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Help with Beauty/Fashion Lighting
Ooooh Look! Another thread about lighting.... But seriously now, I've researched the threads on lighting but wasn't able to find anything specific to beauty work. I'm looking to invest some money in setting up a small in-home studio in my garage (fancy, I know... but it's a big deal to me!) I love the beauty work that's primarily done with the grey backgrounds - you know, the kind of work all MUA's love to have on their ports? I'm also trying to get into more fashion-based work. I was wondering what kind of a setup I would need for shots like you'd see in a magazine for makeup? I have some specific examples I've seen on MM - but don't think I can post their names? My budget is around $700. I'm thinking 2 strobes and umbrellas? But then do I need triggers or remotes? I'm REALLY new to this lighting thing - so any help would be great! Kristen Jun 02 07 10:19 pm Link $700, hmm...best thing I've found for beauty shots is a beauty dish. I made mine homemade, not sure what they sell for otherwise. Jun 02 07 10:23 pm Link Double post, but I don't know how? Jun 02 07 10:26 pm Link Hey Kristen. I'm sure you know $700 does not go far with lighting. A beauty dish is pretty great if you bring it close to the subject. Can soften too with more diffusion. An Octabank is also great since it is soft. Another post said they made one. Maybe you could find out how? Basically you want a strong, but soft light source. The closer the more wrap around the features. Jun 02 07 10:26 pm Link Hey there. I am in the same boat as you, and I have read all the threads as well. I have found a great lighting system that is affordable as well. They are called the Interfit Stellar 600 w/s kits. You can get them at B & H here, http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/3 … ight.html, and of all the reviews I have heard, they are the best for the money. The are not the best lights you can buy, but for the price, they are sweet. Nick Jun 02 07 10:27 pm Link 700 is tough for a great settup but can be done, what type of shots specifically are you looking to produce? Stephen Eastwood http://www.PhotographersPortfolio.com Jun 02 07 10:27 pm Link StephenEastwood wrote: If I'm not allowed to do this, I can delete it - but I love shots like this one (Laura Tillinghast) Jun 02 07 10:32 pm Link JimGL wrote: Yeah I know $700 isn't much - but at least pointing me in the right direction is helpful. I'm pretty much investing everything extra I have on my photography - so I can't get a lot at once. I'm happy building up. Jun 02 07 10:33 pm Link I would say try two main strobes, whatever you can afford, look on ebay for about 800.00 you can get a speedotron blackline 800ws pack and 4 heads with 4 foot octobank usually from a lady in CA, worth it. I would suggest a two main light setup with one or two back/hair/rims meaning one main light close above and one fill below, one on the hair from behind/and or a background light. If you get two main strobes you can use small slaves for background/hair lights which may be cheaper. A BD is nice but softbox is just as good for most beauty and umbrellas work well also, I would say look at a softlighter 2 or a halo, which is basically a shoot through umbrella with a silver backing, you can put the head on the shaft backwards and have a bounced diffused light that can be moved very close. A strip or small softbox as a fill below is very nice. Stephen Eastwood http://www.PhotographersPortfolio.com Jun 02 07 10:34 pm Link allgoth wrote: Post is correct....it is not the camera or the lights or the studio that makes great pics. Jun 02 07 10:37 pm Link Definately using a fill underneath so two mains and some background seperation like I stated, a small strip of mini softbox as a fill from below and any surce above, look into those speedo sets they usually have 4 heads, pack and octo/umbrellas, its like a complete set up and may only run you an extra 100-150 total. And speedotron Blackline is virtually indestruvtible even the non fan cooled heads. Just think you may need modeling lights sperately but they are usually 10 a piece. If you look at my profile page you will see lots of examples with everything from one light to 12 lights all beauty ad shots. Stephen Eastwood http://www.PhotographersPortfolio.com Jun 02 07 10:38 pm Link http://cgi.ebay.com/Speedotron-KIT-805- … dZViewItem thats the setup, she sells them all the time, I have recommended them to several photographers I know all are still using them and often bought a second set for backups/ extra heads. I do not get anything from it but its worth a look. Avoid brownline they are not the same standard as the blacklines. Stephen Eastwood http://www.PhotographersPortfolio.com Jun 02 07 10:41 pm Link StephenEastwood wrote: Yes, your beauty work is stunning. I love the first picture in your port, Jun 02 07 10:43 pm Link first you picked is done with sticklights, they are very pricey, about 2600 each two used and the broncolor packs are way overpriced LOL the second was with lightbars two with grids, and a clean white background was by 4 heads on a white one hairlight with grid and 7 inch reflector with 1/4 cto could have just as easlily been done with stripdomes and grids, which would be much less pricey. Stephen Eastwood http://www.PhotographersPortfolio.com Jun 02 07 10:46 pm Link StephenEastwood wrote: My mom always said I have expensive taste Jun 02 07 10:47 pm Link And as an afterthought -- Are there any books on the subject that aren't from 1982? Jun 02 07 10:49 pm Link StephenEastwood wrote: just wondering, but can't he get the same effect of the white backround if he just uses a large softbox behind her facing the camera, instead of 4 strobes? Jun 02 07 10:51 pm Link I like gridded beauty dishes, but umbrellas and softboxes would work fine on your mains (depends on what characteristics you're looking for). You'll probably want more control on your hair/edge lights, so look into strip lights, grids, and snoots. I agree with Stephen - for something as simple as beauty shots, setups can get very complex very fast. Jun 02 07 10:52 pm Link Benny MM/Moderator wrote: No, that would be backlit which is a nice effect but not the same sepration it would be lighting her instead of lighting the background. Minor difference but it is a difference. I have done both for different effects. Jun 02 07 11:01 pm Link BlindMike wrote: Isn't that crazy how things work that way? Jun 02 07 11:02 pm Link  try that one 5 foot round softlighter2 infront and above as close as you can get without being in frame and one refector below, one background light As simple as they come. Stephen Eastwood http://www.PhotographersPortfolio.com Jun 02 07 11:03 pm Link check out: http://www.jedroot.com Michael Thompson. Not the earth's most amazing beauty photog but trys lots of different situations. I think one thing to keep in mind is not to go to flat with the lighting too often. Sometimes it is gorgeous, but can be a little repetitive. Jun 02 07 11:07 pm Link JimGL wrote: Wow yeah, definitely some great beauty work. I really like his work for Allure (specifically the first 2 images). Jun 02 07 11:12 pm Link StephenEastwood wrote: Ok, so some images on your profile page - there's a model with a swirly little catch light in her eye.... I don't think I've ever seen that before? Is that a ringflash? (It's beautiful by the way) Jun 02 07 11:13 pm Link Well there's the Pro Lighting series of books from RotoVision. The "Fashion Shots" book has lots of good examples of lighting setups from simple sun+reflector to multi-unit configurations. The ISBN# is 2-88046-372-6 Another pretty much must have book (IMHO) is "Photography" by Barbara London, Jim Stone, and John Upton. New, this thing is pricy, it's probably going to set you back more than $100. but it's used by numerous collages and universities so you can probably fine one used. If not, it really is the book to have. Don't let some of the old black and white, images fool you. Metering is metering, lighting is lighting. The math and technical stuff hasn't changed. Ever. Physics is cool that way. It doesn't matter if you're using a pin-hole coffee can camera or a Hassi H2. How you light a subject doesn't change. To get the butterfly lighting (or beauty lighting) I prefer 2 softboxes in front in an Over/Under configuration. The bottom (and smaller of the soft boxes) is set to half of the intensity of the upper unit. Then I throw a highlight behind the model to seperate her from the background. I like to have the two front lights as close as I can get them to the model and still see her and be able to shoot. If you're doing just head shots this means you can get the lights really close (or as close as your lenses fStop range will allow,) to pretty much soften the shadows to near non-exsistance. Too close mind you and you'll blind your model, so remember to allow her to rest her eyes from time to time or you're going to have to bring in a seeing eye dog for the girl. The last two images in the top row of my portfolio here, were shot that way. I do this in my 8' high, 15' wide, 20' long livingroom. If I had more space I'd (in the case of the shot with the white backdrop,) light the seamless paper to really lighten it up and kill any shadows that the model would have thrown. Have fun. Jun 02 07 11:30 pm Link Hi, I am also a beauty dish fan, although I have also used octaboxes for years. I like to work with a four light set-up â sorry, I realize this is beyond your means at the moment. This is how I like to position my 22-inch beauty dish and a pair of white 48-inch umbrellas (used for bounce, although I often shoot through them instead).  The beauty dish is place 6-feet above the floor and aimed down at the seated model. The umbrellas are at mid-chest height and aimed slightly upward. I also place a reflector directly in front of the model, aimed up toward the ceiling to bounce light upward from the beauty dish. A flash unit, with a shovel reflector, is placed behind the model to light the seamless backdrop. Often I place a 4-foot x 7-foot white reflector a few feet to either side of the model. And I might add a hair light depending on how dark the modelâs hair is and the color of the background. Each light is metered to the nearest 1/10th of a stop. The two umbrellas are set to precisely the brightness, while the beauty dish is no more than 1/2-stop brighter. Hear is an example of the results:  [Candi Rose with makeup and hairstyling by Tracy Kay (MM# 393255).] Oh and I donât have it diagramed out, but here is a simple two-light set up⦠Place a beauty dish or octabox a few feet to the left of the camera position. Then place a large white reflector a few feet to the right of the model to provide bounced fill-light. Finally, add a hair light. That is how this image was shot, again using a 22-inch beauty dish (with a diffuser) and a 4-foot x 7-foot white reflector (a PVC frame with white rip-stop nylon stretched across it).  [Jacqueline Marie with makeup by Michelle Resendiz (MM# 324530) and hairstyling by Tracy Kay (MM# 393255).] Admittedly this example is more glamour than beauty lighting. But this lighting scheme can be made into beauty lighting simply by moving the reflector close to the model to dramatically reduce the lighting ratio. Enjoy! Take care, Tom  Jun 02 07 11:44 pm Link T R Willmitch wrote: That is the coolest diagram ever. Jun 02 07 11:52 pm Link Beauty dish,elinchrom octobox,grids,2 strobes,ring flash,maybe a snoot and a open creative mind... Mastering your lighting, great hair and make up should be 90 percent of the efforts in your beauty images,The other 10 percent photoshop, not vice versa... The wireless triggers would be my last priority.. Jun 03 07 04:09 am Link StephenEastwood wrote: That is a great starting kit. With that kit and some carefully placed sheets of fabric to act as diffusers/reflectors u can do ALOT! Great find Stephan. Jun 03 07 04:25 am Link Chex wrote: I agree, I have recommended it before and know at least 4 people who have bought the same basic setup from her, one even bought a second. If it sells drop her an email she always seems to have or get more of the same basic kits for sale. Jun 03 07 04:29 am Link I have sheer drapes on my sliding glass door out to the back yard - when the sun comes through they turn into an enormous softbox. You could buy artificial lights, sure, but what about softening the sun? Maybe use a couple reflectors if you're gonna get fancy with it. Or just shoot outside on a cloudy day. Jun 03 07 04:31 am Link Dave Wright Photo SF wrote: You probably would not get the look they are going for..... Commercial beauty photography is not about art - it is product photography and really needs to be shot as such. Jun 25 07 03:02 pm Link Kristen Weaver wrote: Could do something from alienbees.com like this... Jun 25 07 03:35 pm Link  3 lights. 1 behind model aimed at background. 1 straight in front and above aimed down at model's face at 45 degrees. 1 straight in front and below aimed up at face at 45 degrees. 2 front lights in large umbrellas. $700.00? Buy an alien bee and use reflectors..... Jun 25 07 06:59 pm Link |
