How would you light this?

The23rdman

The23rdman

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Dean
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I'm shooting a series of 25 dancers next week. It'll be single, pairs and perhaps small groups of three.

My aim is to use studio lights on unlit grey paper roll as my primary set, but also have a set-up using the school hall wooden floor with a spotlight type light similar to this.

I was going to go safe and cross light with a big octa as key, but not too close so I have some leeway with exposure, and a hard light rim. Maybe I'll put the octa on axis and use rims both sides? Open to ideas.

The brief is for a series of big prints (A1 or A0) on the school hall wall and prints for the dancers.
 
Are they action shots or portraits? full length?
 
Full length posed positions.
 
Paul, that's great, but I don't have strips available.
 
I don't have enough lights for such things, mate. Two studio lights and half a dozen speedlights.
 
Dean, how do you set up the rim - on broom arm? Figure when you are on location, the backdrop could take sometime to setup, but then everything takes time to setup.
Out of interest how many of you and how long it normally takes you to set-go?

Last time when I do it - on my own - grey paper roll; highlite-softbox; rim on broom arm overhead; key light 45degree left or right by camera on 150cm brolly.
Take me near 1 hour to setup, not sure if I can go even faster than that.
 
No, rim as cross light as stated. I allow an hour to setup and I'm perfectly happy using one light for this, but open to suggestions and creative input.
 
Have a look at David Hobby's fencers in the Strobist Video here. He only touches on the details of how he did it, but it's a nice effect that I think would work for a couple of dancers too.

Also, if your Speedlights are capable have a look at Joe McNally's Repeating Flash video in which he shoots a dancer. In fact, have a search for images under 'Joe McNally' and 'dancer' as he does a lot personal projects with them.
 
Barney, I'm shooting this on background paper, mate. They want studio type shots and I wont have time to do anything too fancy. It'll be primarily studio lights and another set-up with speedlights IF I have time. It's a big if though.
 
So you wanna shoot dancers, on a grey background, with some strobes .... I'm sure I've read something about that recently .... ah yes, here you go.
 
The23rdman said:
Barney, I'm shooting this on background paper, mate.

They want studio type shots and I wont have time to do anything too fancy. It'll be primarily studio lights and another set-up with speedlights IF I have time. It's a big if though.
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They were merely for inspiration you know. There's no reason why either method couldn't be adapted to use with any background.
 
Dancers are best lit with double rim lighting - it shows the body shape much better.
 
To create double rim it is best to use narrow strips like in #4 video?
with speedlites powering up this could be a problem.
Or those speedlite mounted honeycomb? Not sure if it will work though.
 
Xenon54 said:
So you wanna shoot dancers, on a grey background, with some strobes .... I'm sure I've read something about that recently .... ah yes, here you go.
Click to expand...

The first shot in that series is exactly how I planned to do it, albeit with studio lights.
 
Lighting looks very flat in that shot - much better to use a light either side - double rim.
 
Don't have any strips.
 
Got standard soft boxes?

Get to Ikea, they sell a black velvety throw for about two quid. Tesco sell stick on/sew on velcro. Cut to size to cover just part of either side of the softbox and hey presto - strip light.

Heath robinson but it works.
 
awp said:
This is more complicated than you're planning - but take a look at what you can do with speedlights.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4fK3yvJLZM
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Nice, but that's never going to happen. :)

Ste Manns said:
Got standard soft boxes?

Get to Ikea, they sell a black velvety throw for about two quid. Tesco sell stick on/sew on velcro. Cut to size to cover just part of either side of the softbox and hey presto - strip light.

Heath robinson but it works.
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Yeah, I've done similar before actually. Borrow your softies?? :D
 
You can provided your job doesn't clash with my job! Bear in mind though I only have a 60x60 and 120x80. They're standard S fit so should fit your lights, but if you're using speedlights you'll need a mount. I'm onto mk3 version speedlite mounts that are tailored to my lights.

I wonder if the same idea would work in a similar way with a standard shoot through brolly? Mmmmm :thinking:
 
There are plenty of S-type fit adapters around fleabay for speedlite. Was still a new thing last year.
But won't you think it will be a bit struggling to power a 120x80 strip with speedlite?
 
squarepeas said:
There are plenty of S-type fit adapters around fleabay for speedlite. Was still a new thing last year.
But won't you think it will be a bit struggling to power a 120x80 strip with speedlite?
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You're right, it won't work - it can't.
The only way around it is to have 3 flashguns inside each box with one of these, which distributes the light as required - but it's a complicated way of doing things and pointless if you already have studio flash.

2 x strip softboxes fitted with honeycombs, with a 3rd light as on-axis fill, is the answer. A hotshoe flash will be fine for the on-axis fill.
 
Ste, thanks, mate.

I am using STUDIO lights! Said this three or four times now.
 
The23rdman said:
Ste, thanks, mate.

I am using STUDIO lights! Said this three or four times now.
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Sorry Dean I was OT on speedlites -since you mention you have half a dozen of them

OT, Garry, on "the STR-3 Strobist Triple Flashgun to S fit adapter" does master-slave IR work for such close distance/possible no "line of sight"?

in this setup, six speedlites (maybe 4) is required, but the recycling time could be faster than Eli style RX, so maybe a good thing?
 
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Garry Edwards said:
You're right, it won't work - it can't.
The only way around it is to have 3 flashguns inside each box with one of these, which distributes the light as required - but it's a complicated way of doing things and pointless if you already have studio flash.

2 x strip softboxes fitted with honeycombs, with a 3rd light as on-axis fill, is the answer. A hotshoe flash will be fine for the on-axis fill.
Click to expand...

Why can't it? I don't wish to be argumentative but this is exactly what I've been doing for quite some time now and it's been working quite well :shrug:
 
Will the studio lights flash duration be fast enough to freeze moving dancers as in if they jump rather then just stand there ?
 
kiteninja said:
Will the studio lights flash duration be fast enough to freeze moving dancers as in if they jump rather then just stand there ?
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There Lencarta elites so Garry can answer that, but I doubt I'll have time to be too fancy.
 
The23rdman said:
There Lencarta elites so Garry can answer that, but I doubt I'll have time to be too fancy.
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Not as fast as speedlights on low power, but low power is a luxury that you won't have...

1/2000th sec will freeze most action as long as the direction of travel isn't directly across the frame and as long as the magnification isn't too great.
 
TBH, I'm not that bothered about flying through the air shots. It's a school. I don't want students flying around my gear and I doubt there will be time.
 
paul williams said:
Here's a little tutorial from one of my favourite photographers - unfortunately all in German, but may give you some idea's.

Paul
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Great video, easy enough to get a idea off despite it being German.


Hodders said:
Get a couple from Bessel http://www.bessel.co.uk/acatalog/Soft_Boxes.html#a30033

They are a bit cheap and cheerful, but do the job.
Click to expand...

:eek: THEIR CHEEP! 120 strip there I paid 2 times for and didn't get a grid!


The23rdman said:
Paul, that's great, but I don't have strips available.
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Not to worry if you dont want to dich out bucks there are ways around it,,, take them French Flags (those big boards in the way), take a biggish soft box, place it a bit further away then you would normally then put one of them either side closing in like a set of barn doors to create a strip of soft light.
OK ITS NOT IDEAL, BUT it does get a pretty good effect and costs tuppence to set up.
 
I bought some gridded strips. I'll have to use some of the dancers as barn doors though, I think.
 
My concerns about this setup is whether it'll work for multiple dancers. Surely I'll have shadows and will need to have the strips too far away to be effective as strips?
 
Treat is as a normal group shoot.

or fancy stuff:
A large Octagon softbox overhead
A strip softbox behind subject on the floor
Front large softbox on axle

(I am just thinking out loud, never try it before)
 
I'm not going to have time to faff around with different lighting set-ups. If I'm going to do this strip softbox either side I need to know if to make it work for more than one the boxes will have to be too far away to be effective.
 
make no offence, Dean you kept asking people for ideas than blatantly said 'I have got no time to faff'. Well if you don't why ask? if only allow to use your current kit with limited variations, I think you have already got the answer.
 
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