How to get a "cone of light" on seamless background?

Hi all, found this lovely still life by photographer J. Tasker:

http://i.imgur.com/IFp​HCp3.png


I have a small Yongnuo 560-IV speedlite with 9" soft box I would like to dedicate to this task but can't figure out how to make the triangle/cone shape of light that starts small at the top and expands as it comes down. I love how it lands behind the flower pot and is the brightest point of that light. I will be doing this for portraits, not still life.

Also, I have a roll of cinefoil available (but not really sure how to use it) if that will help cut light from the sides like the reference. Is the background light a hard light? Soft light? I really don't know and would appreciate help, thanks!!!

Hi, For a narrow cone, medium hard light but smooth transitions, one approach is a Fresnel (this one by 'Aputure'), fully focused/extended and 10 degree grid. I needed cinefoil to cut out stray light from the ventilation holes:

.. just a test ..

Just put the head of the speedlite close or against the background. You can incoming spliligth with the cine foil. That's is all and you can control the width of the cone at the top with the distance to the background and the bottom with the zoom of the speed lite.

I'll give it a shot, with grid and barn door. And with the proper backdrop, I think I could make the bottom part brighter.

Cinefoil can do the same, just lots of trial and error without the modeling lamp.

A fog machine or lots of flying dust would work too

The light leaves your light as a cone. When you "slice" the cone shape beam with the wall, you get a conic section projected onto the wall. The conic section you're most likely to see is a parabola. Sorry for dragging you back to middle school geometry class! The parabola will be more clearly formed if 1) The light all originates from a single point (so no softboxes, umbrellas with diffusion, etc) and 2) there's something limiting the angle of the cone (so no bare bulb). In other words, good, sharp parabolas of light on the wall be created things like fresnel lenses, reflectors with grids, TRUE parabolic modifiers like the Elinchrom Fireball, PCB 11" Long Throw or Retro Laser Reflector, or projection heads like the Profoto Spot Small.

Could the OP also use those projector-type modifiers?? I modified a F-16 Turbo Spot from a Photogenic mount to Elinchrom just by changing out the seven-inch reflector. Amazon has them as discontinued, but I do see the Turbo spot on eBay as well as garage sales. So it might be worth a look

Link to Amazon~~
https://www.amazon.com …arp_d_product_t​op?ie=UTF8

sincity wrote in post #18414526
Could the OP also use those projector-type modifiers?? I modified a F-16 Turbo Spot from a Photogenic mount to Elinchrom just by changing out the seven-inch reflector. Amazon has them as discontinued, but I do see the Turbo spot on eBay as well as garage sales. So it might be worth a look

Link to Amazon~~
https://www.amazon.com …arp_d_product_t​op?ie=UTF8

Yeah, same thing. The affordable ones tend to be fresnel attachments, the more expensive ones are usually condensor arrangements made of plano-convex lenses.

7" reflector

Off the top of my head:

Fresnel with barndoors
Zoomspot or any generic ellipsoidal spot
Flags and reflector
Photoshop

I'm fortunate enough to have Leko spot converted to my lights, but if I didn't I'd opt for a combination of #3 and 4

I think you just use your speedlight, set it fairly close to the wall (background), start with it zoomed to the longest setting and play with the angle to the wall (background) to get the affect you want.

You shouldn't need a fresnel, since that is, essentially, what you already have with your speedlight.

You can make it more complicated if you want...