Jahred- Actor Portrait

[DanOstergren]

My housemate is auditioning for a specific role and needed a headshot to portray the character, so last night he hired me to take said headshot.

Canon 5D with a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 macro USM lens attached set to f/2.8, 1/125th sec, ISO 1000. Lit using continuous lighting, hence the higher than usual ISO setting. Lit with a diffused ring light for the key light, and a bare modeling lamp for the back light. I live in an artist collective that has a studio with very limited and beat up lighting equipment (a ring light, and a Neewer c300 strobe with no sync cord and no triggers, so I'm limited to using it's modeling lamp). I first tried using the modeling lamp with a softbox as the main light and the ring light as the back light, but the softbox absorbed too much of the light for me to get a good exposure and useable shutter speed without going higher with the ISO (my 5D performs well with ISO up to 1000. After that it becomes too much for this sort of work). The ring light has a diffusion sock that gave me soft enough light to use it as the main light, I just wish it didn't have that ring shaped catch-light. I used a dodging and burning technique for the skin retouch.

 

[DanOstergren]

bump

 

[Jeff15]

Great lighting..........

 

[AlanKlein]

I agree about the ring light. It's distracting as a catch light. everything else is nice.

 

[DanOstergren]

Great lighting..........

Thank you.

 

[DanOstergren]

I agree about the ring light. It's distracting as a catch light. everything else is nice.

Thank you. Hopefully soon I'll pick up a strobe of my own, or I'll get a sync cable for the one here.

 

[Musty]

I'm a new member.. I see your photos..I need help please. I have an app on my phone that snaps all pictures when the phone is unlocked. Recently I came across 2 unlock photos but honestly they don't make sense and I can't seem to make out the images captured as they're blurry.. Is it possible to send the 2 images for a professional opinion from a great photographer. Thanks

 

[Derrel]

Dan, I think this would make an extraordinary black-and-white! While it's good in color I think it would be really killer in black-and-white.

 

[SquarePeg]

Great look and lighting. If you hadn't pointed out the catch light issue I may not have noticed it as much but now that is really drawing my eye. I think because it's over the pupils.

 

[DanOstergren]

Dan, I think this would make an extraordinary black-and-white! While it's good in color I think it would be really killer in black-and-white.

Thanks for the input. With actors headshots I tend to avoid making black and white conversions and stick to color.

 

[DanOstergren]

Great look and lighting. If you hadn't pointed out the catch light issue I may not have noticed it as much but now that is really drawing my eye. I think because it's over the pupils.

Thank you. Yeah, I've never cared for the catch lights from a ring light, but I'll still use them if I have to.