PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUE

Have a Master Schedule

noreply@blogger.com (Mr Info) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 10:52:00 +0000

Planning is essential to a smooth wedding day. The couple should know that if there are delays, adjustments or deletions will have to be made to the requested pictures. Good planning and an understanding of exactly what the bride and groom want will help prevent any problems.

Inform the bride that you will arrive at the her home or hotel room (or wherever she is getting ready) at least 45 minutes to an hour before she leaves for the church. You should know how long it takes to drive from there to the ceremony, and leave in time to arrive at mosque at about the same time as (or a little before) the groom, who should arrive about a half hour before the ceremony. At that time you can make portraits of the
groom and his groomsmen and his best man while you wait for the bride and bridesmaids to arrive.

If the ceremony is to take place at a mosque or synagogue where you do not know the customs, make sure you visit the officiant beforehand. If you are unfamiliar with the customs, ask to attend another wedding as an observer. Such experiences will give you invaluable insight into how you will photograph the wedding.

Bear in mind that having a master schedule does not preclude massive scheduling changes. A good plan will only guarantee that you are prepared for the events as they are planned, not necessarily how they will actually unfold. Yet, the better your preparation and planning, the more adept you and your team will be at making last minute adjustments.

Engagement Portraits Smooth the Path and Make a Bridal Portrait

noreply@blogger.com (Mr Info) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 11:29:00 +0000

Engagement Portraits Smooth the Path

The engagement portrait, which has become a classic element of modernday wedding coverage, is often used in newspapers and local magazines to announce the couple’s wedding day. These portraits are generally made in advance of the wedding, providing the time needed to get something really spectacular. This pre wedding session also allows the couple and the photographer to become familiar with each other, making the wedding day photography much easier. After a successful engagement-portrait session, the photographer doesn’t seem like an outsider at the wedding.

Most photographers offer this session at no charge, because it affords them two to three hours of bonding time with the couple. Engagement

portraits may involve great creativity and intimacy and are often made in the photographer’s studio or at some location that is special to the couple.

Make a Bridal Portrait

According to Kevin Jairaj, doing a bridal session before the wedding is a great idea (and very profitable too!). It allows him to get to know the bride a lot better and to see what she is comfortable with in regard to her photos. It is also a great dress rehearsal for the bride as she can make sure that all parts of her dress fit just right and look exactly the way she wants.

Kevin always approaches his bridal sessions with the attitude that it’s

more like a fashion shoot. He tells his brides to “expect to be my model for a day and to prepare to have a lot of fun.” During the session, he will do quite a variety of shots from very sexy and fashion forward, to a few traditional ones to please Mom and Grandma. He offers some tips:

1. Tell the bride to have a glass of wine to relax before the session, as putting on the wedding dress comes with a few nerves.

2. Have the bride wear comfortable shoes (tennis shoes or flip flops) especially if you cannot see her shoes under her dress when she is standing. Having your bride get blisters while walking around in her heels is no way to have a productive shoot! For any shots sitting down you can simply have her put her heels on when you get to the spot.

3. Bring a white sheet or clean painter’s plastic to place under the dress during some shots. This is the secret to not getting the dress dirty. Some brides are terrified to have their $10,000 dress get dirty before the wedding! Have her sit on the sheet or the plastic and then tuck it under her dress so that it doesn’t show.

4. Have her bring friends to the session to help out with all the stuff (shoes, makeup, tissues, etc.). “Most brides seem to relax more when their friends are around,” Kevin notes.

Kevin tries to do the bridal session about two months before the actual wedding, since the bride’s weight, hair length, etc. will be pretty close to what it will be on the wedding day. Also, that allows him plenty of time to order and frame a print to be displayed at the reception. A typical bridal session will last about two to three hours.

Make a Good Potrait

noreply@blogger.com (Mr Info) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:08:00 +0000

Befriend the Couple Most successful wedding photographers get to know the couple and their families before the wedding so that everyone knows what to expect. This process can involve in studio consultations, creating an engagement portrait (in which the photographer and couple actually work together), sending handwritten notes, communicating via e-mail, and talking on the phone. Alisha and Brook Todd, successful wedding photographers in the San Francisco area, send out a bottle of Dom Perignon and a hand written note the day after the contract goes out, then follow it up with monthly phone calls to check in. The more familiar the couple is with the photographer, the better the pictures will be on the wedding day. Get to Know the Event Preparation is critical when photographing a once in a lifetime event that is as complicated as a wedding. With lots of people, places, and events to document, getting all the details and formulating a plan will help ensure you’re ready to capture every moment. Begin by arranging a meeting with the couple at least one month before the wedding. Use this time to get all the details, formulate detailed plans, and get to know the couple in a relaxed setting. Make notes on the colour scheme, the supplier of the flowers, the caterer, the band, and so on. After the meeting, contact all of the vendors just to touch base. You may find out interesting details that will affect your timetable or how you make certain photos. Introduce yourself to the people at the various venues (including the minister, priest, or rabbi), and go back to the couple if there are any problems or if you have questions. If you have not worked at the couples’ venues before, try to visit them at the same times of day as the wedding and reception. That way, you can check the lighting, make notes of special locations, and catalog any potential problems. Also, you should make note of the walls and types of ceilings, particularly at the reception. This will affect your use of bounce flash. It is useful to produce an “A” list and a “B” list of locations. On the “A” list, note the best possible spots for your images; on the “B” list, select alternate locations in case your “A” locations don’t work out on the wedding day. Your initial meeting with the couple also gives them a chance to ask any questions of you that they may have. Discuss what you plan to photograph, and show them examples. Be sure to ask if they have any special requests or special guests who may be coming from far away but avoid creating a list of “required” photographs; it may not be possible to adhere to one.

Lighting in Photography Part 14

noreply@blogger.com (Mr Info) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 23:11:00 +0000

Try Handheld Video Lights

Small handheld video light are a good addition to your location photography kit. Perhaps the most useful video lights come from Lowel Light, a video and hot light manufacturer. Lowel’s 100 watt dimmable iD light, which is ultracompact, does not get too hot to manage and is ideal for hand holding when your other hand is holding a camera. Barn doors are part of the kit and the light is crisp and bright and, more importantly, easily feathered to produce the desired on location lighting effect.

David Williams uses video lights to augment existing light at his weddings. To bring the white balance back from tungsten to about 4500°K (slightly warmer than daylight), he glues a Cokin filter holder to the front of the light and places a medium blue filter (a 025 Cokin filter) in it. The result is a perfect warm fill light. For an even warmer effect, or if you are shooting indoors with tungsten lights, you can simply remove the filter.

David uses these units when shooting wide open, so they are usually just for fill or accent. They can also be used to provide what David calls a “kiss of light.” For this effect, he holds the light above and to the side of the subject and feathers the beam back and forth while looking through the viewfinder. The idea is to produce just a little warmth and light on something that is backlit or lit nondescriptly.

Alternately, David will use an
assistant to hold two lights, which cancel out the shadows of one another. He often combines these in a flash bracket arrangement with a handle. His video light has a palm grip attached to the bottom to make it very maneuverable, even when he has a camera in his other hand.

Lighting in Photography Part 13

noreply@blogger.com (Mr Info) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 15:21:00 +0000

Try the Nikon Speedlight Commander

The latest development in electronic flash is a device Nikon calls the SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander that enables you to wirelessly coordinate the independent operation of two groups of Nikon Speedlights in close up mode, or three groups (A, B, C) of compatible Speedlights in commander mode. In either mode, the commander manages flash output with exceptional precision, automatically delivering the light level dictated by the camera’s metering systems and supporting automatic balanced fill flash with compatible cameras. Further, the Nikon D200 and later models feature a built in flash commander that allows the on board flash to control the output of two groups of flash units remotely to a distance of 66 feet.

In use, the Flash Commander is remarkable because you can easily control the output and ratio between flashes and verify the results on the camera’s LCD. With an assistant or attendee helping you, you can light scenes with multiple flash wirelessly and easily control the output of each flash so that you can shoot groups at the reception, or special moments like the first dance or cake cutting, with sophisticated TTL flash lighting.

Studio Flash Systems on Location

You may find it useful to have a number of studio flash heads. You can set these up for formals or tape the light stands to the floor and use them to light the reception. Either way, you will need enough power (at least 50 watt seconds per head) to light large areas or allow you to work at small apertures at close distances. The most popular type of unit is the monolight, which has a self contained power pack and usually has an on board photo cell that triggers the unit to fire when it senses a flash burst. All you need is an electrical outlet and the flash can be positioned anywhere. Be sure to take along plenty of gaffers’ tape and extension cords. Tape everything in position securely in order to prevent accidents.

Use Umbrellas

Often, you will need to light an area, such as the dance floor. Using stationary umbrellas that are “slaved” to your camera or on camera flash is an ideal way to accomplish this. When setting up, be sure to securely tape all cords and stands to the floor in as inconspicuous a manner as possible to prevent anyone from tripping over them.

Once positioned, focus the umbrellas so that you get even illumination
across the area. To do that, use the modeling light to adjust the distance of the umbrella to the flash head until outer edges of the light core strike the outer edges of the umbrella. This is the optimal setting. If the umbrella is too close to the strobe, much of the beam of light is focused in the center portion of the umbrella, producing light with a “hot spot” center. If the strobe is too far away from the umbrella surface, the beam of light is focused past the umbrella surface, wasting a good amount of light.

Feathering the light past the area you want illuminated will help more evenly light your scene, because you are using the edge of the light. Additionally, you can move the light source back so that is less intense overall but covers a wider area. The light will become harsher and less diffused the farther back you move it. Triggering is best accomplished with a radio transmitter set to fire only those strobes.

Lighting in Photography Part 12

noreply@blogger.com (Mr Info) — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 23:34:00 +0000

Using Remote Triggering Devices

If using multiple flash units (to light the dance floor, for instance), some type of remote triggering device will be needed to sync all the flashes at the instant of exposure. There are a variety of these devices available. Light actuated slaves are sensitive to the light of a flash unit being fired and fire the flash they are attached to at the same instant they sense a flash going off. Unfortunately, this can be your flash or someone else’ real drawback to this type of remote flash trigger.

Infrared remote flash triggers are more reliable. Since many monolight type flash units come equipped with an infrared sensor built in, it is a simple matter of syncing the flashes with the appropriate transmitter. A third type, the radio remote triggering device, uses a radio signal that is transmitted when you press the shutter release and then picked up by individual receivers mounted to each flash. These are
reliable, but not foolproof; a cordless microphone may trigger them accidentally.

Radio remotes transmit signals in either digital or analog form. Digital systems, like the PocketWizard, are much more reliable and are not affected by local radio signals. Some photographers will use, as part of the standard equipment, a separate transmitter for as many cameras as are being used (for instance, an assistant’s camera), as well as a separate transmitter for the handheld flashmeter, allowing the photographer to take remote flash readings from anywhere in the room.

Lighting in Photography Part 11

noreply@blogger.com (Mr Info) — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 14:40:00 +0000

Adding Bounce Flash

Bounce Flash Off Walls and Ceilings. By bouncing the flash off the ceiling, you can achieve soft, directional light that fully illuminates your subjects. When using bounce flash, you must learn to gauge angles and distances. Aim the flash unit at a point on the ceiling that will produce the widest beam of light reflecting back onto your subjects. There are two things to watch out for when using this technique. First, avoid bouncing flash off colored ceilings or walls; you may not be able to compensate for the resulting color cast, even with custom white balance. Second, watch out for excessively overhead lighting. This can be a big problem with high ceilings, producing light that is almost directly overhead in nature and not the most flattering look for portraits.

You don’t necessarily have to use your flash sync speed when making bounce flash exposures. If the room light exposure is within a stop or two of your bounce flash exposure (1/125 second at f/4, for example), you can select a slower shutter speed to record more of the ambient room light. If the room light exposure is 1/30 second at f/4, for example, expose the bounce flash photos at 1/30 second at f/4 for a balanced flash and roomlight exposure. Be wary of shutter speeds longer than 1/15 second; the flash will freeze the subject, but the longish shutter speed might produce “ghosting” if your subject is moving. This effect can be quite interesting visually. In fact, many photographers incorporate a slow shutter speed and flash to record a sharp image over a moving one for a painterly effect.

Keep in mind that TTL flash metering systems and auto flash systems will read bounce flash situations fairly accurately, but factors such as ceiling distance, color, and absorption qualities can affect proper exposure. Bounce Flash Devices. A number of devices on the market are designed to eliminate the excessively overhead quality sometimes found with bounce flash. The Lumiquest ProMax system, for example, mounts on the flash housing and transmits some of the light forward onto the subject, with the remainder of the light being aimed at the ceiling. Lumiquest also offers the Pocket Bouncer, which redirects light at a 90 degree angle from the flash to soften the quality of light and distribute it over a wider area. No exposure compensation is necessary with automatic and TTL flash exposure systems, although operating distances will be somewhat reduced.

Lighting in Photography Part 10

noreply@blogger.com (Mr Info) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 23:25:00 +0000

Flash for the Main Light

When using flash as the main light and ambient light for the fill, it is important to remember that you are balancing two light sources in one scene. The ambient light exposure will control the exposure on both the background and the subjects. The flash exposure will affect only the subjects.

At Twilight. If the light is fading or the sky is brilliant and you want to shoot for optimal color saturation in the background, overpower the daylight with the flash. This is where the flash becomes the main light and the ambient light becomes the fill light. Returning to the situation above, where the daylight exposure was 1/30 second at f/8, you could adjust your flash output so your flashmeter reading was f/11, one stop more powerful than the daylight. Then, you would set your camera to 1/30 second at f/11. At these settings, the flash would provide the main light while the soft twilight provided the fill light. This technique works best when the flash is diffused and at an angle to the subjects so there is some discernable lighting pattern. (Note: The only problem with this technique is that you will get shadows from the flash. This can be acceptable, however, since there aren’t really any shadows coming from the twilight.)

On Overcast Days. When the flash exposure and the daylight exposure are identical, the effect is like creating your own sunlight. This technique works particularly well on overcast days when using barebulb flash. Position the flash to the right or left of the subject(s) and raise it up for better modeling. If you want to accentuate the lighting pattern and darken the background and shadows, increase the flash output to 1/2 to one stop greater than the daylight exposure and expose for the flash exposure. Do not underexpose your background by more than a stop, however, or you will produce an unnatural nighttime effect.

Many times this effect will allow you to shoot out in open shade without fear of creating eye sockets that are hollowed-out by shadow. The overhead nature of the diffused daylight will be overridden by the directional flash, which creates a distinct lighting pattern.

Lighting in Photography Part 9

noreply@blogger.com (Mr Info) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 22:00:00 +0000

Flash Options

Barebulb. Barebulb flash units are powerful lights that consists of an upright flash tube sealed in a plastic housing for protection. Since there is no reflector, barebulb flash generates light that goes in all directions. It acts more like a large point source light than a small portable flash.

Light falloff with barebulb is less than with other handheld units, making it ideal for flash fill situations; you can use as wide a lens as you own and you won’t get flash falloff with barebulb flash. Barebulb flash produces a sharp, sparkly light, which is too harsh for almost every type of photography except outdoor fill. The trick is not to overpower the daylight. It is most desirable to let the daylight or twilight backlight your subjects, capitalizing on a colorful sky background if one exists, and use barebulb flash to fill the frontal planes of your subjects.

Barebulb flash units are predominantly manual, meaning you must adjust their intensity by adjusting the flash-to-subject distance or the flash output.Many photographers even mount a sequence of barebulb flash units on light stands at the reception for doing candids on the dance floor.

Diffused Flash. As an alternative to barebulb flash, some photographers like to soften their fill flash using a softbox. In this situation, it is best to trigger the strobe with a radio remote. This allows you to place the diffused flash at a 30 to 45 degree angle to the subject(s) for dynamic fill in. For this, it is wise to equal or overpower the daylight exposure slightly so that the off-angle flash acts more like a main light, establishing a lighting pattern. For large group portraits, it may be necessary to use several soft boxes (or to use a single one close to the camera) for more even coverage.

Flawless Fill Flash Exposure

To ensure accurate fill flash exposures every time, meter the daylight with an incident flashmeter in “ambi” mode. Let’s imagine that the metered exposure is 1/30 second at f/8. Next, meter the flash only. It is desirable for the flash output to be one stop less than the ambient exposure; in this case, you would adjust the flash output or flash distance until your flash reading was f/5.6. You would then set the camera to 1/30 second at f/8. That’s it. You could then set the flash output anywhere from f/8 to f/5.6 and not overpower the daylight; the flash would only fill in the shadows created by the daylight and add sparkle to the eyes.

TTL flash systems are ideal for working in mixed-light situations and are virtually foolproof. They can be balanced with existing light and easily programmed to over or underpower the available light by simply dialing in flash exposure compensation in 1/3-stop increments. In TTL flash mode, the flash will react as programmed, cutting or increasing output as you desire in order to optimize the combination of flash and existing light.

Lighting in Photography Part 8

noreply@blogger.com (Mr Info) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Reflectors for Fill

Reflectors should be fairly large for maximum versatility. Light discs, made of fabric that is mounted on a flexible and collapsible circular frame, come in a variety of diameters and are a very effective means of providing fill in illumination. They are available from a number of manufacturers and come in silver (for maximum fill output), white, gold foil (for a warming fill light) and black (for blocking light from hitting a portion of the subject). Generally, an assistant is required to position and hold the reflector for maximum effect. Be sure to position reflectors outside the frame and be careful about bouncing light in from beneath your subjects. Lighting coming from under the eye or nose axis is generally unflattering. Try to “focus” your reflectors (this really does require an assistant), so that you are only filling the shadows that need filling in.

Getting the Most from On Camera Flash

On-camera flash should be used sparingly because of the flat, harsh light it produces. As an alternative, many photographers use on-camera flash brackets, which position the flash over and away from the lens, thus minimizing flash red eye and dropping the harsh shadows behind the subjects a slightly more flattering light. On camera flash is often used outdoors, especially with TTL balanced flash exposure systems.With such systems, you can adjust the flash output for various fill in ratios, thus producing consistent exposures. In these situations, the on camera flash is most frequently used to fill in the shadows caused by the daylight, or to match the ambient light output in order to provide direction to the light.

One of the best means of evaluating flash output and the balance between flash illumination and daylight or room light is by using the camera’s LCD screen. While it’s not a perfect tool for evaluating subtle exposure effects, it’s definitely accurate enough to reveal how well your flash is performing. You can see at a glance if you need to increase or decrease flash output.

Know Your Flash Sync Speed

If using a camera with a focal-plane shutter, you have a flash-sync (or X-sync) setting. When working with flash, employing a shutter speed faster than the flash sync speed will result in images that are only half exposed. You can, however, use any shutter speed slower than the flash sync speed. When you do this, your strobe will fire in synchronization with the shutter, but the shutter will remain open after the flash pop, allowing the ambient light to be recorded. The latest generation of DSLRs use flash sync shutter speeds up to 1/500 second, making daylight flash sync at almost any aperture possible. (Note: With in lens blade type shutters, flash sync occurs at any shutter speed, because there is no focal plane shutter curtain to cross the film plane.)

Lighting in Photography Part 7

noreply@blogger.com (Mr Info) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 22:00:00 +0000

Working with Direct Sunlight

When forced to photograph in bright sunlight, begin by turning your subjects so the direct sunlight is backlighting or rim lighting them. This negates the harshness of the light and prevents your subjects from squinting. Then, fill in the backlight with strobe or reflectors (being careful to avoid underexposure). It is best to add 1/3 to 1/2 stop exposure in backlit situations portraits in order to “open up” the skin tones.

Images made in bright sunlight are unusually contrasty. To lessen that contrast, try using telephoto lenses or zooms, which have less inherent contrast than shorter, prime lenses. If shooting digitally, you can adjust your contrast preset to a low setting or shoot in RAW mode, where you can fully control image contrast post capture.

If the sun is low in the sky, you can use cross lighting to get good modeling on your subject. You must be careful, however, to position the subject so that the sun’s side lighting does not hollow out their eye socket on the highlight side. Subtle repositioning will usually correct this. You’ll also need to use fill light on the shadow side to preserve detail. Try to keep your fill flash output about 1/2 to one stop less than your daylight exposure. Watch the Room Light Many hotels use coiled fluorescent bulbs instead of tungsten-filament bulbs in the room lamps. Be on the lookout for them, because these fluorescents will not have the same warming quality as tungsten bulbs and could turn things a bit green. You may have to change your white balance, or use an auto or custom white balance setting, in these situations.

Take Advantage of Window Light

One of the most flattering types of lighting you can use is window lighting. It is soft, minimizes facial imperfections, yet provides a directional source for good facial modeling with low to moderate contrast. Window light is usually a fairly bright light and it is infinitely variable, changing almost by the minute. This allows a great variety of moods, depending on how far you position your subject from the light.

Since daylight falls off rapidly once it enters a window, and is much weaker several feet from the window than it is closer to the window, great care must be taken in determining exposure (particularly when creating group portraits, for which you will usually need to use reflectors to balance the overall light).

The best quality of window light is found mid morning or mid afternoon. Direct sunlight is difficult to work with because of its intensity and the fact that it will often create shadows of the individual windowpanes on the subject. However, you can diffuse overly contrasty window light by taping some acetate diffusion material to the window frame. Light diffused in this manner has the warm feeling of sunlight but without the harsh shadows. (Note: If the light is still too harsh, try doubling the thickness of the acetate for more diffusion.) With the light scattered in this way, you may not even need a fill source unless you are working with a larger group. If that is the case, use reflectors to kick light back into the faces of those farthest
from the window.

Lighting in Photography Part 6

noreply@blogger.com (Mr Info) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 09:44:00 +0000

Evaluate Your Options

Weddings involve almost every kind of light you can imagine open shade, bright sun, dusk, dim room light, and every combination in between. Savvy wedding photographers must feel at home in all these different situations and know how to get great pictures in them.

For example, imagine a courtyard where the main light is diffused daylight coming in through an archway. Here, the ambient fill level would be very low; there may be no auxiliary light sources nearby. Unless your goal was to produce high contrast lighting (not great for brides), you would need to raise the level of the ambient or fill light. You might add light locally (i.e., on the subject via a silver reflector).

This is a quick solution that could be ideal if you are pressed for time or only need to make a couple of shots in the area. Alternately, you might add some fill universally, raising the overall interior light level by using ceiling bounce strobes. This solution involves more setup time and effort, but it could allow you to shoot in a number of locations within the location, not just the one closest to the archway.

Learning to control, predict and alter whatever type of lighting encountered will allow the photographer to create great wedding pictures all day and all night long.

Find and Use Open Shade

Open shade is soft light that is reflected from the sky on overcast days. It is different than shade created by direct sunlight being blocked by obstructions, such as trees or buildings. Open shade can be particularly harsh, especially at midday when the sun is directly overhead. In this situation, open shade takes on the same characteristics as overhead sunlight, creating deep shadows in the eye sockets and under the noses and chins of the subjects.

Open shade can, however, be tamed and made useful by finding an overhang, like tree branches or a porch, which blocks the overhead light but allows soft shade light to filter in from the sides, producing direction and contouring on the subject. This cancels out the overhead nature of the light and produces excellent modeling on the face.

If forced to shoot your subjects out in unobstructed open shade, you must fill in the shade with a frontal flash or reflector. If shooting the bride or the bride and groom, a reflector held close to and beneath your subjects should suffice for filling in the shadows created by open shade. If photographing more than two people, then fill-flash is called for. The intensity of the light should be about equal to the daylight exposure.

Lighting in Photography Part 5

noreply@blogger.com (Mr Info) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 02:00:00 +0000

Avoid Double Shadows and Double Catchlights

Adding a fill light can pose two problems. If placed too close to the subject or is too intense, the fill light will produce its own set of specular highlights that show up in the shadow area of the face, making the skin appear excessively oily. To solve the problem, move the camera and light back slightly or move the fill light laterally away from the camera. In many cases, the fill light also creates a second set of catchlights in the subject’s eyes. This gives the subject a directionless gaze, so these catchlights are usually removed in postproduction. When using a large diffused fill light, there is usually not a problem with dual catchlights. Instead, the fill produces a large, milky highlight that is much less objectionable.

Understand Lighting Ratios

The term “lighting ratio” describes the difference in intensity between the shadow and highlight side of the face. It is expressed numerically: 2:1, 3:1, etc. In the studio, one can control the ratio precisely; in the field, your goal should be more general. Is there detail in both important highlight and shadow areas? Are the shadow areas too dark and lifeless? With digital, one can inspect the lighting by firing a few test frames. (This is particularly important when using flash, since you cannot see lighting effect with the naked eye.) Professionals should also carry an incident
flash meter, which also measures ambient light. From the subject position, you can then measure the highlight side of the face separately from the shadow side of the face, thus determining the difference between the two and thus the effective lighting ratio.

In a 2:1 lighting ratio, the main and fill light sources are the same intensity. A 3:1 lighting ratio is produced when the main light is one stop greater in intensity than the fill light. In a 4:1 ratio, the main light is 11/2 stops greater in intensity than the fill light. In a 5:1 ratio, the main light is two stops greater than the fill light.

Avoid Overlighting

In setting the lights, it is important that you position them gradually, studying the effect as you aim each additional source at the subject. If you merely point the light directly at the subject, you will probably overlight the person, producing pasty highlights with no detail. Instead, feather the light so that you employ the edge of the light to illuminate the subject. This will add brilliance to your highlights, enhancing the illusion of depth. (Note: Sometimes feathering won’t produce the desired highlight brilliance. If this happens, making a lateral adjustment to the light or moving it back from its current position will usually rectify the situation.)

Lighting in Photography Part 4

noreply@blogger.com (Mr Info) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 02:00:00 +0000

Rembrandt Lighting. Rembrandt lighting, also called 45 degree lighting, is characterized by a small, triangular highlight on the shadowed cheek of the subject. This is created by moving the main light lower and farther to the side than in loop and Paramount lighting; the main light comes almost from the subject’s side, depending on how far his or her head is turned away from the camera. The fill light is used in the same manner as it is for loop lighting, although a weaker setting is often used to accentuate the shadow-side highlight. The hair light is often used a little closer to the subject for more brilliant highlights in the hair. The background light is in the standard position. With this setup, kickers are often used to delineate the sides of the face. (Note: To ensure they are not shining directly into the lens, place your hand between the subject and the camera on the axis of the kicker. If your hand casts a shadow on the lens, then the kicker is shining directly into the lens and should be adjusted.)

Split Lighting. Split lighting occurs when the main light illuminates only half the face. This is produced by placing the main light low and to the side of the subject. Depending on how far the subject is turned from the camera, the main light may even be slightly behind the subject. This placement of the main light creates a nice slimming effect. It can also be used with a weak fill to hide facial irregularities. For a dramatic effect, use split lighting with no fill light. The fill light, hair light, and background light are used normally for split lighting.

Profile or Rim Lighting. Profile or rim lighting is used when the subject’s head is turned 90 degrees away from the camera lens. It is a dramatic style of lighting used to accent elegant features. It is used less frequently now than in the past, but it remains a stylish type of portrait lighting. To light the profile, the main light is placed behind the subject so that it illuminates the far side of the face and leaves a polished highlight along its outline. Care should be taken so that the light principally accents the face, rather than the hair or neck. In this setup, the fill light is moved to the same side of the camera as the main light and a reflector is used to fill in the shadows. An optional hair light can be used on the opposite side of the main light for better tonal separation of the hair from the background. The background light is used normally.

You can even create an elegant profile of the bride with a single flash used as a backlight, outlining the edges of her face, neck, and the wedding veil. With the daylight as fill, only one light is required to produce an elegant, classically lit portrait.

Lighting in Photography Part 3

noreply@blogger.com (Mr Info) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 02:00:00 +0000

Look for the Classic Lighting Patterns

While the classic lighting patterns do not have to be used with absolute precision, it is essential to know what they are and how to achieve them. If, for instance, you are photographing your bride and groom outdoors, you can position a single main light to produce the desired lighting pattern and ratio, and use the ambient light (shade, or sun as back lighting) as the fill light. No other lights are needed to produce any of the five basic portrait set-up. Use of reflectors, instead of an independent fill light or kickers, may accomplish much the same results in terms of controlling light. Basically, however, each of the lighting patterns takes its personality from the placement
of the main light, so this is the most important source to consider.

Paramount Lighting. In Paramount lighting, sometimes called butterfly lighting or glamour lighting, the main light is placed high and directly in front of the face. This gives a symmetrical, butterfly shaped shadow directly beneath the subject’s nose, it also tends to emphasize cheekbones and good skin. The fill light is placed at the subject’s head height directly under the main light. Since both the main and fill lights are on the same side of the camera, a reflector is used on the opposite of the subject to fill in the deep shadows on the neck and shaded cheek. The hair light is used opposite the main light and placed so that it does not skim onto the face of the subject. The background light (if used) should be low and behind the subject, forming a semi circle of illumination background.

Loop Lighting. Loop lighting is a minor variation of Paramount lighting and is ideal for people with average, oval shaped faces. The main light is lowered and moved more to the side of the subject so that the shadow under the nose becomes a small loop on the shadow side of the face. The fill light is placed on the opposite side of the camera from the main light, close to the camera lens. (Note: Be sure to evaluate this from the camera position, making sure the fill light does not cast a shadow of its own.) In loop lighting, the hair light and background lights are used the same way they are in Paramount lighting.

Lighting in Photography Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Mr Info) — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 02:00:00 +0000

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Lighting Tips from Mauricio Donelli

According to Mauricio Donelli, “The most important thing when creating a spectacular and beautiful image of a bride is to be very, very fast. Own the situation and give the bride the confidence to be her most beautiful in front of your lens. The essence of this philosophy is to take the pictures quickly if you lose control and spend too much time evaluating the moment, you will freeze everything and lose the perfect image.” To do this, Donelli uses the D2X and the Leaf back 28 for the Mamiya.

“I don’t work with too much artificial light,” he also notes. “Also, if most of the situations are being taken at night, the fact is that I work a lot with very slow shutter speeds. This gives a good mix between the flash and the ambient light presence. Also, you can work with the single bulbs that you find in ceilings and walls and place them behind the subject to give an effect of warmth and depth. Sometimes we don’t need to use a lot of light. Much of the time, my pictures are taken with natural light and filled with mobile flash from the camera. I prefer the Metz 60-CT4 series. They are the best I’ve used for this type of fill.”

“It is important to have a good, lightweight tripod with you, as well as one or two assistants working around the subject with flashes. Of course, you will need to trigger them from the camera with radio-controlled slaves. They work effectively and are very handy to use with the flash on a monopod. Also, it is important to have a decent-size reflectors (LiteDiscs) to reflect light back onto your subject’s shadow areas.”

As for power, Donelli says that he never uses generators, because his weddings almost always take place in hotels or homes. “When they do the weddings in open areas and put up tents,” he notes, “they need to have light too, so I always ask the wedding coordinators to provide two or three plugs for my monolight-mounted round softbox inside the tent. I never use more than one, but I travel with two in case one goes bad.”

Lighting in Photography Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Mr Info) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Control the Hair Light

The hair light is an optional light that can be used to accent the subject’s hair and create highlights that help separate it from the background. Adding barn doors to this light (black, metallic, adjustable flaps that can be opened or closed to control the width of the beam of the light) will help keep the light just where you want it and prevent stray light from hitting the camera lens, reducing the potential for lens flare. Hair lights are frequently undiffused sources, so they are normally adjusted to a reduced power setting. In some cases, however, strip lights (small softboxes) are used as hair lights because of their easy mobility and broad diffused highlights.

Use a Background Light

The background light is a low-output light. It is used to illuminate the background so that the subject and background will separate tonally. The background light is usually used on a stand placed directly behind the subject, out of view of the camera lens. It can also be placed on a higher stand or boom and directed onto the background from either side of the set.

Add Kicker Lights

Kickers are optional lights that are used in much the same way as hair lights. These add highlights to the sides of the face or body to increase the feeling of depth and richness in a portrait. Because they are used behind the subject, they produce highlights with great brilliance, as the light just glances off the skin or clothing. Since kickers are set behind the subject, barn doors should be used to control the light.

Choose Broad or Short Lighting

There are two basic types of portrait lighting. Broad lighting means that the main light is illuminating the side of the face turned toward the camera (the more visible side of the face). This is used less frequently than short lighting because it flattens and de-emphasizes facial contours. It is often used, however, to widen a very thin or long face.

Short lighting means that the main light is illuminating the side of the face turned away from the camera (the less visible side of the face). Short lighting emphasizes facial contours and can be used as a corrective lighting technique to narrow a round or wide face.When used with a weak fill light, short lighting produces a dramatic look with bold highlights and pronounced shadows.

Refine the Main and Fill Lights

noreply@blogger.com (Mr Info) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 02:45:00 +0000

Because of the hurried nature of the wedding day, it is sometimes impossible to give the lighting the same degree of complexity you would for a studio shoot. However, with an assistant, and a little bit of time you can pull off some beautifully lit formal portraits the day of the wedding. The key to doing this, is understanding the concepts of studio lighting. The two lighting sources that will have the biggest impact are the main and fill lights.

The main light is the light source that creates the visible pattern of light and shadow on the subject’s face. For this, most photographers opt to use a diffused source. This could be window light diffused through sheer curtains, soft sky light at the edge of a shady area, or strobe light diffused by an umbrella or soft box.

The fill light is used to lighten the shadows created by the main light. To do this, the fill light should be at least a little weaker than the main light (so it does not create a second set of shadows). Fill light may be created using a reflector or by adding a small diffused light close to the camera.

Control the Focus Field

noreply@blogger.com (Mr Info) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 02:00:00 +0000

Adjust the Camera Angle. With large groups, raising the camera height and angling the camera downward keeps the film plane more parallel to the plane of the group’s faces. Doing this does not change the depth of field, but it optimizes the plane of focus to accommodate the depth of the group. This makes it possible to get both the front and back rows in focus.

Marc Weisberg is a perfectionist, but when you see images like this, you know why. “It was late in the day and we were losing sun,” he recalls. “The shadows are actually from my trusty Quantum flash, mounted with a quick release plate on a Bogen tripod at camera left. Instead of using a light meter, which I use now for my large group portraits, I used my more expensive light meter. My Canon 1-D set to manual. I dialed in the exposure while looking [at the meter scale] through the viewfinder. I shot a Canon “Polaroid” to make sure that my histogram was not clipping the shadows or highlights. Then I set my Quantum flash one stop under and metered the flash output with my Sekonic L508 light meter. Pocket Wizards were used to trigger my Quantum flash.”

After the shoot, Weisberg added a few enhancements. “The saturation was selectively bumped up with the saturation tool in Photoshop,” he says. ”The LucisArt filter was also used. Since this filter wreaks havoc on the skin, a mask was created so that I could selectively apply the effects to the dress, bringing out the delicate folds, and to the shoes and tuxedos, to bring out the highlights better. I also used the LucisArt filter with a mask to bring out texture details in the walls, terra cotta tiles, and plants.”

Adjust the Subject Distance. If your subjects are in a straight line, those at the ends of the group will be proportionately farther away from the lens than those in the middle of the lineup (unless you are working at a great distance from the subjects). As a result, those farthest from the lens will be difficult to keep in focus. The solution is to bend the group, having the middle of the group step back and the ends of the group step forward so that all of the people are at the same relative distance to the camera. To the camera, the group will still look like a straight line, but by distorting the plane of sharpness you will be able to accommodate the entire group.

Group Portraits

noreply@blogger.com (Mr Info) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 13:01:00 +0000

Photographing Larger Groups

As people gather for large group portraits, have them put their drinks down before they enter the staging area, then arrange the group so that the bride and groom are the center of interest and everyone else’s face can be seen (tell everyone that they need to be able to see you with both eyes to be seen in the photo). Look for a high vantage point, such as a balcony or second story window, from which you can make the portrait. You can also use your trusty stepladder, but be sure someone holds it steady particularly if you’re at the very top. Use a wide angle lens and focus about a third of the way into the group, using a moderate taking aperture to keep everyone
sharply focused. Another trick is to have the last row in a group lean in while having the first row lean back, thus creating a shallower subject plane, making it easier to hold the focus across the entire group.

Speeding Up Your Group Portraits

The best man and ushers can usually be persuaded to help organize large group photos. Be sure to have everyone make it sound like fun it should be. One solution is to make your formal groups at the church door as the couple and bridal party emerge. Everyone in the wedding party is present and the parents are nearby. If you don’t have a lot of time to make these groups, this is a great way to get them all at once in under five minutes.

Adding People in Photography

noreply@blogger.com (Mr Info) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 12:45:00 +0000

Adding a Third Person

A group portrait of three is still small and intimate. It lends itself well to a pyramid or diamond shaped composition, or an inverted triangle, all of which are pleasing to the eye. Don’t simply adjust the height of the faces so that each is at a different level; turn the shoulders of those at either end of the group in toward the central person as a means of looping the group together. You can also try creating a diagonal line with the faces at different heights and all the people in the group touching. Or, create a bird’s eye view cluster the group together, grab a stepladder or other high vantage point, and you have got a lovely arrangement. It’s what photographer Norman Phillips calls “a bouquet.” For a simple variation, have the people turn their backs to each other, so they are all facing out of the triangle.

Adding a Fourth and Fifth Person

As you photograph more group portraits, you will find that even numbers of people are harder to pose than odd. Three, five, seven, or nine people seem much easier to photograph than similarly sized groups of an even number. The reason is that the eye and brain tend to accept the disorder of odd numbered objects more readily than even numbered objects. (Note: As you add more people to a group, remember to do everything you can to keep the film plane parallel to the plane of the group’s faces in order to ensure that everyone is sharply focused.)

With four people, you can simply add a person to the existing poses of three described above with the following advice in mind. First, be sure to keep the eye height of the fourth person different from any of the others in the group. Second, be aware that the faces will now begin forming shapes within your composition. Think in terms of pyramids, extended triangles, diamonds, and curved lines. Finally, be aware of lines, shapes, and direction as you build your groups.

An excellent pose for four people is a sweeping curve of three people with the fourth person added below and between the first and second person in the group. Alternately, the fourth person can be positioned slightly outside the group for accent, without necessarily disrupting the harmony of the rest of the group.

Posing Couples

noreply@blogger.com (Mr Info) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 11:00:00 +0000

The simplest of groups is one with just two people. Whether it’s a bride and groom, mom and dad, or the best man and maid of honor, the basic building blocks call for one person slightly higher than the other. A good starting point is to position the mouth of the lower person even with the forehead of the higher person.

Although they can be posed in parallel position (both subjects facing the same direction), a more interesting dynamic can be achieved by having them pose at 45 degree angles to each other, so their shoulders face in toward one another. With this pose you can create a number of variations by moving them closer or farther apart.

Another intimate pose is to have two profiles facing each other. One should still be higher than the other, as this allows you to create an implied diagonal line between their eyes, which also gives the portrait direction. Since this type of image is fairly close up, make sure that the frontal planes of the subjects’ faces are roughly parallel so that you can hold the focus on both.

The formal portraits of the bride and groom together are significant images that demand special time and an understanding of formal posing and lighting techniques. Often the photographer will arrange to make the formal portraits on the day of the wedding, but several hours before the day’s schedule commences. Couples relish the alone time and it is a good opportunity for the photographer to break the ice with the couple.

Control the Camera Height part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Mr Info) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 23:00:00 +0000

By raising the camera height in a three quarter or full length portrait, you enlarge the head and shoulders region of the subject, but slim the hips and legs. Conversely, lowering the camera reduces the size of the head, but enlarges the legs and thighs.

Tilting the camera down when raising the camera (and up when lowering it) increases these effects. Also, the closer the camera is to the subject, the more pronounced the changes are. If you find that, after you adjust camera height for a desired effect, there is no change, move the camera in closer to the subject and observe the effect again.

When you raise or lower the camera in a head-and-shoulders portrait, the effects are even more dramatic. Raising the camera height lengthens the nose, narrows the chin and jaw line, and broadens the forehead. Lowering camera height shortens the nose, de emphasizes the forehead, and widens the jaw line, while accentuating the chin.

While there is little time for many such corrections on the wedding day, knowing these rules and introducing them into the way you photograph people will help make the techniques second nature.

Control the Camera Height part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Mr Info) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 13:00:00 +0000

When photographing people with average features, there are a few general rules that govern camera height in relation to the subject. These rules will produce normal (not exaggerated) perspective.

For head and shoulders portraits, the rule of thumb is that camera height should be the same height as the tip of the subject’s nose. For three quarter length portraits, the camera should be at a height midway between the subject’s waist and neck. In full length portraits, the camera should be the same height as the subject’s waist.

In each case, the camera is at a height that divides the subject into two equal halves in the viewfinder. This is so that the features above and below the lens subject axis will be the same distance from the lens, and thus recede equally for “normal” perspective.

When the camera is raised or lowered, the perspective (the size relationship between parts of the photo) changes. This is particularly exaggerated with wide angle lenses. By controlling perspective, you can alter the subject’s physical traits.

Evaluate the Arms and Hands part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Mr Info) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 06:00:00 +0000

One basic rule is never to photograph a subject’s hands pointing straight into the camera lens. This distorts the size and shape of the hands. Always have the hands at an angle to the lens. Another basic is to photograph the outer edge of the hand whenever possible. This gives a natural, flowing line to the hand and wrist and eliminates distortion that occurs when the hand is photographed from the top or head on.

Try to raise the wrist slightly so there is a gently curving line where the wrist and hand join. Additionally, you should always try to photograph the fingers with a slight separation in between them. This gives them form and definition. When the fingers are closed, there is no definition.

Hands can be a particular problem in group portraits. Despite their small size, they attract attention—especially against dark clothes. They can be especially troublesome in seated groups, where at first glance you might think there are more hands than there should be for the number of people pictured.

A general rule of thumb is to either show all of the hand or show none of it. Don’t allow a thumb or half a hand or only a few fingers to show. Hide as many hands as you can behind flowers, hats, or other people. Be aware of these potentially distracting elements and look for them as part of your visual inspection of the frame before you make the exposure.