ASSIGNMENT 13:  Bill Henson Opera Series Lighting

Modifications from lighting plan submitted last week:
1 small softbox close to subject
No reflector
No gel (grey point correction in post)
(Feather to block light from adult figure)

(Alternative image below showing slightly different head position and harder shadow to left of nose)

ASSIGNMENT 12:  STILL LIFE

LIGHTING STYLE

ASSIGNMENT 11:  NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY

ASSIGNMENT 10:  Painting with Light (continuous sources and remote camera flash)

Image 1:  

Composite image of 6 different exposures each with Canon 580 EXII triggered remotely from a different position around subject.  Images shot in darkened studio with no ambient light   Background was translucent white perspex.  Combined layers in Photoshop and painted in desired components of each layer using layer masks.

Exp. Info:  f5.6, 1"  (shutter speed could have been much shorter, since f-stop determines exposure)

Image 2:

Light painting with continuos light source (flash light with diffusion filter) in dark studio with no ambient light. 

Exp. Info:  f4, B (shutter open throughout exposure -- triggered with manual shutter release cable)

ASSIGNMENT 9:  DEDICATED FLASH CANON SYSTEM

Shot 1:  Direct Flash On Camera Priority Setting

f2.8, 1/125, Mode P.  Flash on camera pivoted to right hand side

Shot 2:  Direct Flash On Camera Priority Setting

f5, 1/125, Mode P.  Flash off camera held to bottom right side and facing away from subject 

Shot 3:  Direct Flash On Aperture Priority Setting

f2.8, 1/8, Mode Av.  Flash off camera held to bottom right side and facing away from subject (no tripod...sadly!).

Shot 4:  Direct Flash On Aperture Priority Setting (with light modifier)

f2.8, 1/8, Mode Av.  Flash off camera but direclty in line with subject with mini beauty dish modifier on flash.

ASSIGNMENT 8:   OUTDOOR FLASH

Did assignment with FloreA and Jean.

See http://jukeboximages.blogspot.com/2012/11/week-8-outdoor-flash.html

ASSIGNMENT 7:  MIXING STROBE AND TUNGSTEN

Lighting set-up for portrait one below, showing tungsten and strobe separately.

Portrait One:  Tungsten (Background) and Strobe (Subject)

Lighting set-up for portrait two below, using tungsten on subject and strobe on background.

ASSIGNMENT 6:   LARGE LIGHT SOURCE/SMALL LIGHT SOURCE

Take two portraits of a person, one using the 21" beauty dish and the other with the octabank and get the same results by using the placement of the subject, the light and the background.  

(Note:  We did this assignment as a team:  Joey, Jean, Flore-A, Barry)

Since the octabank is much larger than the beauty dish, the way to achieve the same lighting effect is for the large light to be further back and in the same line as the smaller light.  From the subject's position, the lights should appear the same size.

In the two shots below, the light was to the side at about 160° and very close to the subject (beauty dish was just a few inches from the subjects face).  The backdrop was immediately behind the subject for the beauty dish shot and about 4 ft behind the subject for the octabank shot.

For the set of images below, the lights were also off to the side but at a greater angle to the subject and further back.  The Backdrop was immediately behind the subject for the beauty dish shot and about 4 ft behind the subject for the octabank shot.  Lighting on subject and tonality of background match, but given distance of respective lights and background, we could not eliminate while maintaining lighting constant with the two different set-ups. 

Assignment 5:  One Strobe Light Source

Portrait 1:  Using one strobe, light a person against a white background so that their face has a highlight and a shadow side.  The background should appear darker on the highlight side and lighter on the shadow side.

Using a small soft box (ProPhoto Acute 2 2400 strobe) to the side of the subject and feathered on vertical axis to create gradient shadow effect on white backdrop.  Subject close to camera and approx 6-8 ft from backdrop.

Portrait 2:  Using one strobe, light a person against a white background so that their face is evenly lit and the background is black.

Using a small soft box (ProPhoto Acute 2 2400 strobe) directly above the camera straight on to subject and feathered on horizontal axis to ensure no spill onto white backdrop rendering it black.  Soft box almost parallel to the floor.  Subject close to camera and approx 20ft from backdrop.

Assignment 4:  Three Light Sources 

Portrait 1:

Portrait using classic Rembrandt lights (key at 45 to side, 45 up).  All regular tungsten light bulbs --  key light (150w), fill (75w) and backlight (spotlight bulb or 75w).  Images color-corrected for white balance in post.

Portrait 2:

Portrait using 3 light formula.  Same lights as above, but used differently.  Idea was to build on Portrait B from Assignment 3 (one light source at 180° to subject illuminating only half the face).  By using a fill light and a hair light I had intended to open up the shadow side of the face to reveal a little detail and to separate the back of the head from the background).   The resulting image below give strange hair highlights and red ears.

I moved the hair light from directly behind Jean's head to the side to create the lighting effect below, which solved the problem above.  The compromise was that I did not end up with the split of light and dark down the middle of the face and ended up with a more asymmetrical lighting effect than I had intended. 

Assignment 3:  One Light Source

Portrait A:  "The Real Jean"

Objective:  To create an open, youthful portrait of Jean, reflecting a "deer in the headlights" innocence

Lighting:  One light source (250 watt halogen bulb) directly above camera at 90° to subject.  Diffusion panel held directly in front of the light to soften.  Image slightly over exposed to create a high-key effect.

Laws:  Inverse square law showing fall off from front to sides of face; light travels in straight lines shown by specular highlights in eyes.  Paying attention to direction of light at 90° to subject created even lighting on both sides of face.

Portrait B:  "The Imagined Jean"

Objective:  To create a dark and mysterious portrait of Jean with an ominous and threatening feel.

Lighting:  One light source (250 watt halogen bulb) at 180° to the subject; black flag on opposite side to prevent any light spill onto dark side of face; small silver card below to throw a small spot of light into eye on dark side of face. 

Laws of Light:  Direction of light highlights one side of face while throwing the other into full shadow, illustrating that light travels in straight lines . 

Assignment 2:  Light Travels in Straight Lines, Angle of Incidence Equals Angle of Reflection and Inverse Square Law

Image 1 (below):  Shows all three laws of light in one image with single light source.

• Inverse square illustrated by fall off on card base from light source toward left of frame.
• Angle of incidence shown by refection off mirror
• Light travels in straight lines illustrated by passage of light through narrow space between opening of two grey cards.

Image 2 (below):  Alternative set-up A to illustrate three laws with single light source (light source in front of black panels reflecting off mirror) 

• Fall off between Jean and Barry shows inverse square.
• Narrow band of light at right border of image (against studio wall) shows light travels in straight line (passing through narrow opening between two flat black panels)
• Angle of incidence equal to angle of reflection illustrated by light passing through narrow space between black panels and reflecting off mirror to light Joey.

Image 3 (below):  Alternative set-up B to illustrate three laws with single light source (light source behind black panels reflecting off mirror) 

• Fall off between Joey and Barry shows inverse square.
• Angle of incidence equal to angle of reflection illustrated by light reflecting off mirror
• Light passes through narrow opening between black panels to light Jean's profile showing that light travels in straight lines

Fall 2012 Lighting Class

Link to class blog:  FALL 2012 LIGHTING CLASS



Assignment 1:  Inverse Square Law

Part 1:

Using 3 identical 4x5 grey cards set 1 foot apart and overlapping 1" make 4 photographs of the cards with the light 2 feet, 4 feet, 8 feet and 16 feet from the middle card.  Use an incident meter on the middle card to give the correct exposure.  The middle card should have the same value on each photograph.

Results below:

Exposures:

Distance from light	Aperture	Shutter	Lightroom Compensation
2 Feet	f 5.6	1/40	+0.10
4 Feet	f 5.6	1/10	-0.15
8 Feet	f 5.6	1/3	---
16 Feet	f 5.6	1.3”	-0.05
32 Feet	f 5.6	4”	+0.10

Part 2:

Use 3 4x5 cards a black card in front, a grey card in the middle and a white card in the back. Using a single point source make all 3 cards appear to be the same value.

Results below:

We achieved an 18% grey result on each of the black, white and grey cards by moving the cards relative to the light source.  The cards were spaced as follows:

Black:  3'4" from light

Grey:    5'6" from black or 8'10" from light

White:   6'3" from grey or 15'1" from light