Lighting Tutorial

[juliana_johnson]

I'm not a new photographer. I am new to this forum. I'm very happy

with my pictures - as long as I'm using natural light. For some

reason I have a complete block when it comes to lighting. I took a

lighting class at the New School in New York and I literally left the

class as clueless as I entered it. The technical aspect seems to go

right by me. If anyone has any extra time and could talk to me a bit

via email I would greatly appreciate it.

 

Thank you much.

 

Juliana

[Spearhead]

The best thing to do would be to post a photo or two and ask for help.

[jkantor]

The only way to learn about lighting is to experiment. Take one light and try different positions, exposures, and modifiers - then add another, etc. Once you have an idea of the basics, try duplicating looks you see in images you like.

[photobyalan.com]

Juliana,

 

You can email me and I'll try to help you. Click on my name below and you can get my email address. I've been doing lighting for TV and photography for about 20 years, so I feel like I'm qualified to answer questions and maybe give you some guidance.

[roberto_lins]

Alan,

 

I think it's great when someone is willing to help to someone else.

But why not continuing the discussion here, so the information is archived and others can benefit in the future?

[photobyalan.com]

Robert,

 

I would have no objection to that although it's much easier and more convenient for me to answer Juliana's questions by email, which is the venue she requested in the original post.

[brooks short]

Juliana,

 

I've been shooting commercially here in Tampa, Florida for the past 20 years. I shoot products, people, architectural, corporate and still-life. Lighting is the most important part of my work.

 

If you have any questions, I'd suggest you post them here so everyone can learn from them.

 

If, on the other hand, you'd rather have a more private discussion that's fine too.

 

Click on my name to go to my PhotoNet page to see some examples of my commercial work and to access my email address.

 

My experience has been that good lighting is rather simple to explain but it is true that one can make it as complex as you want.

[patricks]

Juliana,

 

here is the idot answer. Get a digital camera with a decent size screen and lots of options, e.g. the new Canon G5. The instant feedback is the quickest way to learn this by trial and error.

[jim_seaman]

I would love to see the tutorial here! (one more vote) I'm just getting started on setting my 'studio' up.

 

Thanks

 

Jim

[juliana_johnson]

Thanks everyone for your answers. The reason I've asked for email answers is that I feel like my problems are SO beginner-ish that I don't want to waste anyone's time unless they really don't mind. But here's my issue:

 

I'm fine lighting things if I'm using random lights very unprofessionally - like holding a light at some crazy angle with one hand, a bounce with my knees and shooting with another hand (i'll try to post a pic i did that way - actually with no bounce). But what I don't understand (and what I took a class for) is lighting with strobes - I rented some lights and a power pack and all that and I was just lost and the pictures were horrible. And when you rent there are generally no instructions...

[patricks]

also read http://www.photo.net/making-photographs/light

and the other stuff under the Learn part of the menu above.

[brooks short]

Juliana,

 

You say in your original post "I'm very happy with my pictures-as long as I am using natural light."

 

Almost, without exception, when I am lighting a subject in the studio or on location I try to achieve lighting which looks natural. What I mean by that is that I create lighting which mimics natural light. I use strobes almost exclusively and use the model lights to see where the light falls.

 

One thing I would suggest that you do is look around and when you see interesting light happening, stop and check where the direction of that light is relative to your point of view. Notice if that light is being modified in any way, such as being diffused by clouds or sheer curtains, is it coming through window blinds or glass blocks, being bounced off the ceiling or wall or being concentrated by a small reflector or lens such as a flashlight or auto head lamp.

 

How many shadows does the light create, how hard or soft are the edges of the shadows, are the shiny specular highlights small and opaque white or are they soft translucent highlights which show the color or tone of the object they are on ?

 

Look at other photographs and ask those same questions. If you're looking at lighting on a portrait, look at the catchlights in the eyes. Are they small or large, round or rectangular, where in the pupil are they located, 2 o'clock, 3o'clock etc. ?

 

Once you begin seeing the light all around you in the real world and how it reveals tone, texture and color, then you can use strobes or hotlights, reflectors, softboxes or other modifiers to recreate that natural effect.

 

You'r eye is very adaptive to the color of light and to extreme contrast ranges. Film is very sensitive to the color of the light and can only record a much shorter range of contrast, dark to light. So with film you have to match the film to the color of the light and you have to fill in shadows to hold detail.

 

So look around at the natural light in a scene and try to discover how it is being created by looking at the direction of the light, the shadow placement and quality of the highlights. Movies are great for this kind of observation also. Find something that you like and then try to recreate it.

[brooks short]

Juliana,

 

Sorry I didn't see your second post about renting strobes and getting bad results. I bet when you rented those strobes you didn't rent any softboxes or scrims ? If that's the case there's no wonder you had trouble getting good results. Using only hard lights with no light modifiers is a very difficult thing.

 

Here's a professional secret. Using softboxes to soften your light makes it easier to light almost anything. A single light in a softbox with fill cards is the starting point for many still lifes and portraits.

 

For portraits or people photos you might add a second softbox with less power near the len axis for fill and maybe a third overhead and behind for a hairlight and even a fourth light in a reflector for a background light.

 

For a still life, again start with a single softbox and fill cards. This time use the softbox on a boom above and slightly behind the subject with fill cards around the front and sides. You could then add a harder light from behind/side to rake across the subject creating hotter speculars or revealing textures. Or maybe a mylar mirror to bounce some light around the set. Or a second softbox on the side to lay a highlight down the side of the subject.

 

You can end up using several lights in these examples. But you still want the subject to be lit from one main direction with these additional lights acting as fill for the shadows and/or accent lights for texture or to reveal details. The overall impression of the lighting should be of light coming from one direction because that's how the sun works in the real world and that's what looks natural to the eye.

 

There are always exceptions to this as there are exceptions to everything. But a single directional quality to the light is the first place to start. All other lighting effects are used for specific purposes to either reveal or hide detail, texture or some other quality of your subject.

[michael_brandt]

The most natural looking light that you can recreate would be from one light source

(like the sun.) If the light is placed too close to the subject the shadows will be too

harsh so you will have to add a fill light to even out the shadows.

 

I used 4 3200w/s packs with a jumbo umbrella from far away. This will give a very

even light source with a lot of depth of field.

 

If you want to recreate the sun, use a bare bulb without a reflector. point it to the

ceiling but make sure a bit of the bulb is exposing the subject.

 

Try different amounts of fill light.

 

good luck

 

Michael

[scott_blair1]

Roberto, when someone tries to offer generally useful guidance to someone else who needs a lot of handholding, the thread usually becomes quickly cluttered and useless with "corrections" and other distractions; such as "well, that's not really true", "there's a better way", "that won't work, do this instead", etc. Already it's happened: "But why not..."

[james weber studio]

Juliana,

As you've rented a set once before, it seems you have the space to put up the lights. Lighting can be as easy as a single light, or as complex as five or six with different light modifiers. My suggestion if you have the means, is to buy one AC powered light such as the 3200 excalibur from bhphotovideo.com, get a softbox(37" octagon softbox is nice and only about $100). You'll have to get a light meter if you don't have one already. Read books from the library on strobe lighting and take that one light system as far as you can. Use refletors, bounce it off the ceiling, whatever. When you think you need more lights because one just isn't enough, graduate to 2 or more. Once you learn how to shoot with one strobe, you've got it. Add more for more fine detail. Again...use your library. Those who've come before us have immense wisdom to impart. If you're in NY still, assist, assist, assist. You'll learn the most assisting for those who are working professionals. Best of luck.

 

James

[todd_k.]

Juliana,

I learned about lightning in the theater. I believe that this gives me a somewhat different outlook on studio lighting. Forget about studio lights, and flashes and guide-numbers... for now. Go to the Home Depot, Lowes, or Wal-mart and by four clamp lights. And put at least 100watt bulbs in them, they are rated lower then that but you should be OK, However do not consider me responsible for any fires.

Call a friend to have them pose, hang up some black fabric, turn out the lights, and then turn on one of the lamps and play, watch how the light changes the look of the models face, then turn on another lamp, and repeat the process until you run out of lamps. Shoot B&W and see what happens. Latter, there are many books that discuss the principles of studio lighting, but I have found that learning the nature of light and the way it can be used to create certain effects makes learning the technical aspects of lighting much easier.

For what it is worth I think a Photo.net could use a comprehensive lighting tutorial as well. Somebody should ask Timber to give it a shot.

Good Luck,

[dan_c]

I hope this will not be too `beginner` stuff for the matter at hand, but I found step-by-step how-to tutorials at this website (in the free photo lessons section, of course):

 

http://www.webphotoschool.com/newschool/default.asp

 

(The members-only sections have a good quantity of articles.)

 

Does anybody here have similar references for similar photo tutorials?

 

Thanks in advance!

[hans_beckert]

Juliana:

 

Try studying the light in old B&W movies, when they actually knew how to do it. Work backard from what you see.

 

Try 'Blonde Venus' for a start. Then look at 'Citizen Kane'.

 

Also, look at the work of George Hurrell and other Hollywood masters of the 30s and 40s.

 

Lighting has never been as good since those days.

[crawfordphoto]

I agree with Juliana and, though I've benefited (and continue to benefit) tremendously from the postings at photo.net, I feel everything should be in one place in a layout that a beginner can easily browse.

<BR><BR>

That is why I created a new web site this month about Studio Lighting. My goal is to provide a single place to gather the valuable information that experienced, helpful photographers have to offer.

<BR><BR>

In my opinion, photo.net and tutorial/informational sites should work together: Learn from an informational site (or a special section of this site), apply and experiment, then bring the results to photo.net for critique and specific questions.

<BR><BR>

I'd love to hear everyones thoughts and I welcome anyone that wants to contribute their knowledge to the cause at: <h3><A HREF='http://www.studiolighting.net/'>http://www.studiolighting.net/</A></h3>

 

Bill