Introduction to Studio Lighting

One of the main reasons I signed-up to do the Level Three course in the first place was because of its dedication to studio photography (after there was very little in levels one and two). I've never been particularly technical minded, so I thoroughly appreciated the 'recce' session John Kiely gave us, where he took us into the studio, and- without switching-on any of the lights- talked us through some of the main ones we would be using, not to mention the power packs (quads) and other bits and pieces. I don't think I will ever forget Mr. Kiely's famous line: "the most important thing in a studio are the clips and gaffer tape" [paraphrases].

For our very first hands-on practical session we were asked to use a series of different modifiers attached to a single flash-head directed at a single subject, the point being to gauge the different effects said modifier makes. A modifier is any device added to the flash head to direct/diffuse/shape the light falling upon the subject. Here we used a Beauty Dish (or Soft light in this country), Deep Reflector, Snoot, Soft Box and Umbrella. I will give an explanation of each of these, detailing their different effects upon the subject, followed by an example of this from out initial session.

Deep Reflector

The Deep reflectors we were using had a silver interior. White interiors are also available. These make for softer-edged highlights.

f8, 1/80th, ISO400, 50mm.
Prominent highlights on Andrea's face, not to mention the shadow cast to the back of the subject on her left (see below for lighting diagram)

Beauty Dish 

The beauty dish is basically a medium-sized parabolic (1) dish, often shallow with a silver interior. Inside the dish is a tube cover, used to cover the flash tube, which diffuses the light and softens the shadows. Without the the cover it would be more a "shallow reflector", with a harsher shadow behind the subject.

The beauty dish is basically a medium-sized parabolic (1) dish, often shallow with a silver interior. Inside the dish is a tube cover, used to cover the flash tube, which diffuses the light and softens the shadows. Without the the cover it would be more a "shallow reflector", with a harsher shadow behind the subject. f8, 1/80th, ISO200, 50mm. The Beauty Dish focusses the light at the subject and creates a sweet spot where in the centre with it dropping-off around towards the outer edges. I've used a tight crop here with my Sigma 50-200, meaning you cannot see a lot of the shadow behind my model. However, I can vouch that it is a lot softer than the Deep reflector. Snoot Looking at the shape of the thing, you'd think its effects are self-explanatory. The snoot is a full-on cone, meaning the light is directed and concentrated at a very small part of the model/subject, causing for an extremely harsh subject to fall behind. Way I like to see it, it is almost like shining a torch on the subject. f11, 1/80th, ISO100, 50mm. The snoot is used to highlight detail, in this case on the face of the model. It makes for a more intense look than the other modifiers, and as you can see above, the shadow is harsh with very clear edges, for nothing is softening/diffusing the light. Soft Box The softbox does exactly what it says on the tin (softens light)... And it is quite literally a box. It also ensures there are very little shadows cast by the subject. The fact they are square means they can cover large areas (they come in different sizes depending on the scene you are shooting), and are easy to recognise when shooting portraits, for there will be an illuminated white square both eyes of the model. f11, 1/60, ISO400, 38mm. Note how the light appears evenly dispersed throughout the model's face, and how the shadow is hardly a shadow at all, but a mere "dropping off" of the directed light. Umbrella Umbrellas can be used either as shoot through (where the flash head is covered by the umbrella) or reflected (where the head is aimed away from the model at the open umbrella). The latter is the most common, but the former gives a light very similar to a soft box because of the way the light is diffused. f11, 1/80th, ISO200, 50mm. Unfortunately, the tight crop means we cannot see the shadow (or lack thereof), but I think it is easy to tell how this gives a light very similar to that of the soft box. I actually really like this effect. In subsequent studio posts I will discuss how I have used the modifiers mentioned here to light a range of subjects from models through to still life. 1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beauty_dish 2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-cQyJWNvLY 3) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-cQyJWNvLY

  

The beauty dish is basically a medium-sized parabolic (1) dish, often shallow with a silver interior. Inside the dish is a tube cover, used to cover the flash tube, which diffuses the light and softens the shadows. Without the the cover it would be more a "shallow reflector", with a harsher shadow behind the subject.

f8, 1/80th, ISO200, 50mm. The Beauty Dish focusses the light at the subject and creates a sweet spot where in the centre with it dropping-off around towards the outer edges. I've used a tight crop here with my Sigma 50-200, meaning you cannot see a lot of the shadow behind my model. However, I can vouch that it is a lot softer than the Deep reflector. Snoot Looking at the shape of the thing, you'd think its effects are self-explanatory. The snoot is a full-on cone, meaning the light is directed and concentrated at a very small part of the model/subject, causing for an extremely harsh subject to fall behind. Way I like to see it, it is almost like shining a torch on the subject. f11, 1/80th, ISO100, 50mm. The snoot is used to highlight detail, in this case on the face of the model. It makes for a more intense look than the other modifiers, and as you can see above, the shadow is harsh with very clear edges, for nothing is softening/diffusing the light. Soft Box The softbox does exactly what it says on the tin (softens light)... And it is quite literally a box. It also ensures there are very little shadows cast by the subject. The fact they are square means they can cover large areas (they come in different sizes depending on the scene you are shooting), and are easy to recognise when shooting portraits, for there will be an illuminated white square both eyes of the model. f11, 1/60, ISO400, 38mm. Note how the light appears evenly dispersed throughout the model's face, and how the shadow is hardly a shadow at all, but a mere "dropping off" of the directed light. Umbrella Umbrellas can be used either as shoot through (where the flash head is covered by the umbrella) or reflected (where the head is aimed away from the model at the open umbrella). The latter is the most common, but the former gives a light very similar to a soft box because of the way the light is diffused. f11, 1/80th, ISO200, 50mm. Unfortunately, the tight crop means we cannot see the shadow (or lack thereof), but I think it is easy to tell how this gives a light very similar to that of the soft box. I actually really like this effect. In subsequent studio posts I will discuss how I have used the modifiers mentioned here to light a range of subjects from models through to still life.

1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beauty_dish

2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-cQyJWNvLY

3) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-cQyJWNvLY

f8, 1/80th, ISO200, 50mm.
The Beauty Dish focusses the light at the subject and creates a sweet spot where in the centre with it dropping-off around towards the outer edges. I've used a tight crop here with my Sigma 50-200, meaning you cannot see a lot of the shadow behind my model. However, I can vouch that it is a lot softer than the Deep reflector.

Snoot

Looking at the shape of the thing, you'd think its effects are self-explanatory. The snoot is a full-on cone, meaning the light is directed and concentrated at a very small part of the model/subject, causing for an extremely harsh subject to fall behind. Way I like to see it, it is almost like shining a torch on the subject. f11, 1/80th, ISO100, 50mm. The snoot is used to highlight detail, in this case on the face of the model. It makes for a more intense look than the other modifiers, and as you can see above, the shadow is harsh with very clear edges, for nothing is softening/diffusing the light. Soft Box The softbox does exactly what it says on the tin (softens light)... And it is quite literally a box. It also ensures there are very little shadows cast by the subject. The fact they are square means they can cover large areas (they come in different sizes depending on the scene you are shooting), and are easy to recognise when shooting portraits, for there will be an illuminated white square both eyes of the model. f11, 1/60, ISO400, 38mm. Note how the light appears evenly dispersed throughout the model's face, and how the shadow is hardly a shadow at all, but a mere "dropping off" of the directed light. Umbrella Umbrellas can be used either as shoot through (where the flash head is covered by the umbrella) or reflected (where the head is aimed away from the model at the open umbrella). The latter is the most common, but the former gives a light very similar to a soft box because of the way the light is diffused. f11, 1/80th, ISO200, 50mm. Unfortunately, the tight crop means we cannot see the shadow (or lack thereof), but I think it is easy to tell how this gives a light very similar to that of the soft box. I actually really like this effect. In subsequent studio posts I will discuss how I have used the modifiers mentioned here to light a range of subjects from models through to still life.

Looking at the shape of the thing, you'd think its effects are self-explanatory. The snoot is a full-on cone, meaning the light is directed and concentrated at a very small part of the model/subject, causing for an extremely harsh subject to fall behind. Way I like to see it, it is almost like shining a torch on the subject.

f11, 1/80th, ISO100, 50mm. The snoot is used to highlight detail, in this case on the face of the model. It makes for a more intense look than the other modifiers, and as you can see above, the shadow is harsh with very clear edges, for nothing is softening/diffusing the light. Soft Box The softbox does exactly what it says on the tin (softens light)... And it is quite literally a box. It also ensures there are very little shadows cast by the subject. The fact they are square means they can cover large areas (they come in different sizes depending on the scene you are shooting), and are easy to recognise when shooting portraits, for there will be an illuminated white square both eyes of the model. f11, 1/60, ISO400, 38mm. Note how the light appears evenly dispersed throughout the model's face, and how the shadow is hardly a shadow at all, but a mere "dropping off" of the directed light. Umbrella Umbrellas can be used either as shoot through (where the flash head is covered by the umbrella) or reflected (where the head is aimed away from the model at the open umbrella). The latter is the most common, but the former gives a light very similar to a soft box because of the way the light is diffused. f11, 1/80th, ISO200, 50mm. Unfortunately, the tight crop means we cannot see the shadow (or lack thereof), but I think it is easy to tell how this gives a light very similar to that of the soft box. I actually really like this effect. In subsequent studio posts I will discuss how I have used the modifiers mentioned here to light a range of subjects from models through to still life.

f11, 1/80th, ISO100, 50mm.
The snoot is used to highlight detail, in this case on the face of the model. It makes for a more intense look than the other modifiers, and as you can see above, the shadow is harsh with very clear edges, for nothing is softening/diffusing the light.

Soft Box

The softbox does exactly what it says on the tin (softens light)... And it is quite literally a box. It also ensures there are very little shadows cast by the subject. The fact they are square means they can cover large areas (they come in different sizes depending on the scene you are shooting), and are easy to recognise when shooting portraits, for there will be an illuminated white square both eyes of the model. f11, 1/60, ISO400, 38mm. Note how the light appears evenly dispersed throughout the model's face, and how the shadow is hardly a shadow at all, but a mere "dropping off" of the directed light. Umbrella Umbrellas can be used either as shoot through (where the flash head is covered by the umbrella) or reflected (where the head is aimed away from the model at the open umbrella). The latter is the most common, but the former gives a light very similar to a soft box because of the way the light is diffused. f11, 1/80th, ISO200, 50mm. Unfortunately, the tight crop means we cannot see the shadow (or lack thereof), but I think it is easy to tell how this gives a light very similar to that of the soft box. I actually really like this effect. In subsequent studio posts I will discuss how I have used the modifiers mentioned here to light a range of subjects from models through to still life.

The softbox does exactly what it says on the tin (softens light)... And it is quite literally a box. It also ensures there are very little shadows cast by the subject. The fact they are square means they can cover large areas (they come in different sizes depending on the scene you are shooting), and are easy to recognise when shooting portraits, for there will be an illuminated white square both eyes of the model.

f11, 1/60, ISO400, 38mm. Note how the light appears evenly dispersed throughout the model's face, and how the shadow is hardly a shadow at all, but a mere "dropping off" of the directed light. Umbrella Umbrellas can be used either as shoot through (where the flash head is covered by the umbrella) or reflected (where the head is aimed away from the model at the open umbrella). The latter is the most common, but the former gives a light very similar to a soft box because of the way the light is diffused. f11, 1/80th, ISO200, 50mm. Unfortunately, the tight crop means we cannot see the shadow (or lack thereof), but I think it is easy to tell how this gives a light very similar to that of the soft box. I actually really like this effect. In subsequent studio posts I will discuss how I have used the modifiers mentioned here to light a range of subjects from models through to still life.

f11, 1/60, ISO400, 38mm.
Note how the light appears evenly dispersed throughout the model's face, and how the shadow is hardly a shadow at all, but a mere "dropping off" of the directed light.

Umbrella

Umbrellas can be used either as shoot through (where the flash head is covered by the umbrella) or reflected (where the head is aimed away from the model at the open umbrella). The latter is the most common, but the former gives a light very similar to a soft box because of the way the light is diffused. f11, 1/80th, ISO200, 50mm. Unfortunately, the tight crop means we cannot see the shadow (or lack thereof), but I think it is easy to tell how this gives a light very similar to that of the soft box. I actually really like this effect. In subsequent studio posts I will discuss how I have used the modifiers mentioned here to light a range of subjects from models through to still life.

Umbrellas can be used either as shoot through (where the flash head is covered by the umbrella) or reflected (where the head is aimed away from the model at the open umbrella). The latter is the most common, but the former gives a light very similar to a soft box because of the way the light is diffused.

f11, 1/80th, ISO200, 50mm. Unfortunately, the tight crop means we cannot see the shadow (or lack thereof), but I think it is easy to tell how this gives a light very similar to that of the soft box. I actually really like this effect. In subsequent studio posts I will discuss how I have used the modifiers mentioned here to light a range of subjects from models through to still life.

f11, 1/80th, ISO200, 50mm.
Unfortunately, the tight crop means we cannot see the shadow (or lack thereof), but I think it is easy to tell how this gives a light very similar to that of the soft box. I actually really like this effect.

In subsequent studio posts I will discuss how I have used the modifiers mentioned here to light a range of subjects from models through to still life.

Action Man Vs. Rex

Yes, I'm obsessed with photographing Action Man now. Some people don't like the idea. Others have said I've done it to death, and its become boring. I very nearly agree with the second group. But- whilst sat on the sofa the other morning looking at the toys scattered across the floor (not the remnants of a peculiar drunken night, but the possessions of my landlady's two year old)- I noticed he had the official replica of Rex of Toy Story fame. Now, what sort of man would I be if I was to overlook the irony of a life-size doll from a film about toys, especially when I've already cut my teeth photographing toys (Action Man) last summer?

The idea was to shoot action man dangling into the mouth of Rex, the back-story being that he had been captured by the Taliban (so last decade!), taken back in time (suspend disbelief here), and subsequently fed to a toy from a film that was made in 1995 (suspend it more!). I booked the studio for this, and- since the very attractive model I had arranged for the day failed to show- I was stuck with my toys. Not the first time, and it won't be the last.

Cutting to the chase then, the point of this post is to talk you through the whole shoot, starting with the finished product (my favourite image from the shoot) and how I shot it, then going on to discuss how I got there in terms of lighting, composition and camera settings, these being the three major things that I changed throughout the day.

The finished product:

Camera Settings:  f13, 1/160th, ISO100, 51mm, WB: Shady.
Lighting:  Snoot positioned to left of camera directly aimed at subject (set to 2.5); soft box to the left (set to 1); soft box to the right (set to 1.5).

Set-up:  Rex toy on table with branches and wood for realism; Action Man suspended on the boom arm of a tripod to give the impression he is headed for Rex's mouth; pieces of wood added as background for the final image (not pictured), which I realised was the missing element (along with changing the WB from Flash to Shady for more warmth).

In Adobe Camera RAW....

... I opened the RAW image in ACR (Adobe Camera Raw), warmed the white balance, increased exposure and contrast, along with boosting the lights and highlights. I also increased the shadows just to bring out the shadow of the dangling Action Man.

In the Photoshop...

... I duplicated the background layer, applied a Gaussian Blur filter with a black mask (by pressing alt and clicking on mask), then chose the white brush to reveal the blur on the wood in the background, giving the impression of a shallower depth of field. I did did this, for I shooting at f13 was not going to offer me much in this respect.

  The only real idea I had was that Action Man's head would somehow be in Rex's mouth. I did think of dangling, but early-on it was just about experimenting with lighting (after all this was the whole point of booking the studio). Below are some early examples of the concept in action:

f11, 1/100th, ISO100, 50mm (Sigma 50-200mm, f4-f5.6);
Soft box either side (with left one stop higher than right for texture); background lit with red head.

I realised early-on that the background was too bright here, and that the red head had to go because I wanted the shadow of Rex's teeth biting into AM's head. However, due to my lack of knowledge of studio lighting (and physics), it took me a while to realise why I wasn't getting the shadow I so desired. Then I remembered that soft boxes are designed to diffuse light and spread it across a larger area, meaning these weren't helping either. So I opted instead for a snoot positioned directly at the subject (to the left of camera), and this provided me with said shadow (below):

f11, 1/100th, ISO100, 50mm.
Snoot directly at subject (to left of camera).

It provided the kind of shadow I wanted (almost like a puppet show to reflect the toy/cartoon theme), but that's pretty much all there was at this stage (nothing really to look at), so providing a soft [box] light to one side (in this case the left) would counterbalance the harshness of the shadow and/or add more texture to the whole scene (below):

f20, 1/125, ISO100, 50mm.

At this point I decided it was time I changed from my Sigma 50-200mm to my kit lens (18-55mm) to allow me to fit more of the scene into the frame, which was the same time that I added the log and bits of other wood from what was available in the studio:

f20, 1/160th, ISO100, 46mm.

Obviously, it makes a difference where you place the wood to build-up parts of the scene, as you can see the example above just doesn't look right (hope this conveys the level of experimentation undertaken on the day). 

f18, 1/160th, ISO100, 46mm.
Snoot direct; soft box lighting the left corner.

The scene is coming together here, but I am still experimenting with the lights. The shadow works at this point, but I was looking for something to take the harshness from the background, so I took the left soft box from its stand and leant it again the table, pointing upwards towards the corner I wanted to light. Note how this give a contrast to the image without looking too harsh (above).

f18, 1/160th, ISO100, 34mm.

The above image shows him dangling [almost] into Rex's mouth, and we do have the shadow (reminding me of Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man), despite the difficulty to snap him with him constantly turning. It is evident here how, as soon as I introduce something new to the scene, I take my eye off the ball in terms of lighting and composition. But then not every element was going to come together at the same time.

f22, 1/160th, ISO100, 26mm.
Snoot direct (set to 4), soft box to lower left (set to 4).

Case in point: in the above image, the final composition (camera in portrait; action man dangling) is present now, but the image is dull and I was scratching my head as to what I could use to remedy this: "if only I had leaves and privets to arrange around the backdrop" was the recurring thought here. Then Richard- who'd popped in to collect some stuff for a class of his- suggested I use the planks of wood someone had stored under a table in the studio. I wasn't convinced with the idea at first, but I suppose the idea was to allow the wood to fully cover the white background (below).

 

f22, 1/160, ISO100, 26mm.

You may note how narrow my apertures are in the practice, but not in the final image. This is to do with how high I had the lights. It was a fellow student that came in for a chat at this stage, who told me she never turns the lights up to above 3. Initially, I thought "then why do they go up so high then?". It's true, I did keep turning them up to gain a better shadow of Action Man dangling, but in doing so I was also forcing myself to narrow the camera's aperture at the same time. Why didn't I turn the lights down and work with a wider aperture, thus creating more depth between subject and background? 

Basically, this session reintroduced to me the whole concept of light and aperture: in the studio there is scope for a lot of light, therefore scope for a range of different apertures. IT REALLY IS THAT SIMPLE!