 BetterPhoto Member |
Lighting For Portraits I would like info. on the lighting equipment I would need to take portraits with a film camera. I am barely beginning and would like some advice and info. on what type of inexpensive equipment and lighting I would need to begin taking portraits. Please advise. Thanks.
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Vik Orenstein |
Racheal, You can get some good deals on used equipment... check professional camera stores and want ads in your area. You could get a good start with strobes, 800watt seconds total is fine to start, since for portraits you don't want a lot of depth of field, anyway. You should have at least two heads to start, and possibly three. The light heads should be adjustable --that is, you should be able to change the power of the light without moving it by dialing the power up or down. Monolights (lightheads with the powerpack attached) are good, but an old fashioned Novatron, Norman, or Speedotron set-up is great, too. For more info, check out my course on studio lighting, there is a summer session coming up July 9th! Good luck!
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Mark O'Brien |
Rachael, You do not need a lot of equipment, and of course, it depends on what types of portraits you have in mind. For basic portraiture, and to learn how lighting affects your results, tungsten lighting is fine. Since you state you are a "beginner" you need to read as many books on the subject that you can. There are about as many ways to take portraits as there are photographers, and many opinions as well. I'd suggest the following: 1. Lens -- if you already have a zoom in the range of 35-135 or similar, you are fine. You need some working distance between you and your subject to avoid unflattering exaggeration of facial features. Typically, 85-105mm is great for most portraits in 35mm format. I use a 90mm Tamron, and it's great. 2. Lights - You can get by with a photoflood light and a reflector on a stand. Two lights are better for many reasons, but you CAN get by with just one, and a reflector on the opposite side of the subject. A big piece of white foamcore board will work great. Go to the fabric store and find some reflective silvery or gold material and glue that to the opposite side of the board for different "moods." You can also buy a folding photoflex reflector, but the foamcore version costs only a couple of dollars. The reason I suggest "hot" lights, is that you are learning how to use lighting to make your portraits work. Using strobes entails many other details, such as flash metering and additional, expensive equipment. If you use color print film, an 80A filter helps. B&W film works fine (including the Chromogenic C-41 b&W) without any filtration. Backdrop -- you can buy a cotton painter's drop cloth for less than $15, and dye or paint it any way you want, or take a trip to the fabric store and find something that you think will work. Portraits can be done in any fashion that works for you -- and your subject. Use natural light to your advantage when you can. A north window and a foamcore reflector can give fantastic results, so can an open shade. In a nutshell, you don't need a 3 light flash system to do portaits. The best shots I have seen were done by great photographers that knew their materials and how to get the best they could with pretty simple setups. Have fun!
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Judith A. Clark |
I agree with Vic on this one. Mark is correct that lighting with tungsten lighting and hot lights are less expensive and possibly easier to learn, but for portrait work they just don't really give you the same effects. If you are serious about this, start with a 2 or 3 light strobe set, read everything you can and yes take Vik's course, it's great. You need a light meter also. Mark was right about the drop cloths and dye, they work great to start, also King size bed sheets work great. You need some kind of background stand, you can get them for less then $100.00. I have a Photogenic StudioMax 300 plus and payed around $800.00 for it. It has three lightheads, plus stands umbrella's and barndoors with a bag. It was a great start. If your budget doesn't allow for this, then go with Marks' suggestions to start, but I think you will find, as I have, that you're just not happy until you have the real thing.
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Gregg Vieregge |
Don't start too cheap because if you really get into it you'll be updating your in-expensive light soon and it will cost you more in the long run. Go to www.alienbees.com and take a look at the 160WS lights. I would suggest getting one and using a white panel board as a deflector for a fill light. Backdrops can be purchased at a local fabric store to get started. You may need a light meter and eventually you should get one. Otherwise take a series of shot making notes of distance and and light position and then look at the test prints. If you find one you like, shoot with that setting. These are suggestion for entry level beginners.
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Nick V |
Portraits are all about controlling shadows. You can use flat, even lighting or dramatic, contrasty lighting depending on the subject. The worst light is the single flash on the camera that produces red eye and the deer in the headlights effect. Most beginners use too much light and wash out all the interesting details. Start with a two light setup (flash or continuous, your choice. First practice shooting a doll or mannequin with one light only. Shoot a few rolls in different positions and keep track on the shots so you can study the shadows later. Black and white would be a good start for this. Then do the same with two lights. With two lights, you will have to understand "fill ratio" which is simply, how much light each source contributes. You will want a main (stronger light) and a fill (weaker light) to provide some contrast. Otherwise it goes flat. After you have finished the test shots, you will have a nice catalog to choose the effects you want for a given subject, repeatability is the key. You can use simple equipment to do this without overspending. Then add more as you understand the needs. Good luck! Commercial Photo San Diego
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Vik Orenstein |
Racheal, You have gotten a lot of really good advice since I last checked on you. Although it may seem confusing and somewhat contradictory, all the info people have volunteered is good. As mark says, some of the best shots ever are made with natural light in open shade and/or with one reflector. The drawback to this is that you can't rely on or control natural light --it's very difficult to get identical results from one shot to another. and while tungsten (continuous or flood) are good and do provide a beautiful, almost smokey affect on some films, they're not as adjustable as strobes, they're hot, and they are difficult for lighting large areas (if you're thinking of doing full length, action, or group shots). I really think the best way to "learn lighting" is, as Nick says, to use a set-up with which you can control as many variables as possible and create situations that you can repeat and get exactly the same results. Strobes are great for this. Reading books is great, but the only way to really learn this is to just do it. Mark also mentioned filters for use with color film, 81EF is another good one. Good luck!
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RoxAnne E. Franklin |
Hi Rachael! I love strobes with monolights! I have two, with barndoors. Mine were fairly inexpensive, purchased from B&H Photo, they have a website. they are Excalibur 3200 systems. Come with a stand, umbrella, flash tube, monolight bulbs. I got both for around $750.00. The one thing that I would recommend to you to check out, is Scott Smith's diffusion panel. Wow! did that make my life easier and studio photography so much more relaxing and fun. I bought the regular diffusion panel from him at a cost of $119.00. I also purchased his book called Sudio Lighting Made Simple. It's wonderful! And, the best is, you can email him anytime and he personally will answer you or take your phone call. I would highly recommend the panel and book! He sells colored gel systems too very reasonably. Check out his website at www.lightingmagic.com, you wont be sorry!
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