Portraiture on the cheap

**EmbeddedMatt** · 01-01-2005, 02:25 PM

I was going to post this in critique but I really can't compete with the quality over there. In other words I chickened out.

This is my attempt at fairly low budget studio portraiture. There is one strobe to the left and above the camera. It probably should have been higher but the ceiling and the model's height prevented that. The strobe is bounced off of an umbrella. Fill is by white poster board and general leakage from the strobe by the white walls and ceiling. The backdrop is 18% grey seamless paper which I used because it's all I have available. The paper is (unevenly) lit by a pocket SB-30 slave which again is all I have available. The uneveness of the lighting doesn't really bother me although I would have preferred the brightest spot to be up behind her head. For me, lighting the black and white was a huge challenge and I guess I failed to capture a lot of detail in the black but it was the best I could manage.

The camera is an old Coolpix 5000 at F/7.2, ISO 100, and as much towards the telephoto end of the lens as my space would allow.

By the way, the only excuse I can offer for the open shirt is that buttoning that next button produced unsightly gapping.

I'm a beginner at this so I don't know what I don't know. Any suggestions and criticisms are welcome.

**Rere15** · 01-02-2005, 11:59 AM

Hi,
Your picture looks pretty good to me as far as lighting goes. Were you much higher than she was?
Also, where did you put your pocket flash that lit the background? And I know this is probably a dumb question, but what exactly do you mean by "pocket" flash that you slave?
You know that with Photoshop you can clone out that little bit of bra showing in about 5 seconds. I think the button that shows detracts a bit from the overall image.
Rere

**EmbeddedMatt** · 01-02-2005, 04:34 PM

The lens was probably about neck level on her. Her head is tilted down which may be why you think I was above her.

The SB-30 that I used to throw some light on the paper is just a tiny speedlight that is normally used on a hotshoe. It does have an optical slave built in and it is on the floor directly behind her pointed up and slightly toward the rear. As you can see, it's not really up to the job of lighting the backdrop. I bought my camera used and the SB-30 was throw in for free. I'm just trying to put it to use.

Thanks for the comment on the "button". It does look like a button but I think it's just one of those decorative things. I hadn't thought of cloning out the bra. I wonder if it would be confusing without it. I guess I'll just have to try it and see.

**Trevor Ash** · 01-02-2005, 07:11 PM

I think you did a very good job here. From your post it sounds like you were trying to get a lot of things done right. I'm a little confused as to where you are experience wise? Are you used to shooting with one light and you're now trying to add others? Or is this a first serious attempt for you with any amount of lights? Or something else? I'm struggling trying to figure out the kind of feedback you want.

I like the pose btw. And I like the bra and bra button showing. It adds sexiness.

The first thing I notice is the quality of light. Again, I'm sure it's your limited set of tools but it seems pretty harsh to me. How far away was the light from the model? Also, the light seems darker as you go down and I don't like that effect here. A larger light source (by moving it in closer) may have helped with both of these depending on how wide the light is capable of covering.

I have no complaints about the background. Sure, It could be brighter. But there's enough separation between it and the model to product a good photo.

If you want us to be looking at her face then you'll need to not expose her shirt so brightly. It looks like the light source is pointed directly at her breasts. Was that what you wanted?

**EmbeddedMatt** · 01-02-2005, 09:43 PM

I am basically a beginner with lights. This is my first real experience using a studio strobe. My goal is to get some proficiency with the one light before adding any others. Before I bought the strobe I thought I'd probably be buying another light right away. Now, I'm not so sure. I think I have a lot of work to do before I am comfortable just with this one light. (I don't really count the pocket slave as a light. I just wanted to liven up the background a touch.)

As for the kind of feedback I'm looking for, I don't really know, but you comments are helpful. Heck, even the questions you are asking are helpful.

The light was only as far from from the model as I could manage which ended up being only a few feet -- maybe four feet. I was limited by the eight foot ceiling and a 5' 9" model and the desire to have the light above her. The umbrella that I bounced into is white which I was hoping would help with the harshness.

It hadn't occurred to me to bring the light closer to reduce the harshness. I guess what you are getting at here is to make the light less of a point source? But what I don't understand is how that would help with the light fall off. If the umbrella is closer won't the umbrella project a narrower pattern on the model? It seems to me that bringing the light closer would make the problem worse. I would think moving the light back or using a larger umbrella would help the fall off problem. Is my thinking messed up here?

Point taken about the brightness of her breasts. The center of the umbrella pattern was probably right on her chest. This was an attempt to light her more unevenly -- not an attempt to highlight her chest. I guess a contributing factor is that the poof of her shirt that is so bright is basically parallel to the umbrella while everything else takes the light at more of an angle.

By the way, I can't take credit for the pose. It was her idea. I found directing to be by far the hardest part. I am trying to study books for posing idea ("Author Photo" for one) but I find it very difficult to put the studying into practice. Practice, I think is the key word.

**JCPhoto1** · 01-03-2005, 06:03 AM

Matt you did a great job with what you were using. The best way to start out is to begin with one light and a reflector. Learn how to control the light with those and when you get comfortable with consistant results move up to more lights and modifiers. If your umbrella is small it's going to be hard to light a full length portrait. Use the shaft of the umbrella as a pointer to direct it where you want it to go. For a softer light and if your umbrella is a shoot through type try it that way. It loses a stop or two but will soften it up. Try to get the light source as close as possible. Just out of camera view. It will limit you to head and upper body shots but you'll be using what you have to it's best advantage. I'll bet if you had shot that picture one stop less it would have been near perfect. When I look at a shot like yours I seem to examine the face to see if it worked and you did very well. You created nice modeling on the face which creates depth and the catch lights gave life to her eyes. Keep up the good work and post your next attempts.

By the way moving the light closer won't help with the light falloff. You need a bigger light source.

**EmbeddedMatt** · 01-03-2005, 09:14 AM

Thank you very much for the kind words... and the advice. I hate to admit this but I don't know if I can shoot through my umbrella or not. It's a cheap reverisble umbrella that is white one side and silver on the other. If I tried to shoot through the white side I know light would get through but whether this is by design or just the result of a cheap umbrella I don't know. I'll have to try it.

**Rere15** · 01-03-2005, 07:05 PM

Hi,
The set of umbrellas that came with my monolight kit (45 inch) are white with silver inside and I prefer to shoot through them. Because they have the silver in them, the lighting really isn't very soft. I bought some larger 60 inch white ones with a black and silver attachment that can come off and permit me to shoot through just the white part. These give a softer light than than the white with the silver lining. I use the 60 inch with the silver and black portion and bounce the flash for full lengh portraits.
Rere

**JCPhoto1** · 01-03-2005, 08:08 PM

Originally Posted by EmbeddedMatt

Thank you very much for the kind words... and the advice. I hate to admit this but I don't know if I can shoot through my umbrella or not. It's a cheap reverisble umbrella that is white one side and silver on the other. If I tried to shoot through the white side I know light would get through but whether this is by design or just the result of a cheap umbrella I don't know. I'll have to try it.

I looked on eBay and they had 45'' white shoot through umbrella's shipped for about $12.00. I'm sure they aren't made for any heavy duty use but for what your trying to do they would be a cheap alternative. Go to the eBay main page on go to the Cameras and Photo section then in the search area type in translucent umbrella. You'll get a list of a few cheap options. If you want to spend a little more do a search for Photogenic, ProFoto or Calumet and you'll find some of the more expensive but more durable examples. I have a couple of Photogenics that I use on location when there is a space limit and they cover the ribs with cloth so they don't create unwanted reflections in the catchlights.

Another quick and cheap alternative is to make a frame of PVC pipe you can get from Home Depot and cover it with white rip stop nylon. It's one of the best softboxes you can use and have more control then any softbox or umbrella. I built my own frames and bought panels from Calumet Photo. Now I use them almost exclusively when I have the room to set them up. You do need barndoors for the lights but you get incredible control over the light with these. I used to own a boat. The saying about boats was it's a hole you continue to throw money into. Then I started to get serious about photography and found a new hole.

**EmbeddedMatt** · 01-05-2005, 07:39 AM

Thanks for the suggestions.

So far I've been able to avoid spending much money, but that's probably not going to last. This experiment was actually started as a money-saving project after an expensive family portrait where we had to choose among only six images with someone looking the wrong way in every one of them. I figured with some decent light, a simple backdrop, and a used digicam I could take enough shots to at least get everyone looking at the camera.

It didn't take long to figure out that my plan was foolish -- at least the part about saving money, but it is fun and I can take as many shots as I want. I can see photography is something of a money pit but I have relatives who own airplanes so by comparision photography looks frugal.

**Rob T** · 02-09-2005, 09:59 AM

Originally Posted by JCPhoto1

Another quick and cheap alternative is to make a frame of PVC pipe you can get from Home Depot and cover it with white rip stop nylon. It's one of the best softboxes you can use and have more control then any softbox or umbrella. I built my own frames and bought panels from Calumet Photo. Now I use them almost exclusively when I have the room to set them up. You do need barndoors for the lights but you get incredible control over the light with these. I used to own a boat. The saying about boats was it's a hole you continue to throw money into. Then I started to get serious about photography and found a new hole.

Hi JC,

Are there instructions or photos of how to construct this softbox/diffuser you mention. I'd like to gve it a try. Always interested in cheap but professional, just-as-good or better items to enhance my photos.

Thanks,

Rob T

**EmbeddedMatt** · 02-09-2005, 05:37 PM

I'm not JC, but the book "Light Science & Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting" shows an example of a homemade diffusion panel using a canvas stretcher for the frame. They use some kind of specialty plastic for the panel itself but they mention using bed sheets, tracing paper etc. They show the panel clamped onto two light stands.

They mention as the main disadvantage that light bounces off the rear surface and bounces around the studio which is why they prefer soft boxes if they are available.

**JCPhoto1** · 02-11-2005, 01:10 AM

Are there instructions or photos of how to construct this softbox/diffuser you mention. I'd like to gve it a try. Always interested in cheap but professional, just-as-good or better items to enhance my photos.

Thanks,

Rob T

Hi Rob
I don't know of any sites that have instructions. You can use straight pieces of PVC pipe for the frame and elbo pieces to put it together. I think it was 3/4 inch pipe that I used. The way I decided the panel size was to go to Calumet photo and I bought their cloth panels which are 42" by 78". Then I made the frames to fit that size. You really need two frames. One as the diffusion panel and another one ( black opaque ) clipped on the first to act as a block for the light spill going toward the camera. The second panel also helps to support the diffusion frame to stand up. Calumet has clips that are used to connect two panels together. My advise is to go to Calumet and get the clips first and bring them to your hardware store and get the PVC pipe that fits the clips. If you decide that it's too expensive to buy the Calumet panels you can make you own panels with white ripstop nylon and make them the size you want. Use any opaque material for the other panel. It would probably help to have a wife or girlfriend that sews The 42x78 seems to be the best size from my experience but it's up to you to make them to fit your needs. You also need to use barn doors with this kind of setup to control the light and reduce spill. With the barn doors this setup is much more versatile than a softbox and gives you more options because you change the size of the light with the barndoors and moving the light back and forth from the screen changes the quality too. Lots of control. The only time I use a softbox is on location and if size is important at that time I use umbrella's. In other words I hardly ever use a softbox. It takes more practice to get the results with the panel but half the fun of photography is the learning process. I hope this answers your question as I rambled a bit here but if I can help any further please ask more questions. I can always post a shot of my frame if that would help.

**JK_Photo** · 02-11-2005, 12:20 PM

Would you mind posting a pic. I don't quite get this bit - "You really need two frames. One as the diffusion panel and another one ( black opaque ) clipped on the first to act as a block for the light spill going toward the camera. The second panel also helps to support the diffusion frame to stand up."
Can't quite visualise what you're saying.
Appreciate it.
great info, thanks.

**JCPhoto1** · 02-12-2005, 04:58 AM

No problem I'll set then up and take a few shots that show how they look. I'll try to get them posted over the weekend. I'm not using the studiio now so I have to set them up at home with no room to shoot but I'll try to get pictures that show their setup.

**JCPhoto1** · 02-13-2005, 05:41 AM

Here is the frame broken down. The bottom is glued solid and the top comes apart and when the panel is stretched across it the tension holds the upper pieces together. I also used elastic shock cord run through the tubes to keep them together when I transport them. The second picture is the frame together.

**JCPhoto1** · 02-13-2005, 06:10 AM

Here's part 2. These pictures are of the panel attached to the frame. The second picture shows the elastic corner strip that holds the panel on and you can see the black clip that connects the two panels together. To show it better I didn't put a panel in the frame on the right side.

**JCPhoto1** · 02-13-2005, 06:25 AM

Here's part 3 of the frame pic's. The first one shows the frames clipped together. The second picture shows the barndoors on a mono light which is the way you want to control the light. You adjust the barn doors and move the light backward or forward to change the quality. Very adjustable. We are in the middle of a rehab and this was the only corner I could find to photograph the panels so I hope they are clear enough to see how they work. By the way the tubing is PVC plumbing pipe you can get from Home Depot or local building supply store. I think it's 3/4'' pipe. They sell a glue that joins the piping together and it's very strong. The panel can be made from rip stop nylon ar any other material that will work to diffuse the light. I bought premade panels but that's a more expensive way to go. The panels run from $40. to $60. and it was easier fro me to buy them than try to sew my own. Let me know if you have any more questions.