Sorry, graphic novel (not a comic)

And indeed, it’s spicy!
Anyway, some of our models become famous actresses, some become musicians, and one decided to write a comic/graphic novel.
And when it’s released, we need some images, of course. This  blog is about how I shoot this portrait with just a lightbulb and a comic.

Workshop Alternative Light 

During the workshop “alternative light,” we work with light sources that are not designed for photography to create our images.
My idea was to place Felisa on a chair, reading her comic.
Lighting-wise, just one light bulb. And don’t underestimate the power of one bulb.
Place it close to the model and you can get some great results.

To open up the shadows on the bottom, we are using a Nanlite LED tube on a very low blue setting, just to add some extra detail and reflection in the dress.

The problem is, of course, the lighting on the comic.

The light bulb is behind the comic, so there is no light hitting it.
Normally, we would grab a snoot, but in this case, we have to rely on alternative light, so one of the attendees held a small torch and kept aiming it at the comic.

Results of just a lightbulb and a comic

I think you will like the results.

Angles

Although they are nice, they did not really “hit the spot” for me.
And as you probably have read many times from me… change your angle.
These are less interesting, maybe lighting-wise, but I like them a lot more personally. Also, due to the expressions of Felisa, for a comic promo they just work better.
The cool thing… the model can choose what fits her ideas or use them both, of course.

Conclusion

Never underestimate a light source. You can really create stunning images with light sources that you would probably never thought about. One thing you have to take into account is noise. So make sure you have a nice, large aperture lens, use a tripod if necessary, and use the proper Lightroom noise reduction, or your favorite software, of course.

Workshops

Want to learn everything about light control?
Want to visit a workshop where it’s not just shooting a model with a fixed lighting setup, but see how the setup is built and adjusted to the taste of the group?
And of course learn how to work with poses, backgrounds, small sets, styling, retouching, and a lot more…..

If this all sounds awesome, visit fotografie-workshops.nl and book your workshop.
If you don’t speak Dutch, no problem, let us know a few weeks in advance, and we can switch the workshop to English.
Not possible to travel to the Netherlands?
We got you covered with our 1:1 online workshop.
We have a full streaming setup in our studio. 4 detail cameras and of course the retouching software, so you can see every detail and of course ask questions during the day. Plus, you get all the RAW files after the workshop.