Beginner: nude photos + candle light

[Asterix]

Hi everybody

It's my first post here.
I would appreciate some help on using candles as only light source. I'm a total beginner what comes to taking photos and even more, taking nude photos of my girl is a first time for me trying to do something like this. I'm going to use candles as a light source, there are no lamps available that I could use so please don't recommend using anything else than candles this time, I just want to see what the result will be when using candles. I have a Canon G5 camera and I'm going to take photos in my summer house, so no fancy backgrounds or whatsoever, just plain walls made of natural wood.
I'm looking for some ideas how to place these candles and my model in a room, how much of them should I use and what poses my model should or could take and things like that.
Thanks in advance.

Tõnu

[jimsolt]

Hi everybody

It's my first post here.
I would appreciate some help on using candles as only light source. I'm a total beginner what comes to taking photos and even more, taking nude photos of my girl is a first time for me trying to do something like this. I'm going to use candles as a light source, there are no lamps available that I could use so please don't recommend using anything else than candles this time, I just want to see what the result will be when using candles. I have a Canon G5 camera and I'm going to take photos in my summer house, so no fancy backgrounds or whatsoever, just plain walls made of natural wood.
I'm looking for some ideas how to place these candles and my model in a room, how much of them should I use and what poses my model should or could take and things like that.
Thanks in advance.

Tõnu
Obviously there's more than one way to do this but I remember reading this (http://www.lightingmagic.com/lightqa.htm#Candle%20lit%20portrait) about the same subject. Check it out. It may be helpful.
I just re-read it completely. It may be a little on the prehistoric side, but the idea should still be helpful.
Jim

[Merle]

Using candle light alone will obviously give you lighting limitations. To lessen these limitations use your candles as props. Use flood lights with tungsten (regular light bulbs) bulbs. Set your camera to outdoor light setting this will throw the color off so you will have that romantic yellow candle like color, but you have more light control. If you have any doubts, set your camera to outdoor light, turn the lights off in your house, turn on a table lamp (with tungsten lightbulb) and photograph something, now look at the color.;) :) :D

Good shooting to Ya !!
Merle

[cmM]

well,
1. Long exposure
2. Make sure your model can sit still for that long.

You could get some nice results.

[RTMiller]

3. Keep sensitive body parts away from open flames.

[Asterix]

Thanks for the replies, unfortunately I don't have the model anymore (don't ask why, life is strange sometimes) so I have to bury my idea of taking these photos until I'll find myself a new girl.

Tõnu