Portrait Photography

picto photography sport&action

In order to practice some of the learned lighting techniques from sources like strobist.blogspot.com, MacNally's fantastic "The Moment It Clicks" and the very recommended book "Light - Science&Magic" in the beginning it was my very patient sister that would serve as a model. Thanks Ewelina!

Portrait photoghraphy is one of the most difficult areas in my opinion. Especially if you shoot somewhere on location you have to plan thoroughly everything before, actually you have to visit the location in the run-up to the shooting and paint already some images in your head. Then on the day of shooting you have to build your lights up (of course there is still the possibility that available light alone will work), make some testshooting with a dummy or your assistant to arrange the lights and finally shoot the object of interest. And in this very moment you have to pretend the model that you are mastering all the equipment surrounding it without any problems letting it feel comfortable. You will have to get close to your model to draw a secret out of it if you want a special expression.

So as you can see there are many parameters that have to be managed sometimes several of them at the same time. I must admit that I am still somewhere on level two or three struggling with the equipment while shooting because I still lack the requested experience in handling the light but I think I am getting there gradually.

Glossary

  • Main Light

    "Placing the main light is, of course, our first decision. Look at the ball: It is the simplest thing we could draw to convincingly represent a ball; without the highlight and shadow , it could just as well be a ring, a hole, or a disk. Notice also that the placement of the highlight simply feels more "right" than if we had centered it, say, or put it near the bottom of the sphere.

    The most common placement of the portrait main light is about where we have it in the sphere illustration. Faces are more complex. They have noses, eye sockets, mouths, wrinkles, creases, and all the other irregularities that come as part of the human form. Let's look at all of these as we fine-tune the basic light placement.

    Generally speaking, we prefer to position the light so that there is a shadow on one side of the face. This, as we have seen, is accomplished by keeping the light to one side. In addition, we want to keep it high enough so that there are similar shadows under the eyebrows, nose, and chin. Having read this, however, you may well ask just how far to keep the light "to one side" and how high is "high enough". These are valid questions.
    ... "

    Source: "Light - Science&Magic"

  • Fill Light

    "Shadows are essential to most portraits. Much of the time, however, we prefer to lighten a shadow or even eliminate it altogether. We can do this with a single light source only if we place it near the camera lens. If we want to keep the main light farther from the camera, however, we need some kind of filllight. Photographers commonly use a fill light that gives the subject about half as much illumination as the main light, but this guideline is by no means absolute. Some photographers like to use a lot of fill in portraits, whereas other equally talented ones prefer to use none. The important thing is not to try to memorize any set of rules, instead, adjust your lighting until it is satisfactory to you. Some photographers use additional lights for fill, whereas others prefer Hat reHecting surfaces. Both methods have their advantages. The most basic multiple light arrangement consists of a main light plus a filllight. An additional light allows good Hexibility in filllight placement. We can put the filllight far enough from the subject to be out of the way and still expect it to be bright enough.
    ... "

    Source: "Light - Science&Magic"

  • Background Light

    "Background lights illuminate, as the name implies, the background rather than the person being photographed. ... They provide a degree of tonal separation between the subject and the background. This separation helps give a feeling of added depth to a portrait and surrounds the subject with what is often a visually pleasing "glow." You can be heavy-handed with this, giving the subject has a pronounced halo, or you can be subtle, puHing the light further from the background or using multiple lights to light the background evenly.

    Background lights can also add color to portraits. We do this by attaching colored gels, or filters, to the light. Gels are not expensive and they come in a wide range of colors. By using them and a white background, photographers can reduce the number of different colared backgrounds that they need to keep around the studio. Several background lights with filters of different colors can create color combinations impossible with colored seamless paper and white lights.

    Hiding the background light behind the subject is more difficult in a full-Iength portrait. Furthermore. lighting the background uniformly, instead of a bright center spot, is alm ost impossible with the background light in such a position. To photograph the whole body or to illuminate the background evenly, we prefer using two or more background lights on each side of the subject. Background lights may be very bright or very dim. Experiment until you come up with the lighting you like. For portraits you intend to later paste into another scene, try lighting a background slightly lighter than pure white (just to be sure). You can then often place the portrait into another scene using the software "darken" mode. In many scenes, this eliminates the need for tediously silhouetting the hair.

    Source: "Light - Science&Magic"

  • Kickers

    "Along with the different lights that we have talked about so far, some photographers also like to use a kicker as apart of their setup. A kicker adds extra illumination to, or "kicks up," the brightness on part of the object by providing an extra highlight. Kickers are usually about half the brightness of the main light. The position of the kicker is the least standardized of any portrait light. As was the case with hair lights, when you are using a kicker you have to be careful that light from it does not spill into the lens. If it does, it will cause flare.
    ... "

    Source: "Light - Science&Magic"

  1. boxing
    sister 1 H
    H
    H
    Exif data
    Focal length 25mm
    Aperture f13
    Shutter speed 1/160sec
    ISO 100
    3 Lights
    "Hair Light" or "Kicker" sun: top right behind
    "Fill Light" manual 1/32 on axis
    "Main Light" manual 1/8? top left
    Description

    Image content description

    At the local bird sanctuary there are some spots for shooting some interesting images. Of course without disturbing the many wild birds there! At least you should try :)

  2. boxing
    sister 2 H
    H
    H
    Exif data
    Focal length 25mm
    Aperture f13
    Shutter speed 1/250sec
    ISO 100
    3 Lights
    Hair Light or Kicker sun: top right
    Fill Light manual 1/32 on axis
    Main Light manual 1/8? top left
    Description

    Image content description

    My sister and some underexposed reeds in the background

  3. boxing
    sister 3 H
    H
    H
    Exif data
    Focal length 24mm
    Aperture f13
    Shutter speed 1/250sec
    ISO 100
    3 Lights
    Hair Light or Kicker sun: top right behind
    Fill Light manual 1/16 -1/3EV
    Main Light manual 1/8? top left
    Description

    Image content description

    My sister and some underexposed reeds in the background


    Please excuse me but since I was working with the strobes in the manual mode I don't remember the settings exactly :).

  4. boxing
    sister 4 H
    H
    H
    Exif data
    Focal length 35mm
    Aperture f13
    Shutter speed 1/250sec
    ISO 100
    3 Lights
    Hair Light or Kicker sun: top right
    Fill Light manual 1/32 on axis
    Main Light manual 1/8? top left
    Description

    Image content description

    In a different spot, now the sun is coming more directly from the right

  5. boxing
    sister 5 H
    H
    H
    Exif data
    Focal length 35mm
    Aperture f16
    Shutter speed 1/250sec
    ISO 100
    3 Lights
    Hair Light or Kicker sun: top right
    Fill Light manual 1/16 -1/3EV
    Main Light manual 1/8? top left
    Description

    Image content description

    Catched a more serious facial expression :)

  6. boxing
    family in the wood 1 H
    H
    H
    Exif data
    Focal length - left img 30mm
    Focal length - right img 17mm
    Aperture f5.6
    Shutter speed 1/250sec
    ISO 100
    2 Lights
    Hair Light or Kicker sun: top right
    Main Light manual 1/2 or full power? top left on a boom with umbrella
    Description

    Image content description

    Planned as a mushroom foray the lack of any mushroom forced us (me and my family) to insert a photo session in the wood :)

  7. boxing
    family in the wood 2 H
    H
    H
    Exif data
    Focal length 20mm
    Aperture f5.6
    Shutter speed 1/250sec
    ISO 100
    2 Lights
    Hair Light or Kicker sun: top right
    Main Light manual 1/2 or full power? top left on a boom with umbrella
    Description

    Image content description

    My father and my sister

  8. boxing
    family in the wood 3 H
    H
    H
    Exif data
    Focal length 32mm
    Aperture f5.6
    Shutter speed 1/250sec
    ISO 100
    2 Lights
    Hair Light or Kicker sun: top right
    Main Light manual 1/2 or full power? top left on a boom with umbrella
    Description

    Image content description

    My mother and my sister

  9. boxing
    family in the wood 4 H
    H
    H
    Exif data
    Focal length 32mm
    Aperture f5.6
    Shutter speed 1/250sec
    ISO 100
    2 Lights
    Hair Light or Kicker sun: top right
    Main Light manual 1/2 or full power? top left on a boom with umbrella
    Description

    Image content description

    My mother and my sister

  10. boxing
    family in the wood 5 H
    H
    H
    Exif data
    Focal length 19mm
    Aperture f7.1
    Shutter speed 1/250sec
    ISO 100
    2 Lights
    Hair Light or Kicker sun: top right
    Main Light manual 1/2 or full power? top left on a boom with umbrella
    Description

    Image content description

    Mother, father and sister

  11. boxing
    family in the wood 6 H
    H
    H
    Exif data
    Focal length 35mm
    Aperture f7.1
    Shutter speed 1/250sec
    ISO 100
    2 Lights
    Hair Light or Kicker sun: top right
    Main Light manual 1/2 or full power? top left on a boom with umbrella
    Description

    Image content description

    Robert De Niro, James Bond? Nope, it's just my father:)

  12. boxing
    family in the wood 7 H
    H
    H
    Exif data
    Focal length - left img 32mm
    Focal length - right img 17mm
    Aperture f9
    Shutter speed 1/250sec
    ISO 100
    2 Lights
    Hair Light or Kicker sun: top right
    Main Light manual 1/2 or full power? top left on a boom with umbrella
    Description

    Image content description

    My little sister :)

  1. boxing
    drosde's 30th birthday 1 H
    H
    H
    Exif data - both
    Focal length 17mm
    Aperture f6.3
    Shutter speed 1/125sec
    ISO 200
    2 Lights
    Fill Light ambient -3EV?
    Main Light iTTL -1.0EV ceiling bounce
    Description

    Image content description

    Having been invited to an old friend's birthday party it was already to late for an exquisite present. So I decided to make some party pics there.

  2. boxing
    drosde's 30th birthday 2 H
    H
    H
    Exif data
    Focal length 17mm
    Aperture f6.3
    Shutter speed 1/125sec
    ISO 200
    2 Lights
    Fill Light ambient -3EV?
    Main Light iTTL -1.0EV ceiling bounce
    Description

    Image content description

    Two friends: Paray in the background and Dule in the foreground smoking a cigarette

  3. boxing
    drosde's 30th birthday 3 H
    H
    H
    Exif data
    Focal length - left img 32mm
    Focal length - right img 28mm
    Aperture f6.3
    Shutter speed 1/125sec
    ISO 200
    2 Lights
    Fill Light ambient -3EV?
    Main Light - left img iTTL -1.0EV ceiling bounce
    Main Light - right img iTTL -0.7EV ceiling bounce
    Description

    Image content description

    Left img: Goeser with a nice specular on his glasses

    Right img: Dule's friend

  4. boxing
    drosde's 30th birthday 4 H
    H
    H
    Exif data
    Focal length 17mm
    Aperture f5.6
    Shutter speed 1/125sec
    ISO 200
    2 Lights
    Fill Light ambient -3EV?
    Main Light iTTL -0.7EV ceiling bounce
    Description

    Image content description

    Some motorcycle helmets were lying around so we tried them on :)

  5. boxing
    drosde's 30th birthday 5 H
    H
    H
    Exif data
    Focal length 17mm
    Aperture f5.6
    Shutter speed 1/125sec
    ISO 200
    2 Lights
    Fill Light ambient -3EV?
    Main Light iTTL -0.7EV ceiling bounce
    Description

    Image content description

    Some motorcycle helmets were lying around so we tried them on :)

  6. boxing
    drosde's 30th birthday 6 H
    H
    H
    Exif data
    Focal length 17mm
    Aperture f5.6
    Shutter speed 1/125sec
    ISO 200
    2 Lights
    Fill Light ambient -3EV?
    Main Light iTTL -0.7EV ceiling bounce
    Description

    Image content description

    Some motorcycle helmets were lying around so we tried them on :)

  7. boxing
    drosde's 30th birthday 7 H
    H
    H
    Exif data
    Focal length 22mm
    Aperture f5.6
    Shutter speed 1/125sec
    ISO 200
    2 Lights
    Fill Light ambient -3EV?
    Main Light iTTL -0.7EV ceiling bounce
    Description

    Image content description

    Uta and Caro try the oriental look

  8. boxing
    drosde's 30th birthday 8 H
    H
    H
    Exif data
    Focal length 22mm
    Aperture f5.6
    Shutter speed 1/125sec
    ISO 200
    2 Lights
    Fill Light ambient -3EV?
    Main Light iTTL -0.3EV ceiling bounce
    Description

    Image content description

    Jovi, Dule and Caro (from left to right)

  1. boxing
    my cat 1 H
    H
    H
    Exif data - both
    Focal length 19mm
    Aperture f11
    Shutter speed 1/250sec
    ISO 200
    2 Lights
    Fill Light sun / ambient -2EV?
    Main Light manual 1/8 on boom frontal top right with umbrella
    Description

    Image content description

    My cat on our terrace playing with a halm

  2. boxing
    my cat 2 (and me:) H
    H
    H
    Exif data - both
    Focal length 22mm
    Aperture f11
    Shutter speed 1/250sec
    ISO 200
    2 Lights
    Fill Light sun / ambient -2EV?
    Main Light manual 1/8? on boom frontal top right with umbrella
    Description

    Image content description

    My cat and me posing for a selfportrait :)

photography

Project

photography / "portrait"

Camera Equipment
Device: Nikon D200
Lens 1: AF 50 F/1.4

Content

images of family and friends


exploring the creative lighting possibilities

skater thumbnail dithered Lens 2: AF-S 17-35/2.8
Lens 3: AF-S 70-200/2.8
Peripherical Equipment
Tripod: Gitzo GT3540LS
Lights: 4xNikon strobes
Light Stands: 1xBoom 2x101B
contact me! H
H
H
Address
Name Klaudiusz Szatanik
Street Ulmer Strasse 48
City 73066 Uhingen
Fon 0173 3030301
email racl@klaudiusz.de