Darker Portrait Photos

[yogibear]

A local tattoo parlor and I are discussing some portrait shots of their team for some new web biographies they have been thinking of putting together. I offered my services to help get some more experience and portfolio work. They want to do some silly/serious portraits. Almost like they are old mobsters.

I was thinking of approaching the shots with a similar style as this picture i found on the web.

http://fc19.deviantart.com/fs14/i/2007/098/e/a/Niles___Dark_Portrait_by_LorettaMay.jpg

My question is how can I achieve this affect cheaply? I was thinking i could do it with a dark black sheet in the background with perhaps a bright light reflecting off something to the left of the subject. Or would direct light be better? Perhaps no light and just capture the light given off by an external flash?

Im new to lighting and currently working my way through strobist's lighting 101 guide. Looking for a little extra help from the more experienced.

Thanks.

 

[JerryPH]

www.strobist.com

That's an easy one to do, however, to display tattoos in this style is not the best way to do it. You will need at least 1 off camera flash and likely a shoot-through umbrella and practice, practice, practice.

 

[yogibear]

Well the goal is to display them in a fun way not their tattoos. However good to know cause they have expressed an interest in possibly contracting me for more quality shots of their work.

Think ill give some friends a call and make them be my test subjects to get prepared.

 

[Alleh Lindquist]

any solid black background should work just get your subjects about 5 feet from it and don't let the light fall on it. Use hard directional light for that look.

 

[manaheim]

It looks very like a snoot effect, except way bigger... Jerry, you can do that with an umbrella? I'd think it would put the light too much all over the subject, no?

 

[K_Pugh]

looks to me like the light source is high angled down and around the 9 or 10 o'clock mark facing subject, possibly a direct light either semi-snooted or just 'zoomed' just out of camera view.? just a guess.