INTRODUCTION:
This is the 2nd and final technical (group project) for the quarter. For this project you will
apply concepts that you have learned in project 1. This project is designed as an
introduction to photographing people while building on your experience of controlling
light ratios, establishing a “key” and creating independent background tonality. For this
project you will:
• Gain experience and confidence with photographing people.
• Understand the complexities of photographing people with pose and expression.
• Understand how to apply different light qualities to basic portraiture.
• Experience setting specific light ratios for impact, effect and intent
• Learn to create and modify tonalities of backgrounds independently from the
subject.
• Learn the concepts of image key – high key, normal key and low key.
• Gain a deeper understanding of the importance of tonal separation and it’s
relationship to shape, depth and dimension.
In this project each person in your group must make 3 different portrait photographs
following the parameters given (normal key, low key and high key with specific ratios).
You may photograph each other, fellow students or outside acquaintances. The people
chosen must be able to be there for the entire shoot time and be reliable. You should
try to have your subjects come dressed according to how they will be photographed
(follow parameters as disused in project presentation). This will be a three-part shoot:
#1 “High Key” will be a non-Ratio or flat lighting utilizing a single large main light source
placed directly on top or behind camera combined with a high key background (white
with detail 230-245 RGB). You may use a mirror or reflector card under the model to
reduce shadow value. The optimum model will be fair haired and fair skinned with light
pastel or cream, white top.
#2 “Normal Key” will be a Light Ratio of 3:1 (1 stop variance from main to fill). For this
assignment follow demonstrated lighting and use two light sources for main and fill. You
will light for a normal key background (Full range of tones – highlight on background
biased to the shadow side of model with tonal fall off to dark edges 230-18 RGB). Any
model type will work but pay attention to clothing choice.
#3 “Low Key” will be a Light Ratio of 5:1 (2 stop variance from main to fill). For this
assignment again follow demonstrated lighting and use two light sources for main and
fill. You will light for a low-key background (Black with slight detail or color tonality –
any brighter area on background again should be biased to the shadow side of model
allowing for better separation 25-40 RGB). Darker skinned, darker haired models will
again be a more optimal choice for this light set-up. Dark non-patterned top will work
best. Leather works well but you need to understand the reflective surface quality.
You will need to check out the required items, set up the scene and shoot to the
parameters given in the step by step. Remember that this is a group project and all
members should be actively involved in all areas of the project. When it comes to doing
the computer work, you should all be around the same computer. The procedure should
be followed and discussed as you progress. You should all take turns at the different
parts of the computer workflow.
Learning Objectives:
• Gain experience in photographing people in the studio environment.
• Obtain a basic understanding of lighting people.
• Gain experience in posing people and capturing desired expression.
• Understand how light quality and contrast can affect the overall mood of the
photograph.
• Gain experience and confidence in setting light ratios.
• Gain a working knowledge of lighting a subject and background independently.
• Obtain a working knowledge of photographic image keys.
• Work with multiple light sources.
• Reinforce your understanding of enhancing shape, depth and dimension through
tonal separation.
• Enhance your metering skills.
• Additional experience with Adobe Bridge.
• Additional experience with the controls and functions of Adobe Camera raw.
Final Images and Lighting Setups:
Measurements
3:1 and 5:1
- Background light height – 12 inches
- Background light from back drop – 30 inches
Move to roughly 4 inches from backdrop and add 10° Grid for 5:1
- Subject to background – 108 inches
- Subject to camera – 6 feet (5 feet for Paul)
- Key light height – 52 inches
- Back edge of softbot to subject- 24 inches
- Fill light to subject – 60 inches
- Fill light height – 66 inches
- Fill light to background – 15 feet
- Camera to background – 15 feet (14 feet for Paul)
- Camera height – 46 inches
- Subject height – 52 inches
High Key
- Camera to wall – Cannon 15 feet, Nikon 15.6 Feet
- Camera to subject – Cannon 50 inches, Nikon 54 inches
- Left background light to wall – 42 inches
- Left background light height – 48 inches
- Right background light to wall – 44 inches
- Right background light height – 48 inches
- Space between left and right background light – 89 inches
- Key light height – 77 inches
- Key light top edge to model – 2 feet
- Camera to top edge of light – 30 inches
- Subject to wall – 129 inches
Lecture Notes:
- A ratio is the comparison of two things. In photography in can be thought of as the ratio of key light to fill light. Being able to independently expose different lights using light meters and control the power of the strobes gives the photographer creative control over contrast, depth and dimension.
- High Key (1:1=1) is used a lot for fashion and makeup. Wearing a white suit (white ball exercise)
- 3:1 is a normal ratio for full tonal range – Good For Print.
- 5:1 is high contrast, moody, dramatic, impactful.
- The fill light is the “1” in the ratio. I
- f the key light is one stop brighter than the fill it is said to have 2 times the light. The top portion of the ration is the Fill Light (1) plus the Key Light (2) over the Fill light. This is 3:1. If the key light is two stops brighter, this is 4 time the light. Fill Light (1) plus Key Light (4) over the Fill Light, this is 5:1
- Change fill light to affect ratio
- Place the key light as close as possible to the subject to minimize light fall off.
- On the key light modifier, place the edge farthest away from the camera in line with the back of the subject’s head. This allows the light to “wrap” around the subject.
- Added craftsmanship would be using hair or separation lights to define the subject from the background. This was not covered in this exercise.
- Avoid Hotspots on the background.
- Brighter portions of the background should be on the shadow side of the subject’s face so as not to compete for the viewers eye.
- Place Fill Light Just above camera lens.
- 3:1 background light; place on floor stand and bias towards the shadow side of the the subject. Best practice to achieve full tonal range on the backdrop.
- 5:1 background light; place on floor stand very close to the background, use grid spot. Best practice to achieve low key tonal range on background. Mostly in the 14-20 range but some bright spots will occur. This will help to achieve subject separation from the background.
- High Key; use two lights about shoulder height; with gridspots, close to but not on top of the background. Cross the streams. Meter all around the background behind the shoulder and head of the subject. Best Practice to achieve even metering. 235-247 RGB. This will produce a high key background effect.
- Shoot tethered, read RGB numbers of test shots and adjust background lights to avoid clipping shadows and highlights.
- Use exposure slider in Bridge or Lightroom to make informed decisions on adjusting flash power to compensate for native underexposure and camera meter inaccuracies. Shadows 14-20 RGB or 5%. Highlights 235-247 RGB or 95%
Equipment Used
- Canon 5D mkIII
- Tamron SP 85mm f/1.8
- 1x Profoto Strobe with Large Rectangle Softbox
- 2x Pocket Wizard Transmitter/Receivers
- Foba Asaba Camera Stand
- Foam Core White Diffusion Reflector
- Grey Card
Camera Information:
- Canon 5D mkIII Tethered to M1 MacBook Pro 13”
- Shutter Speed 1/125th of a second
- Aperture f/11
- Exposure Mode Manual
- Auto White Balance
- Focus Mode: One Shot, Spot AF, 61 Point Selectable.
- ISO 100
Critique and Analysis:
This group project was a great opportunity to reinforce and refine concepts that I learned in Portraiture. It is difficult to portray in lighting diagrams, but one key concept that I learned is how to place strobes; with their modifiers, in ways that efficiently use the light they output. While I was aware that best practice is to place the far edge of the key light modifier in line with the back of a subject’s head and shoulders, I did not know the best way to setup a key light in High Key Butterfly/Clamshell lighting for portraiture. Here best practice is to place the key light close to the subject so that you can maximize reflection of flats and diffusers. Placing the light close to the subject effectively increases the size of the light and the larger the light source, the softer the light. It is also wise to make sure the top edge of the key light modifier is angle towards the subject nearly in line with the top of the subject’s head. I’m inclined to think that this will also help avoid hot spots on the softbox’s diffusion screen from causing exposure issues on our subject.
While I’m very pleased with the images I created, there are some things I’d do differently. In the 5:1 image of Taylor, she is resting her chin on her hand. This is problematic because hands are about the same size as our face and typically have the same tonal characteristic. This means that it is competing for the viewer’s eye and we want to minimize distractions from the face. If I were to reshoot this image, I’d make attempts to angle the hand in such a way that it isn’t nearly as large as the mask of the face, or I’d use a prop to give the hands something to do. Or better yet, not have it in the photograph at all. Also the Key Light is shining right in Taylor’s hair part.
For post process, I cloned out the catch light in the eye from the fill flashes. Since we don’t have two Suns, we’d like to avoid two catch lights in the eye. Using a Camera Raw Filter on a background copy, I desaturated the entire image and then used layer masking to hide all of the Camera Raw Filter Layer except for the model’s teeth.
I also used the masking functions in LrC to brighten the whites of her eyes a little bit. I also used Frequency Separation action to smooth out blemishes as well as soften age lines around the eyes. I’d be curious to see how vignetting and color grading would impact these portraits.
This was great fun in the studio and I’m building more confidence and technical skill with portraiture. I’m excited to continue to do more people photography. I’m one of the ones that came into this program never caring to take pictures of people and now sure that will be the bulk of the business I do (this happened last quarter). I really like the moodiness that the 5:1 creates but realize it might not be appropriate for every scenario. Also, Taylor (and when Jami could make it) were wonderful to work with.