Light experiments.

[RMThompson]

I am not happy with a lot of this photo, but I wanted to share it to get some advice on the lighting. I want to keep things shadowy, with definition, but without much front light.

Ideas?

 

[Derrel]

This photo has two almost identical lights,one positioned on each side and very close in intensity, causing cross-lighting. Obviously, there's more light hitting the front of her than you'd like there to be. I'm not positive what exact "look" you want to get, but maybe you'd get they effect you're seeking if the two lights were fitted with barn doors, or 20 degree grids AND barn doors, and the lights pulled back around farther behind her, and then you could set two very large 48x72 inch black panels to the left and right of her at the front edge of the seamless, to prevent camera lens flare, and then shoot from behind the two panels that are flagging off the lights from your lens front. Two large panels that size will also have a "negative fill" effect, and further darken her front.

Two strip boxes positioned off to the sides of her, and the two large black scrims would work for the type of treatment "I think" you were going for, with edge lighting along the body, but mostly dark in the front. Overall, it looks like the light sources you are using have too wide an angle of coverage,and need to be narrowed down in their angle of coverage.

The modifiers required to pull this off could cost anywhere from $250 to $900. Or, you could narrow down the two lights from the side using four sheets of foam board and some A-clamps and some cheap-o stands...