How was this lit?

I am very new to lighting. I have some continuous lights but recently decided to give strobes a try. I am beginning to be able to figure out some lighting setups, but most still elude me.

I saw this photo series and was intrigued by the lighting and shadows on some of the pics. I can't seem to enlarge anything but the first photo, but the more I look at it I am thinking the shadow was either added or deepened in post.

I love the shadows on her face. It looks like one light to me, but then I wonder if there is a second. Can someone shed some light on this?

This is a link to a clothing retailer's ad campaign. I hope it is ok to post.

http://www.wallis.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StaticPageDisplay?catalogId=20551&storeId=12557&brdcrmb_trail=&identifier=wl1%20ylb%20panel%20scroller#

Thanks.

Lori

I may well be wrong, but my guess is a beauty dish high on camera right.
--
http://www.blackcanyonsystems.com

--
Lawrence

to hard for beauty dish I would say softbox Also could be totally off
--
http://www.sonyprophoto.com

Contact me at [email protected]

Honestly it looks like a little PP magic to lighten the left side of the face and create an interesting shadow.

But i then again i could be way off...

My guess is a 10" or even 8" general purpose reflector at about 4 feet distance. It could also have been a small type "mola" beauty dish around the same size, but I fancy probably not. Either way, it is too hard for anything much larger than 1 foot across.

If a reflector was used to lighten the shadow, it was maybe only a bit of bounce back from studio wall, if that.
--
Regards,
Baz

I am 'Looking for Henry Lee ' (could be Lea, or even Leigh) and despite going 'Hey round the corner', and looking 'behind the bush', I have not yet found him. If he survives, Henry is in his mid-60s, British, and quite the intellectual.

What is it all about? Well, something relating to a conversation we had in the pub 35 years ago has come to spectacular fruition, and I'd like him to know how right he was.

If you know somebody who could be this man, please put him in touch with me. Thank you.

Thanks for the "guesses." At least they give me something to try!! I'll try to see if I can replicate. I do have a DIY beauty dish, but no softbox. Maybe a shoot-thru umbrella would work?

Now I have to find an opportunity to play with lighting!!

Lori

The easy part is the main light is coming in from her left side. Based on the catch light in her eyes the light is positioned high and at some distance from the model. It also appears to be a relatively small light source. I’m wondering if a gobo (flag) was place on her right side with an additional light. I’m somewhat intrigued that her hair on the right side is highlighted, even the hair that appears to be behind the zipper of the jacket. Notice the highlight on her right index finger and knuckles. It may support the additional light theory. The shadow on the wall is also somewhat interesting. I’m wondering if additional PP was done on it. It’s a nice image.

I found a video of the shoot. Unfortunately, it doesn't really tell me much more than it used a combination of continuous light (a spotlight, perhaps?) and strobes.

Here is the link for anyone who wants to see it and maybe glean something from it that I couldn't:

http://www.ylb4wallis.com/video.html

It is mostly a self promotion- apparently this model is also a designer, so there's a bit of interview going on there. . .

Lori

I would not spend any time trying a shoot-through umbrella as they throw light everywhere, and you won't get sharp shadows.
--
http://www.blackcanyonsystems.com

--
Lawrence

About 1 1/2 second into the shoot you can see a very large window on camera right, and a light stand that appears to be 10'-15' back from the model on camera right. Unfortunately I could not see what was on the light stand.

This photographer has posted on this forum before. He uses the same Olympus camera I have and I made a comment about it and he replied. In that same thread there were more videos of him shooting.

I love this fellows work.
--
http://www.blackcanyonsystems.com
--
Lawrence

I also notice a large black panel to the right of the model (camera left) on some photos in front of the wall. What would be the purpose of a black panel?
It wouldn't bounce. . .

Lori

That is what has me confused. The more I look at the picture, the more I think there was quite a bit of post-processing. Then I see the video and the model's face seems as sculpted as it looks in the photo. The strong shadows are there, which are definitely from a continuous light. I see flash, and a window was pointed out, so I guess some natural light came into play.

I'm beginning to think the mode's look had a lot to do with it. . .which means I may not be able to replicate those shadows no matter how hard I try (unless I find someone with her facial structure. . .)

Lori

Although I did not see this black panel, they are generally used to absorb light and prevent light on that side of the model from bouncing back and lighting the model.

You can think of this as negative lighting.
--
http://www.blackcanyonsystems.com

--
Lawrence

The original image is lit with a single small light source. It might be diffused but it certainly isn't soft (so no umbrella or softbox going on here). The nose shadow will tell you almost everything you need to know. It's hard and falling slightly down. Hence the light is slightly above the model, camera right. The constant lighting is probably nothing more than the modeling light. The black gobo does indeed absorb light (subtractive lighting). This deepens the shadow camera left. Look at the wall: very bright on the light side, noticeably dimmer on the side near the gobo. It's actually a very simple lighting set up. Of course having a beautiful model never hurts! In terms of subtractive lighting, its a good technique to use outside when the lighting is very flat. By putting a black gobo near one side of the subject, you create direction of light by shading one side of the subject- the light no being stronger on one side than the other. In this image, it was used to deepen the shadows on the shadow side. It is also why I say the main light might be diffused (but not softened). Hard to tell with the shadows being "enhanced" by the gobo.

Of course I could be wrong.

It looks like a lighting mistake to me corrected by PP. The dark clothing has merged with the shadow falling on the background and the background shadow has been lightened to differentiate the clothing from the shadow.

--
Ian.

Samples of work: http://www.AccoladePhotography.co.uk
Weddings: http://www.AccoladeWeddings.com
Events: http://www.OfficialPhotographer.com

Theres only one sun. Why do I need more than one light to get a natural result?

Grid spot. Try your 7 inch reflector and a fine grid with no fill. It will look like this.
--
Jerry S
jerrycentral.com