LIGHTING SCULPTURES

In photograhing my wife's sculptures, some of which are life-sized works, I am having a difficult time lighting them

adequately. I am using Speedotron Brown Line kit, 1-4 heads depending, Storm Gray background, 9' ceilings

(limited, I know). My main issue is not being able to achieve a graduated look to the paper, going from dark to light,

from top to bottom. I am lighting some of the the smaller works from above, and getting close to what I would like,

but can't really seem to get it right. I am happy to post one of these images for review.

 

Any ideas on how to light sculpture to get the paper to look like it has a graduation in the tones, and not just

dark/light depending on how the light falls on it? How should I bee lighting and how many should I be using to

achieve this? And are the 9' ceilings an issue for me in this. The space is tight and it can be very frustrating esp.

when I am trying to light her 6' pieces.

 

Paul Henri

paulhenriimages@earthlink.net

www.paulhenriimages.com<div></div>

you need to use a top light , What often helps to achive this effect is to use a softbox on a boom and below that a large scrim. Tilt the softbox towards the camera and away from the background. Sometimes it helps to adda gobo between the softbox and the scrim. towards the back edge of the softbox to increase the fall off effect. MAke sure you block light from the top light from the camera lens.

I am doing exactly that-softbox on a boom, trying to tilt more toward my camera direction than the work itself, and still keeping the light from entering my lens, but haven't used a scrim or gobo. I understand the use of the gobo, but how will the scrim help in this shot?

Start with a lighter grey paper and increase the distance behind the sculpture before the bkgd curves and becomes vertical.

 

To have more control over where the dark/light transition occurs on the background you need more room behind the sculpture and you might need a second, larger overhead softbox just for lighting the paper sweep.

 

A scrim, or more accurately a silk, will act like a larger softbox and spread the light over more of the background. You're already working with a ceiling that is too low for your larger sculptures so I doubt you'll have enough overhead room for a silk as well as a softbox.

Your space is tight! Try classic cross lighting on the background instead of bottom to top gradation. Main light (6 foot or so) on one side of statue flagged off the background, and another light (smaller and more direct like a 3 foot box) on the opposite side lighting only the background.

You can do this from below as well. What you need is fairly shallow depth of light. This is achieved by having a close distance similar to depth of field.

 

Place one small softobox on each side and aim behind the sculpture. Match up with the modeling lights to even the line of transition between the two. Tilt them to get the transition/angle you want. Power should be low as distance will be close giving you the shallow depth of light you need.

 

Quesiton. Were you intending to light all these subjects with a 1-1 flat ratio as in this sample? If so this is easy. If you were looking for more directional light on the subject, use of flags would become important.

You have too much light bouncing around and it is affecting the background density. You didn't mention how deep your space is but you

need to back up against the wall so that you can get the background paper to have a deeper sweep. Also, you can bring the lights that are

lighting the sculpture towards the camera and aim them at each other (cross light) so that just the edge of the light is hitting the sculpture

and it is not spilling onto the background. I even put large 4'x8' foamcore between the lights and the background to keep the light from the

front lights from hitting the background. Also, lighter background paper is a good suggestion so that the graduation will be more

pronounced. Good luck and have fun! BTW, your wife's sculptures are very cool!

I used a large softbox over this work about 3 feet above it-my limit in height but did not flag or block any of it from the

paper, but will most likely try this next time. I was also about 5 feet away from the paper-my limit given the depth of

the space-her studio.

 

Thanks to all who contributed to this forum.

In addition to the suggestions from Ellis and Brooks, I have a suggestion to amplify your desired effect but using a different approach.<p> Set a table some 6 or 8 ft from the roll of background paper and unroll the paper to the floor and then up onto the table (or set the table with a different piece of the same paper as is hung behind it). This will create a horizon line behind your subject. Set a small light, diffused or not as you like, on the floor between the table/sculpture pointing back and up, or from one side to the other (placed to be contrary to your main light, this can give a nice chiaroscuro effect in whatever intensity you like). <p>Light your sculpture as you wish and adjust the light on the paper to taste/contrast... t<div></div>

Thom Bennett has the right idea. I use this technique when photographing art work, especially those under glass, so as not

to produce a reflection or glare. Set the lights on either side and in front of the piece. Aim them at each other so that the

beam of lights cross -- in front -- of the art work, sculpture, in your case -- there will be enough light from the beams to lite

the piece evenly. Play around with the positioning of the lights until you are satisfied.

I also suggest photographing sculpture as if it were a portrait, rather than the flat lighting appropriate to a 2 dimensional artwork. A close ratio will please most curators and artists... with enough contrast to show the contours and dimensionality of the piece, but not so deep that color and texture are hidden in any shadows... t<div></div>