Studio Lighting Set-up – Multi-option

As you can read from the top of the page below, for this shoot the camera was set to ISO 200, shutter-speed: 125, and an aperture of f/16.

Beneath this is a sketched out plan of my placement of lights

a & c are two long thin softboxes. These will provide the subject an even base level of illumination. In fact, as you will see from the test shots that follow, the lights are set to f/4.5, -5 stops of f/16.

b is a small rectangular softbox placed on a floor stand. This is placed to provide fill light to shadows created via illumination from above. The light is set to f/5.6, thus -4 stops of f/16.

d is a hexagonal softbox which is boomed above the subject. This is set to f/11 which is only -1 stop of f/16.

finally,

e & f have grid modifiers attached and are angled (using the law, the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection), and bounced against two large white polystyrene reflectors, These provide a clean and even illuminated background for the subject. Here I set the lights to f/11.5. This is half a stop under, but just brighter than the hair light.

All these decisions are creative and should not be taken as “this is absolutely how to set up your lighting ratios”. All power should be modified through experimentation to achieve the look you desire, preferably via research of other photographers/artists works, ideas on style, subject type, context etc.

NOTE: Test images have been optimised in Lightroom, then sharpened only in Photoshop, framed, then sized/saved for web.

 

 

Test Shot 1:  Lights a & c 

 

 

 

Test Shot 2: Lights d 

 

 

Test Shot 3: Light b 

 

 

Test Shot 4: Lights a + c + e + f 

 

 

Test Shot 5: LightsLights a + b + c + e + f

 

 

Test Shot 6: LightsLights a + b + c + d +e + f

 

 

Test Shot 5: LightsLights b + d

 

As the differences between some of the test shots are very subtle, I have included a screen grab of the Lightroom Library view of all seven photographs to provide easier analysis and clearer comparisons.

 

 

Light

“Perhaps the majority of portraits I make, especially ‘found’ portraits use available light. It is often the case that what prompts me to make a portrait is recognising a special quality in the light itself. This is a shameful admission – what should always be your primary motivating factor is the wish to photograph the individual, not just the light. The reverse is also the case – however much I want to photograph somebody, I just wouldn’t do it if the light weren’t right.”

Gillanders.R. (2004) The Photographic Portrait, page 90