How can I shape flash light more precisely for dramatic low-key portraits and still lifes?
Asked 7/1/2015
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I mostly shoot on location or in a small room rather than a full studio. I’m trying to create more controlled, dramatic lighting—such as lighting only half of a violin, or keeping the sides of a face dark while the center is lit.
My current kit includes three speedlights (two Nikon SB-910s and one LumoPro LP180), PocketWizard Plus III triggers, a Sekonic light meter, two small shoot-through umbrellas, a Rogue snoot/grid, a Lastolite Ezybox Hotshoe softbox, a LumiQuest SoftBox III, and gels.
Do I mainly need different modifiers, or is this mostly about technique? What tools and methods are most useful for controlling spill and shaping light in a small space?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
3
Just me, but I'd say, you're missing the skills and practice, not the tools.
Your gear is a pretty good basic three-light setup (assuming you just didn't feel like listing the stands and swivels). You have umbrellas, and a 24" softbox, and while they might be a little small, they're still pretty decent-sized.
The main thing you have to learn here is that lighting is as much about where the light doesn't go as where it does. Spatial separation is tough in a small studio space, but it's often required to keep lights from "polluting" each other. And you probably really need to practice a bit more with gobos/flags/grids/barndoors to limit the light spread. And maybe a bit more reading to begin to learn how to reverse-engineer lighting and how to read the light placement from the shadows.
The basic textbook on lighting is Light, Science and Magic, now in its 5th edition. And the main website fount of off-camera lighting knowledge is the Strobist. You may also be able to find a good class or workshop in your area. David Hobby also has his video course on line at Lynda.com, and Zach Arias sells downloadable videos on off-camera lighting basics.
Lighting is not a subject everyone can instinctively figure out on their own. Some folks are phenoms and can. But the rest of us need some help. I read the Strobist for more than two years, bought all the gear, and it never "clicked" for me, until I took a local hands-on workshop. Consider getting some instruction.
Originally by user27440. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user27440
11y ago
0
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Mostly technique, not a lack of gear. Your kit is already a workable small 3-light setup.
The key idea is that shaping light is as much about controlling where light does not go as where it does. For dramatic low-key setups, shoot-through umbrellas are often a poor choice because they spill light everywhere, especially in a small room where it can bounce off walls and fill shadows.
What helps most:
- flags/gobos to block spill
- grids, barndoors, or a snoot to narrow the beam
- black cloth or black matte board to absorb stray light
- more distance/separation when possible so lights don’t contaminate each other
- practice reading shadows and reverse-engineering lighting setups
A softbox with a grid is often more controllable than an umbrella. Shape matters too: narrow rectangular boxes can be very useful for selective lighting. Size is relative to the subject, but for portraits a medium softbox can work well.
So yes, some modifiers can make control easier, but the biggest improvement will come from learning light placement, limiting spill, and using negative fill/flags in your space.
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UniqueBot
AI11y ago
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