Lighting comments

Hi Friends...today was another portraiture lighting practice day. I would appreciate helpful and critical comments regarding the lighting in the image below. It has had basic levels, USM and resizing done on my uncalibrated monitor (too lazy to get my computers out!):
FYI...I was trying technical short, Rembrandt lighting...I think.

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'text/html' | Byte size: ZERO

Hi,
Your overall lighting placement and ratios are not too bad. Where you have to be careful is when you photograph people with glasses. Ah yes! So many things to think about. Otherwise, you'll have to do some Photoshop to remove that, and it takes some time to do it well. Usually, either putting the flash a little higher, the head down or turned slightly will prevent this. Some antiglare glasses will do the job also, but not always.

Now, have that model smile, and we're in business...

richardj7 wrote:
Hi,
Your overall lighting placement and ratios are not too bad. Where you have to be careful is when you photograph people with glasses. Ah yes! So many things to think about. Otherwise, you'll have to do some Photoshop to remove that, and it takes some time to do it well. Usually, either putting the flash a little higher, the head down or turned slightly will prevent this. Some antiglare glasses will do the job also, but not always.

Now, have that model smile, and we're in business...

My 11 year old laboriously indulges me as a subject. Thanks for the tip on the glasses...although my primary concerns are the ratios and placements, I do appreciate it.

Tilt the glasses down slightly or maybe move your main light up, your just barely catching the bottom of your main lights reflection.

Excellent...I see that now. Thanks!

Scott, I have some recommendation that you can try and then compare to the results that you have here.

Rembrandt lighting is where the shadow of the nose reaches the shadow side of the face and creates a triangle of light below the eye. As you can see the shadow of your daughter’s nose stops short of that.

It appears that you have a reflector for fill light low and to the camera right. Look at the exposure in front of her left ear and below her left jaw and compare that to her forehead above her left eye. Try bringing your fill light or reflector up so that her cheek and forehead are receiving more light than the area under her jaw or her left ear.

As far as main light, I would start with a loop lighting (Rembrandt is a variation of loop lighting) and compare to the example you posted here. Position your main light so that the shadow of her nose reaches toward the corner of her mouth without touching the lips. Now, position your fill so that the shadow side of her face is evenly lit while still in shadow compared to the main. Her eyes, forehead, chin and the area from her left cheek to the right side of her face should be evenly lit (for the short lighting you have here). See how you like this compared to the photo here. I would try this first without her glasses to give yourself a feel for the lighting then you can play with the glasses to minimize the reflections.
Mark

Geez...I'm not getting this very well.

Here are two trying to incorporate some suggestions:

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'text/html' | Byte size: ZERO

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'text/html' | Byte size: ZERO

Actually Scott, the lighting is better in both of these compared to the first. Since you're using a small light source, you're getting some harsh shadows. Do you have a way to diffuse your main light? How are you metering your exposure?

I agree they are better but.... My light source is a 550EX into a white 60" umbrella at +/- 90 degrees to camera left--5 feet out from subject at 45 degrees--up 5ft and angled down at +/- 45 degrees. I have dialed in 12/3 FEC. My fill is opposite the key light only even with the subject and only 2-3 feet away--it is a silver collapsible relflector.

I think I need a tad more fill, but then it becomes difficult for me to distinguish the classic shadows.

These images have virtually no PP done--I am trying to teach myself to get the exposure right from the get go.

I would have never guessed that you were using a 60" umbrella. You souldn't need anywhere close to a 90 degree angle on your main to get loop lighting. Try moving it slightly toward the camera. This will take much of the shadow off of her sholder. I'm now looking at your portraits with a different monitor and the shadows do not look as harsh.

Another thing to try is to turn your umbrella so that you are shooting through the umbrella and leave everything else alone. Also, without moving your reflector any closer to your subject move it as close to the axis of your camera as you can without it being visible in the frame. With your lighting setup, I think you just need to experiment a little to get it tweaked in.... Since you don't have modeling lights, you can also experiment without your reflector to better see the results of moving your main.

I think your present ratio look pretty good.

edit -duplicate

Okay...new daughter and a few new tactics based on suggestions. I also included a quick snap of my setup.:

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'text/html' | Byte size: ZERO

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'text/html' | Byte size: ZERO

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'text/html' | Byte size: ZERO

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'text/html' | Byte size: ZERO

I think you have over compensated on the fill light from the reflector. I thought the previous attempt had a better lighting ratio. Try adjusting your reflector to reduce the fill light a little, and try stopping down your lens one stop while leaving everything else the same. The image I'm seeing looks a bit overexposed. THEN, have your daughter look at the lens and give dad a little smile!