LET'S TALK LIGHT... MODIFIERS
Lighting Lessons with Robert Sanders
by Michelle Ryther
Once again I will start a conversation about photography by pointing out how so many photographers will spend thousands on camera equipment, buying what they want and what they think is necessary, yet scrimp on buying lighting equipment. This is a conundrum that has kept me confused since artificial lighting became an obsession with me.
Aside from the quality of light itself, very little focus is placed upon how the modifier changes the size, shape, and direction of light. Direction and isolation of light alone are so important that many photographers look past the details and just set and shoot. That is fine, and can be successful, but knowing what you are doing rather than just "run and gun " can be far more rewarding. I am going to bring a couple important facts to the forefront here with respect to control of both light direction and shape when shooting with intent.
I don't expect every photographer to shoot with an intended thought process, or a premeditated outcome, many just like to find the light - or create the light - and fire away. But even under this form of style it helps to know what you're doing and what your tools can contribute. One light, four lights, eight lights, whatever you have in your bag plus a few modifiers can make a great difference - but with understanding sometimes a more exciting two light set with controlling elements can create a tremendous amount of drama via forethought.
For example, here is a shot using two lights, both from a Hensel Vela 1500 pack, one with a Chimera Medium Super Strip Bank and the other a 7 inch open reflector shooting through Chimera's 72x72 inch Diffusion Panel. The diagram shows how this simple two light set creates wonderful dynamics using more than just diffusion. The rear kicker (the Strip Bank) also bounces off the Diffusion Panel and adds a reflective rear quality that wouldn't be there without the added boost from that reflected fill.
Model: Chelsie Ann, Atlanta. Makeup: Chelsey Pickthorn, Portland
Recently I saw a question posed on one of the photographic forums about the difference between a softbox and a beauty dish. There is a tremendous difference, which is best realized by testing yourself. Put a sock ( diffusion material) over the beauty dish and the already modified light changes, not quite the same as the softbox but uniquely different from just the open dish. Why? Primarily because of the forced direction of the light away from the flashtube, out across the pan, and finally bounced toward the subject. With or without the diffusion there is a hollow in the middle of the dish, but there is still crossing light as it is forced from the pan. This scatter is what gives the dish its unique quality. The sock over the pan knocks the random scatter down, alters the dish's performance, and turns the dish into more of a soft pan or diffused pan reflector.
A wonderful, and unique feature of the Hensel Beauty Dish is the ability to put a grid in the center of the dish. This allows a more specular [highlight] hotspot release through the center of the round light modifier. Even with a sock on the dish you would end up with a bit of a hotter center creating a more dynamic highlight on your subject; i.e., a smaller specular center to the highlights on the forehead, tip of the nose, chin, shoulders, etc.
This was shot on the beach in the Bahamas at David Mecey's FotoFantasyCamp (www.FotoFantasyCamp.com), using the Hensel Porty with a sock covered Beauty Dish. Note the smooth specular dynamics on the shoulders and her left breast, a nice counter to the sun, but above all notice the soft effect over her wet garment. These are all a direct result of the diffusion on the Beauty Dish. Model: Jenny, St. Louis. Makeup: Michelle van der Hule, Los Angeles.
Remember, with larger light and less specular features in the light, your highlights will be less dynamic, appearing somewhat flat with a longer transition across the surface as it turns away from the light - a very soft and beautiful effect associated with large soft light.
One of my favorite things to do is to use a Chimera Super Pro Bank (softbox) without the front scrim while leaving the baffle inside. The light strikes the baffle and is soft in the center but is spread and then scattered coming off the reflective surface (the sides of the box around the baffle). It almost has the appearance of an umbrella spread with a nice soft center: The wrap or edge shadow is much more defined. When shooting products and wanting both a soft coverage but a touch harder shadow, this technique is extremely effective.
On that same design, using the Chimera OctaPlus 57 in combination with the Hensel Ring Flash creates a unique dynamic that adds some fill to the shadows created by the ring flash. There are many octagonal shaped softboxes but the one I like is the Chimera. I will set up the OctaPlus 57 (which is convertible between 5 feet wide or 7 feet wide, an amazing asset when there are size restrictions - one bank does both) in a 7 foot configuration in the studio. I set it low so I can stand directly in front of the huge light. On camera I have the Hensel Ring Flash at a half to full stop hotter - the variation actually comes from the distance as I move in and out on the model. NOTE: what is nice about this set up is the OctaPlus 57 is constant so the specular is all that changes as I move in... be careful though, it is easy to get too close and blow everything out with the ring flash, you have to compensate with your aperture. Filling the shadows and falloff with the large light is very popular with modeling agencies as it removes the harder shadows of usual lighting scenarios. This does not have the same appearance of an 'only' ring flash photograph.
These two examples show the control of this variable. The first shot is of Kori Belle against a wall. I am sandwiched in between her and the 7 foot OctaPlus 57, shooting straight at her with the camera at approximately eye level: The Ring Flash is powered by the Hensel Porty Premium in studio and the OctaPlus 57 is on a Hensel Vela 1500 pack. The second shot of Chandella is a bit different whereas I am sitting atop a ladder shooting down with a wide angle lens employed to force perspective. Here I am using the OctaPlus 57 in a 5 foot configuration for more concentrated light. The light is on a boom above and behind me (see diagram) and I have more control because I am not moving. Once again the falloff is unique, especially with background, compared to shooting this same arrangement with only the Hensel Ring Flash - I do not necessarily have to have the model pose directly in front of a background, which is typical of the Ring Flash style.
Model: Kori Belle, Los Angeles. Makeup: Chelsie Pickthorn, Portland.
Model: Chandella, Las Vegas. Makeup: Natalie Pyatt, San Diego.
Speaking of softboxes, Strip Banks (the small and medium Chimeras are my favorites) are without question some of the most versatile light shapers and controlling sources of all the diffused dimensional forms. When shooting anything that has length; i.e., models, people, bottles, boots, legs, etc., the strip plays into this form very nicely. In fact always keeping in mind the narrowness of the light adds to the length of a design element making it appear more dimensional and elongated. At the same time, the softer transition and less specular property of the light keeps the personality very soft, beautiful, and lower in contrast across a painted, or more reflective, surface.
I now have to point out the importance of the Diffusion Panel (scrim) vs the softbox. I like softboxes and I can't imagine not having them, but I use the Chimera Diffusion Panels more than my softboxes (I will sometimes even use them in combination). Why? I love the highlight shape I can create with the panel, simple as that. I can also change the drift or falloff of the light, the shape in the panel so that it moves down over the surface of my subject, hotter in one point and then fading into shadow as the light transitions.
If I have a panel four feet from my subject and I have the light two feet behind the panel (with a 7 inch reflector) then I have a nice small round light in a large diffused area. That highlight will be very definite. If I move the light back another two feet, then my light becomes larger. It covers more surface area of the panel. With respect to the Inverse Square Law we actually cheat knowing that "the actual light" is the panel, still only four feet away from the subject, not the 7 inch light behind the panel. The distance remains the same for the actual point of light, but the shape of the light and coverage become larger. We'll have to compensate for the Inverse Square Law of the light hitting the panel, but only our size/shape hitting the subject has been altered.
My favorite aspect of the Chimera Diffusion Panel design is they are portable (with convenient collapsing metal frames - the very best I have ever used) and use the same fabric as the Chimera Banks themselves - wonderful consistency. I love the creative control as I light either a person or a product, especially if the product is high gloss and I don't want a big square shape reflection in the surface - see the golf clubs here. They are not only high gloss reflective mirrors, but black on top of that. This is always the ultimate challenge and the Diffusion Panels are wonderful tools to get soft gradient highlights.
One other note is important in shaping light itself and that is flagging and cutting. I have an assortment of black flags, foam core sheets, large V panels of foam core that stand on their own at 5 feet and 8 feet, and Black Aluminum Foil for blocking light that shouldn't fall in safe areas. Extension arms with clamps to hold a couple strips of foam core board act as custom barn doors. Snoots and grids are wonderful for directing light to a spot, but changing that shape sometimes requires a couple pieces of foil or standing foam core panels to make the light fit into a specific area and not spill into an area being influenced by another lamp-head. Using the large panels is also wonderful for blocking light that would fall on the background from the main source.
In this example I have a flag directly above my model's head blocking the main Hensel Beauty Dish (note the falloff of shadow on the wall behind the model) and, at the same time, blocking light from the hair snoot from spilling back into camera: Both lights powered from one Hensel Vela 1500 pack. The black panels on either side of Lauren give additional protection to the background and also increase edge shadow along her body shape.
Model: Lauren, San Diego.
Finally one of my greatest peeves of photographers everywhere is not blocking light, whether in studio or outdoor sunlight, from coming back into the lens. Small flags or foam core boards strategically placed are so important for keeping the image striking the sensor or film protected from ambient light. Always keep your camera well shielded from any direct reflection or direct light spilling back at the camera and you will immediately see an increase in detail, contrast, and higher quality capture resolution.
ALL IMAGES © ROBERT SANDERS (www.photointensive.com)