Need advise for key light modifier for body building shoot

I'm shooting a body builder in his gym tonight. I'll be using the White Lightning X3200 for key light. I haven't decided if I'm gonna use my 4 foot octa or my 22" mola. For kickers, 2x AB1600's in the large strip boxes by PCB. Those are pretty straight-forward. It's the key light modifier I'm contemplating. A buddy of mine, and fellow photographer, shot this photo of Sean Jones using [what looks like] a reflective umbrella, boomed high and I can't get over how kick ass it turned out. I'm wondering if the larger modifier is perhaps the better choice between the octa and BD? Thoughts?

EDIT: I also have 3', 4' and 7' umbrellas.

smaller sources will give the higher contrast/more specular look that I think is often required for making the muscles really pop.

Left Handed Brisket wrote in post #17774398
smaller sources will give the higher contrast/more specular look that I think is often required for making the muscles really pop.

So perhaps the Mola will be my best bet. Hmmm...

or maybe the 3' umbrella.

raking the light across the body will also help create the shadows needed for good definition. Thats why your buddy's main was placed so high ... so that shadows under the pecs and abs are exaggerated.

Left Handed Brisket wrote in post #17774417
or maybe the 3' umbrella.

raking the light across the body will also help create the shadows needed for good definition. Thats why your buddy's main was placed so high ... so that shadows under the pecs and abs are exaggerated.

Thank you!

I like the standard reflector that came with he alien bees with grids for kickers/rim-light for masculine shots.

Yeah? That might make life a lot easier than packing strip boxes and setting them up. Hmmm. Good call.

Well, I went with the BD and strip boxes. Here are the first 2 images I've edited. C+C welcomed.

Your key light placement is too high in pic 1.

The highlights are a bit overexposed losing details.

PhilF wrote in post #17776288
One word .... Grids

No offense taken. Thank you Phil. I appreciate it, as I have plenty to learn. So grids on the kickers (strip boxes) or key light (BD) or both? I have a grid for my Mola but I find that it reallllly focuses the light and probably wouldn't have been ideal for a shoot like this. Correct me if I'm wrong. I definitely need to get grids for the strip banks though as I had a lot of light spill. I had to set up a giant flag on the kicker to camera right as it was causing what I think was lens flare (???) or a "glow" from the right side of the image. I'm still not entirely sure what was going on but it seemed like the one AB1600, camera right, was producing more right than the one on the left. I moved it further away, I changed it's angle, it just continued to seem brighter. Next time I'm going to give myself more time to setup and start metering my lights. If for whatever reason the right kicker WAS producing more light (for whatever reason), I'll likely put the kickers in separate groups, meter, and adjust accordingly. The next thing I need to figure out with PW is power tracking (I think it's called?).

Aressem wrote in post #17776296
I definitely need to get grids for the strip banks though as I had a lot of light spill. I had to set up a giant flag on the kicker to camera right as it was causing what I think was lens flare (???) or a "glow" from the right side of the image.

it's the same phenomena as when you are working with a subject on a white background and hit the background with too much light, the light is scattered inside the lens and causes loss of contrast … everything looks white.

one way to flag them off when it is a problem with too much light hitting the lens is, rather than flagging at the light, flag at the camera. Two small flags to the left and right of the camera lens will do the same as two big flags at the source. Plus, a flag at the source can reflect back on the subject and alter the light.

as you've seen, using strong kicker lights can be a game of millimeters when you are going for the symmetrical look that you have here, it is almost as if you have to have a few rulers or measuring tapes to get to put them exactly in the same place behind the subject. the slightest difference in position or angle to the subject will throw off the symmetry.


good looking shots, i'm sure the client will be happy.

First of all, really nice job, Ryan! This type of shoot is more challenging than it may at first appear. But they're also a lot of fun!

PhilF wrote in post #17776288
Your key light placement is too high in pic 1.

The highlights are a bit overexposed losing details.

Yeah, maybe just a little overexposed for darker skin. But honestly, I'd prefer to change perhaps the positioning of those lights than their power. Also, I'd probably look to even the left-right lighting in the first photo.

Aressem wrote in post #17776296
No offense taken. Thank you Phil. I appreciate it, as I have plenty to learn. So grids on the kickers (strip boxes) or key light (BD) or both? I have a grid for my Mola but I find that it reallllly focuses the light and probably wouldn't have been ideal for a shoot like this. Correct me if I'm wrong. I definitely need to get grids for the strip banks though as I had a lot of light spill. I had to set up a giant flag on the kicker to camera right as it was causing what I think was lens flare (???) or a "glow" from the right side of the image. I'm still not entirely sure what was going on but it seemed like the one AB1600, camera right, was producing more right than the one on the left. I moved it further away, I changed it's angle, it just continued to seem brighter. Next time I'm going to give myself more time to setup and start metering my lights. If for whatever reason the right kicker WAS producing more light (for whatever reason), I'll likely put the kickers in separate groups, meter, and adjust accordingly. The next thing I need to figure out with PW is power tracking (I think it's called?).

I haven't used a mola. But in general, I grids prevent spill more than actually focusing the light. The grid also cuts down a little bit on your power levels, so you may need to turn up the power by +1/3 or even more, depending upon the grid for that light. The main thing is to control the spill. That can usually be achieved with your grids and finding a good angle for your lights. Another tip to help with your flare issue would be to try a different focal length or even a different lens selection. Going with a 70-200 as you did here is what I would have started with, too. But try out an alternate focal length. You can also buy easily insertable and inexpensive flags for your flashes/kickers.

Again, really good job. I follow a number of photographers who are body-builder specific, and it's always fascinating to see their results.

For this kind of shooting having a few smaller lights on hand can be useful. Having a handful of small inexpensive flashes on hand would let you do things like have your primary light up high, but then add in a little extra targeted into deeper shadows in the upper chest or put a little more even lighting over just the face.

I would approach body building shots far differently from normal portrait shots, and treat them more along the lines of product photography with very careful and precise lighting where possible.

Good work. Here is a tutorial that I found helpful for the type of light you created. Cut through the BS and start at 4 min in.


https://www.youtube.co​m/watch?v=Ju_5fWjM0bo

K Soze wrote in post #17777645
Good work. Here is a tutorial that I found helpful for the type of light you created. Cut through the BS and start at 4 min in.


https://www.youtube.co​m/watch?v=Ju_5fWjM0bo

look at Joel's highlights... you can still see details on the skin of the subject.
By doing that, you still have control on the highlights in PP