How to get better: lighting & all the rest

[Frank Fremerey]

Hi all. This is done in 2014 in my 2014 transportable studio setup, a job for a school in the neighbourhood:

If it had been your job:

What would you have change?
What would you have done better?
What did I not see and correct that I should have seen & corrected

Thank you for your help

Frank

[pluton]

The faces look natural and friendly, so the most important requirement has been fulfilled.  Good work!
The falloff to total darkness adds a 'dark mystery' that is at odds with the presumed purpose of the assignment.
Personally, I would like to see a small amount of light ("fill light") on the dark side of the faces.
I might have preferred a gray or dark gray backdrop instead of pure black.
Maybe, possibly, using a larger soft light source farther away would have flattened the facial features more.

[charlie]

From a lighting stand point I would have added a large softbox right behind the camera to act as an on axis fill to put some more detail in the shadows, set about a stop below the main light, depending. Then perhaps a reflector under the subject to put a catch light in the bottom of their eyes as well.

For the background I think doing something that wasn't pure black would add depth and breathe some life in to the photos, perhaps make it environmental and find a spot on campus with a pretty background you can throw out of focus. I tend to relate pure black background to moodier photos more so than school photos.

My suggestions wouldn't necessarily make anything better, just different. Lighting and background choices are very subjective, of course.

What light setup did you use? I see two catch lights in their eyes both from camera left. Looks like maybe a larger umbrella and a smaller softbox?

[Erik Lund]

One very large 130-150 cm softbox, almost straight on and some hair light or outside in the shade with some green leaves oof.
Indoors grey or almost white.

[Jakov Minić]

Frank, you did well!
I am no studio photographer but I concur with others on the background. I would use something gay. Turquoise as background perhaps?
The second to last lady or the 9th photo bothers me a bit because she is looking away from the light

[Frank Fremerey]

Thank you all! Keep them coming.

Noone suggested a light comimg from behind to create a better contour? Or is that in your words, Erik, and I did not correctly decode it?

I immediately subcribe to the reflector suggestion. I normally use a huge reflector on the right but I guess I did not do it this time and went for deep shadows

The main task was group photos of the students classes which I cannot show here due to privacy issues.

The light is one-light-philosophy: One huge softbox about 3.5 meters high from the left side.

Jakov: She is camera shy, does not feel good looking into the camera, great teacher though to look away from the light. She immediately relaxed as I allowed her to look away from the camera as in many old paintings. Very unconventional though, you are right. A colored BG of the stark sort? I do not know. Better a medium grey as suggested. I did hundreds of formal portaits on dark green and got complaints.

I have a light blue BG that I did not use since D70 times though and a wonderful bordeaux red too.

Thank you all! Keep them coming.

[charlie]

Noone suggested a light comimg from behind to create a better contour? Or is that in your words, Erik, and I did not correctly decode it?

Yes, Eric mentioned using a hair light, which decoded would be the same as a light from behind the subject for better separation with the background. A good suggestion indeed.

I like the contemplative off camera looks and think it is a good idea to try to get both direct eye contact shots as well as off camera looks. Perhaps looking towards the light instead of away from it might work better though?

I would use something gay.

Me too! 

[Andrea B.]

They look nice, but on some folks the shiny forehead patch is distracting. Adjust the light slightly? I know absolutely nothing about portraiture, so this comment should be taken informally. "-)

[armando_m]

Frank,
I'll suggest a bit of fill on the shadows side, no need for an additional light, just a white surface to reflect some of the light

Going further adding light to the background would be nice

About the soft box, I usually try to place it as close as possible  to the person without getting in the frame

Have you seen any of the videos from Dean Collins on youtube ? I saw you ordered the DVDs but you can watch some online now

Cheers

[Andy]

Frank,
you might find this 3d virtual light setup simulation software interesting.
http://www.elixxier.com/en/products/setalight3d.php
I think they have a free trial

Broncolor light setup guide: Just click on the photos you like to see the flash setup
http://www.bron.ch/broncolor/how-to/shoot-this-photo/samplephotos/?tx_bronproducts_pi1%5Blecatphotos%5D=7&cHash=b219e1255d0303730e3e03794d525072

Profoto's blog is full of different setups. Maybe some are relevant and of interest:
http://profoto.com/blog/category/the-light-shaper/page/2/

You might also be interested in the 2 books by Cora and Georg Banek : Menschenbilder and Gesichter fotografieren (photographing faces)

rgds,
Andy

[Frank Fremerey]

Thank you so much. Such a wealth of knowledge in this forum.

Charlie. I guessed "hair light" means Contour but I did not know the term. Thank you for clarification.

[Erik Lund]

Yes, my 'hair light' is a light coming from the rear to make hair or 'something' stand out, I use it a lot for product shots as well, to give and highlighted edge, especially when on a dark BG.
I set it 'opposite' of the main light.

[Olivier]

Hi Frank

This is nicely done, the rather high contrast adds mood to what could become too plain otherwhise. I don't mind actually the hair fading into the background in some cases (dark hair).
I am more bothered by the somewhat large black top of the picture, and the often central positioning of the head.

[Frank Fremerey]

Thank you Olivier. You think cropping might do the trick?

[Olivier]

Yes, it would.
Lew would tell you that nothing beats 4x5 format for portraits...
I rather believe in square format, but this is very personal of course.