Preferred lighting setup for hair model headshots?

[sdipirro]

Before I start experimenting with this, I figured I'd ask those with experience if they have a preferred lighting setup for shooting hair models. I've been asked to shoot a woman with shoulder-length curly hair (brown with red and golden highlights). She wants the pictures to highlight her hair. So here's what I'm thinking at this point, and I'd love some feedback from folks who do this sort of thing a lot more than I do!

Background - I'm leaning towards white (Lastolite Hilite) for contrast.
Kicker/hair lights - One on each side and behind the model at 45 degrees, with grids, above the model and aimed directly at her hair.
Main/fill - I've been debating using an over-under with two octaboxes, with the model looking straight on...or using a large octa to one side, elevated and aimed down, with the fill light on the other side, at or below eye level.

Or is this just crazy to use 4 lights on the model and one for the background? Thanks for any pointers!

[cdifoto]

I would probably set up a standard head shot arrangement then snoot another light across her hair to accent it.

[doidinho]

I would set up two large light sources in close at about 45 degrees in front of her; one on either side. I would power one of them about a stop above the other and then just blast her. The idea would be to get a couple large strips of direct reflection on either side of her head.

I would be shooting with a very small aperture to get the hair (front to back) in sharp focus.

[Hermes]

White is rarely a good idea, even moderately well controlled blown white BGs will wrap around the edges of the hair and ruin the definition of individual hairs. You have to get the background extremely controlled and far away from the subject to avoid this subtle effect.

As for the hairlights, keep them soft, close to the model and aim & flag them carefully. The lighting on the face is secondary in a hair shoot, you just want to keep it soft and flattering without being distracting. Try broad half-lighting the face at a low ratio.

[sdipirro]

This is interesting. I was planning on soft, diffuse lighing on her face because I thought strong shadows might distract attention away from the hair. So I was actually thinking about using the large octa for the main light and a rotalux deep throat octa for fill, at about one stop below the main light..to get some shadows but nothing too dramatic. I think I still need help with the hair lights though. I had been thinking of more direct light with grids to better illuminate her hair, but the suggestion of using softer light and carefully flagging it didn't occur to me. I can see where that might make the hair look more naturally lit and make that more of the focus. I'm not sure that I have enough modifiers to do that with two hairlights but could do it with one.

And you recommended against using a white background for the one reason I've been debating it also. What would be a better alternative? Because of her hair color, I didn't think a black background would work very well for this. If I gel the light in the Hilite background, I sometimes get some of that color around the edges of my subject, and I don't want that in this case. I could do a medium gray background for this. Would that work better?

[Hermes]

Yep, a mid grey BG would be more suitable. You can always warm or cool it very subtly with 1/4-1/2 strength CC gels depending on the hair colour of the model. You'll very rarely see the ultra strong effects gels that most portrait photographers own used in beauty work.

The important thing to make hair look healthy and natural is broad, even highlights. I have two gridded softboxes (60x80cm) that I keep for just this purpose. You can buy these dirt cheap (probably less than $100 for two in your neck of the woods). Small grid reflectors will give a more specular light which will pick up more strays and cover less evenly.

[sdipirro]

OK, so I was looking around (online) for small gridded softboxes that might be usable on Elinchrom studio lights, but I didn't spot anything nearly that cheap! Could you point me in a direction where I might find something like this? Thanks!

[Hermes]

I get mine from Konova: - http://cgi.ebay.ca/Grid-softbox-SOFT-BOX-24-32-60cm-80cm-4-Elinchrom_W0QQitemZ190297309887QQcmdZViewItemQQptZ LH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item190297309887&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1215|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A13 18

I deal with them directly so I always get a better price than the one they list on ebay as well as free combined shipping for multiple items. Still though, it seems they've put their prices up over the last few months or so.

EDIT: I just typed grid softbox into ebay and there were plenty of cheap ones that I'm sure you could get 2 of for $100-ish, e.g.:-
http://cgi.ebay.com/Softbox-Beehive-Eggcrate-Grid-60cm-Soft-Box-Elinchrom_W0QQitemZ200323622047QQcmdZViewItemQQptZ LH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item200323622047&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A13 18|301%3A0|293%3A1|294%3A50

[HeadShotz]

EDIT: I just typed grid softbox into ebay and there were plenty of cheap ones that I'm sure you could get 2 of for $100-ish, e.g.:-
http://cgi.ebay.com/Softbox-Beehive-Eggcrate-Grid-60cm-Soft-Box-Elinchrom_W0QQitemZ200323622047QQcmdZViewItemQQptZ LH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item200323622047&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A13 18|301%3A0|293%3A1|294%3A50

This one is actually quite good for the money. I have one that I use for headshots often. Double Diffuser panels, pebbled silver lining and nice build all around. The grid is similar to an Amvona softbox (4'x4"), however I feel the build quality is better overall than Amvona.

I took a chance at one and I was suprised it was as nice as it is....

[tetrode]

I get mine from Konova ...

Hermes, have you ever tried using small, gridded strip boxes like these:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Strip-softbox-SOFT-BOX-9-36-22-90cm-4-Elinchrom_W0QQitemZ190293386584QQihZ009QQcategoryZ 79008QQssPageNameZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksi dZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247

for hair lights?

One would think something 10" x 36" - ish would work very well in that application.

Dave F.

[Hermes]

Hermes, have you ever tried using small, gridded strip boxes like these:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Strip-softbox-SOFT-BOX-9-36-22-90cm-4-Elinchrom_W0QQitemZ190293386584QQihZ009QQcategoryZ 79008QQssPageNameZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksi dZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247

for hair lights?

One would think something 10" x 36" - ish would work very well in that application.

Dave F.

Dave,

I do have some stripboxes from Konova but they are much larger (about 64" high I think) and I use them mainly for edge-lighting, full length work and as fill sources.

Those smaller stripboxes would work well for hair-lighting close-up, but I persnally prefer the mild rectangular softboxes as there are times when I have to place the hairlight further from my subject than would be ideal and in those situations it helps to be using a light source that has width as well as length. If I were to use a 10" stripbox from more than a few feet away, the highlight would start to thin and pick up just the edge of the subject - that can be a nice effect for glamour and fashion but for beauty and particularly hair shoots, it's important to keep the hair as evenly lit as possible.