Best way of setting up the lighting

shumicpi wrote in post #17327839
I am asking for a common question but I truly need the exact answers from the experience photographers. What is the best way to set lighting up for portraits and table-top product shots?

Lighting for portraits tends to be the opposite of lighting for products. Lighting for retail portraits tends to be different then lighting for fashion. Lighting for something like a purse or a shoe is going to be significantly different than lighting for something like a watch or a wine bottle. You really need to start wit the basics, learn to see and understand light then learn how to apply it. As was recommended, I'd start you with a copy of "Light, Science and Magic".

One basic is as follows...
Front: softbox on one side, umbrella on other
Back: contra with anything you have left :]

Scatterbrained wrote in post #17335910
Lighting for portraits tends to be the opposite of lighting for products. Lighting for retail portraits tends to be different then lighting for fashion. Lighting for something like a purse or a shoe is going to be significantly different than lighting for something like a watch or a wine bottle. You really need to start wit the basics, learn to see and understand light then learn how to apply it. As was recommended, I'd start you with a copy of "Light, Science and Magic".

Acceptable, and thank you for relocating it.

Is the collection "Light, Science, and Magic" a resource? I'm a little perplexed as to the definitions of Light, Science, and Magic.

General principles

1. Fill light mimics the ambient light falling on a scene from light bouncing from adjacent surfaces, including the ground
   
2. Main light mimics the highlight caused by sunlight overriding the ambient light
   

shumicpi wrote in post #19267482
Acceptable, and thank you for relocating it.

Is the collection "Light, Science, and Magic" a resource? I'm a little perplexed as to the definitions of Light, Science, and Magic.

it covers a lot of what is "lighting".
Walt's above synopsis is awesome.

windpig wrote in post #19267607
it covers a lot of what is "lighting".
Walt's above synopsis is awesome.

Light Science and Magic is wonderful for understanding light control and its contribution to enhancing definition of texttures and shapes and almost anything beyond the basic concept embodied in Main and Fill lighting. It akes the mystery out of ligh source placement and turns it into Understanding.

Hoping after 7 years, it’s been figured out…

…asking for a friend.

ImageMaker... wrote in post #19267720
Hoping after 7 years, it’s been figured out…

…asking for a friend.

BadaDUMP!