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While totally subjective, the one posted here feels a bit harsh on the drop off from subject area to background. Not much, but just a bit. It would have been a little more natural looking of a drop off if feathered just a touch more while still maintaining the background ambient darks to lights IMO.
I noted where the monolight was set in relation to the umbrella that looks to be in tighter, which tends to concentrate the beam more and harden the fall off. It is hard to tell from your "behind the scenes" shot whether the umbrella shaft still has room to move or not. Moving the umbrella out just a bit more would feather the drop-off in a more natural manner ... or if it is out all the way already, you could slightly angle the direction of the umbrella ... modifiers do not have to be aimed directly at the subject.
Anyway, small comments, but this is the lighting forum where small stuff counts
-Marc
Other than the designer in me not liking the choice of font ... these are fantastic. I really can't critique them in any measurable sense as far as lighting. The composition and musculature are so nicely defined.Here are a few examples of a recent session with a body builder that was commissioned by his trainer/advisor for poster sized reproductions.
I also made a Leica S2P poster for myself ...
Good catch on the ear Shelby ... I went in and fixed that. I did 3 versions, one warmer mono, one cooler mono, and one full color.Other than the designer in me not liking the choice of font ... these are fantastic. I really can't critique them in any measurable sense as far as lighting. The composition and musculature are so nicely defined.
(I do find the color treatment of the first one leaves his ear looking a bit strange, color-wise, but man am I nit-picking here... and in a subject sense.)
Nicely refined work, Marc.
Shelby
This one is better don't you think? Maybe a 1/2 stop more ambient like you said, but a bit better than the one of your boy. Again, they are all nice.You've got some keen eyes there, Marc... I need to get you to help me focus. The umbrella comment I find especially helpful and astute... I, indeed, left the shaft extension at home and had the umbrella out almost as far as it could go but thought "it'll be alright".
You're comment really brings it all back to reality in that the small stuff really makes a big difference with certain modifiers. Thanks! I also wish I'd opened up the ambient a tad by lengthening the shutter speed a half stop or so... could have "fixed" that in post, but decided to try and work more closely with what I actually captured.
I tried for soft, but with a bit more sparkle and contrast... and was aiming for something between what I got and this shot (which was with a softbox and a more balanced ambient/strobe ratio)
I'll keep on working at it...
Thanks for the keen comments and taking the time for meaningful critique. Much appreciated!
Shelby
Ah... great thoughts again.For example, I would have been overwhelmingly compelled to try placing the light outside the slatted wall camera left just to see what the effect would be, and then placed the subject so the shadows would fall just right ... maybe needing some fill to vary the degree of shadow depth. Probably not your original intent ... then again it may have increased the emotional impact.
What kind of umbrella is that? Perhaps of interest to you are the new Westcott Parabolics which are 7', have white fiberglass ribs and being a Parabolic configuration allow more effective control of the beam width by sliding the light closer or further from the umbrella surface. Only $99. which is unbelievablely inexpensive considering the "real" Parabolics are like $10K! I got two, one white and the other silver for fast wedding set-ups with my Quadra.
-Marc
O n the second shot you moved the overheads placement and angle, so you are flaring because you moved it more into the lens path. you can see the difference in light on the model shoulderOk here is the story, I had a wonderful, bright, energetic, and industrious intern from Italy for a few months. A very intelligent person.
This person though that my insistence on the use of a lens hood was silly. I explained that even the best lenses can flare and unless that's the look you want. That's what you risk without the proper use of a lens hood.
Below are two images from our last shoot together.
I used a large strip light (6ft) to the left of camera and a foam core white 4x8 to the right of the subject for fill. I used one light as the top light to hit the backdrop and the subject from above. Top light was one full stop above the main (large strip). 2 lights total, that"s it.
In the first photo the camera was shot from about 10 feet to subject, from about 3 1/2 feet above the floor.
The second photo the camera was shot from about 3 feet to subject from about 5 1/2 feet above the floor. Guess what happened?
Camera lens was properly hooded for both frames.
Don't misunderstand sometimes I flare intentionally just like a zillion other folks, I just want to know when and if it's happening. Call me a control freak...
Nice shot ... very sophisticated. Wish I could see a larger version.This is a shot I did last year it is 4 light set up, all Profoto strobes, the key is a Fresnel Spot, the left kick is s gridded strip box, the background is a gridded head, and the highlight from the right is an open soft box with out diffusion