Looking for some tips on low-light portraits...

mochroi · Sep 27, 2012

So, as it goes on here, I am fairly new to digital photography. I am currently using a Canon T3 and have been setting a goal for each month. Unfortunately, I am really and truly struggling with this one. I have gone full manual, but wanted to know of some lighting techniques that could help. I have a ring light...but I think it's mainly for macro. Can this be used?

ceejtank · Sep 27, 2012

Portraits are usally not done with a light ring. Best advice on low light portraits.. is turn on more lights. You should also have a light to fill the shadows on the face.

Big Mike · Sep 27, 2012

A ring light is going to give you very flat lighting, with little or no shadow. Most portrait lighting techniques are all about how to create light and shadows, and how to control the transition between the two. The problem with a ring light, is that it's right on the position of the camera/lens. Some fashon photography is done with ring lights but it's kind of niche thing. It does give your subject interesting catch lights (reflection in the eyes) though.

fjrabon · Sep 27, 2012

the whole thing to the 'ring flash look' in portraits is getting the shadow halo around your subject (ie a thin ring of shadow on all sides around the subject). The only way to do this is to have the background very close to your subject (to the point where he or she is as close as possible to touching the background without actually touching it), so that you actually do catch their shadow on the background.

This is in direct contravention to everything you normally do for portrait photography, and as Big Mike said, is a very niche thing.

My studio has one booth where we sometimes do this look. Occasionally it really works well and can be truly stunning, especially on a model with strong features, but often it just looks weird.

mochroi · Sep 27, 2012

Thats exactly what I am going for...I suppose most of the pictures I have seen with ring lights have been edited to oblivion...but the catchlights are extremely cool...hhmmm...

fjrabon · Sep 27, 2012

mochroi said:
Thats exactly what I am going for...I suppose most of the pictures I have seen with ring lights have been edited to oblivion...but the catchlights are extremely cool...hhmmm...

The only people who EVER notice the characteristics of catch lights are other photographers.

mochroi · Sep 27, 2012

This is mainly for self portraits. So perhaps this wouldn't be best for me...my face is rather round and my eyes are huge...

fjrabon · Sep 27, 2012

mochroi said:
This is mainly for self portraits. So perhaps this wouldn't be best for me...my face is rather round and my eyes are huge...

people with round meaty faces and large eyes tend to look like joba the hut with a ring flash. Its definitely a look that works best with thin faces that have strong bone structure and features (ie models, hence why its really only used in fashion photography). The flatness of the light will make round faces just look like a blob of flesh.

mochroi · Sep 27, 2012

Yikes! Well that will be set to the side for a bit then...haha...thanks for being honest about that...most people are too nice when describing how awful something could look...well...guess I should figure out something new for self portraits then...any suggestions on that?

fjrabon · Sep 27, 2012

mochroi said:
Yikes! Well that will be set to the side for a bit then...haha...thanks for being honest about that...most people are too nice when describing how awful something could look...well...guess I should figure out something new for self portraits then...any suggestions on that?

ha, cheap speedlight bounced off a wall? Or just turn on more lights? A reflector for natural light?

Ultimately you'll definitely want to get a speedlight and get it off your camera with either a sync cord of some sort or a radio trigger, and preferably then have a softbox or umbrella as well, but I don't know if that could be in the cards for you at the moment.

mochroi · Sep 27, 2012

Meh...I buy equipment when it's on sale...like the macro ring light...I wish I had known it wasn't really as versatile as everyone said it was...but no major loss...I'm sure I could sell it somewhere...I created my own 'soft box' about six months ago...but really wanted some dramatic light...but since my face is round...maybe a different approach...black and white pictures with the ring set on a tripod to the right looked like it would work...and then I saw what you were talking about...gross! Haha

ghache · Sep 27, 2012

You can use a ring light but you will have a flat lighting almost shadow less. Alot of fashion photographers use a ring light and i have used a ring light for portrait before.

1.

2.

these 2 where done with the abr800 from alienbee.

fjrabon · Sep 27, 2012

mochroi said:
Meh...I buy equipment when it's on sale...like the macro ring light...I wish I had known it wasn't really as versatile as everyone said it was...but no major loss...I'm sure I could sell it somewhere...I created my own 'soft box' about six months ago...but really wanted some dramatic light...but since my face is round...maybe a different approach...black and white pictures with the ring set on a tripod to the right looked like it would work...and then I saw what you were talking about...gross! Haha

you want more direct light for round faces. but you want it at about a 30 degree angle to the face. If you have a softbox, the way to get more direct light is to just move the light in closer. The closer a soft box is the more direct it is (and the brighter it is). I generally find that having them have a single light positioned 30 degrees to the subject's left (camera right), with their shoulders facing the light directly, or maybe a little bit even more turned if they have very broad shoulders, and then turning their face directly at the camera tends to work best. The head turn from the body will tend to tighten the skin on the face just a bit. looking dead on to the camera tends to make the face look slimmer.

DO NOT try to look up if you think you have a double chin. What this does is makes your chin get lost, and again, you get the blob of flesh look. instead bring your chin straight forward, moving it neither up or down, but just outwards a bit.

Also, for round faces, you want to tend towards slightly darker exposures just a touch. This will emphasize the skin tones, but deemphasize the roundness and fleshiness.

Also, in post you probably want to add a bit more contrast than usual as well. This will help bring out the bone structure of their face a bit more, making the face look thinner and more defined.

enzodm · Sep 27, 2012

ghache said:
these 2 where done with the abr800 from alienbee.

well, at least the second not only with ring light

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mochroi · Sep 27, 2012

So...if I use more than one light, plus the ring light, I could get the picture I want? Or no? You see...I understand that no one else notices catchlights but other photographers, but I love them...and frankly, don't really care if other people notice...I want life and depth in my b&w portraits...and this is usually accomplished by bringing catch lights into the eyes...lol...I may be grasping...but I really wish this would work...