Light setup and catchlights

Donnie1010

TPF Noob!
Joined
May 24, 2017
Messages
10
Reaction score
2
Can others edit my Photos
Photos OK to edit
Found some portrait work done by a celebrity photog that I really love (www.davidnoles.com) and have been trying to crack the lighting setup/add it to my arsenal of understanding. Have heard every suggestion under the sun, from "just throw up some 2'x3' softboxes on either side of the subject" (even 2 feet in front of the subject the catchlights were way too small) to "the ones with blue eyes are done with either strip lights or a ring light" (the catches are shaped like ( ) not || or O, tried both those options, the strips were straight up and down and I don't know where you'd find a ring light big enough to encircle the entire pupil and still get clearance for the frame to work. Especially interested in the ones that are drenched in light that immediately falls off into shadow. I image there's some flagging going on, but I've tried everything under the sun (using black foamcore) and I'm still missing something. One thing I know for sure is he's using very large light sources, judging from the attached catchlight close up, maybe 4x6 scrims? Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
 
Last edited:
Looks to me like it could be two big scrims and it appears that he is standing between them. Another possibility could be something like a 7 foot octa put directly behind the him.
 
I think he does two setups:

One with two tall florescent tubes very close to subject, and directly in front of subject with just enough space for a lens to pass.

for these catchlights, the light source must have been practically touching the subject.

upload_2017-5-24_17-0-18.png


the other, with one or two large lights directly behind photographer that he stands in front of.

again, for these catchlights, the shooter was close and light source was LARGE and wrapped around the subject.

im assuming something like this:

upload_2017-5-24_16-59-46.png



i personally think it's boring and unflattering.
 
Last edited:
I think he does two setups...
I think those are both the same set-up using the same modifier which looks like either a very large shoot-through or octabox. I think the difference is caused by the angle of the key light with respect to the model.
 
Last edited:
I think he does two setups:

One with two tall florescent tubes very close to subject, and directly in front of subject with just enough space for a lens to pass.

for these catchlights, the light source must have been practically touching the subject.

View attachment 140400

the other, with one or two large lights directly behind photographer that he stands in front of.

again, for these catchlights, the shooter was close and light source was LARGE and wrapped around the subject.

im assuming something like this:

View attachment 140399

Seems right.

i personally think it's boring and unflattering.

Agree to disagree then.
 
i personally think it's boring and unflattering.
But that's his STYLE, doncha see?

I don't know, he rakes in $3000 a day and has been booked 2 months out for the last 2 years. You can say talent and popularity don't correlate, and in certain instances I'd agree, but here I'd take issue.
 
Popularity trumps talent.

Consider; movies, music, art.

It's been that way for a long time.
 
I think he does two setups...
I think those are both the same set-up using the same modifier which looks like either a very large shoot-through or octabox. I think the difference is caused by the angle of the key light with respect to the model.

did you click on the two links i provided and view them at full size?


also don't forget, once you recreate his lighting profile, download some "matte" finish presets to finish off the look. :1219:
 

Most reactions

New Topics

Back
Top