How to get a gradient on black background! HELLLLP

[dinoSnake]

You think this is a long lens portrait?

Not in the common sense, absolutely not, not enough depth compression. Honestly now, I can't say. 50-70mm seems to offer the proper amount of compression, but then you are indeed under 3 feet away and I'm not sure how the parabolic reflector ends up leaving a halo...

Oh. :-O The parabolic is not *immediately* behind Ellis, it is pushed back with him closer to the subject.

 

[elliotn]

Now, factoring in the average human male's height, we can deduce that the parabolic itself is quite substantial. In order to fit the reflection of that much of Ellis's body, plus his [large] parabolic, into the reflection of that human's eye, he is almost certainly NOT standing a mere 2 to 4 feet away. The edge of the parabolic in the background is over Ellis' head, meaning that it must be a 7 foot+ parabolic, and standing a mere 3 feet away would mean that the edges of that huge parabolic wouldn't show in the eye, they would be beyond it (there wouldn't be a black halo around the catchlight).

I might be wrong, as I've never shot with a source that large, but to me it looks as if he's further away, but not "far".

I'm afraid you are wrong. To get a catchlight that large from a 7ft umbrella, the umbrella would have to be extremely close to the subject (less than 3ft).

You can quickly test this for yourself, without a 'proper' camera, or an extra large umbrella. Just put your iPhone in selfie mode, and take a self-portrait in front of a large window. Look at the catchlights - they're small, aren't they?

 

[Ken60]

Firstly , dark grey is better than black...you can under or over light and flag to produce many tones.

Look at

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www.google.co.uk

Re comments of iris size.... the mod light on the silver para shines so bright as to reduce the pupil

Gear ... what I need to get the job done , after all you don't see mechanics listing their brand of spanner as a qualification .