A Lighting Problem

[Camile]

Hello. I am an amateur and have been doing several experiments with photography but I've found a problem that really annoys. My relative is my model, she has a really skinny and bonny face with deep eyelids. Everytime I take a photography of her the corner around the eyes ends up very dark. It doesn't mater if it's potrait or fullbody. I am using no spotlight. Should I? If so where should I place it so it won't look to much artificial? We've tried to get rid of the unwanted darkness with editings and make up, but neither works.

 

[LCARSx32]

An example picture would help, but it sounds like you need some sort of fill light. I don't know what equipment or budget you have, but if you're like me, it's not much of either. I would use a speedlight (hotshoe flash) and have it so it bounces light off of something (a white wall or ceiling). You don't want to flash directly on their face, you'll get harsh shadows. If you can purchase a diffuser or a strobe with a softbox, it would probably work better.

 

[Camile]

I have a sony dslr-a100... does this info makes sense? Is this a good camera? I will see if i can purchase a softbox, looks exactly like what I need. Thank you!

 

[Village Idiot]

A softbox wouldn't work on it's own. You would need a modifier to create a large light source from a small one, something like a shoot through umbrella, and a light powerful enough to use with whatever settings you're using. Preferably an off camera speed light. That or a strong enough main light source that would allow the use of a reflector under the subject to counter act the shadows on the face from the lighting coming from above the subject.

What is your budget?

 

[whiplash23]

Start cheap, and add equipment when you don't like the results. A hot-shoe flash set to "fill" should do the trick. If it looks harsh, use the flash compensator to lower the output. This will allow you to keep the flash on-camera and works well outside where shadows created by your flash shouldn't be an issue.

A flash located off camera bounced off of an umbrella (or some other modifier) will work better (especially indoors). But, a flash bouncing off of a ceiling or a wall will do pretty good (as mentioned earlier) and doesn't require more money!

 

[kundalini]

I am using no spotlight. Should I? If so where should I place it so it won't look to much artificial?

It takes additional lighting to accomplish what you're after.

 

[Camile]

Thanks everybody, I will take a look on all equipments stated on the above posts and see what will work better for me. I just realized that my camera doesn't have a flash.

 

[Camile]

I am thinking about this:

with a strong lightbulb inside will it work?

 

[Derrel]

I am thinking about this:

with a strong lightbulb inside will it work?

Do you see the reflector that Kundalini has mounted underneath the monkey in his set-up photo above??? That is a good place to position what is commonly called an "under-chin reflector" on a beauty or glamour portrait, with the softbox located above the subject's nose level and angled downward, almost exactly as shown in the softbox advertisement shot you posted.

 

[Camile]

Thanks Derrel, but there's one thing that still not very clear to me: the softbox produces light or only reflects?

 

[kundalini]

...... but there's one thing that still not very clear to me: the softbox produces light or only reflects?

A soft box is used to direct the light source as you wish and increase the size of your light source. This softens the light much like a cloud softens (diffuse) the sun. I only have hot shoe flashes, so a 24", maybe a little larger, is about all you'll want. The larger soft boxes require the more powerful output of studio flashes like Alienbees. There are light modifiers like barn doors and flag that can be attached to the soft box to control your light even further.