Dave Hill secret wrap around lighting

[texshooter]

Based on what I've read so far, photographer Dave Hill's secret to getting his look is "wrap around" lighting. He uses up to 8 separate strobes, each one aimed at his subject at an angle to get the feathered side of each light. All this effort achieves the contrasty gritty photographs (after some post production of course).

Forgive me if I'm dense, but how in the world do you achieve contrasty results with non-contrasty "wrap around" lighting. Shouldn't wrap around lighting give you soft shadowless results.

Can someone explain this apparent contradiction.

Dave's work, btw, www.davehillphoto.com

[wolfden]

I have no idea, but I like his work. Probably best to ask the master himself

[MikeFairbanks]

It's really good work.

I think he's tone mapping in post production. Just my guess.

[fly my pretties]

Most of Dave hills work seems to be done with dodging, burning, and high passes.

[MikeFairbanks]

He should be doing big-name portraits. He could easily do the president and others and make it look amazing. This guy is talented.

[texshooter]

update: i believe i deduced dave hill's secret. everybody thinks that dave hill lights his subjects in a unique and secret way. i dont believe so. i admit i first didnt understand why he uses so many strobes, enough to require a gasoline generator, while on location. seldom does he use fewer than six. here are the clues that helped me solve the mystery.

1. he uses a range finder camera.
2. he uses way more strobes than are necessary, in a wrap around configuration
3. he always composites backgrounds from multiple shots
4. i assume he uses a dense nuetral density filter (i saw a video of his student doing this for his own projects)

conclusion: because he needs to composite a backround, he needs to use a chroma key screen to separate his models from the scene. he usually shoots outdoor places like parking lots that offer no interesting backdrop. but because chroma keys are too uwieldly, he instead slips on a dark ND filter and overpowers the natural light with 5-10 stobes positioned from all directions. in effect he is separating his models from the background by replacing the sunlight with strobe light. because the strobes are only aimed at the model, the entire environment goes black. so all those strobes with nd filter act as a chroma key apparatus. that explains why he uses a rangefinder--so he can see the model at the same time have a dark nd filter on the lense.

he does not sculpt his models with ligh in any patented mysterious way. all those lights are needed to eliminate ambient light. all his trademark light sculpting is done in photoshop with dodging and burning, not during the shoot. thats not to say, however, that his lighting isnt good, on the contrary, it needs to be.

[DutchCow]

Nope, saw this video about him:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSGY_N2Z_y0

1 He uses a 5D mk2 - no rangefinder. For big clients he sometimes have to use a medium format camera.
2 He always uses a ringlight for fill, and many times a large Octabox.
3 He does a lot of post processing, in a very detailed way.
4 He said he doesn't use filters in PS, but uses a lot of layers (200+) and layermasks.
5 ..and a lot of dodge and burning ;).

For me it's impossible to copy, but i like the effect!