Trying to get to grips with rembrant
Feb 1, 2020 19:06:58 #
Ok the basic setup me sat in an office chair shooting a barebulb into an umbrella softbox with diffusion the softbox is about 7 feet high on the stand if im on a clock dial the camera is facing me directly and the soft box is to a 45 degree but i'm not getting a triangle.
Can anyone point me in the right direction please.
Can anyone point me in the right direction please.
Feb 2, 2020 03:40:59 #
You are close but I think the light might be a tad high and to far away. You want a little triangle of light on the subjects upper cheek bone. It's much easier to use a continuous light if you have one, to get the position correct. A trick i learned to study portrait light, is to use my sell phone, in selfie mode. Stand near a window or light and turn toward and away from it, move up or down with respect to the light. observe the changing light and shadow, it can go through the whole range from split to butterfly. Try standing still and moving the camera to see broad or short lighting. Anyway I hope that helps.
Below is a link to how to setup 4 common portrait lighting methods, including Rembrant.
https://digital-photography-school.com/4-common-lighting-styles-to-get-the-perfect-portrait/
Below is a link to how to setup 4 common portrait lighting methods, including Rembrant.
https://digital-photography-school.com/4-common-lighting-styles-to-get-the-perfect-portrait/
Feb 2, 2020 11:21:20 #
JD750 wrote:
You are close but I think the light might be a tad... (show quote)
I think i am improving
Feb 2, 2020 19:38:26 #
There are several issues to discuss in addressing your question.
Assuming your main light is equipped with a modeling lamp, you should establish your desired lighting pattern by eye and not by geometric measurements or lighting diagrams. The supposed 45 degrees main light position for the so-called Rembrandt lighting is only a starting point for visual placement.
The triangular highlight on the otherwise shadow side of the face is the typical indication of Rembrandt lighting, however, it does not work or always appear on every subject simple because not everyone has the same facial structure. The triangular highlight is a product of the shadow cast by the nose, and the structure of the subject's cheekbone structure and facial width. In some subjects, especially those with deep-set eyes, you may achieve the said highlight buy the eyes may become significantly under-illuminated when you find the right height for the lighting pattern. This lighting is not always aesthetically pleasing for every subject.
Here's something that many portrait photographers don't know about. When we analyze lightings for critique, portraitists in the know understand that there are two versions of each "standard lighting" such as butterfly, modified butterfly or loop, Rembrandt or split. There is a CLEAN version and an UNCLEAN- the first being exactly as tradition dictates and the second is slightly off- sometimes in-between two basic forms. NEITHER IS BAD or considered poor lighing if it is appropriate for the subject's facial structure the mood, and the motif of the image.
There is also a way of utilizing Rembrandt lighting in a special method called FORM FILL. You create the typical Rembrandt triangle and if the eyes are under-lighted, you bring in the fill light, off-camera in the modified-butterfly or loop position, feathered and at a lower output than the main light to bring up the eyes.
So...The lighting on your portrait can be described as an UNCLEAN REMBRANDT. Ain't nothing wrong with that- it's dramatic and the texture is great.
I did an edit. There is lots more texture and information on that file. The image I download was a bit too dark and the highlights started to "muddy" up. Check out the edit- the eyes a better and the all-over texture is more pronounced.
If you want to try the lightning again on the same subject, forget about the "angle" and eyeball it 'till you SEE what you like.
NOW let's talk about Mr. Rembrandt Not all of his paintings featured the "triangle"! Many are what we would call a SPLIT lighting. Some are what we would term BROAD lighting. If you observe some of his group paintings, such as the "Anatomy Lesson" you will notice only 2 subjects with the triangle. Rembrandt painted the light as he observed it so in the group the lighting varied from one subject to the next- this is a good illustration of the variation of lighting effect depending on the position of the subject in reference to the direction of the light and each facial structure.
The "Man in a Golden Helmet" is one of the best known Rembrandt works- the lighting is much like your own in the image discussed here.
Assuming your main light is equipped with a modeling lamp, you should establish your desired lighting pattern by eye and not by geometric measurements or lighting diagrams. The supposed 45 degrees main light position for the so-called Rembrandt lighting is only a starting point for visual placement.
The triangular highlight on the otherwise shadow side of the face is the typical indication of Rembrandt lighting, however, it does not work or always appear on every subject simple because not everyone has the same facial structure. The triangular highlight is a product of the shadow cast by the nose, and the structure of the subject's cheekbone structure and facial width. In some subjects, especially those with deep-set eyes, you may achieve the said highlight buy the eyes may become significantly under-illuminated when you find the right height for the lighting pattern. This lighting is not always aesthetically pleasing for every subject.
Here's something that many portrait photographers don't know about. When we analyze lightings for critique, portraitists in the know understand that there are two versions of each "standard lighting" such as butterfly, modified butterfly or loop, Rembrandt or split. There is a CLEAN version and an UNCLEAN- the first being exactly as tradition dictates and the second is slightly off- sometimes in-between two basic forms. NEITHER IS BAD or considered poor lighing if it is appropriate for the subject's facial structure the mood, and the motif of the image.
There is also a way of utilizing Rembrandt lighting in a special method called FORM FILL. You create the typical Rembrandt triangle and if the eyes are under-lighted, you bring in the fill light, off-camera in the modified-butterfly or loop position, feathered and at a lower output than the main light to bring up the eyes.
So...The lighting on your portrait can be described as an UNCLEAN REMBRANDT. Ain't nothing wrong with that- it's dramatic and the texture is great.
I did an edit. There is lots more texture and information on that file. The image I download was a bit too dark and the highlights started to "muddy" up. Check out the edit- the eyes a better and the all-over texture is more pronounced.
If you want to try the lightning again on the same subject, forget about the "angle" and eyeball it 'till you SEE what you like.
NOW let's talk about Mr. Rembrandt Not all of his paintings featured the "triangle"! Many are what we would call a SPLIT lighting. Some are what we would term BROAD lighting. If you observe some of his group paintings, such as the "Anatomy Lesson" you will notice only 2 subjects with the triangle. Rembrandt painted the light as he observed it so in the group the lighting varied from one subject to the next- this is a good illustration of the variation of lighting effect depending on the position of the subject in reference to the direction of the light and each facial structure.
The "Man in a Golden Helmet" is one of the best known Rembrandt works- the lighting is much like your own in the image discussed here.
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