More from Friday, and lessons learned

[DarkLeather]

I've apparently cut myself a minor little niche shooting dark, contrasty, gothic photos. That's fine, and it suits the clothing and leather I make, and it's a little flattering to have models seek me out to add a dark portrait to their portfolio. I am, however, nothing if not contrary, so I naturally went out and got myself 9 yards of white fabric to shoot against...


Several lessons were learned, some in the process of shooting, some as I processed these.
1.) I wish I had the space to set up seamless. Seams are a stone beyotch in white...
2.) To blow out a white background takes a LOT of light. Not so much a hot-light job...
3.) Everything I've figured out about low-key light control was absolutely useless...
4.) Finally, don't start your first shoot with a white background when you're working with an olive-toned model wearing a white and ivory ensemble..
--Sam

[R_Fredrick_Smith]

Usually to blow out a white background I put two strobe heads on either side of it and set them to 1/2 to 2/3rds fstop over the main light. That is enought to usually blow out the background. Here is a typical light setup for this:



and here is a shot with this lighting setup and the model in white:



I was 1/2 stop over the main for the background light.

By the way it looks like you have a color cast to the photo.

Cheers,
rfs

[ChipBulgin]

[ QUOTE ]
4.) Finally, don't start your first shoot with a white background when you're working with an olive-toned model wearing a white and ivory ensemble..


[/ QUOTE ]

One of the techniques I use with high-key clothing is to use black panels to suck light away from your model/subject. I place 4'x6' panels to either side of my model and adjust them to get the texture and slight shadows in the clothing right. You can use fabric or painted foam-core. I also place them so that they extend a little behind the model. This gives you a nice limb effect while enabling you to use off-axis lighting.

-Chip

[jford]

Most definitely that last, and watch the cross lighting from the rear - need to bring light to the model's front as well, to define her features.

As I tell my sons, "The only people who never make mistakes are the ones who never do anything."

[itshowmuch]

as chip said use white cards on either side of the model. one of the "rules" of high key is dont shoot white on white. but when you use the black cards you actually can pull some amazing detail out of a white wardrobe like you have.

i learned this trick from rolando at his philly workshop when he put 2 models on a high key set both in white. i may have to pull a image from the ole' archives to post. unless mark or someone else that went to the philly workshop beats me to it.

[DarkLeather]

Thanks for the pointers!
I'll have to dig out the photo of my "studio"; I've got about 12' side to side, and maybe 15' unobstructed front to back... I'm plotting how to fake control of my light, and your setup is inspiring me even as I type!
--Sam

[DarkLeather]

Thanks for commenting!
I'm much more at home with low-key, which, of course, means I'm going to shoot high-key as much as I can manage now. I'll try the black panels next time (black, I've got...) and see what I can manage.
--Sam

[DarkLeather]

Well, I must be doing a bunch, 'cause I've got mistakes by the bushels! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
Thanks for your regularly informative and constructive criticism, by the way; I'm hoping to live up to your expectations of improvement. Eventually.
--Sam

[DarkLeather]

Thanks Jeff; I've got several PVC stretcher frames that are getting fitted out with black fabric to try this technique. Any examples are more than appreciated, of course...
--Sam