I shot a few portraits at the Imaging Show yesterday. Simple portraits with just two lights.
Like this:
Bodypaint Model at the Imaging Show
You can do that too. All you need is:
- a few lights (in this case two umbrella-fired Bowens 500 Ws strobes),
- a light meter,
- a cable or pocketwizard,
- and a camera.
I used the 24-70 lens but would have preferred my 70-200mm lens.
Bodypaint Model at the Imaging Show
As you can see there, it is all about what you do NOT light. That was lit with just one light through an umbrella, with no reflectors.
Another:
Bodypaint Model at the Imaging Show
And one more, showing the importance of body language:
Bodypaint Model at the Imaging Show
Other settings:
- The camera was of course on manual, at f/5.6 at 1/125th second and 100 ISO.
- Make sure Auto ISO is disabled.
- Make sure you get catch lights in the eyes.
- Move the model away from the backdrop if you can.
Portraiture is fun, and simple portraits like this are in everyone’s reach. Even if perhaps the “Avatar meets Cirque Du Soleil”-models are not (thanks Melony for that apt description).
Just a quick note- you wrote:
>I used the 70-200 lens but would have preferred my 70-200mm lens.
Thanks Paul – fixed!
No problem! Thanks for keeping the blog up. As always, full of nice tips and a great insight to the profession!
Thanks for the compliment! Same to all other show visitors who have said similar. My pleasure!
So that’s what she really looked like! That awful projector gave a totally different look.
Yes, very important to see the actual shot. And view it at large size!
any reason as to why you preferred the 70-200mm lens vs 24-70mm?
Indeed. With the 24-70 I had to get too close for the kind of headshots I had in mind, The farther away, the more flattering a portrait. A 24-70 lens is OK, but a 70-200 is better for headshots. If you have the space to move back – which I did not. Hence the 24-70!
Hi there!My guess would be a square/rectangular sootfbx or even the honl bounce card on a speedlite. I guessed those because I see a white rectangular spot in the eyes.As for the setup, I think master flash on camera with the above mentioned light mod, and another flash (diffused) on the right of the camera (left side of your face is more lit than your right side in other words right side of the picture is more lit than left side).mhmm .. is it so?Yannick