Derrel
Mr. Rain Cloud
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2009
- Messages
- 48,225
- Reaction score
- 18,941
- Location
- USA
- Website
- www.pbase.com
- Can others edit my Photos
- Photos OK to edit
Yeah, most people place the fill light on the opposite side of the camera, but what Kundalini's TEXT says is to place the main light anywhere from directly behind the camera (ie, directly on-axis, AKA the CLASSIC on-axis fill-light approach), to as much as 18 inches on the same side as the main light. Anyway...looking at that actual drawing he offered, the majority of the fill light will be blocked by the softbox that is the MAIN LIGHT . In the drawing as shown, the very weak edges of the fill light's beam will hit the shadowed side of the subject, with the way the subject is shown placed. So.....his drawing is going to provide very weak fill light. The DISTANCES shown seem pretty reasonable to me, given identical power...especially considering the way the user creates those diagrams at onlinelightingdiagrams.com....one extra pull off that bottle and the distances go all to he((!! lol. But seriously, the site's a bit tricky to use in terms of exact distances.
But, the thing is...Kundalini's TEXT and his diagram both have multiple good suggestions. Subject's body angled, check. Softbox for main pretty close, check. Hair light cut wayyy down so it just kisses side of head, check. Feather the main light, check. Place main for 10 to 2 o'clock catchlight, check.
The BIGGEST mistake "most people" make is to set up the main light on one side, and then set up a so-called "fill" on the opposite side at the exact, same angle...which is totally,totally,totally awful. Although I normally set my fill light right next to the camera, on the opposite side of the camera as my main light, his diagram, as-shown, WILL WORK as a fill light, at the placement stated (in text, right behind the camera) and even 18 inches off to the "wrong" side; with the fill light being wither a softbox placed as shown or an umbrella, the light that hits on the shadowed side will be "fill light", and it will be WEAK, and acting as "fill", and NOT, most definitely not, as a competing main light source that was erroneously fired in from the "wrong side".
But, the thing is...Kundalini's TEXT and his diagram both have multiple good suggestions. Subject's body angled, check. Softbox for main pretty close, check. Hair light cut wayyy down so it just kisses side of head, check. Feather the main light, check. Place main for 10 to 2 o'clock catchlight, check.
The BIGGEST mistake "most people" make is to set up the main light on one side, and then set up a so-called "fill" on the opposite side at the exact, same angle...which is totally,totally,totally awful. Although I normally set my fill light right next to the camera, on the opposite side of the camera as my main light, his diagram, as-shown, WILL WORK as a fill light, at the placement stated (in text, right behind the camera) and even 18 inches off to the "wrong" side; with the fill light being wither a softbox placed as shown or an umbrella, the light that hits on the shadowed side will be "fill light", and it will be WEAK, and acting as "fill", and NOT, most definitely not, as a competing main light source that was erroneously fired in from the "wrong side".