Studio Attempt...

[andrewLT]

Hello to all of you,

just started experimenting with studio photography and just wanted some input for my short time experience. The photo is a picture of my son who just turned 1 a month ago. They grow up so fast...I had to get this one pretty quick and was probably the best shot I've gotten from the whole session. Equipment list consist of 1 AlienBee 400 with homemade softbox above camera left and black seamless muslin. All inputs good or bad are always welcome...thanks.:)

[Tom V]

Andrew,

Welcome to the forums!

I lurk here all the time and read nearly every new post. When I see something that says "Studio" or "Attempt" it always catches my eye(s).

Your AlienBee softbox looks like it puts out nice light from that distance. I think that light has a good feel to it with just the right amount softness and direction. Too large a softbox, and you get mush. Too small a softbox and you get, well, it's not really a softbox then (just a diffuser). If you move your box closer, you get more falloff and a softer light with less contrast. To counter the falloff, you may need a fill light (or bounce card). Move the light farther away, and you'll get harder light with more contrast. Each subject needs individual attention to the lights - no lighting setup is perfect for every shot.

Shooting little kids is VERY HARD!. You did good if you get any shots worth keeping. Luckily, shooting digital is almost free compared to film. The limiting factor in photographing little kids is the subject's cooperation. I always back up a little when shooting toddlers because they move around so much. It allows me to have an easier time focusing, better depth of field, and allows for cropping later. I find it better to rely on post-shooting cropping than to risk cutting off flailing arms and legs in the camera. Plus, if you keep yourself some distance away, you are less likely to be hit with projectile vomit.

The attached shot is dramatic in the sense that the subject appears to be emerging from the shadows (the background), but perhaps, he has not emerged enough. The lighting on the face is nice, and I like the way it catches his hand.

On your next attempt, I would suggest trying to create more separation between the subject and the background. This would help define the shape of the subject. I can think of a few ways to do it. 1) Use a hair light - a light that is behind the subject and creates highlights in the hair to separate it from the background. 2) Lighten the background with either a lighter backdrop, or more light on the current backdrop. 3) Combine 1 & 2.

If you have only one strobe light, you could try to set up your shooting location to take advantage of some window light for fill, to lighten the backdrop, or possibly act as a hairlight. Or you could use a reflector to bounce some of the softbox's light onto the backdrop or even as a soft hairlight.

I would not use any in-camera sharpening if you have access to Photoshop or other graphic program. If you do use in-camera sharpening, use the STD setting and not HARD. Be careful using JPG formats, I find that they loose detail in the shadows and highlights. (Actually, it looses detail everywhere, but I notice it most in the highlights.)

With your permission, I can retouch your image with a simulated different backdrop to show how it can help separate the subject from the background. I don't think I could quickly simulate hairlight, but I will try. If you are interested, give me an OK and I will do it and attach it to a future post.

Time flies, so shoot fast!

[andrewLT]

Hello Tom,

First thank you for the feedback, I appreciate your time...I was pretty lucky to even get him still enough to take this shot let alone have time to think of everything else you mentioned. But your absolutely right about him not popping out enough from the B/G. I guess I was stuck on the idea to keep it as black/seamless as possible and I was trying hard not to get any light spill on the B/G in the process. As I mentioned I was only working with 1 AB but I did have a 32" reflector laying around along with 1 capable off camera flash Nikon SB-26 that I probably could have used as fill or even possible hairlight. But working with just this one light, I was only trying to see the general output/quality I can get out of the DIY softbox.

The box was positioned about 3-4 feet camera left pointing straight down at the subject. He's alittle short :) so my AB3900 stand was at its lowest setting, so I really couldn't get it any closer to him with out tilting the stand. That's why the catch lights in the eyes are also not so prominent. Camera settings for the shot was set at 1/125 F11 STD/STD/STD. The meter read F11 so that's what I set the camera too. You mentioned to not use any onboard camera sharpening, why is this? Isn't that what its designed for? Well what do I know?, that's what I'm here on this board to learn something. So anyway Tom thanks again...and about using the picture, no problem any help I can get to see a different perspective would always help. Like all the other great boards I think I found me another keeper...thank you all.

[Tom V]

Andrew,

Here he is. I kinda had to guess where his shape was, but you can get the idea. Most of the highlights in his hair were there, I just brought them out with the Curves control in Photoshop. I put in a gradient grey backdrop, and it is open to debate wether it should be dark on the left or the right. I find some tonal change in the background to be interesting without being distracting - although, I like them even as well.

http://www.s2pro.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1004
shows a picture of the last dark-haired subject I shot. She ended up on a black background, but was actually shot on a green background. To get her hair to separate, I used a green glow - hardly the thing you would want to use on your son's portrait. In this project, I had the in-camera sharpening turned off, and there is a before/after shot that shows the results of sharpening in Photoshop.

I sharpen in Photoshop because it allows me to control 3 variables in sharpening the image: amount, range, & threshold. When the camera does it, who knows what it really does? - it may not be appropriate, and you have no chance to undo what the camera does.

One trick for getting your light box lower is to rotate it 45 degees. It gets one corner as low as possible. In some ways it is better than keeping the box at 90 or 0 degrees (parallel to the floor). If your box is very low, and square to the floor, assuming your floor is in the shot, the floor gets bright right next to the box - maybe too bright. By turning the box 45 degrees, you get some light down to the floor, but avoid the hot edge it would otherwise create.

Nothing wrong with making your own soft boxes. For years, I used boxes I built out of 1x2s, foam core and drafting vellum. The boxes were generally pointed straight down over small product sets (microwave ovens, bags of M&Ms, hand vacuums, laundry baskets, whatever...). The boxes were 5 feet wide and 3 feet deep and 3 feet tall, and usually held two 2400ws Speedotron flash heads. They were suspended from the ceiling with ropes on each corner that could be adjusted for height or angle.

The largest softbox I helped build was 60 feet x 60 feet for a very very very soft light over a TV commercial set that looked like snow storm.

You can keep the backdrop black if you use a hairlight. You may have to move the backdrop farther away to keep light off of it.

[andrewLT]

Boy that was quick Tom...
Now that's instant service:)
I see the concept of separating the subject from the B/G. That's defiantly one of the things I'll work on while I try to go down this path of photography. Again, I just wanted to get some input and that's what I got so thanks. As I get more comfortable with this one light technique I will slowly incorporate other tools to tighten everything together alittle bit better. Maybe soon I'll decide on purchasing a real softbox but now I'm quite please with my Walmart Styrofoam cooler. By the way loved the Matrix Reloaded job :D . Thank goodness for tools of PS and the creative mind...