Lighting for black backdrop

[Mar_Mar]

Need help! I have a Nikon D200 and will be using the Zeiss ZF 35mm f/2 lens. I'm going to shoot my mom, portrait style, 3/4 - full body shots in my living room. I'll also be using a black backdrop.

Any simple techniques for the lighting? I don't want to use flash at all. I want to show lots of detail in my photos as well.

Any tips? Thank you!

[BigFuzzy]

Originally Posted by Mar_Mar

Any simple techniques for the lighting? I don't want to use flash at all. I want to show lots of detail in my photos as well.

Any tips? Thank you!

Well, then all you've left yourself with is natural light right? So, place her as close to a large window (ie large light source = nice soft lighting) I would place the light so that it hits her at a 3/4th angle so that the light falls across her face/body slowing falling into shadow.

Also, use a reflector (if needed) to bounce light back onto your subject

Showing lots of detail means you need to use as small an aperture as the light will allow you.

I have to ask... "I don't want to use flash" normally = "I don't know how to use flash", right?

This is a good example on how to simply use nice window light.
A windowlight (window light) Portrait - IMGP3227 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

If you don't have lots of natural light, you're going to need some strong lightbulb lighting which probably means higher ISO, using a reflector, and correcting the WB later.

There's a few flickr groups on windowlight portraits @ Flickr: Window Light Portraits
Flickr: North Window Light Portraiture
Flickr: Window Light

you should be able to get both lighting and posing ideas there from what I saw at quick glance.