SonyBug

If he thinks that the lighting was equal on both sides, looking at the picture, he should not be trying to do professional portraits. This picture shows a little lower key light than Rembrandt lighting. He can figure it out from there.

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

Or just have them raise the side pieces of the glasses at the ear slightly which will tilt the lenses down very slightly and eliminate the glasses reflection to the lens.

Best,
Todd Ferguson
Harrisburg, NC

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

Don't make this super hard. Check out Robert Harrington YouTube called One Speedlite, Multiple Looks video. Lots of good information there and in his other videos. Mark Wallace also has some good basic stuff for Adorama TV on YouTube.

Also this is not Rembrandt lighting at all. And Rembrandt lighting would not be appropriate for this type of portrait. Set up a practice shoot with a friend if you can.
You can do this successfully I'm sure.

Best,
Todd Ferguson
Harrisburg, NC

jcboy3

If you enlarge the picture, it looks like two catchlights in his eyes. The Key light is camera left, the Fill is camera right (could be a light or small reflector, but I would bet light). There is a bright spot on the subjects head, which is very focused (you don't see any of it on the uniform). This looks to be tightly gridded or a snoot. I see just a glint on his ear, so it's coming from well behind. Finally, there appears to be a fourth light on the background, although some of the brightness difference could be the background as well (usually the center section of a portrait background is brighter, this appears to have been lowered to provide an over the shoulder accent).

The eyeglasses look very clear; but I'm having some difficulty with what appears to be a shadow from the frame on the right side; it doesn't converge with the frame. Something seems off, but at this resolution I can't tell. At any rate, if the eyeglasses add reflections, take a second shot with them off and fix in post.

If you look at the hands, they seem distorted, indicating that this was shot too close. Whether you can do as well (or hopefully better) at 70mm remains to be seen. But you should have a backup of a longer lens just in case. You won't need an f/2.8 lens, and I recommend the 24-120 f/4 for this shot.

As far as lights, you need at least 3 plus reflector but I recommend 4. You also need grids (plural...get a set) and possibly a snoot. I would also have some neutral density gells in case you need to really lower the background or rim light intensity. These lights usually need to be close in and don't get reduced by modifiers.

I recommend that you get the equipment you need, and work with a model to get it right, before you try to do a paying gig.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

Lighting ratios is something you have to experiment with to reach the results that you like. This particular portrait you have shown us seems to have a 1:1 lighting ratio.
I favor for the male subject a 1:2 ratio but that is me. I like to see one side of the face brighter while the other shows shadows with details.
Good luck with your project.

RichieC Loc: Adirondacks

Not sure where the offense in the OP is ... showing someone else's work you admire and never pretending it is yours, nor attempting to sell, or disparage the owner in a blog about LEARNING HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH is kinda going off the way deep end into WTF land.

Anyways... use this online tool I found. And to our excitable friend- this is NOT my site, I did not take any of the photos I do not own the URL, nor am i selling or slandering the following site- wanted to make that clear. O_o (blank stare)

http://lowel.tiffen.com/edu/foundations_of_lighting.html

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

By this point, you have a short, if confusing, course in portrait lighting here.

My advice: Use a 45" white umbrella for the main light, 45° off-axis at camera left, 45° up. Use a 60" white umbrella at camera right, on-axis (directly to the camera right, level with the lens). Use a background light with a bowl reflector, 30" off the floor, angled up from behind the posing stool. Use a small soft box with grid diffuser for a hair light. Use a small kicker light, to the right of the camera and at a 45° angle behind the subject.

I would prefer using indirectly diffused lighting from white umbrellas to using the more specular lighting from a soft box, but that's just me. I don't like crater faces and forehead shine, and I don't want to see every pimple and pore. I also like very soft shadow edge acuteness. If you are photographing a large number of people this way, umbrellas will flatter a larger number of them.

If you want a little more drama, use a soft box main light and umbrella fill. Or, increase the ratio to 3:1. Or do both. Again, experiment!

Go for about a 2.5:1 lighting ratio. There seems to be a lot of depth of field in this photo, because the flag is in focus. So I'd probably work around f/8 to f/11.

Use AT LEAST a 70mm focal length for the composition you demonstrated. I'd probably have a 70-200 zoom on a full-frame camera, and keep it between 100 and 135mm.

TEST. You can vary lighting instrument distances, power ratios, angles, etc. to suit your taste (or match the sample). You will need a good flash meter, one with a sync terminal so you can trigger it from the subject's position on the posing stool.

Ponz

Thanks for the kind words and insightful advice.

Ponz

Thanks for the vote of confidence Todd

Ponz

Thanks for everyone's advice. I got a little nervous last night and pulled the trigger on a 70-200 F/2.8
It'll come in handy for other occasions as well.

Ponz

Ponz

Where/how do you guys think the flag was placed? Pinned to the backdrop??

Ponz

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

I think he is 5 or 6 feet in front of the backdrop and the flag about 3 to 4 feet.
But I have not studied it that closely...

Best,
Todd Ferguson
Harrisburg, NC

Ponz

It has to pinned somewhere, or it would be hanging straight down...

Ponz

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

Maybe, but I think it is on a stand. Perhaps with the bottom pinned.
Watch that video I suggested, you will learn a lot.

Best,
Todd Ferguson
Harrisburg, NC

Kuzano

That hole in the middle of the two is the "portrait hole". If you don't do many portraits, for FF rent an 85. If you plan to do a lot of portrait work, you should fill that hole.