How do you produce lighting like this?

[steveng6920]

Question...what kind of modifier would you use to produce lighting like this? I've never been able to produce lighting like this with the dramatic shadows on the face and body...

*photo removed*

[Tom]

Hard to tell how much of that is lit and how much of that is photoshopped. I will let one of the experts like Scott Watters chime in on dissecting the light. My guess is a beauty dish and a lot of CS5.

[steveng6920]

Really? I never would have thought...maybe that's why I can never get lighting like that...I use a beauty dish but the beauty dish eliminates all the shadows so I thought maybe it was some other kind of modifier...Hmmm now you got me thinking, lol.

[Tom]

You can definitely get shadows with a BD.


This is SOOC, using a Elinchrom Deep Throat as a beauty dish. I have the silver BD reflector in the 39" Deep Throat, but none of the baffles. Just open the box, add the reflector and fire. The DT has a middle baffle and an outer baffle that you can use.

[KJ Smith]

Originally Posted by steveng6920

Question...what kind of modifier would you use to produce lighting like this? I've never been able to produce lighting like this with the dramatic shadows on the face and body...

You need to link to the photo, unless it is yours, but then you wouldn't have to ask about the lighting.....

[steveng6920]

I guess I should have rephrased that, lol....in the pic I posted it looks like the light source is directly in front of her which I never can get shadow with this setup. But you know now that I think of it...I always use the middle baffle and haven't tried the BD without it...so maybe that's why I never get great shadow...I really need to start experimenting more with my lighting darn it. Thanks for the tip! :)

[steveng6920]

Sorry, the pic is from model mayhem and I didn't think everybody would be able to view it if I did a direct link to there.

[Tom]

Originally Posted by steveng6920

I guess I should have rephrased that, lol....in the pic I posted it looks like the light source is directly in front of her which I never can get shadow with this setup. But you know now that I think of it...I always use the middle baffle and haven't tried the BD without it...so maybe that's why I never get great shadow...I really need to start experimenting more with my lighting darn it. Thanks for the tip! :)

I wasn't using a BD. I was using a deep octabox with no baffles (just bare open) with a beauty dish reflector.

[BrassPremier]

gridded strip bank from above? some shadows by the eyes so the light source definitely above a bit. or just any sort of light that's heavily flagged so very thin light hitting subject

some photoshop is involved for sure as well to help exaggerate the contrast

[Ricco]

I had to hurry home and google what you guys were talking about as far as "Deep throat" and "Beauty dish."

surely I was hoping you were talking about equipment and not some sort of odd fetishes.

[Snarfy]

As there is still some detail left in the shadow, I would guess there is a large source (BD or octa) and a striplight or snoot + gridded HS flash.

[MyKey]

Its simple and classic Butterfly lighting pattern. (named for the butterfly made under the nose) Look up this pattern online - it is very easy to do but needs your light set up high - angled and shoot downward on your client.

This image the pattern is slightly off to one side but with the harshness you can get away with it. Its a VERY EASY pattern to shoot once you understand where to put the lights to get that shadow. Posing is harder (at least for me) using this lighting pattern.

As harsh the shadows are the light was pretty strong so most likely a beauty dish mounted above the subject.


In our studio sessions we always try and use three different light patterns with our subjects, not only to light them to their body shape but also creates a better portfolio, this is always one of the patterns we use (though not so strong as our softbox we use softens the light pattern quite a bit compared to this image)

[KJ Smith]

Originally Posted by steveng6920

Sorry, the pic is from model mayhem and I didn't think everybody would be able to view it if I did a direct link to there.

Makes no difference to me.

But you should read the site rules.

#21 is the one that applies.

[groovyone]

Originally Posted by steveng6920

Question...what kind of modifier would you use to produce lighting like this? I've never been able to produce lighting like this with the dramatic shadows on the face and body...

Please add the link to the original photo location.

[texxter]

This is very directional, very harsh light with a narrow beam - probably a metal reflector (could be a beauty dish) with a 10 degree grid, right above and in front of the model in the classic butterfly or paramount light pattern. This image has been photoshopped quite a bit too.