portrait lighting

[eurotrash]

just have to wait for the right moment really... also be careful of strange color casts from homemade items.

now heres my contribution:

[Holly]

OK, here's a stupid question. "Camera right" - does that refer to the right side of the picture or to the subject's right? I would think it refers to the right side of the camera which would be the right side of the picture and the left side of the subject but that doesn't match with the pictures Holly posted.

Yep. Camera right....my right.....subject's left. If you check the catchlights you'll see it. On #3 you can see the catchlight in his eyes shows the sun on camera right.
On #1 and #2 the reflector was silver..and close enough to the subject that it cast a harsher light than the main (sun) one did. #2: you can see the round reflection in her eye from the silver reflector...the sun was low enough, and not as harsh so there is really just a small catchlight from it. I've noticed this effect more with the silver reflectors than the white ones.

[engstrom]

Holly - thanks for the info. Weird that the reflected sun was a stronger light than the actual sun itself? In the first picture was the left side of the subject's face in partial shadow?

[Holly]

Holly - thanks for the info. Weird that the reflected sun was a stronger light than the actual sun itself? In the first picture was the left side of the subject's face in partial shadow

Yes, that side was in partial shadow (we were underneath trees at the time...left that part out ) So to properly expose for that side, her right side did get a little blown out. And yeah, I liked using the silver reflector for that reason...it would throw a very harsh light back onto the subject.

[Alfred]

These are the B/W's I made for my wife this past Christmas.

This one was done in the back yard with a blue back ground hung on the fence. The catch lights are from the reflected light off the house.


These next two were done inside with window light and a homemade ripstop nylon reflector.



One thing you can do to help you see the light is practice bouncing the light off someones face with a reflector. Move it back and forth and watch too see how their face will really light up.

[adam7731]

get a plexiglass mirror. you can light a model from across the street and if you really want to kick up the light you bend it and foucus the light thus cooking your model. Just dont cook them to long. It does really get hot durning the summer.

a_

[dab94]

I'll will second (or third or fourth?) the white foam core as a reflector. Works great.

In a pinch on a commercial shoot, I used an 18x18 piece of styrofoam that was already at the location.
I've also used a piece of white printer paper on smaller items......probably wouldn't work so well for a portrait though.

[zoe08]

thanks everyone for all the information!! I need as much as I can get cuz I dont think I did very well on the last assignment cuz I was a little confused by the directions so I really need these to turn out good.

[zoe08]

I would also like to know if I dont have a solid backdrop...should I shoot with a large aperture to get a shallow depth of field? And what makes good backgrounds that dont distract from the subject? Also if anyone knows any good areas for shooting in the Lubbock area please let me know

[shutterflypro]

Feel free to post your assignments here for translation.