Tips for Shooting Black Model

[gabelimom]

Hi Everyone-

I'm going to do a beauty test shoot with a black female model next week. I'm shooting with Hensel strobes and a Nikon D70. The last time I shot a black model, her skin tone was waaayyyy off. It was quite yellow, and the makeup on her skin photographed very powdery. I found that to get the skin properly lit, I had to move the light closer, which then resulted in yellow skin. My camera was on manual and WB was on flash.

Are there any tips that anyone can suggest to get the skin tones right? Do I need a gel to put over my soft box? Any help would be most appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[viridari]

I had umbrellas off to either side of her, and a bare strobe behind her hanging from a pipe on the ceiling. I metered off of the darker areas that still had detail like her hair and cleavage areas. I still don't think this is perfect... it's hard to do in a way that you don't blow out highlights like I did here. But I think even with the blown highlights it came out pleasing.

I like how this came out better. Similar lighting configuration.

 

[jlykins]

My suggestion would be to set a custom WB. That's what I did in these shots.

 

[jcolman]

There is no real "trick" to photographing darker skin. I WB normally and set my exposure normally. The only thing I'll do differently is to add a bit more back or side light and overexpose it slightly.

 

[Mike_E]

Optimal exposure is static no matter the color the person. (not be mistaken with preferred as in artistic)

The best way to light a darker individual is with more specular (harder) light to show the high points as opposed to softer light to better bring out the shadows of a lighter skinned person. In either case it's the contrast between shadow and light that relays the information.

A light to either side is usually easiest. If you have a flash meter you really want to break it out.

 

[Christie Photo]

There is no real "trick" to photographing darker skin. I WB normally and set my exposure normally. The only thing I'll do differently is to add a bit more back or side light and overexpose it slightly.

Agreed. In the studio, I will drag the background light a bit further from the background to keep my usual ratio.

-Pete

 

[Big Mike]

My camera was on manual and WB was on flash.

Don't forget to shoot RAW so you can adjust WB after the shoot if needed.

 

[roadkill]

Don't forget to shoot RAW so you can adjust WB after the shoot if needed.

Yeah... I always use RAW and fix it in post if necessary

 

[SnakeVnzl]

you can adjust WB in jpeg too.

 

[gabelimom]

Thanks, guys. I'm going to custom set the WB and try the lighting techniques.

Another q: when lighting equally on both sides, is it best to use the same equipment on both sides (i.e., two soft boxes, or two umbrellas)? What happens if you mix it up and use a soft box for a main light and an umbrella as a fill?

Thanks!

 

[jlykins]

I have never done it, but I would expect that because there is a different amount of diffusion, there one side would be stronger than the other. Just an educated guess though. Try it and find out, that's the fun in it!

 

[jcolman]

Thanks, guys. I'm going to custom set the WB and try the lighting techniques.

Another q: when lighting equally on both sides, is it best to use the same equipment on both sides (i.e., two soft boxes, or two umbrellas)? What happens if you mix it up and use a soft box for a main light and an umbrella as a fill?

Thanks!

No reason why you can't mix it up. This shot was done using a combination of large softbox, umbrella and bare flash.

this was done with just the softbox and umbrella.

 

[gabelimom]

No reason why you can't mix it up. This shot was done using a combination of large softbox, umbrella and bare flash.

I LOVE how you shot this! I've always wanted to try my strobes outside (never have, I have Hensel monolights). Can you tell me how you lit this? How many lights are there? I see one light on the girl and another back-lighting her. Did you light the guy with the same lights?

 

[jcolman]

No reason why you can't mix it up. This shot was done using a combination of large softbox, umbrella and bare flash.

I LOVE how you shot this! I've always wanted to try my strobes outside (never have, I have Hensel monolights). Can you tell me how you lit this? How many lights are there? I see one light on the girl and another back-lighting her. Did you light the guy with the same lights?

Thanks Jennifer.

I used three lights on this shot. My key light was a Photogenics studio strobe fired thru a large softbox. The back light on the model in front was another Photogenics fired into a white umbrella. The guy in the background was lit with a small speedight (Sunpack 383) with no modifiers. Below is a pic of some of the lights. Note that the position of the speedlight was moved for this shot. You can see the speedlight in the foreground. In the above shot, the speedlight was placed behind the umbrella. The other two lights are in the same position used for the above shot.

The trick to getting the above shot was metering the lights and adjusting the output until they produced the same aperture setting then using shutter speed to set the ambient light exposure for the sky.

 

[gabelimom]

Thanks Jennifer.

I used three lights on this shot. My key light was a Photogenics studio strobe fired thru a large softbox. The back light on the model in front was another Photogenics fired into a white umbrella. The guy in the background was lit with a small speedight (Sunpack 383) with no modifiers. Below is a pic of some of the lights. Note that the position of the speedlight was moved for this shot. You can see the speedlight in the foreground. In the above shot, the speedlight was placed behind the umbrella. The other two lights are in the same position used for the above shot.

The trick to getting the above shot was metering the lights and adjusting the output until they produced the same aperture setting then using shutter speed to set the ambient light exposure for the sky.

Thanks so much for showing me that! I thought the guy had a separate light on him as well. I'm very excited about getting out there and using my strobes outside!!! Thanks again!