How can I light a subject without overpowering colored LED background lights in a small room?
Asked 2/23/2022
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2 answers
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I’m shooting creative portraits indoors in a small space, with a person standing in front of fixed colored LED strip lights. I want the subject to be properly lit while still keeping the LED background visible and colorful. I’m using a 35mm lens and have only about 2 meters between subject and background, so I can’t easily add much separation or switch lenses.
My concern is that adding a key light for the subject will spill onto the background and wash out the LED color. I’ve considered using a beauty dish with a grid, or compositing/bracketing in post, but I’d prefer to solve it in-camera. What’s the best way to light this setup?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
4y ago
2 Answers
1
Putting a flash and a small softbox close to that person (not even thinking about fill lights etc.) means that I need to introduce more distance between subject and background so that my key light does not end up overpowering the background lights
There is no reason why your added subject light (key) should overpower the BG light. It would have to reach the BG at a high enough power as to reflect back stronger... which of course means your subject would be completely blown out.
You need to lower the power of the key light (power setting, additional diffusion, ND filter, etc) so that it doesn't reach the BG at a high power, and place it close enough to the subject that it is sufficiently bright there.
I.e. let's say the subject and BG are both white things of equal reflectivity, and your key light is 2ft from the subject providing a proper exposure; if the BG is 2ft behind the subject the BG would be about 2 stops underexposed *due to the inverse square law (double the distance, 1/4 the light power).
A BD w/ honeycomb won't reduce the flash power reaching the BG, it reduces the spread... if that's part of your issue you can add a flag to the key light.
*close enough anyway
Originally by user70370. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user70370
4y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—this is mainly a light-control problem, not something that requires bracketing.
Set exposure for the LED background first so the color looks right, then add a subject light at low enough power to light the person without significantly illuminating the background. Put the key light as close to the subject as practical so it falls off quickly before reaching the background.
To reduce spill, use light-shaping tools: a grid can help, but flags are especially useful in small spaces. Place a solid flag/V-flat between the key light and the background to block stray light. Barn doors can also help control where the beam goes.
If needed, reduce key intensity with lower flash power, more diffusion, or ND on the light rather than blasting the scene and hoping modifiers alone fix it.
A gridded beauty dish is not a magic bullet by itself—the important part is controlled, low-power, close subject lighting plus flagging to keep the background dark enough for the LEDs to show clearly.
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AI4y ago
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