Hotspot

[photo441]

Does anyone know how to make a hotspot on a backdrop. It the high light fuzzy circle around subjects head or body. I have two Alien Bee 800s and a Sigma 550 flash.

Thanks

JP

[SkipD]

Does anyone know how to make a hotspot on a backdrop. It the high light fuzzy circle around subjects head or body. I have two Alien Bee 800s and a Sigma 550 flash.You may want to get one or more of the grids for the Alien Bees. These provide directionality to the light. I can't suggest which one, though, as I haven't used mine - I got the set of four - enough to tell you what each one does at what distance.

[robertwgross]

I've used two methods to put a light spot on the backdrop.

One method is to put a continuous lamp on a short stand directly behind the subject so that it shines on the backdrop. It has to be pretty bright to show up with other lighting types.

The other method works when I use my gray fabric backdrop. I actually put the continuous lamp behind the backdrop so that the light shines through the fabric. I generally do this with a color filter over the lamp. The result is a fuzzy ball of colored light behind the subject.

---Bob Gross---

[chtgrubbs]

Moving the light low the the ground and close to the background and pointing it up will give you a graduated spot that bleeds out at the top. Using a grid pointed straight at the background will give you a more defined circle. The diameter of the circle and the sharpness of the edge are controlled by the tightness of the grid and distance to the background. You can combine the two effects as necessary. The brightness of the circle is defined by the brightness of the background and/or the output of the light relative to the main exposure.

[DavidEB]

when all else fails, photoshop makes this easy.

[davepgh1]

Don't have one but they sell a background reflector just for that purpose, $30.00.

http://www.alienbees.com/ubr.html