Pet portrait lighting.

[carl.w]

https://500px.com/photo/140732941/p...an-vieler?ctx_page=1&from=user&user_id=477300

https://500px.com/photo/140732941/punktemonster-by-christian-vieler

Having a browse on 500px at pet portraits and came across these, for me these are amazing and exactly what I would like to delve into.
I have done plenty of animal portraits but using only natural light but having sold all my Sony gear and now using a Nikon D610 lighting is
on my shopping list. I was looking at the Lencarta atom because of the portability, so I wondered if anyone could tell from the images how
many lights need to be used to achieve this style in the style of shot, and if I could get away with say 1x360 Atom and 1x180.

 

[Phil V]

A cursory glance through his gallery and I'd say some are natural light only (so none) and some have definitely got at least 3 lights going on.

There are tricks you can use with 1 light:

Put the light behind the subject to create a nice rimlight, then use a reflector to use the same light source as a keylight.

However some of those images clearly show a keylight from a shoot thru brolly, additional rimlight(s) and a background light.

You can do it all with cheap speedlights, unfortunately you have to be totally confidant you know exactly where to place them, proper studio heads make life easier.

 

[Garry Edwards]

1st shot - 1 light from octa softbox or shoot through in front, there appears to be a honeycombed light on the background but I'm almost certain that the effect was created in PP
2nd link seems to be the same.

I'm glad that you like them, but shots like these are very easy to light, and many of us would light them differently

 

[carl.w]

Thank you for the replies, I really am struck on them and they are exactly what I aspire to achieve. Now to compile some sort of shopping list!

 

[sk66]

Fairly small octa or umbrella (~30") to the front at a decent distance (not much falloff... allows the subject to move a lot more). BG lighting faked in post (but probably shot on gray).