Final project

Final Images - Glowsticks are awesome

My initial project proved to be far too complicating with not only set-up but an environment that was mostly out of my control, but I stayed true to my glowsticks vision. Using the glowsticks I had and knowing that waving them around in a dark environment with a 10-30 second exposure would result in colorful streaks I went ahead and devised a plan. This plan would include a speedlight which would freeze the subject in the blackened environment that I and the model were working in.  The process was to press the shutter, the speedlight would flash, I would then enter the scene, and trace the model or move glowsticks around the model in a dark environment before the shutter closed, usually around 25 seconds on average.  Below are the resulting images.

AURA - f/13  20 s  ISO 800   -.67

FIRE  f/14  25 s  ISO 1000  -.33

CURIOSITY f/14  20 s  ISO 1000  -.67

Some of the struggles I ran into were if I underexposed the model the glowsticks were most vibrant.  If the scene was overexposed or at least closer to a correct exposure, I could barely see the glowsticks.  Slighting underexposing kept the exposure time above 20 seconds which allowed me to work longer in the frame.  Then in post, I was able to adjust the the exposure of the subject.

Assignment 12

PART 1

Photograph a shiny object.

f/25 1/60s ISO 100

I started with the light tent and while it did reduce reflections, I found the overall image flat.  My second attempt was to place the product on a white background in between two strobes.  One was set to -3 and other was set to a lower strength.  We noticed in the reflection you could see the rest of the room, so one of our group members had to hold a white board to remove the reflection that was occurring in the rounded portion of the bottom to the left.  I like the drama of the shadow as compared to the flat overexposed image the light tent creates.  In many cases that overexposed look is very appealing, but in this case I liked how with the image better as I liked the shadow and how the light streamed through the bottle.  I also like how there is a black strip cutting through the top of the bottle.

PART 2

Final Project

I would like to explore portraiture using long exposure.

I researched types of light painting and came across light painting portraits using flashlights.

http://photographystatistics.com/how-to-make-unique-portraits-using-light-painting

I had a ton of glowsticks that were left over from a project that proved to be far too complicated so I thought how can I use them in a portrait. 

I went ahead and began setting up the photo shoot based on my research.  Find a room that you can further darken which would be my basement.  Sounds creepy, but actually its not that bad. I set up the camera on a tripod with a speedlight attached (on camera flash).  Cracked a few glowsticks, blackened the lights, closed the door and turned off the lights.  And below is what I got.

f/13   20 s  ISO 800 Manual off camera flash 1/64

Go to my Final post to see what the resulting images looked like. 

Assignment 11

Assignment 11: Speedlights Part 2

Direct flash on camera Program mode

(P) - f/4.5, 1/60, ISO 125

Flash fill Aperture Priority mode

(Av) - f/4.0, .4 sec ISO 125

 

Bounce flash off the ceiling in Program mode

(P) f/4.5, 1/60 ISO 125

Direct flash off camera Program setting

(P) f/4.5, .8 sec, ISO 1000

 

Assignment 10: Speedlight Flash Part 1

Assignment 10: Speedlight Flash Part 1

Image 1 - subject lit with on-camera flash, no modifiers

Image 1 - f/4.0 .3 sec ISO 800 Flash 1/1 Manual

Portrait using an on-camera speedlight set to Manual 1/1 mode.

Image 2 - subject lit with on-camera flash with modifier

Image 2 - f/3.5, 2 sec, ISO 800, 1/1 Manual Flash w/ Color Gel modifier 

Image 1 portrait recreated but with the use of a Color Gel.  Roughly the same settings.  

Image 3 - subject lit with flash off camera, no modifiers

Image 3 - f/5.9, 1/80 sec, ISO 100, 0+ ETTL Flash

Off-camera flash set to ETTL 0+ exposure.  You can clearly see where the flash is placed. 

Image 4 - subject lit with flash off camera with modifier

Image 4 - f/5.6, 1/80 sec, ISO 100, 0+ ETTL Flash w/ Color Gel modifier

Off-camera flash set to ETTL 0+ exposure.  You can clearly see where the flash is placed. 

Image 5 - subject lit with flash that shows movement

Image 5 - f/16, 6 sec, ISO 100, 0+ ETTL Flash  

In Image 5, speedlight is off-camera and to the subjects left at a 45 degree angle.   It was difficult to control the intensity of the continuous light to the subjects right in comparison to the weak strobe light. 

Image 6 - subject lit with flash - freestyle

Image 6 - f/6.3, 6 sec, ISO 100,

Here one speedlight is set-up in the back with a color gel and set to ETTL 0+.   Continous light from a flashlight (with a color gel) is reflected off of a mirror to create this blur of colorful movement.  This took several attempts.

Assignment 9

Make a photograph that demonstrates motion. You may either freeze your subject or show motion blur.
You must use at least one strobe.
Post: One photograph. Give a description of your setup and what you were trying to capture and how you achieved it in your image.

f/4 ISO 200 2 secs

I wanted to capture motion and I knew I wanted to use color.  I knew that setting up a continuous light with a color gel would give some motion with color and in conjunction with the strobe would freeze the action a bit.  The strobe flashed once in the beginning and than the subject moved within a 2 second period.  I liked the one above the most because the movement was contained within the backdrop.

f/3.5 ISO 100 3.2 secs

This is an extra photo that I was going to post originally, but found that my composition was sloppy.   It does however exhibit what happens when a strobe is flashed twice during a shutter speed set to three seconds.  In this case, continuous light was to my left and strobe to the right.  Strobe flashed with the camera and then manually flashed again at 3 seconds.  Both photos were achieved using the same set-up.  

Assignment 8

Grids and Snoots

Each person will post their own images and analysis.

Research film noir portraits. Choose one photograph to replicate. Use AT LEAST two grids or one grid and one snoot.

Spend some time editing your image in Lightroom (convert it to black and white and adjust the lighting using all of the global and local adjustments available to you in the develop module.)

Post a description of your setup (drawing/diagram even better) and discuss how the grids helped you achieve the lighting in your portrait.

While researching film noir portraits I came across many, but wanted to try and tackle the film noir portrait that included shadow blinds in the photo.  I did my best to try and find a portrait that I felt I could replicate.  In the photo above, it appears that light is coming from one source and it may even be natural light streaming through a window with shades.

To try and produce blinds shadows on the subject/scene, I figured I would need to build something. Below is my creation.

Cardboard grid with black foil and tape.

I cut out slats in cardboard to replicate blinds and covered it in foil and black tape.  You could attach this to tripod or have someone hold the grid to have the light fall across the eyes.

f/3.5, 1/60, ISO 100  1600 Key light - 10' 100% 20 grid  1600 Fill light - 5' -5f quarter power

I chose a 20 grid for the key light hoping for a more intense and concentrated light on the subject and a 40 grid in the fill for a more diffused look.  Initially, the strobe continually blew out the shadow lines.   With this happening we did change the intensity of the key light a few times and then eventually moved the strobe far away from the subject (10') at full power.  With the grid close to the subjects face we began to notice lines showing up, however they were not to the thickness or shadow weight I was hoping for.  Because the assignment called for two grids or a grid and a snoot, I did add the fill light to the right which is not evident in the professional photo above.  We began to set up key and fill lights at first, but recognized it is best sometimes to start with one light and build from there. I would need to experiment further to really replicate the shadow seen in the professional photo above.

f/3.5, 1/60, ISO 100  1600 Key light - 10' 100% 20 grid  1600 Fill light - 5' -5f quarter power

Light set up.  Key to left, fill to right. Holding grid and photographer shoots subject to the right of grid

Assignment 7

Part 1: Take two photographs of a still life setup. The first will be with just the reflector on the 1600 strobe. Then, without moving the light at all, add the small white umbrella to the strobe & reflector and take another photo. (Don’t forget to meter for both pictures!) Describe the difference between the shadows and overall lighting in these two images.

1600 Strobe with Reflector - 1/60, f/18, ISO 100

1600 Strobe with Reflector and White Umbrella - 1/60, f/13, ISP 100

The two images utilize the same light source at the same distance but one diffuses the light with the use of an umbrella.  In the top image, the highlights are a little more blown out than in the bottom image that uses the umbrella, but not by much.  You see increased highlights in the flash which sits to the right of the camera (the viewers left).  What you really notice in the two images, is the softness of the shadow that casts to the back of the camera.  The shade of the shadow remains the same, perhaps because the light source distance has not been changed.  In 1600 strobe with reflector image, the bright direct light casts a well outlined shadow of the camera handle and camera, while the 1600 strobe with reflector and white umbrella image has a softened shadow.  The light source was about 3.5' away from the subject.  In the top image, I do see some more of the shadows pulled out.  If I had to choose between the two images, the second image with the umbrella is far more pleasing simply because the shadow adds to the photo and does not distract from the overall image.

Part 2: Then, take two portraits. Using, the large umbrella in one and the small umbrella in the other, your goal is to produce the same type of lighting in each photograph. Think about subject placement, the light, and the background. Measure and record the distance of each light source from the subject and then describe how you came to this conclusion. It may be be useful to use a tripod for this so that you are not changing the camera angle much.

1600 Strobe with Reflector and Small White Umbrella 5' from subject f/13, 1/60, ISO 100

1600 Strobe with Reflector and Large White Umbrella 8' from subject - f/8, 1/60, ISO 100

I started with the small umbrella at 5 feet from the subject in the first image.  Shadow not terribly harsh and lighting overall is a little brighter (not necessarily overexposed) but just brighter than you may want in a portrait.  After reviewing, the first image, I determined which direction the larger umbrella should move.  I figured in order to obtain the same type of lighting exhibited with the small umbrella (most notably how the shadow casts), I would need to make the large umbrella smaller by moving it farther away from the subject.  I ended up with the subject 8 feet from the light source and metered for correct exposure.  It seems that moving the light farther away from the subject with the large umbrella made the color value of the gray background change to a lighter shade of gray as compared to the darker gray seen in the first photo.  The skin tone of the subject also changes.  It always depends on the style you are hoping to achieve, but in a casual portrait such as this, I would think that the second image would be the best choice. 

Assignment 6

 
Set up a still life.  Light the still life in an interesting way. Then, use your understanding of depth of field to make two photographs:

1. Shallow DOF (less in focus front to back)

2. Greater DOF (more in focus front to back)

Post: 2 photographs. Label each image with your camera settings in the following format: ISO 100, 1/125 @ f/3.5.

Describe your setup (i.e. how many lights you used, where the lights were in relation to your subject, whether you used fill cards/diffusion, the settings of the strobes, etc.). Then discuss what you did in each photograph to emphasize the Depth of Field.

 

Shallow Depth of Field

ISO 100, f/4.0 @ 1/60

First a 1600 strobe was set up to the right of the composition and at roughly a 45 degree angle.  We settled on the light at around -3 after taking a meter reading to arrive at an aperture of 3.5.  I set mine at 4.0 with ISO 100 and 1/60.  A reflector may have been a good idea here just a little to the left of the composition.  I set my single point focus on the white bird next to the basket about of a third of the way into the composition.  The focal plane field was the white bird and the cat, while the rooster and cow are out of focus. 

Wide Depth of Field

ISO 100, f/16 @1/60

The lighting set-up is similar to the first.  We increased the intensity of the light to nearly full power and used the light meter.  F/16 was the suggested aperture.  Here I tried to set-up an engaging composition, something that would allow me to show a wide depth of field.  I single point focused on the rooster on the top of the "barn" and took the shot.  The result is the entire photo from front to back is in focus.  The bunny in the back begins to show a little softening, but not much.  Here I could have also used a reflector on the left side to provide a soft light there.  

Assignment 5

Using Rembrandt lighting, create a portrait with key, fill, and backlight. Post one photo of each part of your setup along with a label that says which light it is:

1 key light

1 fill light

1 background light

1 with all three lights combined in the same photograph

3 Light Set-up deconstructed

Freestyle 1 & 2

Freestyle creative light set-up 1 yielded the above result.  See the 3 light set up diagram below. 

1600 Key light at 1600 was nearly full power with fill light at -1 and set far back from the subject.  The 800 light in back on medium power was lower than all the rest with the light directed straight toward the back.  I should have tried with the 800 back light shining straight upward to get hair light on the bottom of her hair.  Settings f/16, 1/60 and ISO 100.

Freestyle 2 with light set-up diagram below.

The following light set-up had the Key light dimmed a bit as I was looking for a less intense light on the subject.  The light intensity of the fill light increased as well as it was brought closer to the subject.  Back light was brought over the subject's head to create a hair light that is different from the first.  In the first, the lack of hairlight and the key light providing much of the light on the hair, gives way to a very dull flat look while the less intense light over her head provides a warmer glow.

Assignment 4

Make a portrait of one of your group members. Select a quality of light to communicate an aspect of your subject's personality.  Make a second portrait that is opposite from the first.

Using one 1600 light, we decided on two qualities of light with Hana -  soft and direct light.

This soft diffused light portrait of Hana was achieved by setting the light high at a 45 degree angle and placed off to the side of the photographer.  We tried several diffusion filters but settled on the Rosco White Diffusion filters as it gave the softest most uniform light.  This soft light portrait of Hana uniformly lit projects friendliness and comfort.  The law of light most at work here is the inverse square law.  With the help of the diffuser, light spreads out as it travels over a distance resulting in a softer, diffused light. 

In stark comparison to the first image where all of Hana's face was lit, the use of side lighting here placed at the same level as her face and just off camera left projects an edgier portrait of Hana.  Harsher shadows and contrasting lines seen down the middle of her face highlight a light and dark side of the subject.  The heavier use of make-up adds personality and meaning to the image.  The law of light most evident here would be that light travels in a straight line, reflecting off her face and dropping off on the opposite side. 

Assignment 3

In one photograph, using one light source, clearly demonstrate the 3 laws of light:

• Light travels in a straight line
• Angle of Incidence = the Angle of Reflection
• Inverse Square Law

Assignment 2

Assignment 2: Inverse Square Law

Each group will produce ONE set of images. Each person will post their group’s final images on their own blog.
Part 1: Use 3 4x5 cards: black, gray, and white. Clamp each card onto a light stand and place the cards so that they are just slightly overlapping. Using just one light source, make all three cards appear to be the same gray value. (You can move the cards and the light source until it works). Record the distance from the light source to each card.
Part 2: Post two photographs:
1. The resulting image with all three cards and the distances you recorded from the light source to each card.
AND
2. A photo of your setup in the studio.
Then, explain how you used your understanding of the Inverse Square Law to find the solution.

From light source: Black - 2', Gray - 4'6", White - 12'

Assignment 2 studio set-up

We marked down measurements on the floor and used the 1600 watt light source.  It took a few tries to get the black card to read the same gray value as the other two but we arrived at the following distances with using camera settings:  ISO 1000, shutter 1/50, F3.5

Light source - 1600

Black card at 2 ft 

Grey card in middle at 4 ft 6 inches

White card in back at 12 ft from light source

Assignment 1

Hard/direct Light

Soft/diffused light

Light from the front

Light from the side

Light from above

Light from below