm missing something, but how can the main light be 45 degrees from the subject if the main light should be next to the camera just above camera height (according to your statement above)? Did you mean to say the FILL light should be next to the camera? Also when you say 45 deg. from the subject, do you mean 45 deg. off center, or a 45 degree angle looking down on the subject, or both?

Thanks for your comments. This is the only way I'm going to learn.

[Curtis Cunningham]

Originally Posted by ChrisPerry

F22? Whoa!
5.6 is plenty! Less light from the strobes will mean faster recycle and somewhat less blinding light on the subject.

So if I decrease the power from the strobes, how would you recommend I change my ISO, shutter speed settings then? I was planning on shooting in Manual mode.

Originally Posted by ChrisPerry

for 1 or 2 people I shoot F4 to 5.6 to keep the muslin OOF (hiding the inevitable wrinkles).

What is there's more than 1 or 2 people? I know there's a range all the way from 1 up to a family of 7. Is f/5.6 enough to keep everyone in focus? Or is that my job, to make sure those larger groups are all standing in the same plane. The other potential problem is the width of my backdrop (10'). If I have 7 people all in a row on the same plane (i.e. no one standing behind others etc.) then the backdrop may not be wide enough and I may get the church on the sides of the frame if I stand back far enough to make a pleasing composition.

Originally Posted by ChrisPerry

I light from the side - 90 degrees with a shoot thru 60" umbrella as my main light, and then a fill over/above/behind me (60" silver reflector umbrella). The side main gives shadows but wraps enough, and the fill is high to avoid shadows on the BG and reflections on eyeglasses. If shooting one person no prob. Shooting 2 you have to turn them ever so slightly so the one close the the light doesn't throw shadows on the other person.

Again, what if there's more than 2?

[ChrisPerry]

You set the camera to manual , 1/125 F5.6 (or whatever you'd prefer) and ISO 100 or 200. You set the strobes to give you this. You can probably shoot 400 without any concern. There is no point to going faster than 1/125 and some risk going slower, but not much. Going faster and you risk not capturing all the flash's light. You DO want to be 3 stops (or mroe) above room ambient so that you have complete light control, and therefore WB/color control.

Generally as groups get bigger you go to a wider focal lenght and that give you a more DOF. A lot depends on your BG and what you want to see of it. If you crop in on a larger group you may not see much of the BG so if it's wrinkled who cares. Fixing a wrinkle in the frame over 30 or 40 images gets old, fast, and kills your profits.

This was lit as I described - on light shoot through to camera right and bounced umbrella above/behind me.
1/125 5.6 ISO 800 on a canon 40D, 24mm focal length. Click on the thumbnail for a larger image.

[DragonflyDM]

The traditional portrait set up would be as follows (and some of this has been mentioned)

Main (Key) Light.
45 degrees from the subject based on the line of the subject-to-camera.

Fill Light
Directly next to the camera but on the opposite side of the main light.

Focal Length
1.5 to 2 times the length of the format of the camera (which for a 35mm would be an 85mm)

Settings.
1/125 to 1/250 of a second with an f/stop of f/5.6 or f/8



Background
The subject should be 6-8 feet from the backdrop (minimum) to allow for an OOF DOF of the background. It also stops a lot of light spill and shadows.

Notes:
In a group setting, it is preferable to keep the light and camera settings the same and have a bigger light source (i.e. softbox, etc). If you can't change the light source then move the flash closer to the 30 degree mark.

If you have a third light, the distance from the backdrop will allow for hair lights, back lights, and rim lights. This will help create that three dimension feel to the image and separate the subject from the background.


FINAL THOUGHT
A lot of people are caught up with DOF, but they forget that in most master portrait studios the photographer shoots at f/8 and moves the subject farther from the background to creat that OOF look. It does not always require the lens to be set at f/2.8 to create this effect. This photo below was shot at f/5.6 with the subject 5-6 feet away from the backdrop and the camera 8-10 feet from the subject. It was shot on location with three Qflashes in a spare office room.

[Curtis Cunningham]

Originally Posted by DragonflyDM

Main (Key) Light. 45 degrees from the subject based on the line of the subject-to-camera.

How much higher than the subject's face should I have my lights?

Originally Posted by DragonflyDM

Settings. 1/125 to 1/250 of a second with an f/stop of f/5.6 or f/8

Just to be clear, I need to do tests at different power settings on my main light so that I get f/8 right? How much less (f/stop wise) should my fill be?

Originally Posted by DragonflyDM

If you have a third light, the distance from the backdrop will allow for hair lights, back lights, and rim lights. This will help create that three dimension feel to the image and separate the subject from the background.

I have two softboxes for my main and fill lights. I have a third light, and and either a reflector or an umbrella to use as a modifier for the hair/back light. What are the pro's and con's of the reflector and umbrella for this kind of lighting? How can I make the best use of each?

[DragonflyDM]

Main lights should be a 45 degree off and 45 degree high setting. That should represent sun light.

Yes. You should be adjusting the light and not the camera settings. You can shoot at 2:1 or 3:1 ratios (depending on the look). That means your light meter should be getting f/8 on your main light and f/4 or f/5.6 on your fill light. Your hair light can be 1:1 or 2:1 depending on what your preference is. Your background light is normally 2:1, but I have seen some really nice 1:1 lighting as well. Rim lighting should be 1:1.

Now these are starting points for traditional portrait light. You can always change this up for effects. For example, I have done some nice rim lighting at f/16 for effects, etc.

Historically, the softbox was ONLY used as a fill light. More specular light was used as the main. This gives a very traditional master portrait light. (if you look at my example, the back light on the face was bare bulb, while the main light was a very small softbox (which minimizes the softbox effect).


This is how master portraits are done. These set up are hundreds of years old (before photography) and used by master painters (which is why they are called masters portraits). They used mirrors, reflectors and various skylight windows. It is the basis for all lighting used today.

In photography (before digital), photographers would need large studios to get these looks, but with digital, we can ramp ISO and digital edit. This has lead to the use of smaller lights, smaller studios, and a loss of a fantastic art of portraiture. With digital, TTL and computers you can recreate effects in postproduction-- but it never looks the same. I really do try to keep shooting in camera and not for Photoshop.

The other advantage of a master's portrait is that you can really learn lighting and how it all works (broad, short, butterfly, etc). This allows you to start analyzing faces and seeing how to BEST light your subject to make your subject look better without altering their real appearance. (Fat/wide faces look better in short light. Small noses look better in butterfly, etc.)

Finally, if you are shooting a portrait, follow the following tips:

1) Feather the light in. The light should not be directly into the subject.
2) Create depth and clarity by making sure the light is only on the face. Too many photographers let light spill down the back of the head on the ears and loose the sense of depth. On a broad light, if you light the face at f/8 and the ear at f/8 you have a two dimensional image. If the ear is at f/5.6 then you get a sense of depth and shape to the face.
3) Use more specular light on the main. A shoot through umbrella or just open faced flash with barn doors.
4) Look for only ONE catch light in the eye. For a master's portrait this is very important. If you want to keep the main light for the catch light..then move the fill light higher or push for a 3:1 ratio.

[Mark Swindler]

Curtis- Yes, I meant the fill light should be close to the camera. I agree with Dragonfly, the main light should be approximately at 45 degrees high, and 45 degrees from camera position to background. I say "approximately" because the exact position depends on the pose and whether or not you are using "Loop" lighting. Notice the shadow from the nose in my previous portrait. It doesn't fall on the lips(main light too high), and the shadow creates a loop on the cheek. This is called Loop lighting. If you move the main further around, you'll get a triangle on the cheek. This is called Rembrandt lighting as this was the light used by the famous painter. There is also short lighting, broad lighting, butterfly lighting. There is a Kodak book on the subject that explains all of these lighting techniques in detail. I'm sure you can find this info with a google search.
Please, don't use your main light at 90 degrees from the subject. It just doesn't look natural.
When I get some time, I'll try and make up some lighting diagrams and shoot some examples.

Good luck!

P.S. I shoot most of my portraits at F9, or F10, although the classic portrait photographers used f5.6. If the eyes are sharp that all you need!

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