First Pictures With HiLite, and Questions

My Lastolite HiLite arrived in today. My first thought was "OMG, that's big" Maybe the 6' x 7' was bigger than I should have gone for, but it was on a good offer and if I can ever learn to use it...

So I managed to grab hold of my kids for long enough for me to get a couple of pictures:

1.

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/atp/3587245128

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/atp/3587245908

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/atp/3586438361

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/atp/3587246878

[You start by metering your light on the subject first. Get that light right and then power the light in the Hilite x2 stops.

Had to look up Lasolite HiLite. I guess you have a two light system? One on the models, one on the background(and as it seems, shooting through the background from behind?)

If you're looking to achieve an evenly lit white background with the above set up, try placing the background light farther away. Of course, doing so will reduce the background illumination, so you will want to reduce the key.
Key is, say f/8 then background is f/11+. You will meter the background from the camera side, dome facing, and just in front of the background. You may want to try different angles of illumination with the background light to achieve even +/- 1/5 of a stop from left to right, and top to bottom of the background.

Again, all of the above is _if_ the first paragraph of this reply is true. Much luck!

Thank you. Yes, this was a two-light system - one for the background and a key.

I tried again later with two lights illuminating the backdrop, and that helped. Knowing that the metering of the backdrop should be done at the backdrop is alos useful, thank you.

Getting further from the backdrop is going to be hard in my living room... Maybe I need to rent a hall to practise, as that's the environment where I'm hoping to use the thing!

Many thanks,

regards,
/alan

When using my HiLite I do the exact opposite to the suggestion above, I set the lights in the background to max and then meter the key to -2 from the HiLite. I find this often works out giving me more even coverage, although I do use 2 lights one each side of the HiLite.

I like 2 the best, but to my eye all your shots seem a little underexposed, I would suggest playing about a little more I don't think you can really over expose the HiLite. I stand my subject about where I want them, point the meter back towards the HiLite from there and take a reading.

You can achieve a lot just using the HiLite itself as a solo light source, in these 2 shots the only light was coming from 2 Lumen8's in the HiLite behind the subject, one is at f9 the other at f16 other than that nothing was changed and there was no key light or reflectors used.

Cheers

Cris.

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Interesting approach, Cris - works very well in these pictuers. Seems as if I need a lot of practice here... just need a room to leave it permanently set up!

CrisUK wrote in post #8035117
When using my HiLite I do the exact opposite to the suggestion above, I set the lights in the background to max and then meter the key to -2 from the HiLite. I find this often works out giving me more even coverage, although I do use 2 lights one each side of the HiLite.

I like 2 the best, but to my eye all your shots seem a little underexposed, I would suggest playing about a little more I don't think you can really over expose the HiLite. I stand my subject about where I want them, point the meter back towards the HiLite from there and take a reading.

You can achieve a lot just using the HiLite itself as a solo light source, in these 2 shots the only light was coming from 2 Lumen8's in the HiLite behind the subject, one is at f9 the other at f16 other than that nothing was changed and there was no key light or reflectors used.

Cheers

Cris.

I have to disagree there, and the first of your images is the reason why, too much power into the hilite and the breast and stomach line (pretty important aspects of pregnancy photography) have all but disappeared due to wrap caused by the power being too high.

Mark Anthony wrote in post #8040552
I have to disagree there, and the first of your images is the reason why, too much power into the hilite and the breast and stomach line (pretty important aspects of pregnancy photography) have all but disappeared due to wrap caused by the power being too high.

I think you are missing the point of my post, the output power of the flash heads was not changed between the 2 shots, just the aperture setting in the camera. You can control the detail from the camera not the flash heads.

It makes sense to pump max power into the HiLite and then meter the key light and aperture setting to match and get the exposure you want to go for. Under powering the HiLite is only ever going to lead to fall off towards the far edge.

I find using the HiLite like this is quick and easy, results are consistent and I can even have my subject almost stood on it and get no shadow at all, these shots for example were taken in the clients kitchen!

Cheers

Cris.

Regardless of your intended point, the idea of the hilite isn't to just pump max power into it, anyone with a few quid to spend on lights can do that.

Ever heard the saying 'Power is nothing without control'?

I don't think anything could be truer when it comes to lighting.

But ho hum if you like doing it that way who am i to try to educate.

I'd like to see the same image once a key light was used though and set correctly in accordance to the blown out background, i find it hard to beleive that the same wrap would not occurr, or near as damn it. Or was that last one the finished image?

alan_potter wrote in post #8040293
Interesting approach, Cris - works very well in these pictuers. Seems as if I need a lot of practice here... just need a room to leave it permanently set up!

Yea, it does need quite a bit of space. I think to work with it to best effect you need something like a double garage but I have used mine in much smaller spaces that that

I have made a quick photoshop edit of my 2 favourite shots from above to show the kind of exposure I would have personally gone for. I guess it's down the personal taste but I really like the bright and punchy look I think the HiLite is perfect for.

I think your kids are great subjects, they look pretty comfortable in front of the camera.

Cheers

Cris.

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Mark Anthony wrote in post #8043362
Ever heard the saying 'Power is nothing without control'?

Yes, control is shown in the 2nd photo, we are discussing how to get an even back lit backgound here and the more light that is pumped in, the more light is reflected around inside the HiLite and the more even the coverage. The 2nd shot shows it is possible to use control in the camera not the lighting to get an even background without fall off, in these shots the 2nd shot was more what I had in mind but in the end my client went for something more like the 1st.

Mark Anthony wrote in post #8043362
But ho hum if you like doing it that way who am i to try to educate.

I'd like to see the same image once a key light was used though and set correctly in accordance to the blown out background, i find it hard to beleive that the same wrap would not occurr, or near as damn it. Or was that last one the finished image?

There is no need to educate, I am more than capable of metering this the other way around, but I find this method with the HiLite always produces images that are liked (and ordered!) by my clients.

Here is another image I metered in the same way, there is one key light to camera left. Again the detail is in there if I want to use it, it's right on the edge but it's a look I really like. Notice how the HiLite itself is providing a lot of light onto the neck of the guitar. I shot straight onto the HiLite and rotated my subject towards the key, this gave me the look I was going for, his arm just about disappearing in the light, while if you look at his ear, that is clearly outlined. Control?

Cheers

Cris.

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^^

I like that shot! The HiLite can get some good results

Thought I would share one I like of two good friends of mine.

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Each to their own i guess, i'm not going to argue i just guess my own preference is for minimal wrap and loss of edge detail.

I also think most of the time I like minimal wrap etc, but the shot above was one I took when I forgot to set the main light up wrong and the results I liked and more importantly they liked which is the goal.

Black train is also awesome!

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