Portrait in open-plan office

[Nifkin]

Hi,

Am doing a portrait session in a quite characterfully designed open-plan office, I'd say it's about 15 metres along the window side and about 20 metres deep. There's a lot of good natural light in the office, due to tall windows along one wall (the building is a converted warehouse-type with high ceilings). My clients want to have the images taken so I have my back up against the window, and they are about 3 metres in front of me. I will be using a shallowish DOP (f/2.8) in order to isolate the subjects, but want to capture a bit of the colour of the office in the OOF areas. seeing as I will have ample light coming from the windows behind me, and bearing in mind there are no other windows in quite a long room, I'm wondering whether I should diffuse the light from the window for the subject, as I'm concerned that it may be harsh when compared to the fall-off in the rest of the office (which is lit only by low watt tungsten), or should I simply use a reflector below and facing towards the subject to lift shadows? I'm just a little concerned with getting a balance between subject and background. If anyone has any experience of how to manage a simple lighting set up in this situation I'd be much obliged!

Cheers

Simon

 

[Phil V]

The key issue will be the difference in EV between the subject and the background, you may need to manipulate the levels either by:
Shooting without the window light, lighting the subject with flash and dragging the shutter.

Shading some of the window light onto the subject to balance better with the bg

Using some pools of flash to bring up the EV of the bg closer to the subject.

 

[Nifkin]

The key issue will be the difference in EV between the subject and the background, you may need to manipulate the levels either by:
Shooting without the window light, lighting the subject with flash and dragging the shutter.

Shading some of the window light onto the subject to balance better with the bg

Using some pools of flash to bring up the EV of the bg closer to the subject.

Some good ideas there; was thinking using some OCF to illuminate the background. I do have the opportunity to get in there before the shoot with a light meter to see how big a difference in EV there is across the space, which will help.

 

[Phil V]

That's exactly what you need. Do you have gels for the flashes to use them to 'enhance' the ambient? Or material to bring down the windowlight?

 

[Nifkin]

That's exactly what you need. Do you have gels for the flashes to use them to 'enhance' the ambient? Or material to bring down the windowlight?

Was going to get hold of some Rosco gels, and perhaps use a large circular diffuser positioned for the subject... I don't think the place has window blinds, unfortunately.

 

[Phil V]

It sounds like you've done what I'd do so far, just need to check it out now. Will you post results?

 

[Nifkin]

It sounds like you've done what I'd do so far, just need to check it out now. Will you post results?

I will indeed. Am going to check out the venue next week in advance of the shoot the week after (have been there before, but not for an eye for a project like this), and may get a chance to at least take a few natural light-only test shots to help formulate a plan.

In terms of off-camera flash, I'm using a 5D2, a 580EX II and I have a Yongnuo rf-602 trigger/reciever, so was thinking to perhaps illuminate the background using a shoot through umbrella, bearing in mind I will be using portrait focal lengths of 85mm plus on my subject, and therefore won't have to illuminate the entire room. Given the dimensions of the space I've described, do you think one flash would suffice? Or should I ditch the umbrella and go for gels?

 

[Phil V]

I'd use at least a couple of flashes, gelled to create interesting pools of light (recreating / enhancing some of the office lighting).

 

[Nifkin]

I'd use at least a couple of flashes, gelled to create interesting pools of light (recreating / enhancing some of the office lighting).

Yeah that'd be nice, but itr would mean buying another flash and some means of controlling both at once off camera, like an ST-E2. Bit of an expenditure in the short term. I'll have to think about it...