The ONE-LIGHT PORTRAIT Challenge

[kundalini]

Inspired by an article in this month's issue of Rangerfinder magazine, I've decided to challenge myself to do some portraiture with a single light source.

The idea is to use only one light source, the source is insignificant. However, it can be bounced, diffused, redirected, flagged, bent, mirrored or whatever can be thought of doing with that single source. This challenge is open to ALL. If you participate, and I encourage it, please be as descriptive as possible AND give some details of what you've done to accomplish the shot.

So for my first attempt, I'll try the hardest of them all....... natural light. That's right, I said it. It's bloody difficult not to be able to place you strobe exactly where you want it and have to rely on an unforgiving star out there in the galaxy. A lot of people just starting out will not have a sh!tload of lighting equipment and we all have to start somewhere.


Just the facts ma'am.....
D700 with 85mm Nikkor f/1.8
ISO - 250
Aperture - f/1.8
Shutterspeed - 1/80s
(cheat sheet, I did use a hand held light meter and these were the settings)

The scenario.....
Shot indoors at ~2:00 in the afternoon with a 5' wide x 4' high North facing window camera right. On camer left, I used my Lastolite Trigrip with a silver/white banded cover. The silver/white alternate throughout and each band is 1/16" wide. I really like this cover because you get some of the softness of a white reflector plus some of the specularity of the silver. It's kinda like when Goldilocks gets in Baby Bear's bed. I also used an el cheapo 5n1 Adorama reflector with the silver cover for a hair/hat light, even though I think I missed the mark on it's angle.


The shot (going for a bit of short lighting) .....

The setup.....

The distances.....
Camera to subject - 7'
Subject to background - 4 1/2'
Subject to light source - 4 1/2'
Subject to camera left reflector - 2'
Subject to highlight reflector - 3 1/2'


I'm hoping this can be a fun thread, but more importantly a learning thread. I welcome all comments, critiques and advice for improvement. For the a$$wipes out there in TPF land, please keep the snark to a minimum for anybody else that decides to join in the fun. I can take your best jabs, but be forewarned, I'm quite capable of dishing it out just as well.

 

[Robin_Usagani]

Giant soft box left, silver reflector right, and home made silver reflector bottom (large board with glued aluminum foil on one side) in front of gray seamless. 5DIII, 135L, f/6.3, 1/160, ISO100.

 

[kundalini]

You know Robin, a lot of people might ***** and moan about the hair covering the eyes, but they speak volumes to me for the unimpressionable values of a child for others opinion.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[EIngerson]

Playing in a dark parking garage. Single speedlight from the right (rested on the back of an SUV).5D MK III 1/20th ISO 400, F5.6. Ugliest model on TPF.


Self by Ingerson Photo, on Flickr

 

[EIngerson]

Kundalini, I like your set up. I would like to see what yours looks like with everything the same but shot at F4.

 

[kundalini]

Playing in a dark parking garage. Single speedlight from the right (rested on the back of an SUV).5D MK III 1/20th ISO 400, F5.6. Ugliest model on TPF.

Sorry to disappoint dude, but I seen much worse mugs on this site than yours.

See that light in the far distance and how it is catching a nice hightlight on the right side of your head? I think if your camera position had been a step and a half to two steps camera left, it probably would have been out of the frame and given an enhanced hightlight. You're not quite there, but pretty damn close to a Rembrandt lighting pattern.

 

[kathyt]

That is a nice big a** window kundalini. You are disqualified.

 

[EIngerson]

Playing in a dark parking garage. Single speedlight from the right (rested on the back of an SUV).5D MK III 1/20th ISO 400, F5.6. Ugliest model on TPF.

Sorry to disappoint dude, but I seen much worse mugs on this site than yours.

See that light in the far distance and how it is catching a nice hightlight on the right side of your head? I think if your camera position had been a step and a half to two steps camera left, it probably would have been out of the frame and given an enhanced hightlight. You're not quite there, but pretty damn close to a Rembrandt lighting pattern.

LOL,. Thanks. I might go back there with stands and tripods to play around some more. I had a bunch of cool ideas. I have to say we were limited to what fit in our hands on this one. Cool thread though. I'll definitely be back.

 

[kundalini]

Kundalini, I like your set up. I would like to see what yours looks like with everything the same but shot at F4.

I normally shoot selfies at f/8 to f/11, but I went off the meter reading. I should have upped the ISO to get closer to that. The OOF forearm and coffee cup bugs me a bit, but I gotta say that I pretty much nailed the forward eye in focus at f/1.8. That made me happy!

This was my focus point.....

 

[kundalini]

That is a nice big a** window kundalini. You are disqualified.

Que? It's one light source. Just happens to be a BIG A$$ light source.

 

[Robin_Usagani]

This should qualify. 5D2, Sigma 85, ISO1600, f/3.2. This is before I clone out the light post. So yeah.. that is the setup. Just one speedlite. Light was reflected by the umbrella.

 

[kundalini]

Dammit Robin, I was going to try and avoid the archives, but you made me do it.


SB800 bungee corded up in the ribs of the reflective brolly.

.
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[EIngerson]

Okay, both of those are awesome and I am going to copy-cat the crap out of them. lol.

 

[Robin_Usagani]

Dammit Robin, I was going to try and avoid the archives, but you made me do it.

My bad.. I will post new ones . Most of my work is with SUN + 1 light so it doesnt count .

 

[kundalini]

My bad.. I will post new ones . Most of my work is with SUN + 1 light so it doesnt count .

There is a shot in the article I referred to that actually uses the sunlight through a window as a blown out background. The photographer used side lighting for his subject so it seems to me that is not a cheat. It's on page 71 of the article in the upper left of the digital copy of the magazine. It's on my To Do list.

For reference.....
Rangefinder - January 2013