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How often do you change your set up?
I have come to realize something, and I know I have mentioned this before, but I love the whole one-light set up. Question is... should I change it? How often do "you" change your set up? Do you change it during a photo session? Or do you change it when the same model comes back? Or... What do "you" do? Jul 09 14 11:17 pm Link I change it all the time. Others barely ever, and you can easily tell. Jul 09 14 11:33 pm Link I simply can't have a single set up during a shoot. I would go a little weird if I didn't have options. So sometimes I use one light, sometimes with a modifier, sometimes 3 lights, sometimes 4. Sometimes none. The better question is how do you do things with a single setup? Jul 09 14 11:46 pm Link I dont use a studio so every shoot is different. Today I decided to go clamshell with a hair light, overall pretty pleased with the results. Jul 10 14 12:14 am Link vsfotografi wrote: "I fear not the man who has practiced 10000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10000 times." - Bruce Lee Jul 10 14 12:32 am Link Every shoot. Jul 10 14 04:19 am Link I make minor changes but generally stick to my current style. Jul 10 14 04:28 am Link I light the shot. Period. Jul 10 14 04:40 am Link I change the lights every time I change the scene and sometimes I change the light multiple times in one scene. Just depends on what I feel like. Jul 10 14 05:31 am Link I usually change things for every shoot and usually make changes during the shoot. A lot depends on the subject and the intent of the shoot. I haven't found a "one size fits all" lighting setup. Jul 10 14 05:31 am Link I have a go-to set up that gives a nice look. But I like to experiment if I can. I can go from one light to four lights, modifiers or bare bulb. I use unconventional stuff too to mess with the light sometimes. During a shoot I sometimes turn off the strobes and use natural light if I happen to like it. Jul 10 14 05:42 am Link My preference is to shoot outdoors with available light (occasionally augmented by on the camera flash) so my 'one light' setup changes just about every time my model moves a few feet. Years ago I worked from a studio. From my perspective, this is a whole lot easier. Jul 10 14 05:48 am Link I've found a few basic setups that work for me and that get me work. I do tweak them as needed, but its pretty much the same style of setup. That's my look, that's what's getting me booked, that's what I'm sticking with. Andrew Thomas Evans www.andrewthomasevans.com Jul 10 14 06:08 am Link Back in 2004 when I started shooting models, I had to learn lighting because I sucked LOL I used one type of lighting - sort of "cookie cutter" because I knew I would get good results. BUT, I also experimented a lot to learn more about lighting. So basically the goal was to use my "cookie cutter" lighting to make sure I get good photos for the model before I experimented - yes most were failures but I learned from all my lighting mistakes. Jul 10 14 06:17 am Link PhillipM wrote: Exactly. Jul 10 14 07:05 am Link If moving one strobe from left to right counts as a set up, very often. Jul 10 14 07:29 am Link Doesn't the lighting depend on the subject and how you want to show it ? You light differently for someone with a sculptured face than you would a round face.... or at least, you should. Jul 10 14 10:51 am Link I use one light often, I'll build up if I'm not feeling it and there are some concepts where I already know I need a different setup from what I usually use. Jul 10 14 11:30 am Link PhillipM wrote: +1 Jul 10 14 11:30 am Link I light for the pose. I do a lot of portraiture. As the subject moves so does my main light. I am constantly changing the lighting with every different pose. Even if it's just an inch or two higher, lower, to the left or right, etc. Jul 11 14 07:51 am Link I usually rough in a the lights prior to the shoot and depending on the genre I'm shooting I vary the amount of lights & positions. Once I really see the model/actor, then I make adjustments on my key first (height, position relative to the subject, intensity/quality of light)-- all adjustments I make are based on two factors: 1) the actual face/body of the subject & 2) the overall mood/tone I'm going for. (depending on the project one can outweight the other) Once the key is set then I begin to balance out my contrast ratios with fill light (depending on style it can vary from a passive fill to being lit) and then tweak background lighting/hair lights if necessary. The last thing I deal with are if I plan to use any specials. So many factors go into the choices (model, location, concept) that I rarely do the same set-up, but instead stick to a workflow instead. I constantly tweak the lighting based off of changes in poses, camera position & wardrobe. Jul 21 14 05:43 pm Link Always do a walk around. <---who knew Jul 21 14 05:52 pm Link For fashion and commercial work, if I've seen the model's face in person before, sometimes I set up before the model arrives at the studio. If not, I set up while the model is getting makeup. I may use anywhere from 1-6 lights. Two or three are the most common - and more than four is rare. Often I use one of several generic lighting setups that are designed to give the model maximum freedom of movement. When I do that, I rarely move a light until the next wardrobe change - and sometimes I don't touch a light during the entire shoot, which may be several hours. For more artistic lighting (think low-key with higher contrast and large shadow areas, for example) I may adjust the lighting with each variation in the pose - even if it's a fashion shoot. And the setup for each look will be different from the previous one. Jul 21 14 06:07 pm Link for every "look", or part of the theme or story I am telling - which in an all day session may be 20-30 changes Jul 21 14 06:16 pm Link As many or as few as it takes. Jul 21 14 10:01 pm Link Every subject is different and how to light them/it best is the job of the photographer. Now that gets a little reversed commercial shoots, where the end look is the goal and it's the subject that is changed/cast to match that vision. Jul 21 14 10:13 pm Link All three of these were shot at the same shoot, with the same setup: one light, large softbox, one large reflector, and a white background. I just move the model around until it looks interesting. All 18+: https://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/pic/34779330 https://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/pic/34779221 https://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/pic/34664751 Jul 22 14 12:49 am Link I've been in a bare bulb mood lately with no reflectors all all on the strobe. I then use lots of black and white V flats to move it around to my liking... Behind the model https://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/pic/35748550 In front of the model.. https://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/pic/34816165 Jul 22 14 04:52 am Link I just shot yesterday and I changed the lighting arrangement 3 times and the ratios a couple times on each arrangement. I guess the answer is to change the lighting as often as needed to achieve the look you're going for. This one used a lighting pattern that I had never tried before, but seemed appropriate for the mood I was trying to convey. 18+ http://www.reid-home.net/Cassandra0714/DSC_1985bw.jpg Cheers! Jul 22 14 04:58 am Link I have used anywhere between 0 - 8 strobes/speedlites in a shoot. More cases its just one or two and I change depending on the models posing/position and scene. Sometimes just switching off the radio trigger can create 2 different moods/looks. One with strobe as main/fill light and the next completely exposed for natural light. Jul 22 14 05:21 am Link |
