Catch light question

[roy_davis2]

I want to achieve a specific catch light, some photographers are using.

Please follow the link below and look at "beauty 1", the two close ups of the eye between a picture of a

dark skinned model. It looks like some kind of umbrella, but it is strangely lit. It appears like a "star". How

is this done?

 

http://www.philippesalomon.com/v3/portfolio1.html

 

 

All advices are welcome.

Thanks.<div></div>

[jefftebbetts]

It appears to be an umbrella style "softbox" like the Photek Softliter or some brand of octobox.

 

Jeff

[roy_davis2]

Look how big the flash head looks in contrast to the light modifier. I though an octobox got

more evenly lit?

[barry_kenstler1]

Roy,

 

Based on the catchlight, I'd guess a medium-small silver umbrella placed in close on a boom. With the satin umbrellas I've used, you'd see more even lighting between the umbrella's spines. Silver umbrellas can have troughs of hotter light between the spines, but even so, your catchlight example has exceptionally broad lighting voids where the spines would be. I'm curious how others will weigh in on this. Philippe's work is admirable.

[skabbes2]

I cannot speak with any authority on this matter (still waiting for my umbrellas to come in), but this appears to me to be a so-called "zebra" umbrella. Generally, a Zebra umbrella has alternating tiles of silver and white, silver and black, or white and black. I'm sure there are a number of variations of these however.

[roy_davis2]

Good idea with Zebras. But notice the 10-star catch light, I've never seen an umbrella with

that many panels? Please prove me wrong.

Which brands offer zebras?

[roy_davis2]

When I looked at the other close up on his website, I counted 8 panels which sounds more

like it... Please get back to us when you have tested the umbrellas Steven, would like to know

if it's just a silver/white or another version.

[roy_davis2]

I began thinking. If the umbrella has 8 panels, it has only 4 silver ones. If it's an umbrella it

has to have 16 panels, and 8 of them silver to get that to shine. Am I wrong here?

Thanks:)

[pujo]

Zebra can be made with simple black cloth or paper, put it over the silver reflective area

[skabbes2]

Roy, I think my umbrellas are only 8-panel as you pointed out, but Pujo makes an interesting point. Really, anyone could make "custom" catch lights by modding silver umbrellas. I'm still at college, and my umbrellas are being shipped to my home. Could be another week or two before I have any definite information. I'll try to post my tries when I'm done with exams (ughhhh...).

[skabbes2]

Sorry for double posting, but I think this may be the answer (if the not original method, but perhaps one that works). On a regular reflective umbrella, take a some strips of black fabric and wrap them around the middle of each panel (hopefully more precisely than I did in my quick mock-up). Make them wide or skinny enough to suit your purposes. You could even get crazy with a pseudo-spiral or something similar. Alas, I can't test this currently. Could anyone try this out and let us know if/how it works?<div></div>

[roy_davis2]

That sounds very interesting. I'm heading to my studio tomorrow, so I might be able to test

this setup quite soon. I've got some black cardboard I can cut into nice pieces to fit the

umbrella. Do you guys think a white umbrella would work? -I don't have a silver one...

[skabbes2]

Roy,<br />

 

I think that as long as you're using the umbrella as a reflective one and not shoot-through, it should work just fine. I also think that you don't necessarily need the cardboard/fabric to be black, as long as it blocks the light. <br /><br />

I look forward to seeing the results, Good Luck!<br />

Steven

[barry_kenstler1]

I've been following the progression of this thread. It's been interesting with a lot of good ideas, just as it should be. But it's been driving me crazy, so I just grabbed a 8 panel silver umbrella, and collapsed it to about 3/4 open (held in place with tape on the shaft) to accentuate the effect. Here is an eye, albeit not one ready for a cosmetic advertisement, that has the pinwheel-like pattern. Using a head like an Elinchrom, where the shaft goes nearly through the optical center, will give the most even pattern. Philippe's catchlights may have been produced differently, but you can get something reasonably close with a silver umbrella.

[skabbes2]

Barry,<br />

That is very interesting. I understood what you said in your first post, but didn't know the effect could be this pronounced.<br /><br />

Good Work!

<br /><br />

Steven

[barry_kenstler1]

Steven,

 

I just wanted you to know I was being driven crazy because I had a hypothesis that I could not prove until I secured the time and a victim to get the hard evidence. The great thing about the whole thread is the ideas. For example, many silver umbrellas, when feathered, will exihibit a "hot spot" on one of the panels. If you are careful, you can graze the light from the hot spot over the frontal projections of a face to accentuate the brow and nose, for instance. More often than not though, that hot spot can lead to excessive specularity on an object. It had never occurred to me before reading this thread that I could just place a piece of fabric or netting over one of the umbrella panels and rotate it into hot position, or use a zebra to do the same. I loved the idea of creating a swirl pattern in the catchlight. A gimmick like that could land a photographer a gig.