B&W

[watchfull]

Hi;

I would like to start experimenting with (dramatic) B&W studio portraits, with film camera.

What’s the best lights configurations?

Thanks for your help .

 

[A-Marc]

maybe post a reference picture what look you are after....this will make answer your question a lot easier.

 

[BAK]

Buy a 3-light case of Rotolight Neos, and a Sekonic L-358. And a tripod with a center column.

BAK

 

[Gato Amarillo]

First of all, you will save a ton of time and money if you start your experiments with digital, then move to film once you get a feel for the basics.

On lights, dramatic to me implies relatively small modifiers such as a beauty dish, but I may not be thinking like you are.

As someone said, post an example or two to help us know what look you are trying to get.

Gato

 

[watchfull]

Just 2 examples.

I have done some digital studio work years ago …

 

[watchfull]

…I prefer to use LED lights….

 

[D Saul]

Just 2 examples.

I have done some digital studio work years ago …

What don't you remember from doing this in the past? Seems like you know the answer to your own question, right?

 

[watchfull]

Theses are not my photos.. I saw them on the internet and send them as a few members suggested- as an example of what I try to achieve…I never used LED lights .. and never done “dramatic “ look. Hi

 

[Off The Mark]

Theses are not my photos.. I saw them on the internet and send them as a few members suggested- as an example of what I try to achieve…I never used LED lights .. and never done “dramatic “ look. Hi

I have several LED lights. I will probably buy several more.

If you are doing stills, and in particular doing black and white, then some lights like the Godox SL200 (or the SL 200 II), or the Aputure Amaran 200d (actually cheaper than the godox, which is a surprise).

They both have a Bowens mount so there are a metric butt ton of inexpensive modifiers that you can throw on to them, including magnum reflectors, beauty dishes, even fresnels, and of course, grids and snoots. (Hmmm... would a combination grid plus snoot be called a Groot???)

Also there are a whole slew of softboxes and octas (although the sample photos you posted looked more like hard light instead of soft light that you would get from octas and softboxes)

A few notes just in general:

For your use, you should avoid bi-color lights and rgb lights. They have less light output than a daylight-balanced light, and since you are shooting in black and white, you won't really need lights that can change the color temperature. Also, gels are a thing.

Secondly, the more expensive lights (Aputure Lightstorm, etc.) have quieter fans (important when shooting video and fan noise can get recorded, not really important for stills) and those more expensive lights have higher color accuracy (again, probably not as crucial for black and white stills).

The other thing is that LED lights are GENERALLY available as LED panels, or as single-point lights (chip-on-board, or known as COB lights). For your needs for "dramatic" lighting, then definitely recommend going with COB lights and avoid the panels for two reasons: 1) Panels generally have less power than COB lights when you compare them dollar for dollar, and 2) It is easier to transform the hard light of a COB in to soft light that it is to transform the soft light of an LED Panel in to hard light.

And again, the sample images you showed look to be hard light.

The two lights I mentioned earlier (Godox SL200 and aputure Amram 200d) are both chip on board (COB) lights, hence easily give you all the hard light you need, and can be easily softened using the numerous inexpensive modifiers that flood the internets.

--
What Middle School Is Really Like:

 

[JohnSil]

…I prefer to use LED lights….

Watchfull, I've done a lot of B&W portraits both film and Digi but mostly Digi. Most of what I've done are what are called bodyscapes but lots of portraits too. And decades ago I did only film, of course there wasn't anything else!

Not sure WHY you're looking to use LED's? Yes there is a simplicity to them but you'll basically be shooting available light which means you'll either be at very slow speeds or you have to start cranking up the iso. Strobes STOP the movement for you. You'll either need to be on a tripod which will only control the camera movement but can restrict how you shoot or your speed will need to be high for hand holding. For dramatic images you need to control the light quite well. Most LED's come with barn doors so that can control spill but you'll be kinda limited to just headshots because the LED lights are generally quite small.

I shoot all my dramatic light shots using strip lights with grids for extra control. All of the following shots were taken using a single strip light. Sometimes it's on a boom to help get it out of the way and somewhat out of the shot when the light is behind the subject. The strip is 56" long so I can pretty much light a whole body. The modeling light will tell you what the light is doing and where.

And yes there's manipulation in post to adjust the shadows. If you only use film and do wet prints, manipulation becomes a bit harder to do without digitizing the negative.

I'm glad to answer any questions. Good luck

John

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[Off The Mark]

By the way: There is a hybrid LED / Strobe made by Godox (might be others as well but this is the one I know of). It is called the FV150.

You can learn more about it at it here:

It works as a continuous LED or you can use it as a flash with a full power 150 watt modeling lamp.

Haven't used one myself so can't say how food the real world applications are.

Apparently, the flash burst isn't all that powerful, but it is more powerful than the continuous LED light from it.

 

[watchfull]

Thank you very much for the great information

 

[watchfull]

thanks again for your advice.
I tried All week to find the lights you recommended…. Couldn’t find them in Canada ,except for the Aputure 200d-s, which is a compact version of the 200d. I might go for it except-not sure if the dodo ox for the 200d will fit ( found only in Amazon , believe it or not …)

 

[Chimping Aberratation]

Get a strobe (or LED light) with a modifier for example an umbrella or softbox to soften the light when wanted. Then use a dark background and white/black reflector and lots of experimenting. Looking at the reference images, the bottom image was most likely done with a hard light source like just a bare flash head on the right side of the camera. Maybe some modifier or flag to block light spilling into the background.

 

[itsDing]

If you are eventuly going to use film them stay away from 35mm, medium format is the way to go. Bronica cameras 6x6 or 6x4.5 are excellent quality and value for money, their lenses are good to.

 

[watchfull]

Thank You. That’s exactly what I am doing ..experimenting is more fun - than what I thought …