how could i achieve this affect?

evilonion

evilonion

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Dave Peacock
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i would like to shoot a portrait with a black background with a fairly close crop.
The light im looking for is to have a strip of light going down the very middle of the model with dark shadows to the left and right falling into the darkness of the background behind.

how would i be able to do this?
Would i need to use two strip softboxes, both in the middle, one below camera and one above camera?
Or is there an easier way? :)

I also thought maybe a light just above camera middle with barn doors to keep the light directed?
 
You could do that very easily with a focussing spotlight, but I don't know of any other tool that will give precise results.

Flat lighting and PS may well be your friend here, although I doubt whether it will look the same
 
2 large boards next to each other with a bare bulb flash in the middle shooting through the gap? the tighter the gap the less fall off?
you would have to shoot through the gap as well.
The distance from the boards to the subject will affect the falloff as well.

not sure if that would work just thinking outloud
 
photochimp said:
2 large boards next to each other with a bare bulb flash in the middle shooting through the gap? the tighter the gap the less fall off?
you would have to shoot through the gap as well.
The distance from the boards to the subject will affect the falloff as well.

not sure if that would work just thinking outloud
Click to expand...
It won't:)
 
Isn't this just like shooting a vertical blind but horizintal, I've seen shots where people create a funky backdrop out of firing a flash through a blind with a gel. Just have the gap between two slats and the rest blocked out?

Just make sure you set the flash further back from the gap ot it'll spread out through the gap.
 
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It can only work if the camera can be at an angle, so that the camera/photographer doesn't block the light.
That's where a focussing spotlight comes in handy
 
do you happen to have a link to the light you mean?
been doing some searches but the results are quite varied.

:)
 
Not sure about this, but would barn doors, restricted to a narrow shaft of light and the model fairly close to the light work?
 
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ok this is just a VERY quick rough edit in ps to show the rough idea that im talking about.
just a simple beam of light down the middle of the subject.


lauren-test.jpg


i have 4 strobes. an sb900, sb28 and 2 chinese flashes.
im wondering if i could use these to make a large long softbox and shoot from just to the side of it.

i thought maybe a few people would have known an easy way of doing it but seems this isnt as easy as i thought :D
 
No, it isn't easy, or at least not without the right equipment.
Malcolm's idea of barn doors would sort of work with a studio flash but not with your hotshoe flashes. Even with a studio flash, the transition from light to dark won't be very abrupt simply because the barn doors will be too close to the light.

Your idea of using a strip softbox would sort of work too, but it would need a tight honeycomb, and would still have the same problem.

A pair of flags is probably the best bet, but as I said earlier it will be difficult if the camera has to be placed between them, which means that it will probably have to be at an angle.

Which comes back to my suggestion of a focussing spotlight with adjustable shutters, which you haven't got.

Welcome to the world of creative lighting:)
 
evilonion said:
ok this is just a VERY quick rough edit in ps to show the rough idea that im talking about.
just a simple beam of light down the middle of the subject.


lauren-test.jpg


i have 4 strobes. an sb900, sb28 and 2 chinese flashes.
im wondering if i could use these to make a large long softbox and shoot from just to the side of it.

i thought maybe a few people would have known an easy way of doing it but seems this isnt as easy as i thought :D
Click to expand...

That image is lit normally, and the black blinds are either flags/masks either side of the lens (like those tacky key-hole vignettes) or just as likely added in photoshop.
 
I haven't tried it but would using a part closed door with a dark room, fire the light from the other room.
Don't know if it would work?
 
Hoppy I know it's lit normally. I just painted the picture black in ps to show the rough idea I meant. :)

I guess I need to learn to walk before I run :D I'll try a few things and see if I can make it work.
 
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