Topic: Portrait Lighting

[Verian]

I would like to do a bit of semi-formal portraiture but am at a complete loss as to how best to light the subject, having never really done it before. Does any have any tips they could share for this type of photography? I would by using my ETRS I should think but also a Mamiya C220 (maybe) until my Rollei is fixed. Natural light is unlikely as I am trying to keep photographing but when it's dark, otherwise I will only be able to shoot at the weekend, hence giving this a go. I have a limited budget for equipment but could pick some things up if required.

All advice gratefully accepted.

[Terry]

The default starting position for portrait lighting is a 3-point or 'key/fill/back' system.  In its most rigid application, the idea is that you imagine a line between the subject and the camera and call this the center-line.  You'll have two sources coming from the front--a 'key' and a 'fill'. You then place your key light source (which will probably be your brightest source) 45 degrees to one side of the line.  (In other words, imagine a circle whose center point is in the middle of the subject's head and through which the center line passes and then imagine another radius 45 degrees to one side of the center line.)  Then place a fill source opposite (45 degrees off the center line on the other side) and also in front of the subject.  This will typically be between a third and half of the brightness of the key source, but the only rule is to make it look good at the same time as it enhances the dimensionality of the subject.  Finally, you set up a back light behind the subject and aimed at the head and shoulders.  This creates a highlight along the edge of the hair and shoulders and separates the subject from the background. 

This is the basic KFB system; it is by no means a hard-and-fast rule and is really only a starting point for more creative thinking.  The point of it is to enhance the appearance of three dimensions in a two-dimensional medium, and as long as you achieve that anything else you do for aesthetic reasons is fine.

As far as equipment is concerned, you don't necessarily need three lamps; many people use bounce boards for their fill source--taking reflected light from the key or the back light and bouncing that onto the subject from the front.  And of course you can add sources--kickers for the eyes or hair, dressing lights for the background, and you can get into the use of gels for color if you're shooting color film.

Google 'three-point lighting' and you should get some diagrams that may be useful.

[imagesfrugales]

Hm.... professional studio flash light is rather difficult to handle imho if you don't have any experiance. Exposure and final look are not easy to predict. With a digital cam it would be easier, you can do "try and error" until you get the wanted image, but that's more than boring imho and we want to waste film. But not tooooo much.

If natural light is impossible, I recommend using available light. Choose a suitable location and you can judge the lighting immediately. My first successful shooting I made in a beautifully lightened pedestrian subway. Further advantage: you don't create boring always the same perfect looking studio shots but something special. For me the location is often equally important like the portraied person.


Gloria by imagesfrugales, on Flickr

[Terry]

Good point about flash lighting--I never use flash.  If I'm going to add to available light or use only artificial lighting I just light up some tungsten instruments for constant light and I can see in the VF what I'm going to get.  (I learned lighting for motion pics and video and I never saw the point of using a flash...)  But the logic of KFB theory applies to available light too.  If you think about the brightest available source as your key and then think about whether you need a fill (you can move a table lamp or use a bounce card) you can get more control of the image and a better looking shot without much (or any) hardware.

[Mike (happyforest)]

You may find this useful

http://www.arri.com/fileadmin/media/arri.com/downloads/Lighting/US_Lighting_Products/lighting_kits/ARRI_Lighting_Handbook_3rd_Edition_March_2012.pdf

Which I originally found through this site.

http://www.diyphotography.net/

Mike

[Francois]

Reflectors are the easiest thing to use for everything.
The fun thing with B&W is that you don't have to worry about the color rendition. This means you can use some household lamps.

Professionals almost always use a softbox simply because it makes their work easier. You can just use a big frame with some white trash bag taped over it.

[Mike (happyforest)]

I have a couple of these to use as a background support.

http://www.screwfix.com/p/extension-support-rod/14003

Aldi\Lidl for the last couple of years have had them in their special buys either in the new year or at easter.

I also picked up a large cotton twill dust sheet to use as a background cloth, with the intention of being able to dye it and an emergency foil blanket as a reflector.

Mike

[Francois]

The large dust sheets are the best. They're seamless, much cheaper than muslin, dye easily and usually have a nice color.

[gsgary]

Corregated roofing sheet with a cross light make a nice background

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[FiatluX]

Here´s some classic lighting set ups that you can do with any kind of lamp, even if lamps with higher output than household lamps are preferable!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmmZECtP3oM#t=65

[Verian]

Thanks all, some very valuable advice. Until know I have just used household lamps, and not very good ones to be honest, or not for this purpose anyway. I think a permanent light source would suit me better than flash, although as Terry says, using the logic of KFB theory.

I have a series in mind that I want to do and will need to sort out the lighting for it, which will be the easy thing, the difficult bit will be convincing my wife to sit for it. I may have to go shopping for shoes for her first! (I know that probably sounds sexist or somesuch, but she really does love shoes)

(FiatluX - I can't view your post at work, will check it out when I get home)

Everything will be a bit makeshift, a dust sheet sounds like a good idea, and those supports Mike mentions. Reflectors seem like a good idea as well, the emergency blanked is a good shout. Some really good thoughts, thanks you.

[gsgary]

Keep her away from the background 6+ feet if possible, i have a lot of studio flash gear that i use for these situations but its shot on digital i could post some links later if its ok to post links of digital shots

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[Verian]

Keep her away from the background 6+ feet if possible, i have a lot of studio flash gear that i use for these situations but its shot on digital i could post some links later if its ok to post links of digital shots

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If not please do send me a PM with them in, that would be great. Thanks.

[Terry]

IIRC you're in the UK.  You might want to check out this guy in Wales: bblist.co.uk
He sells second-hand camera, lighting and sound gear for the film/video trades but much of the lighting gear will do nicely for your purposes.  A lot of it is used Arri stuff (ie, expensive) but if you dig around you'll find some Ianiro or Sachtler or Lowel kits for less money.  One of the nice things about shooting stills is that you can control your exposure time, so you don't need a honking big Fresnel just to get adequate light on your set.

[Francois]

Even some old Smith-Victor stuff will do just fine.

[gsgary]

This is a shot i took using Arri lights your subject gets a bit warm if you use them for a long time
http://gsgary.smugmug.com/Competitions/Miscellaneous/i-TKzBnqv/0/XL/BE0C8857-after-XL.jpg

This shot was taken with some old Courtney Flash lights i picked up for £30 befor i bought some good lights
http://gsgary.smugmug.com/Competitions/Miscellaneous/i-FRjHhTd/0/XL/IMG_2659_1-XL.jpg

and this is the set up very simple, used some greaseproof paper for difusion
http://gsgary.smugmug.com/Competitions/Miscellaneous/i-C563rSs/0/XL/IMG_2660-XL.jpg

Another set up with my cheap lights at a dog show, shooting and printing on site
http://gsgary.smugmug.com/Competitions/Miscellaneous/i-Bbz9n47/0/XL/IMG_3258-XL.jpg

and the results using set up above and a reflector on opposite side to main light
http://gsgary.smugmug.com/photos/i-XzM8S9p/0/XL/i-XzM8S9p-XL.jpg

http://gsgary.smugmug.com/photos/i-tCMBBVq/0/XL/i-tCMBBVq-XL.jpg

[zapsnaps]

Just one thing I'd add to the advice about using multiple light sources (or supplementing daylight daylight) - get very close to the model and make sure that there is only one catch-light in their pupils. Some people go for trying to get the ringflash in the pupil or a straight-on monster round reflector, but apart from those two particular 'fashion' looks, keep it to one.
Good luck. Hope to see the results in the FW magazine.

[Verian]

This is a shot i took using Arri lights your subject gets a bit warm if you use them for a long time
http://gsgary.smugmug.com/Competitions/Miscellaneous/i-TKzBnqv/0/XL/BE0C8857-after-XL.jpg

This shot was taken with some old Courtney Flash lights i picked up for £30 befor i bought some good lights
http://gsgary.smugmug.com/Competitions/Miscellaneous/i-FRjHhTd/0/XL/IMG_2659_1-XL.jpg

and this is the set up very simple, used some greaseproof paper for difusion
http://gsgary.smugmug.com/Competitions/Miscellaneous/i-C563rSs/0/XL/IMG_2660-XL.jpg

Another set up with my cheap lights at a dog show, shooting and printing on site
http://gsgary.smugmug.com/Competitions/Miscellaneous/i-Bbz9n47/0/XL/IMG_3258-XL.jpg

and the results using set up above and a reflector on opposite side to main light
http://gsgary.smugmug.com/photos/i-XzM8S9p/0/XL/i-XzM8S9p-XL.jpg

http://gsgary.smugmug.com/photos/i-tCMBBVq/0/XL/i-tCMBBVq-XL.jpg

Thanks for that. It's most helpful. I think I might go look for a cheap, old light, some kind of stand for it and a reflector with some kind of stand for that as well, all as cheap as possible! That will let me experiment without too much expenditure. I have a Canon 450D that I can play around with a little, but not too much, before I start wasting film

[Verian]

Just one thing I'd add to the advice about using multiple light sources (or supplementing daylight daylight) - get very close to the model and make sure that there is only one catch-light in their pupils. Some people go for trying to get the ringflash in the pupil or a straight-on monster round reflector, but apart from those two particular 'fashion' looks, keep it to one.
Good luck. Hope to see the results in the FW magazine.

Noted, will do.

[Verian]

Even some old Smith-Victor stuff will do just fine.

Some of this seems quite cheap but not as much of it in the UK as far as I can see. Will have a scout around.

IIRC you're in the UK.  You might want to check out this guy in Wales: bblist.co.uk
He sells second-hand camera, lighting and sound gear for the film/video trades but much of the lighting gear will do nicely for your purposes.  A lot of it is used Arri stuff (ie, expensive) but if you dig around you'll find some Ianiro or Sachtler or Lowel kits for less money.  One of the nice things about shooting stills is that you can control your exposure time, so you don't need a honking big Fresnel just to get adequate light on your set.

I will have a look around and see if there's anything I can afford, thanks for the link and advice..

[Francois]

Or else, if in a pinch, aluminum reflectors in spring clamps do work. Work lights also work well (and they come with their own stand).
Home Depot has been the cinematographer's choice in lighting gear for quite some time now.

[Verian]

Or else, if in a pinch, aluminum reflectors in spring clamps do work. Work lights also work well (and they come with their own stand).
Home Depot has been the cinematographer's choice in lighting gear for quite some time now.

This sort of thing?

[Terry]

That sort of thing, but it's missing some useful features.  A purpose-designed film lighting instrument would have a set of 'barn doors' (flaps hinged to the front) that not only allow you to cut off the light from parts of the scene that you don't want lit but also make a handy (and safe) place to clip lighting gels.  You'll likely find with portrait lighting that you want a diffused texture to the light and you get that either by bouncing off a white card or putting diffusion gel (filter in some parlance) in front of the light source.  These stripped-down open-face tungsten lights (like the one in your picture) are highly dangerous: the lamp (bulb) burns at a surface temperature upwards of 500 degrees Fahrenheit (260 C).  Ideally you want a unit with barndoors and a filter slot where you can insert a metal scrim (screen) that will keep flammable stuff like clothing away from the lamp itself.

[Terry]

This is the pro version

[Francois]

I was thinking more along the lines of these.

The best ones are now LED, so no heat problem. The cheapest ones are still Halogen. Some are even CFL.
They usually have protection glass in front of the bulb. This is very important as they give out an insane amount of heat. It also prevents burning people and things if the bulb should blow. It happens and let me tell you, it ain't pretty. You have to make sure not to touch the bulb with your fingers when you install it, this is what causes disasters (oil from the fingers penetrate the quartz glass bulb, create a hot spot and cause it to blow).

For barn doors, you can use thick aluminum paper and binder clips. There are also what is called a "flag" that can be used to control where the light goes.

[Volker]

Hi,

take a look at this:
http://modelmayhem.com/p.php?thread_id=96872&page=1
lot's of examples (final image + setup drawings) 43 pages at the moment.
you can also download the pages as PDF

[Verian]

Thanks all, I am formulating a plan based on your advice


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