Example of soft lighting for portrait

[Dick Sanders]

DanMan and others: Until Fridrich comes back with pics of his homemade foamcore V-Flat, I thought I would demo the principle in miniature. Keep in mind, this is inadequate because the foam core pieces are too small (Fridrich used two 4x7 foot pieces of one inch foamcore).

Foam core pieces set at right angles to form a V-flat. Bare bulb head placed at rear, aimed forward.

Piece of diffusion material placed over front of V-flat to form triangular softbox. Light will both bounce off the sides and punch through the front. Keep in mind, in Fridrich's much larger setup, the diffusion material would be much further out from the head. And for an even softer light (if needed) I suggest moving the head forward and reversing its direction to aim to the rear of the V, so it first bounces off the flat before punching through the diffusion material in front.

Fridrich correct me if I'm wrong on your setup, and if you find time, please show it to us, and maybe A-B examples of the lighting done both ways. Thanks.

 

[fridrich]

Dick,
sorry for the delay, work intruded...
This is the lighting set up I was describing so badly. Much easier with photography. With the light IN the photograph there is some lens flair BUT the photo shows the construction, the distance and the effect of the light. You can even see the flash through the one inch Foamcore on the very left of the photograph. Everything in front of the panel is rendered in a very comfortable and realistic way. Like window light in a Vermeer painting.

 

[fridrich]

steez,
two lights in the eyes, maybe both lights? Why does she look so hard?

 

[Dick Sanders]

Thanks, Fridrich, for coming back and showing your lighting setup.

We can all use some Vermeer window light. And as everyone can plainly see, this is something you can easily build at low cost to use in your home garage/studio.

Also love your vintage Norman power pak.

 

[ATXshots]

I know this is about lighting, but I notice the men arent seeing this, as her face is the last thing any guy is looking at LOL. Her face pose is making her look like a man. She needs to make a softer face

Ha ha, the first thing I thought when I saw that photo was...whats with her face!?! Guess your right men don't care about all that....hence the hair rollers .

 

[fridrich]

Hot and nasty in hair rollers. That was the concept. Linsey (a painter with a degree in art from UC San Diego) the model had been studying Betty Page photographs and wanted to do something in that style but new, different and odd.

 

[fridrich]

Thanks, Fridrich, for coming back and showing your lighting setup.

We can all use some Vermeer window light. And as everyone can plainly see, this is something you can easily build at low cost to use in your home garage/studio.

Also love your vintage Norman power pak.

That Norman 1250 is still kicking out the light. I bought it from Silvio Bellow in Torrance California in 1976. Don't tell Norman but I have never fitted the heads with fans and I am still using those SAME heads.

 

[stsinner]

I have a question that will seem rather rude, but it's not intended to be.. It's just from an inexperienced litghting user..

Why do you need three layers of diffusion when you can just stop your light down and shoot through one? It seems like you have to blast your light through three layers to get a soft light when you could shoot at, say, 1/64 power through 1 layer.. Honest question, not trying to be coy. I'm looking to learn.

 

[Dick Sanders]

I have a question... Why do you need three layers of diffusion when you can just stop your light down and shoot through one? It seems like you have to blast your light through three layers to get a soft light when you could shoot at, say, 1/64 power through 1 layer?

Good question. A layer of diffusion is a "light modifier." It actually changes the quality of the light. One layer gives slight modification; 2 layers, moderate modification, and 3 layers, considerable modification. The modification will vary with the density of the diffusion material. From gauzy to, say, the density of a fine white bed sheet. Depending on what kind of diffusion material you are using you may need more or less to achieve the effect you want. Also, if you bounce the light -- that's a modification. On the bounce the modification will be different depending on whether the reflective surface is white, warm white, pink, silver, gold, etc.

Consider Fridrich's setup. He's shooting barebulb bouncing off white flats and punching through one layer of diffusion. Some of the barebulb light is punching directly thru the diffusion, and some of it is bouncing before it goes through the diffusion. He is enlarging the light to make a 4x7 foot softbox. And this is producing a very specific type of light. He could also put a reflector on his strobe head, place it at the front of the V-flat aimed toward the back; then, the bounced light will punch through one layer of diffusion on its return trip (2 modifications). The quality of that light will be a little different. He could also put a diffusion disc on the front of the reflector, so that the light will be softened before it bounces off the V-flat and finally punching through the diffusion material on the front (3 modifications). That will look different too (Don't forget in each case, you'll need a white flat/reflector on the opposite side of the subject to provide fill light, or it'll go too dark).

In your case, if you reduce the flash power to 1/64th, while it may appear to be soft to the naked eye, what you are primarily seeing is "reduced light." Think of a lamp on a dimmer -- turn it down low and everything in the room looks soft; turn it up high and everthing can look bright and even harsh. But remember, you need enough light power to get the shot. At 1/64th power you may not get the aperture setting you want for the desired depth of field, unless you boost the ISO considerably, which in film gives you bigger grain, and in digital, noise. But one layer of diffusion is better than none. And bounce with diffusion is better yet, in my opinion, when you want soft light.

Of course, today, we can use less diffusion and make modifications in PhotoShop. But everything is going to have its own individual look, so the advantage of testing these various lighting setups is that you'll be able to remember and then draw upon the type and quality of light you want for a given shoot. And if you make something original to use -- your light will be original to you.