Tag Archive for: lighting

Lighting tricks that work…..using the light behind your model, yes it works like a charm but it’s special

/in , /by

Sometimes you’re looking for something different, something a bit more daring or edgy.
Now mostly during normal shoots we always try to keep the lights out of the final results, but also to take out as much of the flare as possible. For the flare we have great coatings on lenses nowadays so when you add the sun hood on your lens you probably won’t have any problems with flare.

Something else

But as mentioned, sometimes we want it differently.
In the shot I’m still using a mainlight (Geekoto GT400 with the 26″ softbox) but the most of the effect of the shot is coming from the striplight in the back. For the extra flare I’m using a K&F Concept black diffusion filter on my lens.

One big softbox

Now what if we replace the striplight with just a big softbox and don’t even add a mainlight source?
We get a very nice setup for some high-key portraits or just fun/different shoots.
You do have to be careful which way the model looks, straight on will be very ugly in most cases, but looking to the side can work like a charm.

Do make sure to take of the diffusion filter 😀 that will be a “little” bit too much.

Model : Nadine

Conclusion

As you can see using your light in different locations can give you awesome results, but getting the lights in the frame and giving them a purpose within the shot can really spice up the results, add some special effects with filters and … well your own creativity is the limit.

 

Behind the scenes during the Zebra photoshoot with Nadine and some great styling

/in , , /by

In todays blog post we take you behind the scenes during the Zebra themed photoshoot we did with our Model, Stylist and good friend Nadine.

See how we build the set, which lighting we used and of course you get to see the end results.

If you have any questions feel free to ask.

 

read the blog about Creating Patterns with Adobe AI

A set built with isolation blankets for… zero

/in , /by

A set built with isolation blankets?
Why not?

 

Today in the blog some images we shot with our model Trista during a recent workshop.
We recently had the studio roof replaced and of course, that also meant that we have some stuff left, including some isolation blankets.
The moment we saw them we knew we had to do something with them.
We have already built sets with rescue blankets (gold/silver) but these were a lot larger. And in the end, in all honesty, it just didn’t work in this set. But I think they would be awesome as a background for portraits, so I think you will see them again in the future.

Let first, start with the initial setup. We used our movable walls and taped the isolation blankets to it.

a set built with isolation blankets, why not?

As you can see the set is far from perfect, but somehow it also works.
Here I’m using the mirror to mirror the legs and the accent lights, I talk a lot about walking around the model to get a different kind of contrast, here you can clearly see what the angle does on the legs, this is not photoshoped 😀

Of course after that I oped for more close ups, mainly because I didn’t like the set for full bodies.

This I liked a bit better, but I also tried one from the back.
And to be honest I’m still in doubt between the two which one I like most.

move around your model in the set built with isolation blankets

Angles, angles and again angles….

And as usual, always try different angles.
I can’t tell you guys enough how much impact the shooting angle can have, not only in lighting but also with the total way the image looks.
Lower angles will often give a “hero” feel, where higher angles sometimes give a really cool effect.

Adding some color….
Or a lot

After the “standard” setup I opted for a lot more red in the scene.

Now be warned, these images are far from the run of the mill images, but sometimes I just love to go to the extreme sides.
In this case I opened the aperture a lot (to the point of overexposing) just maintaining the highlights in the skin, I didn’t want the skin to overexpose, this often looks awful in color shots, the only thing you could do is convert it to black and white where we are often a bit more forgiving for overexposure. But best is to keep it just below overexpose on the skin, you can always go to black and white later if you want.

Im adding a Rogue omnidirectional dome here with a magenta gel, and although I’m still using the mainlight the red really overpowers everything giving it a totally different vibe.

adding red to a set built with isolation blankets

As you can see by just adding some color you can change the look of our set built with isolation blankets completely. Just make sure the model covers up for certain angles.

Feel free to reach out with questions.
A like and share on social media is highly appreciated.

 

Check out the short about the rescue blankets 

 

Subscribe to our newsletter 

Some colourful lights in the set

/in , /by

Adding continuous lighting is always fun

In todays blog post some images we shot during a workshop with out model Trista.
I’m using a mix of strobes and continuous lighting here.

Due to the reflective floor (plexiglas) and the mirror the angles under which you can shoot are slightly limited.
I loved this angle because it adds a bit to the story telling part of the shot.

Hope you like the results.
The set it build with isolation blankets we had left from our new roof instalment.
A good set doesn’t have to be expensive 😀

Over time you will collect things that you can always combine during photoshoot. Some people will decorate their whole house with little sets, in our case we just collect a lot of “junk” at flea markets, attics etc. we are always interested in things we can someday use. The only problem is room.

Always try to see possibilities, like in this set we used the isolation blankets. There were just laying around so why not use them.
I’m pretty sure you have a lot of stuff in your home that would make awesome set pieces.