Studio Learning - Portraits

donkeymusic

donkeymusic

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Carlo
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hello, have finally managed to get some time with my studio kit set up, bascially its a lastolite hilite with trail and three Lencarta Flash heads, one for the hilite one for the portrait and was planning on using the third to light the floor.

Here a few of the shots i got tonight of my dog , Billy not the greatest subject but he only one i could shoot without any issues today.

1.
4463323274_4e8e2461f6_o.jpg

2.
4462546753_296a141734_o.jpg

3.
4462547067_7899638ea2_o.jpg


Now just looking for some advice, to what i found a problem tonight.

- What is the best way to light the train? still not looking like a smooth transition between backdrop and train.

- the backdrop should be white but it appears to have a blue tint, and have changed the white balance.

- the photos appear to be too bright when lighting the subject but i am using the flash heads on the lowest power? as there are no instructions with lencarta kit not quite sure what settings these should be on? any suggestions?

- I also took some photos of black and white canvases, but the blacks were appearing as grays.

As i said still learning studio settings and want to check this as a basis, i check the backdrop with flash meter and it was set at 1/125th and giving and fstop at iso 200 as f4, and i think i read to use two steps up to light subject so was using f5.6, would this be correct?

If anyone can offer me any andvice i would be very greatful as its helping my learning curve.

Cheers
 
I'm guessing that you're not using a meter?

The guide number for each one of your flash heads, fitted with a standard reflector and with your camera set to 100 ISO, is 100.

This means that the correct exposure at a distance of 9' from flash head to subject is around f/11 at full power - but that's at 100 ISO, and you have your camera set to 200 ISO, which needs a theoretical aperture of f/16 at that distance.

Now, at the lowest power setting the theoretical aperture changes from f/16 to f/4 - but you set f/5.6 on your camera, which is bound to result in overexposure unless your light is a long way away or heavily diffused.

My advice if trying to work out the exposure without a meter:
Turn off the light in the Hi-lite and concentrate just on the lighting on the subject. Experiment with position, distance and lens aperture until you're happy with the result. If, for example, you end up with an aperture of f/8, set that on your camera, switch off the light on your subject and switch on the light in your Hi-lite. Now adjust the power of that light until the background is pure white but not blown.

That will then be your starting point.

The instructions for your Smartflash are on every SmartFlash page on the website, but please read the various articles in the Lencarta Learning Centre too
 
I'm guessing that you're not using a meter?
Click to expand...

well i was, but still learning so guess i wasnt using it correctly

My advice if trying to work out the exposure without a meter:
Turn off the light in the Hi-lite and concentrate just on the lighting on the subject. Experiment with position, distance and lens aperture until you're happy with the result. If, for example, you end up with an aperture of f/8, set that on your camera, switch off the light on your subject and switch on the light in your Hi-lite. Now adjust the power of that light until the background is pure white but not blown.
Click to expand...

Will have a look at that this weekend.

The instructions for your Smartflash are on every SmartFlash page on the website, but please read the various articles in the Lencarta Learning Centre too
Click to expand...
cheers will have a look at them now.

Garry did you get my my messages about my returned kit?
 
not enough DoF to me, turn up all the powers together (eg 1=1/2 1/2=1/4) or up the is then increase the aperture correspondingly to get more DoF
 
The ideal situation would be your subject set for 1/125, ISO 100 and F8.

Your background would be set to 1-2 stops brighter (F11-F16).

Then adjust to suit.

The F8 gives a better DOF and your focal length should be around 100mm.

This is all subject to kit etc, but is the ideal setup for white backgrounds...

:thumbs::thumbs:
 
markw08 said:
The ideal situation would be your subject set for 1/125, ISO 100 and F8.

Your background would be set to 1-2 stops brighter (F11-F16).

Then adjust to suit.

The F8 gives a better DOF and your focal length should be around 100mm.

This is all subject to kit etc, but is the ideal setup for white backgrounds...

:thumbs::thumbs:
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hi think i have got my wires crossed somewhere then, so based on that would i take a measurement from the subject then set the background?

I also bought a fixed 50mm lens, would i have been better with a fixed 100mm?

thanks
 
donkeymusic said:
hi think i have got my wires crossed somewhere then, so based on that would i take a measurement from the subject then set the background?

I also bought a fixed 50mm lens, would i have been better with a fixed 100mm?

thanks
Click to expand...

50mm is fine, you can get away with about 35mm but below that you will start to notice distortion (big noses etc) I use 50mm for my full length shots because I am a bit short on space, then 70-200 for my head shots and half body. 50mm on a 1.5/6crop sensor works out around 85mm which is a great length for portraiture.
 
was testing just lighting the background, and with the flashhead on full power i got f11, now considering the 2 step rule for backsgrounds that would mean the subject would have to be F5.6, which is going to give me a shallow DOF.

Any suggestions?

Thanks
 
donkeymusic said:
was testing just lighting the background, and with the flashhead on full power i got f11, now considering the 2 step rule for backsgrounds that would mean the subject would have to be F5.6, which is going to give me a shallow DOF.

Any suggestions?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Yes, forget the so-called 2 stop rule, which is nonsense. 1/2 stop is enough
 
If you were just learning to swim would you jump in at the deep end?

My advice would be to work with ONE light until you were confident with that and work up from there. If you're a beginner working with it all happening it is not going to work! ONE step at a time!
 
donkeymusic said:
so would you say that if the background is metering at f11 i would set the camera at F9/10 for the subject?

thanks
Click to expand...

Yes, except that you would do it the other way round.
Meter for the subject, set that on your camera and then light the background 1/2 stop more
 
awp said:
If you were just learning to swim would you jump in at the deep end?

My advice would be to work with ONE light until you were confident with that and work up from there. If you're a beginner working with it all happening it is not going to work! ONE step at a time!
Click to expand...

ha ha, funny that as i cant swim either.

i appreciate what your saying but just trying to learn as much as possible and get my head around settings.

I am actuall only using one light though, i have one in the hilite and one for the keylight
 
Garry Edwards said:
Yes, except that you would do it the other way round.
Meter for the subject, set that on your camera and then light the background 1/2 stop more
Click to expand...

once again i apolgise for my stupidity but still learning.

If i meter the subject i get a f number. which i enter into the camera.

How do i meter the background if i am using a hilite? as i am not metering any light hitting the backdrop.

thanks for you patience and answers
 
donkeymusic said:
once again i apolgise for my stupidity but still learning.

If i meter the subject i get a f number. which i enter into the camera.

How do i meter the background if i am using a hilite? as i am not metering any light hitting the backdrop.

thanks for you patience and answers
Click to expand...
You should have stuck with the background you had:)
Set the metered exposure on the subject into the camera
Adjust the power of the light in the Hi-lite until it's nearly white at its darkest point, then increase the power of the light by 1/2 stop.

Or just come on one of the Lencarta lighting workshops...
 
Garry Edwards said:
You should have stuck with the background you had:)
Set the metered exposure on the subject into the camera
Adjust the power of the light in the Hi-lite until it's nearly white at its darkest point, then increase the power of the light by 1/2 stop.

Or just come on one of the Lencarta lighting workshops...
Click to expand...

Glad i didnt, first subject was my dog who is very well trained but he decided that the train was the ideal place for a poop, thank god it was vinyl and not the cloth backdrop.

will try your suggestions and come bck tomorrow with results, such a pain having studio setup elsewhere and only being able to get in there after work.

i have looked at the training days, but not sure i can wait til June, unless you can squeeze me onto the 3rd april.
 
donkeymusic said:
Glad i didnt, first subject was my dog who is very well trained but he decided that the train was the ideal place for a poop, thank god it was vinyl and not the cloth backdrop.

will try your suggestions and come bck tomorrow with results, such a pain having studio setup elsewhere and only being able to get in there after work.

i have looked at the training days, but not sure i can wait til June, unless you can squeeze me onto the 3rd april.
Click to expand...

memo to self do nor buy 2nd hand hilite from this man
 
donkeymusic said:
once again i apolgise for my stupidity but still learning.

If i meter the subject i get a f number. which i enter into the camera.

How do i meter the background if i am using a hilite? as i am not metering any light hitting the backdrop.

thanks for you patience and answers
Click to expand...

I could be talking 'dog poop' here - but - surely to meter the Hilite, you'd hold your light meter at the point from where you are taking the shot and trigger it. OR am I missing something here?
 
FlyTVR said:
I could be talking 'dog poop' here - but - surely to meter the Hilite, you'd hold your light meter at the point from where you are taking the shot and trigger it. OR am I missing something here?
Click to expand...

How would that measure the exposure of the backdrop/hilite?
 
Turn off all the other lights then take a meter reading of the backdrop. f16 would be good
 
FlyTVR said:
I could be talking 'dog poop' here - but - surely to meter the Hilite, you'd hold your light meter at the point from where you are taking the shot and trigger it. OR am I missing something here?
Click to expand...

That would give you the reading from camera position -
1. You would need a hell of a lot of power to read f16
2. The light travelling back to yrou camera has to pass through the subject - causing all sorts of problems.

What you want is the reading from the background position to make it 1-2 stops over the reading from your subject. Meter about 2" from the backdrop pointed back into the light and fire - I aim for an even f13 or up to f16 across the background (if f8 at the eubject). Generally bright enough and not too much that I get light affecting the back of my subject.
 
donkeymusic said:
surely that would start a lot of wrap on the subject?
Click to expand...

Many seem to look for 2 stops even with the hilite! Mark Cleghorn uses that.

I think if you have more space using f16 would work well but if your subjects are fairly close to the background you need to be more careful of the wrap.
 
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