How was this lit?

jackjustjumped

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Hi folks,
I'm wondering if anyone has some insight on how this was lit. This is a still from a video series by Sef McCullough. I'm thinking a blue gelled light from camera left, a hair light from behind/above, and the key. But it looks like there are two catchlights, very close together. Would love some advice, if anyone has an idea. I've tried recreating the setup, but can't seem to match it. Thanks so much!
 

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A moderate to large soft overhead light not too high above the subject from the subject's upper left side -- one light. (You can see the light reflecting in the subject's eyes).
 
A moderate to large soft overhead light not too high above the subject from the subject's upper left side -- one light. (You can see the light reflecting in the subject's eyes).
Thanks so much for the quick response. I'm just wondering why it looks like there are two separate catchlights if it's just one light.
eye.jpg
 
Thanks so much for the quick response. I'm just wondering why it looks like there are two separate catchlights if it's just one light.View attachment 250218
I noticed that too and I thought maybe the back of the fixture. In any case it doesn't matter if there's one, two, three or four lights if as in this case they're in basically the same place -- they then function as one.
 
Main high R forming near rembrandt lighting pattern. Possible small fill either on camera or on camera/nose axisor slightly to camera R is the second small light. A hair light high directly behind subject producing light on shoulders. It is pretty low intensity, appropriate for red hair but still enough to provide shoulder separation from the background. The main is fairly small and possibly gridded beauty dish or gridded small octa and he is close enough to the bg that it hits behind him on his shadow side in a small circle and not much on the lit side of the face creating chioroscuro, light against dark for depth and separation on both sides of the face. And in a short space, if the subjects head is turned about 30 degrees towards the main, having the small fill next to the back of the main feathered on the nose axis as far past subject as possible gets that light off the bg, not contaminating it. Because it is on the nose and close in, it falls off quickly with the inverse square law down the shadow side of the face, adding additional subtle shape and form. It takes a couple of months to learn to plop the fill on the opposite side of the main, but that extra subtle 5 or 10% addition to modeling, that takes years to learn. And keeping spill off the bg allows nailing the delta between incident subject exposure and reflective bg enabling precisely setting bg tone or shade of color with gels. I keep my fill on a rolling stand to keep it rolled to the nose axis.
 
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Main high R forming near rembrandt lighting pattern. Possible small fill either on camera or on camera/nose axisor slightly to camera R is the second small light. A hair light high directly behind subject producing light on shoulders. It is pretty low intensity, appropriate for red hair but still enough to provide shoulder separation from the background. The main is fairly small and possibly gridded beauty dish or gridded small octa and he is close enough to the bg that it hits behind him on his shadow side in a small circle and not much on the lit side of the face creating chioroscuro, light against dark for depth and separation on both sides of the face. And in a short space, if the subjects head is turned about 30 degrees towards the main, having the small fill next to the back of the main feathered on the nose axis as far past subject as possible gets that light off the bg, not contaminating it. Because it is on the nose and close in, it falls off quickly with the inverse square law down the shadow side of the face, adding additional subtle shape and form. It takes a couple of months to learn to plop the fill on the opposite side of the main, but that extra subtle 5 or 10% addition to modeling, that takes years to learn. And keeping spill off the bg allows nailing the delta between incident subject exposure and reflective bg enabling precisely setting bg tone or shade of color with gels. I keep my fill on a rolling stand to keep it rolled to the nose axis.
Thank you for such a thorough breakdown, I really appreciate it. Can you tell me why a small modifier would've been used rather than something like a large umbrella? I'm assuming due to space constraints rather than artistic choice, but I'm still finding my way. Again, can't thank you enough for the detail, and the reasoning behind each choice, it really helps.
 
I was shooting in a narrow space with a 7'octa and had little room for a fill. Used a beauty dish at first but finally pulled it and had to slide in a 3x6 free standing reflector. But that on nose fill will take your work to the next level and keep spill off the bg allowing you to start with a pure black bg for adding gels or to dial in the tone of bg you like. Mine is a light gray, darker than my gray/white hair for separation. High key shot with gray shirt. Don't have the final image, have to drop the film in developer tomorrow.
 
Thank you for such a thorough breakdown, I really appreciate it. Can you tell me why a small modifier would've been used rather than something like a large umbrella? I'm assuming due to space constraints rather than artistic choice, but I'm still finding my way. Again, can't thank you enough for the detail, and the reasoning behind each choice, it really helps.

A large light source will soften the transition between highlights and shadows. It will be spread out over a larger area. A smaller light will produce a narrower edge of the area between the highlight and shadow.
 
I was shooting in a narrow space with a 7'octa and had little room for a fill. Used a beauty dish at first but finally pulled it and had to slide in a 3x6 free standing reflector. But that on nose fill will take your work to the next level and keep spill off the bg allowing you to start with a pure black bg for adding gels or to dial in the tone of bg you like. Mine is a light gray, darker than my gray/white hair for separation. High key shot with gray shirt. Don't have the final image, have to drop the film in developer tomorrow.
I'd love to see it once you get it developed! I wish I could properly visualize what you mean by "having the small fill next to the back of the main feathered on the nose axis as far past subject as possible", can you break that down for me another way? It's incredible, I've been using my lights for some time now, even thought I had gotten to a certain point with my lighting, but this conversation is making me question my progress...
 
A large light source will soften the transition between highlights and shadows. It will be spread out over a larger area. A smaller light will produce a narrower edge of the area between the highlight and shadow.
Ah, I think I understand. So let's say I'm using a fairly hard light, a reflector, I would have sharp, defined edges from highlight to shadow. I was under the impression that no matter what fill I use, as long as it doesn't overpower the main, that it would just brighten the shadows, not change the transition. I didn't realize that the modifier size would have an effect on the transition. Thank you very much!
 
Your main light will still define the sharpness of the transition. The fill light (or reflector) will control the contrast between the two.

A large main light will spread the transition over a larger area:

Transition 1.jpg



A small main light will have a more defined shadow edge:

Transition 2.jpg


Adding a fill light, or using a reflector, will simply reduce the contrast. Large main light w/fill:

Transition 3.jpg


Small main light w/ fill:

Transition 4.jpg
 
Your main light will still define the sharpness of the transition. The fill light (or reflector) will control the contrast between the two.

A large main light will spread the transition over a larger area:

View attachment 250220


A small main light will have a more defined shadow edge:

View attachment 250221

Adding a fill light, or using a reflector, will simply reduce the contrast. Large main light w/fill:

View attachment 250222

Small main light w/ fill:

View attachment 250223
Ok yeah, that's what I'd learned; thought I misunderstood something fundamental for the last few years! Thank you for the clarification.
 
480sparky, exactly. It is called "shadow edge transition." But don't forget "highlight edge transition." That is something that many don't recognize. When you shine a flash light on a shiny black car, you get a razor sharp highlight edge transition. Shine the light on suede, you get a gradual highlight edge transition. It tells the brain what the surface efficiency of the object is, what it feels like. Rapid highlight edge transition, smooth surface, gradual is textured surface. If you light a high effeciency surface, say glossy food, with a large soft source, it doesn't clearly convey the surface texture. Introduce a small, hard light producing a specular highlight in addition to the main and it is revealed to the viewer.
 

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