Lighting for Portrait: Day 4

[ccting]

Purpose: Learning One Light Source Portrait.

From lighting for portrait : Day 3, Dough, Bruce and Grace have given a few advices. Some of the advices that I understand are as follows:

a) Move the lightsource nearer
b) To test the fill light whether it is significant with the previous camera settings
c) Don't crop

However, cropping (c) is a must as the "kid" lens have the longest focal length as 55mm, and the distance between lens and subject was already 3 feet. With the slow autofocus, I can't get nearer as the movement of human will become more drasmatic, and subject will be easily out of focus.

Experiment settings:
In this experiment, I moved to main light source to about 1 foot from subject. The only way to do it is using shot-through umbrella instead of reflection umbrella. As the main light source is extremely near the subject, I changed the position of lighting from 45 degree to side lighting. The fill light remains the same position, that is near camera as small light source using softbox. The main light = 2 X YN560 at 1/4 power each (2X32X1/4 = 16). I off the fill light to test the significant of fill light as suggested by Bruce. 1/200s, f/5.3, ISO 100, 5.3mm. Composition is off no interest in this experiment.


Experiment Design:
One light source : main light only, place on right side as it is very near
Car sunshade reflector on the other side.
However, to show the different between with and without reflector, my mum is set without reflector while my baby is with reflector (white clothes and when he was holding a metal to reflect light on the shadow. However, my mum turned her head towards light source to compensate the lack of reflector

As the result, the cropped smaller size image produced right from my D5100 without other post-production as follow:


The brightness histogram from ViewNX2 as follow:


Day 5:
There are many type of one light source portrait. Day 5 will explores the 2nd type.

Question:
a) Exposure correct?
b) Have i placed the main light correct?
c) Is the main light has correct power level
d) How's the reflection of white clothes and metal on baby?


Ty.

[Doug Sundseth]

Lighting is quite good here. You have a solid exposure on the primary subject with fall-off to your mother that helps to both draw attention to the baby and provide context for the shot. Your key is giving you nice loop lighting (see the subtle highlight on the baby's right cheek). Fill light is very reasonable, though you could also shoot with lower fill for more modeling if you want to. Composition works well for me.

Now that you've started shooting, I'm seeing pretty rapid progress. Good work.

[ccting]

Thanks Dough.

[metoo]

Are you planning on opening a studio? I am an amateur so take my advice with a grain of salt, but your lighting seems like overkill for this type of shot. I mean it seemed to have worked, I'm not knocking your picture. I"m just wondering how practical it is. I take a lot of candid shots of my kids. I'm thinking the best lighting is natural light or an on camera flash...Kids move so much, you need to be portable for candid shots. If you're planning on a studio then I got nothing lol.

[ccting]

Originally Posted by metoo

Are you planning on opening a studio? I am an amateur so take my advice with a grain of salt, but your lighting seems like overkill for this type of shot. I mean it seemed to have worked, I'm not knocking your picture. I"m just wondering how practical it is. I take a lot of candid shots of my kids. I'm thinking the best lighting is natural light or an on camera flash...Kids move so much, you need to be portable for candid shots. If you're planning on a studio then I got nothing lol.

Thanks metoo,
I am just learning lighting, day 4 after receiving my off-camera equipment. I will never open a studio as I am working in other field. The only purpose I buy studio set is to take my baby's picture.. ;D

Overkill? That means?
LOL,,, just start learning lighting. Play around with portrait lighting for fast result to show off my wife and family first, then learn slowly the light science.

[zona5101]

Originally Posted by metoo

Are you planning on opening a studio? I am an amateur so take my advice with a grain of salt, but your lighting seems like overkill for this type of shot. I mean it seemed to have worked, I'm not knocking your picture. I"m just wondering how practical it is. I take a lot of candid shots of my kids. I'm thinking the best lighting is natural light or an on camera flash...Kids move so much, you need to be portable for candid shots. If you're planning on a studio then I got nothing lol.

ahh see you just need to have been hanging around longer...ccting has been devouring lighting theroy/technique for months without any gear. Now he has gear and is putting what he has read and understood to practical application. He isn't awfully concerned with the subject as much as he is about the light and how the light looks.

[FlyingKiwiGirl]

Very cute little boy ccting, he obviously likes his food! And I admire your dedication to learning, you've certainly come along way in your understanding of the subject. You left me behind a long while ago!

"Overkill"- Overkill is the use of excessive force or action that goes further than is necessary to achieve its goal.

PS- I'm sure Doug wouldn't be worried but it's actually Doug without an "h", Doug with an "h" has a totally differnt meaning!

[ccting]

;D.. Well FlyingKiwiGirl, I want quick result, as I need to submit my photos for competition. No one willing to donate pictures for me to submit, so I need to work hard to get those pictures.
Another thing Flying KiwiGirl, you are still much better than me..