PalePictures Loc: Traveling

I decided to post a portrait in the style of Luke Fontana. I've been rambling lately about simple light setups so I thought it was time to "put up or shut up". Both the lighting and the composition is in the Luke Fontana style. Photo was lit using two Einstein heads with one snooted for the background. The beauty dish had a sock(diffuser) and was feathered heavily. The reflector was used to help retain detail in the dark jacket below. Einsteins lights were controlled from the camera using the Paul C. Buff Cyber Commander system. Although I have 6 einstein heads I typically only use about three. The saying goes. "When you think you need two lights use one light. When you think you need three lights use one light".
As always, I hope it translates well.

Leon S Loc: Minnesota

Thanks for the demo. Seeing the actual set up makes what you say so much clearer for me. I'll try this set up out.

Bobbee

Nice shot, the guy remembered to take his shoes with him, right?

jonsommer Loc: Usually, somewhere on the U.S. west coast.

So, you mentioned Luke Fontana, I was curious and did a search and just spent an informative and interesting chunk of time looking at his work and getting ideas for my own. Thanks for the reference, I learned a lot.

PalePictures Loc: Traveling

Glad this helped.

PalePictures Loc: Traveling

Hi Bobby,
Sometimes there is no time to wear pants!

Bobbee

Funny you should say that.

Last week I was at the Tampa NY Jets fan club for the season opener. I was doing my yearly 1st day group shot. I am up on my photographers ladder with 90 people in front of me. Did not feel a thing but all of a sudden I say to myself..."What is around my feet?" Then I hear people laughing and realize...............

Now I am trying to get the guy next to me to hold my camera so I can fixe my shorts. He turns away faking embarrassment. Leaving me stand there with nowhere to go. FUNNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PalePictures Loc: Traveling

Jon,
If you noticed here I use a snoot to create the background vignette. What I have found is the vignette is much easier to control doing it this way. By having the snoot about six feet away from the background and shooting past the subject I have found the vignette to be easier to control. It also gives me a fall off of light that is very pleasing. There are four ways that I have done lighting vignettes.

1) with a snoot like shown above.
2) with a light directly behind the subject.
3) shooting thru a rolled white translucent sheet.
4) bleed over from the light on the subject.

I have just found the snoot method to work best for me. One reason is that the lights are in front of the subject so I don't have to walk around the subject to make adjustments to get it right. No matter how you do it, you end up having to adjust the light usually a couple of times to get the circle around the subject perfect. Once the setup was complete, it was all about getting an expression.
The feathered beauty dish with a diffusion sock is a good alternative to a small softbox, which would give similar lighting.

The distance from the subject to the thunder gray background is about 3 feet.
Notice how the beauty dish is out in front of the subject, almost shooting past the subject. Feathered light is what helps soften the transitions even when using smaller light sources.

Another alternative to this shoot, and in better keeping with the Luke Fontana style, is to only use one light. Using a little larger octobox, I could have moved the subject next to the gray background and let the octobox bleed over to the background creating the natural vignette.

One thing I will sometimes do in post is to create an overlay to the gray background. I created a stone overlay library, available on my website, to make a thunder gray background more interesting.

One other note.
I prefer light vignettes to post production vignettes. I just think they look more natural.

Probably more than you wanted to know. It's early and I just felt like typing I guess.

Regards,
Russ

alissaspieces Loc: New York

Thank you for sharing this and showing the lighting set up. Very helpful!

PalePictures Loc: Traveling

Lol! What happens in the field stays in the field.

PalePictures Loc: Traveling

One other note Alissa. Although I normally shoot tethered I didn't here. I had a problem when shooting in Vegas not being able to connect to my laptop. I thought it was my camera so I switched over from my 5D mkiii to my 5Dmkii for this shot. My newer camera has an L plate but the one I was shooting didn't. That's why it was tilted on the tripod.
I just discovered that the connection issues were not with either camera but with my cable. Looks like its time to order a new one.

One other note. Notice the camera height is even with the nose. I do this instinctively in studio. This is just a style thing for me.

Glad this helped!

jonsommer Loc: Usually, somewhere on the U.S. west coast.

Russ, I'll try using the snoot in the way you suggested, and I like a fan shaped vignette behind the model, as you mentioned, as well. To get the look you want with the snoot, are you placing it camera inferior with the light shooting upwards, and if so how close to the floor do you place it? Or, of it's placed camera neutral or even camera superior, what is the placement and elevation related to the camera?

alissaspieces Loc: New York

Funny you should mention the tilted camera on the tripod because as I looked at your set up I thought to myself "think it might be time to purchase a quality tripod that I can tilt my camera on!".

Yup- guess it is time for you to get a new cord! #photographerproblems lol!

PalePictures Loc: Traveling

The snoot is about 1- 2 feet above the camera. If it's to low, you'll start clipping the light on the body. There is a long bench that the subject is sitting on. If you will notice the three foot reflector clamped to the snooted light. The base of the reflector is actually sitting on the bench. I made a mistake in saying that the snoot was 6 feet out above. It was probably only 4.5 feet out. Notice the angle of three foot reflector.
The photograph above is the actual placement of the lights for this photograph.

trc Loc: Logan, OH

Russ,

I am slightly confused. The first set-up photo looks like the reflector has a white back and a black rim suggesting a black absorbing front - makes no sense? Obviously I am not seeing correctly on my iPhone?

The second set-up shot looks like you have 3 lights; your snooted Einstein, the diffused beauty dish, and another beauty dish or some diffused light the subject is looking into? Please help solve my confused state. Thanks Russ.

Oh, how big is the room you are shooting in?

Much appreciated,
Tom