My Lighting Setup and Resulting Image....

[mrpink]

A lot of questions regarding lighting kits lately. Not sure if this will answer some or cause others more confusion...

Set this up in my kitchen to take some Halloween photos of my kids. My 2 year old was less than cooperative, my 6mo gave me a few more minutes before melting down...

Impact lighting kit from BH Photo. SB600's fired using the D90 commander mode. Most other natural lighting blocked. Backdrop is some black polyester I got from the fabric store at $2 a yard (I got 6 yards just to be sure).

Here is a shot of my setup (and test subject)


DSC_7838 by Matt Francosky, on Flickr

Here is the best image I got from said setup....


CSC_7886ww by Matt Francosky, on Flickr

CC is always welcomed.




p!nK

 

[ababysean]

cute kid.
However, was all that really necessary for that shot?
You have a nice window there, I bet it lets in good light.
lol
kind of overboard, but keep it up!

 

[SabrinaO]

OMG how do you get the background completely black? What are your camera settings? And is your baby a smurf? LOL too cute!

 

[gsgary]

OMG how do you get the background completely black? What are your camera settings? And is your baby a smurf? LOL too cute!

Just keep your subject a good distance from the background

 

[ababysean]

burn tool. lol

 

[Derrel]

I would suggest moving the fill light over much,much closer to where the camera is. The way it is set up, you are basically cross-lighting the child. Cute kid and costume! First Halloween it looks like....so special!

 

[mrpink]

OMG how do you get the background completely black? What are your camera settings? And is your baby a smurf? LOL too cute!

Just keep your subject a good distance from the background

Yeah... She was about 4 feet from the backdrop. Throw in some additional black value in lightroom and this is what you get.

Yes, the lighting setup is overkill. But this is just practice.

Derrel. So the fill light should be almost directly above me?






p!nK

 

[Derrel]

Fill light needs to be right next to the camera,pointed straight ahead,at the subject. Right at camera level or slightly above the lens level is a good place to have on-axis fill lighting. As the term implies, the fill lighting is normally, traditionally, supposed to be on the camera-to-subject axis. In the internet and YouTube age, you'll frequently see cross-lighted examples, as well as from Canon's own official multi-speedlight illustrations...go here for a look http://super.nova.org/DPR/Canon/

 

[Scatterbrained]

cute kid.
However, was all that really necessary for that shot?
You have a nice window there, I bet it lets in good light.
lol
kind of overboard, but keep it up!

How is that overkill? The whole point of strobes is to be able to control your lighting; both it's angle and it's intensity. That is something you simply can't do with available window light. Having consistent light color, output and angle and softness/hardness at any time of day is the point of strobes.

 

[o hey tyler]

cute kid.
However, was all that really necessary for that shot?
You have a nice window there, I bet it lets in good light.
lol
kind of overboard, but keep it up!

How is that overkill? The whole point of strobes is to be able to control your lighting; both it's angle and it's intensity. That is something you simply can't do with available window light. Having consistent light color, output and angle and softness/hardness at any time of day is the point of strobes.

Was trying to explain this to someone the other day. Thank you for putting it in these terms. I basically was saying the same thing in a much more convoluted way.

 

[Scatterbrained]

cute kid.
However, was all that really necessary for that shot?
You have a nice window there, I bet it lets in good light.
lol
kind of overboard, but keep it up!

How is that overkill? The whole point of strobes is to be able to control your lighting; both it's angle and it's intensity. That is something you simply can't do with available window light. Having consistent light color, output and angle and softness/hardness at any time of day is the point of strobes.

Was trying to explain this to someone the other day. Thank you for putting it in these terms. I basically was saying the same thing in a much more convoluted way.

Glad I could help. :mrgreen::lmao:

 

[table1349]

How is that overkill? The whole point of strobes is to be able to control your lighting; both it's angle and it's intensity. That is something you simply can't do with available window light. Having consistent light color, output and angle and softness/hardness at any time of day is the point of strobes.

Was trying to explain this to someone the other day. Thank you for putting it in these terms. I basically was saying the same thing in a much more convoluted way.

Glad I could help. :mrgreen::lmao:

Wait, you mean we can use artificial light sources to take photographs and it's not cheating??

"Well, butter me up and call me toast!":mrgreen:

 

[Scatterbrained]

"Well, butter me up and call me toast!":mrgreen:

Is it OK if I just oil you up and call you Sally?

 

[Blake.Oney]

cute kid.
However, was all that really necessary for that shot?
You have a nice window there, I bet it lets in good light.
lol
kind of overboard, but keep it up!

How is that overkill? The whole point of strobes is to be able to control your lighting; both it's angle and it's intensity. That is something you simply can't do with available window light. Having consistent light color, output and angle and softness/hardness at any time of day is the point of strobes.

Was trying to explain this to someone the other day. Thank you for putting it in these terms. I basically was saying the same thing in a much more convoluted way.

That's exactly what I was thinking. Sure, the window light would be plenty if you wanted a shot with window light. For the shot he wanted with the black background and subject lit by strobes, it's not overkill at all.

 

[table1349]

"Well, butter me up and call me toast!":mrgreen:

Is it OK if I just oil you up and call you Sally?

As long as you are the one wearing the dress and the wig Betty.