Need help getting a certain light

[d_natale]

<p>Hello,<br />I don't do much studio photography but I've been asked to take some press photos for a client along the lines of these :<br>

<img src="http://www.thebrander.com/thb_photos/b_865.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p><img src="http://www.fashionqanda.com/images/Designer-qanda-with-Kate-and-Laura-Mulleavy-on-their-book-Rodarte-Catherine-Opie-Alec-Soth-1.jpg" alt="" /><br>

I was hoping to get a few tips on what sort of lighting set up I would need to achieve this. The equipment I have available to me is in the photo below. I am working with a Canon 5d Mk II with a 50mm 2.8 lens if that is of help to you guys! Thanks a lot,<br>

<img src="http://www.mietfotostudio-berlin.de/images/studio_mietfotostudio_1.jpg" alt="" /></p>

[ellis_vener_photography]

Beauty dish plus something small, tight but diffuse on the background.

[bob_bill]

<p>My guess is the light with reflector and barn doors high and about 1 o'clock as main. Follow the nose shadow up on the top person in the first shot. Back far enough to throw the eyes in shadow on the lower person. Hard edged shadows. Low catchlight in eyes so perhaps socked beauty dish or just a reflector below as fill. Soft fall off on the bg light suggests to me a grid in a reflector or just a reflector on the third light. At least they aren't haloed, ie, in the center of the pool of light, not my favorite look. Cant tell what you have, but are they profoto lights with heads that zoom? Need enough dof to get all 4 eyes in focus and on first photo, top eyes are back above ears? So f5.6 on your 50 and that should put it around the sweet spot. That's where I'd start anyway.</p>

[michaelmowery]

<p>The lighting is basic with only one strobe at high angle. You can use an umbrella but you might find the basic reflector with some diffusion will yeld darker shadows. The other half of the picture is the makeup. Notice the black eye shadow and liner. It helps if the model has deep eye sockets or pronounced forehead. lol</p>

[rodeo_joe1]

<p>No umbrella. The lighting in that example shot is far too hard and the shadows too deep to have been made with a brolly, or any other broad source. You'd only need a simple open 7" silver reflector to get lighting like that. About 6 feet away from the subject I'd guess, and if carefully angled it would double as the background light.<br>

That monolight with barn doors fitted should do the trick nicely. Personally I'd add a small axial light (maybe snooted down to prevent filling the shadows) to get a catchlight in the eyes. Unless you're after a deliberately dead-eyed vampire look as shown.</p>

[stevesint]

<p>I don't know if this comment is germane....but...the more I looked at the images you posted the more I thought the following: The images would probably make horrible "press photos". Chances are good the shadow areas will block up and print as dead black and the lit skin tones would blow out and print as chalky white. The question might be asked, that if do we do what the client says they want and then the client is not happy when the results hit print, who is at fault? Just asking. SS</p>

[fotografz]

<p>IMO, those are done with at least two lights ... one camera left, up higher to light the side of the upper girls face (and possibly the left background), and one light a bit lower camera right lighting the other girl's face and filling the other's ...then heavily post processed, probably using one of the portrait programs with diffusion properties that deepens shadows and smooths the highlighted ares. </p>

<p>Steve is right, if presented as shown here, then printed in any sort of newsprint or pulp media, they will go very wrong, and even the client's mother wouldn't recognize the subjects : -)</p>

<p>- Marc</p>

[michaelmowery]

I personally don't like the look of the image either but it not what I like or what my mother likes or what we think will print

well. This is the style that has been requested. How does one do extreme contrasty images? Usually one light and a

second light on the background. You can use a reflector on the shadow side as needed.