A Local Actor Requested a Couple Headshots

[DiskoJoe]

No... the light is not mixed evenly. Ceiling light from top, window from side. You cant do that. Whatever WB you use, it will look funny.

Yes you can. By making sure the grey card is hit by all the different types of light sources at the same time. You can either do an in camera custom white balance or use the exposure of the grey card in post to set the white balance.

It would be about how you position your grey card.


Taking out the cieling flourescent would be the best choice for me though. Just giving options and ideas.

I agree with Schwetty. I still not sure how a custom white balance will work in mix light situation.

Horribly! Thats what he is trying to tell him. Too many variables to get a clean white balance.

 

[o hey tyler]

If you hadn't purchased all sorts of old MF glass to use with adapters, you'd probably have lighting equipment now.

 

[AgentDrex]

o hey tyler - I agree! ha!

Oh well...yeah...wasn't prepared at all but I obviously will take everything mentioned into consideration. Here are the others photos I gave him:

BW


BW


Alternate directions

 

[DiskoJoe]

o hey tyler - I agree! ha!

Oh well...yeah...wasn't prepared at all but I obviously will take everything mentioned into consideration. Here are the others photos I gave him:


View attachment 3540View attachment 3539View attachment 3537View attachment 3538

The black and white are better but still a bit under exposed. his eyes are still a bit dark. I would also make a suggestion to him to wear a nicer shirt next time.

 

[shortpants]

Work with what you have, so you don't have flash, learn to use natural light. It's there and it's free. I feel like you could have gotten a decent simple head shot if the window light was actually hitting his face. Most of his face is in shadow. Turning him toward the window would have done wonders.

 

[gsgary]

He asked for a head shot not a butt shot

 

[jake337]

Jake.. trust me.... I think you are mistaken about custom WB. Custom WB is jut 2 slider adjustment on LR. If you shoot RAW, you can fix it later. It is almost impossible to get the right temperature on mixed temperature lighting. Your best bet is Black and White.

I'll take your word for it!


Like I said, Just giving options and Ideas. What might not work for you, may work very well for someone else and vice versa.

But like you said, his best bet would be to get rid of the mixed lighting pre-shot.

 

[jake337]

No... the light is not mixed evenly. Ceiling light from top, window from side. You cant do that. Whatever WB you use, it will look funny.

Yes you can. By making sure the grey card is hit by all the different types of light sources at the same time. You can either do an in camera custom white balance or use the exposure of the grey card in post to set the white balance.

It would be about how you position your grey card.


Taking out the cieling flourescent would be the best choice for me though. Just giving options and ideas.

I agree with Schwetty. I still not sure how a custom white balance will work in mix light situation.

Like I said. It is possible. Is it the best solution? Maybe no, maybe yes. It can be a usefull tool if needed.


How to Use a Gray Card in Photography Exposure | The Discerning Photographer

Grey Card Instructions

White Balance Correction - Photo.net Beginner Photography Questions Forum

 

[AgentDrex]

The room isn't wide enough to have him facing the window and still get a head-on shot...I will keep it in mind though so if I have the chance to shoot in more of a square room, I may be able to pull it off. In this particular instance, I had the camera at one end of the conference room table and the subject on the other side. Here are photos of the room:

The end of the conference room subject was located (black cloth was hung from ceiling concealing the microwave and what-not:


The end of the conference room I was shooting from


I'm not able to take out the furniture for the shoot as other people need access to it as well...and of course in my excitement I forgot to make sure his tilt was more "masculine"...I will attempt to keep that in mind as well in the chance I get another shot at a portrait...

Thank you much for the links, they will be going into my bookmarks as well as linked to from my nwioic.org website under the photography section...thank you much!

 

[jake337]

The room isn't wide enough to have him facing the window and still get a head-on shot...I will keep it in mind though so if I have the chance to shoot in more of a square room, I may be able to pull it off. In this particular instance, I had the camera at one end of the conference room table and the subject on the other side. Here are photos of the room:

The end of the conference room subject was located (black cloth was hung from ceiling concealing the microwave and what-not:
View attachment 3544

The end of the conference room I was shooting from
View attachment 3545

In the second pic here notice where the light is falling on the table, thats your "strobe". He could sit on the table with his right leg over his left(common male sitting position with his body facing the middle window. Next have his face pointed directly at the window and have him slowly turn(towards the camera keeping his shoulders at a 45 degree to the camera) untill you see the lighting as you would want it. Also if you can you might want him to lean forward at the waist to project his chin.

 

[AgentDrex]

Next payroll I'm going to a local big box hardware store to buy some lights...I'm going to put together a wanna-be kinoflo system (two long and two short) put them together in a rectangle formation (longs parallel on the sides, shorts parallel on the top and bottom) with a 30 degree slant to each and then shoot through the hole in the middle...does anyone have any good ideas or links to a diy "kino flo"?

 

[AgentDrex]

Thank you jake....I will try that on myself either today (its dead in the office anyways) or this weekend...I'll just have myself...so I expect to get a little exercise...I am using old lenses on a crop frame so that spot may be a little too close...or on the other hand it may be a WAY better spot than I chose...good eye man!

 

[jake337]

Thank you jake....I will try that on myself either today (its dead in the office anyways) or this weekend...I'll just have myself...so I expect to get a little exercise...I am using old lenses on a crop frame so that spot may be a little too close...or on the other hand it may be a WAY better spot than I chose...good eye man!

Just throwing out ideas. So are there any local furniture stores up there? Any big outlets? I would stop by and ask if they still have the packaging from some of their bigger tables. You may find a few HUGE styrofoam peices that can be used as extra reflectors.

 

[AgentDrex]

jake! that's brilliant...less garbage for them to throw away and i'm recycling...I will go around and see what I can find...thanks so much man...you rock!

 

[The_Traveler]

You can't fix anything with a BW conversion until you look at the defects in the color version.
The shirt is really bright, his face is dark and semi-dull and he has a big highlight on his forehead - and there is lots of empty space.
Do as much as you can with the color version and then make the conversion.