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Commercial Photographer’s master lighting guide

Second Edition

Amherst Media

RobeRtMoRRissey

Copyright © 2014 by Robert Morrissey.

All rights reserved

All photographs by the author unless otherwise noted

Commercial Photographer’s Master Lighting Guide is the second edition of Master Lighting Guide for Commercial Photographers.

Publisher: Craig Alesse

Senior Editor/Production Manager: Michelle Perkins

Assistant Editor: Barbara A Lynch-Johnt

Editorial assistance from: Carey A Miller, Sally Jarzab, John S Loder

Business Manager: Adam Richards

Marketing, Sales, and Promotion Manager: Kate Neaverth

Warehouse and Fulfillment Manager: Roger Singo

ISBN-13: 978-1-60895-633-3

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013905041

Printed in The United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, tronic, mechanical, photocopied, recorded or otherwise, without prior written consent from the publisher.Notice of Disclaimer: The information contained in this book is based on the authors’ experience and opin-ions The authors and publisher will not be held liable for the use or misuse of the information in this book

Check out Amherst Media’s blogs at: http://portrait-photographer.blogspot.com/

COntents 3

About the Author 5

sidebar: Connect with Robert .5

introduction .6

1 lighting Basics 9

Types of Light 9

Characteristics of Light 13

sidebar: Color Temperatures .13

sidebar: The Bright Spot .14

Exposure 15

sidebar: SQDC=E 16

sidebar: Aperture and Light Levels 17

sidebar: Histograms 18

2 equipment 20

Cameras .20

Electronic Flash Units 20

Modifiers that Attach to Flash Units .21

Stands 23

Freestanding Modifiers 23

sidebar: Equipment Selection 24

3 Using the Diagrams .26

Panel Lighting Overview 26

sidebar: Lighting Shorthand 27

4 Studio Setup 28

sidebar: Tools for a Simple Product Table 28 How to Create a Simple Product Table 28

Larger Sets .29

sidebar: Tools for a Larger Set 29

Room Sets 29

sidebar: Tools for a Room Set .30

Reflective (Glass/Acrylic) Sets 30

sidebar: Tools for a Reflective Product Set 31 Creating Inexpensive Sets 31

sidebar: Tools for Inexpensive Sets 31

5 panels 32

The Setup 32

6 honeycomb Grids .42

contentS

7 Umbrellas .49

8 Softboxes 58

on assignment 71

Updating Older Images 72

Black & White 73

Edgy Portraits 74

Making Images Look Old 75

Natural-Scene Fill Light .76

sidebar: Time-Saving Strategies 76

Dramatic Light 78

sidebar: Keys to Success 78

Dappled or Textured Light 80

sidebar: Plan for a Perfect Shot .80

Portraits 83

Front Lighting Using Grids 84

Fashion Lighting 85

Corporate Portraits 86

Lens Flare 88

Glowing Light 89

Lighting Food 1 90

Lighting Food 2 92

Lighting Drinks 93

Lighting Rooms 1 94

Lighting Rooms 2 96

Scientific Light .97

Medical Light 98

sidebar: Keys to Successful Lighting 99

Lighting Auto Exteriors .100

sidebar: Tools for Auto Shoots 100

Trilight 101

Large Sets 102

Lighting on Location .104

Shooting for Photoshop .106

Overhead Light 1 108

Overhead Light 2 110

Overhead Light 3 111

Lighting with Mirrors 112

Small Items and Jewelry .113

Sunlight .114

Fill Flash Outdoors 115

Tungsten and Daylight 116

Lighting Glass 117

Multiple-Image Campaigns 118

The Empty Product 120

Silhouettes .121

Black on Black 122

Final Words 123

Glossary 124

Index .126

robert Morrissey has been behind a camera

since 1988, when he first began taking

class-es at the Kansas City Art Institute During the

third year of his schooling, he interned with Nick

Vedros, a top advertising photographer Inspired

by working with Vedros, Robert opened a

stu-dio of his own at the age of nineteen By age

twenty, his images had been published

world-wide While completing his senior year, Robert

not only owned and operated his own

photog-raphy studio but also worked with many other

professionals in the Kansas City area He

as-sisted these photographers, learning as much as

he could from them and applying techniques he

learned to his paid assignments After graduating

with a B.F.A in photography, Robert moved on,

sold his studio, and traveled through the United

States and Europe, photographing everything

that interested him

After landing in Virginia Beach, Robert got

a job with Wright Studios His duties were

run-ning an E-6 lab and photographing catalog work

for the Navy This was the first time Robert was

exposed to the professional digital camera After

this, Robert became a lead photographer for the University of Missouri–Columbia In this posi-tion, he helped introduce the use of Adobe Pho-toshop as a tool for photographic illustration Once chosen by Phase One to be a featured photographer, Robert’s career took off Robert now works closely with Olympus and is spon-sored by DynaLite and Chimera

Now the owner and executive photographer

of Morrissey & Associates, where the focus of photographic jobs is food and faces for advertis-ing, Robert shoots for international advertising campaigns, catalogs, and television commercials

You may have seen his advertising work in

Na-tional Geographic Explorer, The Wall Street nal, Time, or at your local grocery or “big box”

Jour-stores

connect With RoBeRt

Keep up with robert’s shooting activity and

read more great lighting tips on his blog:

my aim in writing this book was to

demys-tify and simplify commercial photographic

lighting In these pages, you’ll learn about the

qualities of light and gain tips for selecting

es-sential photographic gear You’ll find a variety of

professional lighting techniques explained and

diagrammed in a clear, concise manner I have

used every one of the techniques described for

paying jobs, and each time, my client was pleased

I have also provided strategies for designing a

studio for the particular type of photography you

do I will show you how to create sets

inexpen-sively and how to stay within your client’s budget

and increase your bottom line The

straightfor-ward insights into selecting backdrops and

back-ground materials will save you money, too

You can also use this book to explain to clients

the light you think will best enhance their

proj-ect—without having to set up the shot

If you want to be a professional commercial

photographer, this book will give you the

foun-dation you need to do it and do it well There are

no silver linings or half-truths about the business

in this book Photography has always been

com-petitive and it always will be To get to the top

and succeed (i.e., make money), you must not

only take great images—you must operate your

studio within certain business parameters I wish

there was a book like this when I started out

Working as a commercial photographer isn’t

always easy or glamorous For me, it has been a

long and strenuous journey The downfalls and

victories along the way have inspired me to write

this book and to show you how to become the best photographer you can be I believe that commercial photography is more competitive now than it was six years ago when I wrote the first edition of this book What has allowed me

to keep moving my career forward is positivity, determination, and knowing the technical aspects

of commercial photographic production like the back of my hand

I now own and operate Morrissey & ates My advertising and editorial photographs have been published globally I have had the good fortune to truly make a good living as a commercial photographer By learning to pro-vide your clients with standout, evocative images that sell their merchandise in print ads and on the web, you too can achieve this level of professional success By engaging with the information in this book, you will have the foundation you need to make your dreams come true

Good luck

intRoDUction

i have used every one of the techniques described

for paying jobs.

facing page —these images prove that mercial photography relies not only on great lighting but also a complete understanding of Photoshop to make seamless final images, you must fully understand light and shadows.

com-someone once told me that photography is 90

percent light and 10 percent subject matter

When I thought about this, I realized it was

ab-solutely correct Without light, there would be

no photographs Without great lighting

profes-sionals, there would be no great photographs

To create the best-possible results when

photo-graphing your subjects, you should have a

gen-eral knowledge of light Before investigating the

equipment, diagrams, and other key

foundation-al aspects of creating an effective image, we must

cover the basics

types of light

Light can be natural or artificial Natural light

is light that comes from the sun, whether it’s

the low light that filters into a shady area, the

light beams that filter through a window, or

di-rect sunlight coming from a cloudless sky

Ar-tificial light is light that comes from any other

source Photographers use both natural and ficial light when creating images, and often these sources are used in combination to great effect

arti-Natural Light arti-Natural light can be used to

create an array of appealing effects, especially in portrait photography While studio lighting of-fers the ultimate in control, many photographers prefer the simplicity of working with natural light Keep in mind that because your light sourc-

es are fixed when using natural light, you will control the effects you achieve primarily by adjusting the position of your subject in rela-tion to the light You can also control the light

1 liGhtinG BaSicS

facing page —effective lighting in the studio or on location requires a knowledge of the qualities of artificial and natural light left and right —strong lighting skills are critical for producing commercial photos that set your work apart from the competition.

Without great lighting professionals, there would

be no great photographs

by blocking it from above or the side (using a black card; see page 25) or bouncing light into

a shadow area (with a bounce card or reflector; see page 21)

Overhead Sunlight When working with

sun-light, try to avoid scenarios in which the light strikes the subject directly from above This can quickly create unpleasant shadows on the face of

a model or strong downward shadows on any subject This issue can be avoided by shooting earlier or later in the day, when the sun is natu-rally at a lower angle (see “Golden Hour” be-low) When possible, look for situations where the light is diffused and, ideally, blocked from overhead The light at the edge of a clearing (with tall trees or branches overhead) is often ideal, as is the light on a porch Always bring two stands and at least a 4x6-foot scrim (see page 25) with you to diffuse the light

Window Light You can also use natural light

indoors Window light (or open-door light) is often extremely flattering for portraits Because windows tend to be large, the light is typically very soft as it goes through the glass Windows,

by their very nature, also produce light with good directional characteristics To even out the light on your subject, place a bounce card oppo-site the sun to “fill in” the shadows on the sub-ject You can also soften/diffuse the light com-ing through the window with a diffusion scrim

Golden Hour When working outdoors,

pho-tographers often take advantage of the golden

try to avoid scenarios

in which the light strikes the subject directly from above.

lighting BasiCs 11

hour, a time when the sun is low in the sky and

can be used to produce magically warm side

and backlighting The general rule is that the

best light occurs from sunrise to one hour after

sunrise and from one hour prior to sunset until

sunset I make sure to show up early enough to

get my lighting equipment set up and the subject

and props positioned

Artificial Light Artificial light options are

characterized as instantaneous (flash) or

continu-ous (HMI, tungsten, or fluorescent) light sources

Flash Flash is useful when there is very

lit-tle natural light or the natural light needs to be

enhanced Many inexpensive cameras and some

professional models have a built-in flash This is

either part of the camera assembly or it “pops

up” when activated These units provide flash

illumination on subjects that are fairly close to

the camera (generally within 15 feet) These

low-powered flash units do a good job, but because

the flash is so close to the camera lens, you will

likely get red-eye when taking pictures of people

For better results, many photographers use

an accessory flash (often called a hot-shoe flash,

speedlight, or small flash) These are produced

by camera manufacturers as well as third-party

manufacturers like Metz and Quantum This

type of flash is connected to the camera via the

hot shoe or a sync cord The units can be

mount-ed directly on the camera, held by the rapher at a position off the camera, or mounted above or to the side of the camera using a flash bracket

photog-facing page and right —each job will require a

specialized, highly creative lighting approach

accessory flash units

may be completely manual

or fully automatic.

Accessory flash units may be completely

man-ual or fully automatic Manman-ual flash units emit

the same amount of light every time they are

triggered (though some have a variable power

control setting) A flash meter is useful with

these units so that you can measure the light

out-put and set your camera accordingly In the

au-tomatic modes, the camera communicates with

the flash and tells it how much light to emit for

a proper exposure This is accomplished via TTL

(through the lens) metering technology

Accessory flash units can be used with a

vari-ety of diffusion devices made to soften the blow

of the full-frontal burst of light on your subject I

suggest you always soften your on-camera flash’s

light to some degree

Studio strobes (also called electronic studio

flashes or flash kits) are the favored light source

for most studio product photographers They

run cool, are portable, and pair easily with

day-light film or the dayday-light white balance setting

There are two types of studio strobes:

mono-lights and power packs With either type, your

camera communicates with the light units via a

sync cord, radio slave, and light-sensitive slave

units (this will be discussed in more detail later)

A monolight is a self-contained light that has both the power supply and the flash head built into one complete unit These lights are

AC powered and can usually be triggered by rect connection to the camera’s flash sync or via

di-a rdi-adio sldi-ave unit thdi-at di-allows the strobe to be triggered remotely (i.e., without a direct physi-cal connection to the camera) Many monolights have a built-in light-sensitive slave unit that will fire the flash automatically when another strobe

is triggered Separate radio slave units such as the PocketWizard or Quantum radio slaves can also

be connected to the monolight and the camera

to trigger the light

Power pack lighting units allow phers to use multiple flash heads, which can be somewhat independently adjusted Studio power pack units can be AC or DC powered Some units will also operate on DC voltage with a car battery This can be handy on location when you want the flexibility of a studio lighting system but cannot plug into an AC power source Solar generators are coming down in price as well When triggered by the camera’s shutter but-ton, strobes emit a measurable “burst” of light Obviously, working with only a brief burst of light would make it difficult to place your lights

photogra-in relation to the subject Therefore, strobe units also house a modeling light, typically a 250-watt tungsten-halogen bulb This light stays on

to help you focus your light and see how it luminates your subject (Some turn off after the strobe is fired then turn on again when the flash has recycled and is ready for use in the next shot.)

il-there are two types

of studio strobes:

monolights and power packs.

this photo of a lego solar home is an example

of using creativity, photography, and Photoshop

to produce a remarkable advertising image.

lighting BasiCs 13

Continuous Lighting Before the invention of

flash, continuous light sources were the studio

photographer’s only option With the surge in

the popularity of digital video, they are

experi-encing a renewed popularity

With continuous sources, the light source is

both the modeling light and the shooting light

This means you immediately see the lighting

ef-fect you will get Additionally, since the advent

of digital imaging, balancing your recording

me-dium to the color temperature of these lights is

easy (just set your camera’s white balance

appro-priately, using a custom setting if needed)

Photographic tungsten lights are like

super-charged household bulbs Their output ranges

from 100 to 24,000 watts When working with

these lights, you’ll need to select your camera’s

tungsten white balance setting or use a

tungsten-balanced film

HMIs take a short time to warm up and

re-quire a ballast but are bright and daylight

bal-anced These units are expensive

Professional photographic fluorescents run

cool, which can help keep your subject

comfort-able They can be daylight or tungsten balanced

but are limited in illumination intensity

characteristics of light

Color Temperature Visible light is comprised

of seven colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue,

indigo, and violet The human eye does a good

job of balancing these colors, so colors look the

same to us whether they are under reddish light

(e.g., sunset), yellowish light (e.g., a household

lamp), or greenish light (e.g., most fluorescents)

Film and digital image sensors do not adapt as readily Therefore, it’s important to evaluate the color of the light illuminating your scene before shooting to ensure accurate color in your image The color of a light source is described by its color temperature “White” light is the start-ing point for color temperature, and it measures about 5500 degrees Kelvin (5500K) As the sun rises or sets, the color of its light gets warmer, which is noted as a lower temperature (yes, it’s counter-intuitive) Sources with a temperature above 5500K are cooler, or more blue

When the color balance of the medium used

to capture the image matches the color ture of the light, the colors in the image will be rendered neutral, as our eyes see them

tempera-Direction Direction is one of the key

quali-ties of light A light’s direction determines where

coloR tempeRatUReS match flame 1700–1800K

candle flame 1850–1930K sun at sunrise or sunset 2000–3000K household tungsten bulbs 2500–2900K tungsten lamp (500 to 1000 watts) 3000K quartz lights 3200–3500K

fluorescent lights 3200–7500K sun, direct at noon 5000–5400K daylight 5500–6500K

overcast sky 6000–7500K computer monitor 6500K outdoor shade 7000–8000K partly cloudy sky 8000–10,000K

remember to evaluate the color of light in the

scene before shooting to ensure correct color

rendition.

highlights, shadows, and the tonalities that

pro-duce the look of a third dimension in photos will

be created on the subject The direction of light

is described in relation to the subject, so moving

either the light source or the subject can change

the direction of the light By changing the

cam-era’s perspective, you may include more or less of

the shadows and highlights created by the light

In most cases, a light source illuminates the

side of the subject closest to it and leaves the

op-posite side in shadow When very diffuse light is

used, though, the scene sometimes lacks shadow

Light coming from in front of the subject is

called front lighting With this lighting, the

de-tail in the front of the subject is well illuminated

As there may be minimal shadow areas, however,

the image may lack dimensionality and texture

This type of lighting is often used in fashion and

glamour portraiture because it makes the skin

look flawless This type of light alone will create

a flattened or shallow perception of the subject

Backlighting is light that comes from behind the subject and toward the camera; therefore, it often leaves the front of your subject in shadow

or underexposed It can also cause the edges of

a subject to appear lit (or even to seem to glow) When this effect occurs, it is called rim lighting This lighting is also used to create silhouettes Side lighting, as you might suspect, originates

at some angle to the left or right of the subject This type of lighting can produce pronounced shadows As a result, it is commonly used in por-trait photography, where showing the shape of the subject’s face is important to the image Overhead light, as you’d expect, comes from above the subject’s head This type of light is usually held up by some type of boom stand Undercarriage light comes from the bottom

of the subject The term comes from the auto industry but describes the approach well

Hard Light vs Soft Light While the

direc-tion of the light determines where on a subject the highlights and shadows will fall, the quality

of the light will determine how soft or well fined these shadows are Based on this, light is described as either hard or soft Hard light (like the light available outdoors on a bright, sunny day) produces dark, hard-edged shadows, bright colors, and bright highlights Soft light (like

de-the BRiGht Spot

as photographers, we must render the three-dimensional world on two-dimensional media to do this,

we create highlights and shadows that help us interpret the subject’s shape and relationship to other elements in the scene.

the term “bright spot” describes the area that is brighter (“hotter”) than any other point in the frame When we look at an image, our eye is drawn to the brightest tone therefore, i sometimes use the bright spot to enhance the visibility of a logo Other times, i use it to create a 3-D effect on a flat product or to add a sense of depth in a scene.

When creating a bright spot, it is important to control the shadow areas there cannot be brighter areas without having darker areas.

the trick to creating a bright spot is to first light the subject attractively Choose the area that you wish to make brighter reflect the main light back onto the subject using a mirror, or aim a lower-pow- ered light with a honeycomb grid or snoot at the area you wish to emphasize to increase the contrast between the highlight and shadow areas, you can use black cards (gobos) to block light from illuminat-

a light source illuminates

the side of the subject

closest to it.

lighting BasiCs 15

that from an overcast sky) produces paler, softer

shadows, or no shadows at all In soft light, the

colors of objects tend to be subdued or muted

For most images, soft light is the photographic

ideal While soft light is not always readily

avail-able in a given scene, hard light can be modified

and made softer through the use of light

modi-fiers This will be covered later in this chapter

Whether a light source is soft or hard is

de-termined by the size of the light in relation to

the subject Hard light is produced by sources

that are small in relation to the subject For

ex-ample, think of the crisp, well-defined shadows

that appear on a bright, sunny day The sun is

an immense light source, but because it is so far

away, it is very small in relation to the subjects it

illuminates here on Earth Once the light passes

through the atmosphere, you could be facing

hard or soft light, depending on the atmospheric

conditions Soft light is produced by a source

that is large in relation to the subject and close

by Tip: Bring various modifiers to your sessions

so that you can modify the light as you see fit

Soft light is produced by sources that are

large in relation to the subject Imagine that you

are outdoors on an overcast day If you can see

your shadow at all, it will be very pale and not

very well defined (i.e., the edges will be soft and

fuzzy) This is because the clouds have broken

up the light and scattered it across the sky On a day like this, the entire sky is the light source—and it’s huge! As a result, the light is soft

When we consider artificial light, the same principles apply If you light your subject with

a relatively small source (say, a bare bulb) from any distance, the light will be hard By adding

a diffuser—whether a commercially available modifier or a bedsheet—in between the light and subject, you are technically enlarging the light source, making it wider and softer The dis-tance between your subject and the light source will also affect the strength of the highlights and shadows in your image

exposure

When you take an image, you want deep, rated black tones with detail, bright whites with

satu-this image embraces the combination of

pho-tography and computer graphics for a creative

play on a mango.

hard light is produced by

sources that are small

in relation to the subject.

detail, and accurate color If an image is

overex-posed (your camera let in too much light), it may

be washed out and the highlights will lack detail

In an underexposed image (your camera let in

too little light), the shadows will lack detail or

gain noise (digital)

ISO The first factor to consider in the

expo-sure equation is the ISO rating (or film speed)

in use The larger the number, the greater the

image sensor’s sensitivity to light

Aperture The aperture you select determines

the depth of field in your final exposure and the amount of light that is allowed to strike the sen-sor/film Therefore, the aperture setting also has

an effect on the overall exposure The smaller the aperture, the less light reaches the sensor or film The larger the aperture, the more light reaches the sensor or film To “open up” is to increase the size of the lens aperture It is the opposite of

“stopping down.”

With each full-stop change in the aperture, the amount of light striking the film/sensor is either doubled or halved The sidebar on the fac-ing page may help you to better understand the relationship between the aperture size and the amount of light used to make the exposure

Shutter Speed The shutter speed setting on

your camera dictates the duration of time that the camera’s shutter remains open, allowing light to strike the sensor/film The shutter speed

is usually rated in fractions of a second, though photographers sometimes use long exposures when shooting in low-light situations

The slower the shutter speed, the greater the amount of light that reaches the film The faster

SQDc=e

Sensitivity+Quantity+Duration+color Balance=exposure

there are four main factors that determine the amount of light used to create the image, and whether your exposure will be acceptable:

Sensitivity the isO or “film speed” is a numeric description of the light sensitivity of media on which

the image will be recorded the higher this number is, the greater the degree of sensitivity

color Balance the term “color balance” refers to the way that colors are depicted in an image as

described in “Color temperature” (page 13), the color temperature of the light source will impact the way that colors in the scene appear in the image Digital cameras offer a white balance setting that can

be used to make color neutral (i.e., as it appears to the human eye) or warmer or cooler than the eye perceives it this is sometimes done to establish mood in an image.

Quantity the aperture size is one of the controls used to determine how much light enters the

cam-era and strikes the sensor/film

Your lighting and exposure decisions will able you to establish the desired mood in your image.

en-lighting BasiCs 17

the shutter speed, the less the amount of light

that reaches the film Each full-stop change in

the shutter speed means that the amount of light

striking the film/sensor is doubled or halved

Fast shutter speeds are typically used to

con-trol exposure in brightly lit situations or to freeze

subject movement Faster shutter speeds also help

to alleviate the effects of camera shake, a blurring

that sometimes occurs due to camera movement

when hand-holding the camera

Long shutter speeds are used to allow more

light into the camera in low-light situations

They can also be used to blur moving subjects,

accentuating the motion as a blur across the

frame When using long shutter speeds, there is

an increased risk of blur due to camera

move-ment Therefore, the camera should be

tripod-mounted or otherwise stabilized You may even

wish to use a cable release or remote to trip the

shutter without touching the camera

In SLRs, a mirror helps the photographer

view the scene through the viewfinder When

the shutter is triggered, the mirror flips out of

the way to allow light to reach the sensor/film

The mirror’s movement can cause camera shake,

which can produce some blur To avoid this, the

mirror can be locked in the up position

Light Meters A light meter is a device that

measures the light that falls on or is reflected by

a scene/subject Based on this measurement, the

meter recommends a particular aperture, shutter

speed, and ISO combination that will produce a

well-exposed image There are two basic types

of meters for photography: reflected light meters

and incident light meters

Reflected Light Meters All built-in camera

meters and some handheld meters are reflected

light meters The photographer points the

light-measuring portion of the meter (usually a dome

on handheld meters) at the subject and reads the amount of light reflected by the subject

Because this type of meter measures the light that is reflected from the subject, the tone and color of the area you target with the camera’s meter will determine the exposure settings it rec-ommends For example, when a camera meter targets a white area of the subject, it will deter-mine you need less exposure than if it targets a black area

To combat this, more advanced digital

camer-as mecamer-asure multiple arecamer-as of the scene to provide

an averaged (more accurate) reading If your camera does not offer this option, you can also improve your reflected light metering results by using a gray card These cards, available from any photography supply store, are a solid, medium-gray tone When you place this card in the same light as your subject and meter off the card rath-

er than the subject (this is called a gray balance reading), you can be assured of a proper reading Most reflected light meters have an angle of view of about 50 degrees, similar to a normal lens A spot meter, however, is a reflected light meter that has a much smaller angle of view This provides an accurate measurement of a

apeRtURe anD liGht levelSf/2.8—twice as much light as f/4

f/4—half as much light as f/2.8, twice as much

particular spot in the scene (for example, your

subject’s skin tone) Some spot meters can have

as little as a 1-degree angle of view

Incident Light Meters Incident light meters

measure the light falling onto the subject, so

they provide an accurate reading regardless of

the color or tonality of the subject An incident

light meter is held at the subject’s position and

aimed at the camera Incident light meters have

a very wide angle of view, up to 180 degrees

Combination Meters Many popular handheld

meters have reflected, incident, and spot

meter-ing capabilities, allowmeter-ing the photographer to

choose a metering option that best suits the

sub-ject and photographic conditions

Some meters display an exposure value (EV)

reading, which provides a choice of compatible

shutter speeds and aperture settings This allows

the photographer to choose the appropriate

set-tings depending on the subject being

photo-graphed and how much depth of field is desired

in the image For a fast-moving subject, the tographer would want a fast, motion-stopping shutter speed This fast shutter speed would re-quire a corresponding large lens opening to al-low more light However, if the photographer was working with a family group consisting of several people in rows, he would want a smaller lens opening for maximum depth of field This small lens opening would require a slower shut-ter speed to allow more light to be recorded

Flash Meters These units measure the light

output from a portable flash unit or studio strobe light An essential tool in the studio, a flash meter allows the photographer to measure each light individually and create the desired light ratio on the subject

Color Temperature Meters A color

tempera-ture meter (or color meter) measures the color temperature of the light in a scene This is used frequently by commercial photographers to en-sure that the colors in their images will be prop-erly recorded

below and facing page —Controlling the color contrast in your image files will allow you to take your photography to the next level.

hiStoGRamS

i use the histogram in my camera or digital

imag-ing software to make sure that my exposures are

right on the mark i find this method to be more

accurate than metering—and commercial work

de-mands perfect exposures every time

lighting BasiCs 19

the equipment you need for a professional

shoot will vary from job to job However,

it’s a good idea to have a solid understanding of

the tools that are available Often, new tools can

allow you to create a new look or effect In this

chapter, we’ll take a look at some of the tools

that many commercial photographers rely on

cameras

Cameras come in a wide variety of makes and

models As a professional photographer, your

camera choice can make or break your career

I rely on Phase One and Olympus SLR camera

systems For my work, I find that their cameras,

lenses, and software are unparalleled Their

digi-tal file sizes, shots per second, and storage media,

digital transfer rates, lens clarity, ergonomics, and

durability, and lens sets make the grade and meet

my needs If you’re looking to invest in

equip-ment, be sure to consider all of those variables

Of course, you will also want to determine

whether any camera system you are considering

suits your shooting style, workflow, and budget

A professional system can run from $10,000 to

$60,000 Don’t let sticker shock get to you This

is your main tool as a professional If your budget

is a little more restrictive, make sure any camera you’re considering offers at least 12-megapixel capture Anything below that puts the camera into the prosumer category

electronic Flash Units

After your camera, your lights are the second most important tool in your kit—and that’s a close second! If you want to make a living as

a professional commercial photographer, you need to purchase excellent lights Do not go cheap here My favorite lighting kits are made by DynaLite The kits are small, accurate, and pack the punch I need They are also very durable This is important to me because the busier I am, the more I beat up my gear

Flash is the light source of choice for most studio photographers These lights run cool, are portable, and easily pair with the camera’s daylight white balance or gray balance setting as well as daylight-balanced film There are a vari-ety of light modifiers available for use with these

2 eQUipment

new camera models are constantly being introduced Do some careful research to ensure that any model you’re considering offers the features you want there are no hard-and-fast rules for select- ing a professional camera much of the decision-making process boils down to your personal prefer- ences and budget Photos courtesy of Olympus (left) and the Phase One Corporation (right).

equiPment 21

units (more on this below), which makes them a

versatile and powerful option

A great studio unit will produce good quality

light through the flash and modeling light I use

them just as I would hot lights

Power Packs Power packs can electrify

mul-tiple strobes, which can be independently

adjust-ed These can be AC or DC poweradjust-ed Some will

even operate on DC voltage with a car battery;

this is a great option for location photographers

who cannot plug into an AC power source

Be sure to buy durable packs—they get used

hard and are always on the floor of the set

I recommend that you purchase a solar

gener-ator to run AC powered flash kits This way, your

set stays quiet You can use the more powerful

and controllable plug-in studio packs too

modifiers that attach to Flash Units

Reflectors Dish-type reflectors are an important

part of your lighting kit Without reflectors, your

lights can be easily broken, and a broken strobe

is expensive to fix Of course, reflectors do more

than protect your lights These modifiers are

de-signed to cast a certain type of light that is

need-ed for fill, highlights, and the feeling of direct

sunlight on your subject As a general rule, the

more expensive your lights, the more expensive

your reflectors will be You should have a tor for every strobe you own

There are a number of modifiers designed for use with a reflector dish, including snoots, barn-doors, and honeycomb grids

Snoots A snoot is a modifier that fits over a

studio light head or portable flash head and lows the photographer to control the direction and radius of the light beam These may be coni-cal, cylindrical, or rectangular in shape Snoots stop light spill and can help isolate a subject

al-Barndoors Barndoors do not affect the

hardness or softness of the light The barndoor fitting is used to control the shape of the light

By closing or opening the doors vertically or horizontally, the light allowed to pass through is narrowed or widened Therefore, the barndoor configuration affects the shape of the light When two side flaps are close together, a narrow strip

of light is allowed to illuminate the subject or

top —these Dynalite power packs can be used

to power multiple strobes bottom —Dish

(para-bolic) reflectors and honeycomb grids can be

used to direct the light from your strobes

Dish-type reflectors are

an important part of

your lighting kit.

scene (like light coming through a partially open

door) When all four doors are folded inward, a

square beam of light will result (this can be ideal

for drawing attention to the subject and isolating

the focal point from the rest of the scene)

Honeycomb Grids A honeycomb grid

typi-cally fits inside the reflector dish or softbox and

forces the light to travel in a straighter line

These devices allow you to create precise lighting

effects The most popular types are the 10-, 20-,

30-, and 40-degree grids, but some

manufactur-ers offer an ultraprecise 5-degree honeycomb grid The smaller the degree rating, the tighter

or more focused the light will be

Softboxes A softbox is a large fabric

hous-ing for your light source Softboxes come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and depths Check with your retailer to identify the best softbox for your projects Be prepared to spend a little more money for a good softbox Price makes a huge difference in the quality of light that is cast As of this writing, I favor Chimera softboxes

left—Dynalite strobes are at the heart of my studio/location lighting kit Right—a selection of

clamps are an indispensable part of your lighting tool kit their uses are detailed in chapter 4.

left—a heavy-duty stand is

an essential part of your tool kit in my studio, we use silver stands to hold our lights and black stands to hold bounce

cards, backdrops, etc Right—

a softbox is a fabric housing that is used to diffuse the light produced by a strobe as this image illustrates, softboxes come in a variety of shapes and sizes

equiPment 23

Umbrellas This umbrella-shaped modifier is

clipped or mounted onto a strobe to diffuse and

soften the light falling on a subject or set These

modifiers are available with a silver lining for

cooler light, gold for warmer tones, or a white

interior, which creates a higher level of diffusion

but does not impact the color of the light

pro-duced Umbrellas reflect the light from the head,

creating a softer and wider luminescent source

Stands

The stands you choose must be sturdy and able

to support the weight of your lights or

freestand-ing modifiers Never use a poorly constructed

stand If someone gets hurt, it could easily be

the end of your photographic career

Stands come in two colors—black and

sil-ver I use black stands to hold up sets, set poles,

bounce cards, etc.; I use silver stands to hold my

lights This makes it easy for me to communicate

the stand function to any assistants who are new

to the studio and my way of working

Freestanding modifiers Panels This white translucent fabric panel with

a steel frame (about 4x4 feet) is a necessary part

of your lighting kit By shining a strobe through

it, you can produce a beautiful, soft light source Also, the strobe can be positioned at various points along its surface This is a clear advantage over using a softbox, in which the light is in a fixed position inside the fabric housing Using panels allows you to create precise, professional, and stylized lighting effects

The Chimera light panels are large and rable but compact enough to be placed around

du-a tdu-abletop set The strobes seem to snug right

top—light panels are used in most of the

light-ing scenarios that appear in this book Panels

are lightweight and offer a more versatile,

precise approach than do softboxes Bottom—

By using a cukaloris, you can cast interesting

patterns of light and shadow on your subject or

scene Chimera offers a great kit that allows you

to change patterns quickly.

umbrellas reflect the light

from the head, creating a

softer, wider source.

24 Part 1: the FOunDatiOns OF COmmerCial lighting

cameRaS

mamiya 645aF body

Phase One h5 digital back

triton field tripod

six 11-foot Bogen stands (B0336)

liGhtinG

three speedotron 1205cx light kits

six speedotron lights

two hensel Porty 1200 battery packs

four hensel lights

three Dynalite 1000-watt roadmax

six Dynalite heads

liGht StanDS anD clampS

six small black speedotron kit stands

six tCi clamps

two manfrotto super Clamps

avenger boom (C) stands

avenger boom arms

Orange stand weights (15 pounds)

liGht moDiFieRS

Chimera softboxes:

(Chimera softboxes, cont’d)

two thin vertical softboxes square Plume

round Plume

panelS

two 6x6-foot Chimera light panels four 4x4-foot Chimera light panels two 8x4-foot lightform light panels black, gold, silver, and translucent scrim materials

four 2t drives (for media backup)

caBleS/SyncS

four sync cords eight FireWire cords PocketWizard two optical slaves

pRinteRS

hP 20ps epson printer Kodak printer epson matte photo printer paper

WoRkShop toolS

table saw chop saw two cordless drills hacksaw

circular saw brushes, paint rollers, and trays various screwdrivers

tin snips ratchets four sawhorses

equiPment 25

up to the panels The steel frame is the best in

the business and is built to last a lifetime In

ad-dition, these modifiers can be used as bounce

panels and to block unwanted light from hitting

the set You can also use them to create mobile

dressing rooms and small site tents to shield your

crew from the elements

Bounce Cards A bounce card is a light

mod-ifier that is used to reflect light back into the set

from another light source In my studio, we use

white boards or foam core panels

Black Cards A black card is a panel that is

placed between a light source and the subject to

block light from hitting the subject or set You

can use black foam core or black PVC board as a

flag (Note: The term “flag” is synonymous with

“gobo.”) Black cards are one of the many

light-blocking tools used in the studio

Cukaloris If you have an expanse of evenly

lit background (for instance, in a room shot),

you may want to employ a cukaloris (often called

a “cookie”)—a solid panel with holes of random

or uniform shapes cut into it—to break up the

background by introducing shadow patterns

A cookie can be used to emulate the effect of

the shadows of leaves, a windowpane, or just an

abstract, dappled-light effect A cukaloris can be

purchased from a photo equipment retailer, or

you can make your own from black foam core

Mirrors Mirrors are a key tool in the

cre-ation of a well-lit photograph You can add light

directly to areas that need light without

affect-ing the overall shot Keep an array of sizes and shapes of these inexpensive tools on hand

Scrims Scrims are fabric diffusers that come

in a range of colors (white, silver, gold, and black) and a wide variety of sizes These modi-fiers make an appearance throughout this book, but from this point forward, you will see them referred to as light panels

these modifiers can be used

as bounce panels and to

block unwanted light.

top —here, i am speaking with a model and preparing her for an upcoming shoot above —

here, my staff photographed me sitting alone

on the set, just before a big shoot.

the diagrams in this book will help you to

eas-ily produce a variety of commercial lighting

styles and show products and models to best

ef-fect The diagrams are clearly marked and easy to

understand A written overview of each

illustra-tion fully explains each light’s placement in the

illustration Finally, photographs show the result

that each lighting setup achieved This

three-pronged approach will help you achieve the looks

you are after and will help you develop your own

lighting style, solve problems, and succeed

In these pages, there are detailed diagrams

that can be used to light rooms, highlight the

styling of an automobile, shoot smaller products,

create portraits, and more

panel lighting overview

When lighting with panels, you have precise trol over the light angles because the light can be moved to various points behind the fabric When

con-a light is in con-a softbox, on the other hcon-and, it is always in the center (P1) position

Turning a panel affects the way light shines through it With the panel perfectly horizon-tal (center of the diagram), a large, flat light source is produced As the panel is turned, the light refracts differently off of the subject and an increasingly thinner, longer light source is pro-duced The changing appearance of the light is dramatic and highly visible

3 USinG the DiaGRamS

top and bottom left—these

illustrations show the versatile lighting approaches that can

be achieved by rotating the light panels or strobe head rotating the light behind the panels makes it easy to produce lighting nuances

above—this diagram shows

the five positions at which the strobe may be placed to shoot

using the Diagrams 27

liGhtinG ShoRthanD

here is a list of the abbreviations used in the diagrams to desig- nate the various tools refer to this list as you try your hand at creating the lighting setups in your own studio You may also use the diagrams to show clients your lighting ideas, giving them

a better sense of what you aim

to create.

BB—bottom bounce card tB—top bounce card SB—side bounce card G10—10-degree honeycomb grid G20—20-degree honeycomb grid G30—30-degree honeycomb grid G40—40-degree honeycomb grid cB—ceiling bounce light

mR—mirror oh—overhead light p1—strobe positioned in the

center of the panel

p2—strobe positioned in the

upper-left corner of the panel

p3—strobe positioned in the

bottom-left corner of the panel

p4—strobe positioned in the

upper-right corner of the panel

p5—strobe positioned in the

lower-right corner of the panel

UmB—umbrella

SBX—softbox (Note: mD/sBX is

an abbreviation for medium softbox; lg/sBX stands for large softbox.)

l1, l2, l3, etc.—light 1, light 2,

light 3, etc l1 is the source closest to the camera, on the left side as you continue to move clockwise around the set, l2 would be the second light, l3 would be the third source used, etc.

this illustration is a key to the elements pictured in the diagrams

that appear throughout the book.

these three squares show the way light shines through a panel

the reference positions from left to right are P4 (upper-left

position), P3 (lower-left position), and P1 (center position) as

the light shines through the panel, it disperses evenly from the

center of the strobe head this allows the photographer to create

a nuanced lighting effect

When you design your studio, keep in mind

that you are designing a workspace You

will need a place for your clients to relax and feel

comfortable, a private place where you can keep

your records and do behind-the-scenes work,

and a client-friendly place for your customers

to view and order images You’ll also need clean

restrooms and some type of storage area A clean,

well-thought-out, efficient studio space shows

your client that you care and are a professional

A dirty, poorly planned, sloppy workspace tells the client to look for a new photographer

how to create a Simple product table

In any commercial photography studio, small-

to medium-size products are typically graphed on a tabletop crafted using two sawhors-

photo-es topped with a 4x4-foot board (this setup holds

up to 200 pounds) Two small stands are placed behind the tabletop, and the backdrop pole rests upon the stands Rather than using backdrop paper, you can use Formica, which comes in a handy 4-foot width In this case, simply use the clamps to secure the backdrop to the stands and drape it across the table The set is fast and easy

to assemble and disassemble All the pieces can

be stored easily, and the set components can be used in the creation of many other sets

Another great thing about this type of setup is its versatility You can choose from a wide variety

of backdrop colors and textures You can create useful setups and control your background fall-off easily By using a metal or glass tabletop and placing the backdrop a foot or two away, you can create simple, classic product shots

There are many expensive alternatives to the product table, but the one shown here costs only about $100.00 to make (the sawhorses and Formica are the most expensive parts) and allows you to photograph a wide variety of products effectively I’ve produced entire catalogs using this simple setup

4 StUDio SetUp

toolS FoR a

Simple pRoDUct taBle

two sawhorses

one 4x4-foot flat board

two small stands

backdrop pole

4x8-foot sheet of Formica

three small a-clamps

here is an image of a tabletop set that i often

use in my studio.

stuDiO setuP 29

Tip: When your client arrives, have the

table-top setup ready to go Have a basic lighting plan

in mind and a chair for the client to sit in This

makes the client feel welcome

larger Sets

Many products require larger, more elaborate

sets When creating a larger set, make sure it is

sturdy and will hold the weight or size of the

products you will photograph Trust me, when

you have several products on the set, you don’t

want your set to get bumped and fall apart while

you’re putting the finishing touches on your

composition I’ve seen poorly designed scenes

bring otherwise successful projects to an

imme-diate, embarrassing halt Also, make sure that

you and your client can reach into the set to

ar-range the props and objects to be photographed

You can fill these spaces in later with the lights

used on the set, but get the shot set up first

To build a larger product set, follow the basic

steps outlined above using four sawhorses and

two hollow doors rather than a 4x4-foot board

The doors used do not have the knob hole

drilled These doors can be found at any

hard-ware store and cost about $35.00 each They are

great for large sets because they are lightweight

but strong, do not warp, and are ready to paint

Of course, you’ll need a larger backdrop pole,

larger stands, and the paper of your choice

This set is safe, predictable, and inexpensive

It can also be quickly assembled and

disassem-bled As with the smaller set, it can be stored easily when space is limited

Tips: Ask the client for a list of the shot’s

con-tents and props Detail what the client expects from the shot, what products will be shown, and the proposed composition For large sets and complicated propping, you may need to hire a stylist Stay creative and think outside of the box

As long as your set does not fall down and it lows you to capture great photos, it works

this diagram shows the elements required for a large product setup.

make sure that you and your

client can reach into the set

to arrange the objects.

backdrop such as a coved wall and props

Some-times the sets need to be assembled and

paint-ed days in advance With careful planning and

communication with the clients about their

spe-cific needs, you can ensure that you’re ready to

shoot when the client arrives at the studio

Room sets must be user-friendly There are

usually models in the shots The photo team

may need to access the set to adjust one thing or

another When this is the case, you must make

sure that nothing in the set can fall and injure

someone Ensure that all the cables are taped

down and all booms and stands are secured with counterbalancing weights Also make sure that any artificial walls are clamped and will not fall I cannot emphasize this enough If something falls and hurts someone, it’s the photographer’s fault, not the assistant’s, and never the client’s

The diagram on the left shows the position of unmodified and gridded strobes, umbrellas, the camera, black cards, and sun I have not provided the lights’ power settings or the specs for other equipment This diagram and others like it are intended only to show you how to position the lights; the creative aspects are up to you

Reflective (Glass/acrylic) Sets

When placed on two sawhorses, a 4x4-foot piece

of 3/8-inch tempered glass can make a simple, clean, and effective tabletop You can place the product on the glass and add a piece of foam core underneath the glass to enhance its reflec-tive qualities You can also go without the foam core and place a backdrop of the client’s choice underneath the glass or lay the backdrop upon an angled piece of foam core

Glass is highly reflective Keep in mind that any light above the table will reflect off of the glass surface To eliminate possible reflections, you can light your subjects from the sides The reflection from the product is not a bad thing, however; you can use it to make very attractive shapes that enhance the overall image If you are using an overhead light, bring it in from the back overhead area of the set, then use bounce cards

at the front of the set to add light to the front of the products

Placing a light under the set helps create ration between the glass, the product, and the

sepa-toolS FoR a Room Set

8-foot or taller light stands

umbrellas

honeycomb grids

tripod

large black cards

large bounce cards

cleansers

this setup can be used to effectively light a room shot.

to eliminate possible

reflections, light your

subjects from the sides.

stuDiO setuP 31

backdrop You can increase the brightness of this

light to create a surreal illumination on the

sub-ject Alternatively, you can decrease this light to

create a gloomy reflective surface For

shadow-free shots, you can replace the glass with frosted

acrylic

creating inexpensive Sets

When creating a set, be sure to think about your

client’s budget Careful planning can save your

clients money, and if you save your clients

mon-ey, they will be back

There are many ways to create low-cost sets

One simple way to do so is to plan the shot prior

to execution Doing so allows you and the client

to understand exactly what is needed to make the

final shot While you are reviewing the job with

your client, you can suggest using materials you

already have on site as backgrounds

Lighting scenarios that enhance the overall look of the product should also be presented to your client at this time Many times the client

is looking for a little drama in the background that can be created with the proper shadows and highlights If you are building a large set, remember that the main purpose of the shoot

is to enhance the appearance of the person or product If you keep this in mind, you will have

no problem earning the client’s business in the future

toolS FoR a

ReFlective pRoDUct Set

two sawhorses

4x4-foot tempered glass (3/8-inch thick)

two large stands

four small stands (for lights and panels)

foam core

canned air

glass cleaner

this diagram shows how you can effectively

cre-ate a floor shot using many of the same mcre-ateri-

materi-als used in the previous sample setups.

sheet metal doors paint wallboard handmade paper painted foam core chrome pipe brass pipes old tires old boards computer parts wire

cable

dirt sand grass rocks gravel carpet remnants canvas

muslin bricks tiles Formica acrylic glass

toolS FoR ineXpenSive SetS

When creating a set,

be sure to think about

your client’s budget.

the softbox has been a staple in

photogra-phers’ tool kits for years The light these

modifiers produce is soft, diffuse, and pleasing to

the eye The only drawback to most softboxes is

that the light always has to be in the center of the

softbox This means that to adjust the light even

slightly, you have to move the entire softbox

By using a light panel (a large white

trans-lucent panel with a steel frame) to diffuse your

light, you can produce the soft lighting effect of

a softbox but enjoy better control When using

panels, the lights can be positioned at any point

along the surface Conversely, you can keep the

strobe in a static position and move the panel

You can even place black paper over the panel to

manipulate the light hitting your subject

the Setup

Light panels can be set up quickly, stored in small spaces, and used as sun tents or dressing rooms

on location These modifiers are a favorite tool

at my studio Accordingly, they play a big part

in the lighting scenarios presented in this book The diagram below shows a side view of a tabletop setup used to photograph a volleyball Two plastic sawhorses were topped with a 4x4-foot board, which was secured with an A-clamp

A sheet of Formica was used as a backdrop Two A-clamps were used to secure the backdrop to two studio stands placed behind the set

The subject, a volleyball, is represented by

a gray sphere on the tabletop The camera was positioned at the front of the set The camera il-lustrations show the various shooting angles that can be used with the set

5 panelS

this setup was used to photograph the volleyball pictured throughout this chapter.

Panels 33

the panel is on the right side,

parallel to the set the strobe

is in the center of the panel,

or the P1 position in this

image and throughout the

series, the strobe is on full

power, and the camera is in

a fixed position on a studio

stand notice that the ball has

a defined bright side and a

defined dark side You can see

detail on the surface there is

a dark shadow where the ball

meets the tabletop, creating a

defined area of contact this

creates a feeling of depth and

dimension Note: the

vol-leyball images in this chapter

were shot by Justin leVett.

the panel is on the right side, parallel to the set the strobe

is in the upper-left corner of the panel, at the P2 position

in conjunction with other lights, this is a great fill light

With the strobe positioned

at the top of the panel, the lumination is dispersed down- ward there is detail in the ribs of the ball and a shadow

il-at the table contact point

however, more light is cast

on the set and the volleyball, and the apparent dimension is minimized.

the panel is on the right side, parallel to the set the strobe

is in the bottom-left corner of the panel, at the P3 position

if this light were softened, this would be a great starting posi- tion for the main light

With this setup, the ball’s dimension and depth are en- hanced With the light coming from the bottom of the panel,

it disperses upward more light

is cast off the set, and less light hits the ball there is less detail in the ribs of the ball on one side and a shadow at the table contact point the back

of the set appears darker.

the panel is on the right side,

parallel to the set the strobe

is in the top-right corner of the

panel, at the P4 position most

of the light is going over the

product and off of the set in

conjunction with other lights,

this is an optimal fill light.

the ball’s dimension and

depth have softened With the

light coming from the back of

the set, the rear of the ball is

illuminated the white Formica

backdrop acts as a bounce

card, filling in the areas of

the ball that we can see the

contact point shadow is still

strong but has moved forward.

the panel is on the right side, parallel to the set the strobe is in the bottom-right corner of the panel, at the P5 position most of the light is directed past the ball and off the set Because the light is positioned to the rear of the set, it lights the back of the ball the light is close and

is powerful enough to wrap around the ball; without a bounce card, however, it falls off the contact point shadow

is still strong but has moved forward the ball’s dimension and depth have increased, but there is less definition in the ribs in conjunction with other lights, this is an optimal highlight.

the panel is on the right side, parallel to the set the strobe

is in the center of the panel, at the P1 position a bounce card

is placed on the left side of the set and fills in darker areas without creating new shadows the ball’s dimension and depth are reduced because the light hits both sides of the ball it appears dimensional, however, because the light on one side is still brighter the ribs of the ball appear flatter but are more visible because they are not hidden in shadow the background is still muted the contact point shadow has moved to the side and is softer due to the light reflecting off the bounce card.

Panels 35

the panel is on the right side,

parallel to the set the strobe

is in the top-right corner of

the panel, at the P4 position

a bounce card is placed on at

the front-left corner of the set

and fills in darker areas

with-out creating new shadows.

With light hitting both sides

of the ball, the overall look of

the image is flat and gray the

ribs of the ball appear flatter

and are less visible the muted

light causes the ball to appear

less round the background

is still muted, and the shadow

at the contact point is darker

there is a hard shadow going

to the side of the ball that falls

off quickly due to the light

reflecting off the bounce card.

the panel is in the front-right corner of the set the strobe

is in the center of the panel, at the P1 position this would be

a great starting point for the main light position

the ball’s dimension and depth are enhanced by the light hitting the front of the ball the overall look of the image is three dimensional with good separation from the background the ribs of the ball appear flatter there is

a hard shadow falling to the side of the ball that is long and dark a bright spot can be identified on the ball that is the area the viewer’s eye will

be drawn to first.

the panel is in the front-right corner of the set the strobe is

in the upper left of the panel,

at the P2 position in tion with other lights, this would be a nice fill light the ball’s dimension and depth are reduced because the light hits the ball and set equally With most of the light going over the top of the ball and off the set, the image is gray and monotone the over- all look of the image is two dimensional, with poor separa- tion from the background the ribs of the ball appear flatter there is a hard shadow going

conjunc-to the side of the ball that is short and dark.

the panel is at the front-right

corner of the set the strobe is

in the bottom left of the panel,

at the P3 position this would

be a great starting position

for the main light By placing a

secondary light, we could

bet-ter define the back of the ball

and create separation

the ball’s dimension and

depth are enhanced by the

light hitting the front of the

ball the overall look of the

image is two dimensional with

great separation from the

background the ball’s ribs

look flatter due to the

bright-ness of the light, and there

is a long, hard shadow to the

back there is a bright spot on

the ball; the viewer’s eye will

be drawn to that area first.

the panel is in the front-right corner of the set the strobe is

in the top right of the panel, at the P4 position.

the panel is in the front-right corner of the set the strobe

is in the bottom right of the panel, at the P5 position.

the panel is in the front-right corner of the set the strobe is

in the center of the panel, at the P1 position a bounce card is added at an angle at the front-left corner of the set.

Panels 37

two panels are positioned

par-allel to the set the right-hand

strobe is at P1 the left-hand

strobe is also at P1 Both lights

are set to the same power

out-put a bounce card is placed

between the camera and the

ball, and light is reflected

upward from the bottom of

the ball.

two panels are parallel to the

set the right-hand strobe is in

the center of the panel, at P1

the left-hand strobe is in the

upper left (P2) position Both

lights are powered equally a

bounce card is placed between

the camera and the ball and

reflects light upward from the

bottom of the ball.

two panels are parallel to the

set the right-hand strobe is in

the lower left of the panel, at

the P3 position the left-hand

strobe is in the upper left (P2)

position Both lights are

pow-ered equally.

two panels are parallel to the

set the right-hand strobe is in

the lower right of the panel, at

the P5 position the left-hand

strobe is in the upper right

(P4) position Both lights are

powered equally.

two panels are parallel to the

set the right-hand strobe is

in the center of the panel, at

the P1 position the left-hand

strobe is also in the P1

posi-tion Both lights are powered

equally a bounce card is

added between the camera

and the ball and reflects light

upward from the bottom of

the ball a second bounce card

is placed above the ball to

reflect light downward.

two panels are in the front corners of the set the right- hand strobe is in the center of the panel, at the P1 position

the left-hand strobe is also

in the P1 position Both lights are on equal power settings

a bounce card is placed to the back of the set to reflect light onto the back of the ball

the equal lighting from ther side flattens the ball and background the overall lack

ei-of shadow lessens the sense

of dimension We can see the ribs easily, but without a good contact shadow, it is hard to determine the ball’s weight and mass the bounce card equalizes the light all the way around the ball.

two panels are in the front corners of the set the right- hand strobe is in the center of the panel, at the P1 position the left-hand strobe is also

in the P1 position the light, fitted with a 20-degree honeycomb grid, is aimed at the top of the ball all three lights are powered equally a bounce card is placed behind and above the subject; it reflects light onto the back of the ball and downward this enhances the look of the sur- face a bounce card between the camera and ball reflects light upward the highlights separate the edge from the background With the grada- tion of light, the ball maintains

back-a three-dimensionback-al shback-ape.

two panels are in the front

corners of the set the

right-hand strobe is in the center

of the panel, at the P1

posi-tion the left-hand strobe is

also in the P1 position the

backlight, a strobe fitted with

a 10-degree honeycomb grid,

is aimed at the top of the ball

all three lights are on equal

power settings the ball

ap-pears three dimensional; the

ribs show clearly in the front,

and the specular highlight

on the top-right back edge of

the ball adds depth and helps

create separation from the

background the ball still has

the impression of weight and

mass.

two panels are in the front corners of the set the right- hand strobe is in the center

of the panel, or the P1 tion the left-hand strobe is also at P1 the backlight, a strobe with a 20-degree grid,

posi-is aimed at the top of the ball

all three lights are on equal power settings.

two panels are in the front corners of the set the right- hand strobe is in the center of the panel, or the P1 position the left-hand strobe is also in the P1 position the backlight,

a strobe with a 30-degree grid,

is aimed at the top of the ball all three lights are powered equally.

two panels are in the front corners of the set the right-hand strobe is in the center of the panel, or the P1 position the left- hand strobe is also in the P1 position the backlight, a strobe fitted with a 40-degree honeycomb grid, is aimed at the top of the ball all three lights are powered equally.