James Mollison went out and photographed fans outside of concerts. There is a nice selection of this work on his website, and a book of the work is also available.
Stan Banos of Reciprocity Failure has a short write up about the project comparing the series to Davide Yellen’s similar–but different–Too Fast for Love project. Banos also relates Mollison’s project art historically to Avedon’s portrait of the Chicago Seven.
Same same but different. Oh so different.
Sorry, I came across another site’s guide to lighting with a single light. This topic came up due to questions from Raquel.
http://www.studiolighting.net/quick-start-guide-to-the-one-light-setup/
Via SportsShooter: Joey Terrill’s 2003 Workshop & Luau breakout session “Firedrill: The Five-Minute Portrait” was captured on video by Brad Shirakawa.
This 8 part series pulls highlights from Terrill’s workshop on lighting as applicable to news-shooters who need to be able to work quickly while staying flexible. A lot of the ideas mirror those from David Hobby (Strobist)–and that makes sense since he got his chops as a newspaper shooter. Terrill talks about a lot of specific gear, but the principle ideas come through as well.
Another post for the portrait folks… when it rains it pours. Sometimes topical tidbits seem to be everywhere. Street people, I’ll get you something up later today.
Took a walk through the Frick Museum this past Saturday. I was reminded just how brilliant this gem of a museum is. The highlight of the museum at the moment is supposed to be Bellini’s St Francis in the Desert, but my eyes kept wandering towards the portraits (and one Turner city/land/sea-scape). They really struck a cord this time through. The Hans Memling Portrait of a Man is fantastic. And the Goya portrait of an officer. And the van Dycks and the Holbeins and the Reyonolds and the Rembrandts and well there are just a heck of a lot of good portraits. One walks from room to room in awe of the taste (and money) that brought all of this work to one place–and one man’s place at that.
Memling’s Portrait of a Man:
Anthony van Dyck’s portrait of Marchesa Giovanna Cattaneo
Hans Holbeins the Younger’s portrait of Sir Thomas More
So, for anyone in the portrait class, if you’ve got a moment free from finishing up the last assignment, making prints for the final crit and keeping up with the day jobs, take a morning or afternoon to stop in at the Frick and check out the portraits there. Actually, the street class might as well go too. A good image is a good image, whatever medium it is rendered in.
(These images aren’t great reproductions of the actual paintings. Seeing them in person is an entirely different experience.)
Ambient Light
The available light completely surrounding a subject. Light already existing in an indoor or outdoor setting that is not caused by any illumination supplied by the photographer.
Angle Of View
The area of a scene that a lens covers or sees. Angle of view is determined by the focal length of the lens combined with film/sensor size. A wide-angle lens (short-focal-length) includes more of the scene-a wider angle of view-than a normal (normal-focal-length) or telephoto (long-focal-length) lens.
Aperture
Lens opening. The opening in a camera lens through which light passes to expose the film. The size of aperture is either fixed or adjustable. Aperture size is usually calibrated in f-numbers-the larger the number, the smaller the lens opening.
Aperture Priority
An exposure mode on an automatic or autofocus camera that lets you set the aperture while the camera sets the shutter speed for proper exposure. If you change the aperture, or the light level changes, the shutter speed changes automatically.
Aspect Ratio
The ratio of width to height in photographic prints – 2:3 in 35 mm pictures to produce photographs most commonly measuring 3.5 x 5 inches or 4 x 6 inches; Advanced Photo System cameras deliver three aspect ratios as selected by the user.
B (Bulb) Setting
A shutter-speed setting on an adjustable camera that allows for time exposures. When set on B, the shutter will stay open as long as the shutter release button remains depressed.
Background
The part of the scene the appears behind the principal subject of the picture.
Backlighting
Light coming from behind the subject, toward the camera lens, so that the subject stands out vividly against the background. Sometimes produces a silhouette effect.
Bounce Lighting
Flash or tungsten light bounced off a reflector (such as the ceiling or walls) to give a more natural light.
Bracketing
Taking a series of pictures of the subject through a range of exposures-both lighter and darker-when unsure of the correct exposure (eg. one stop underexposed, normal exposure, one stop overexposed.)
Color Temperature
Color is measured in degrees Kelvin. As an example, daylight is 5400K while tungsten is 3200K. The higher the color temperature the more blue/cyan the color and conversely the lower the temperature the more yellow/magenta/red the color. This is why tungsten light (like the Lowel lights we used in class or regular househould bulbs) look more yellow/red than daylight. On digital cameras we can adjust for different color temperature by setting the appropriate white balance (most digital cameras use pictograms for different color temperatures; see your manual for your camera’s specifics).
Composition
The pleasing arrangement of the elements within a scene-the main subject, the foreground and background, and supporting subjects. Weston referred to composition as the “strongest way of seeing.”
Contrast
The brightness range of a subject or scene’s lighting.
Cropping
Printing only part of the image, usually for a more pleasing composition. May also refer to the framing of the scene in the viewfinder.
Dedicated Flash
A fully automatic flash that works only with specific cameras. Dedicated flash units automatically set the proper flash sync speed and lens aperture, and electronic sensors within the camera automatically control exposure by regulating the amount of light from the flash.
Depth of Field
The amount of distance between the nearest and farthest objects that appear in acceptably sharp focus in a photograph. Depth of field depends on the lens opening, the focal length of the lens, and the distance from the lens to the subject.
Diffuse Lighting
Lighting that is low or moderate in contrast, such as on an overcast day. Likewise, in class when we used a scrim in front of a light to make that light larger we also made it more diffuse, or softer.
Existing Light
Available light. Strictly speaking, existing light covers all natural lighting from moonlight to sunshine. For photographic purposes, existing light is the light that is already on the scene or project and includes room lamps, fluorescent lamps, spotlights, neon signs, candles, daylight through windows, outdoor scenes at twilight or in moonlight, and scenes artificially illuminated after dark. See also “Ambient Light”
Exposure
The quantity of light allowed to act on a photographic material; a product of the intensity (controlled by the lens opening) and the duration (controlled by the shutter speed or enlarging time) of light striking the film or paper.
Exposure Latitude
The range of camera exposures from underexposure to overexposure that will produce acceptable pictures from a specific film or sensor.
Exposure Meter
An instrument with a light-sensitive cell that measures the light reflected from or falling on a subject, used as an aid for selecting the exposure setting. The same as a light meter.
Fill-In Light
Additional light from a lamp, flash, or reflector; used to soften or fill in the shadows or dark picture areas caused by the brighter main light. Called “fill-in flash” or “fill flash” when electronic flash is used.
Film Speed
The sensitivity of a given film to light, indicated by a number such as ISO 200. The higher the number, the more sensitive to light the film or sensor is. Note: ISO stands for International Standards Organization. For digital cameras, the lowest ISO one can set is the “base” ISO or native ISO of the sensor. Higher ISOs in digital cameras use in-camera software to boost the sensitivity.
Flash
A brief, intense burst of light from a flashbulb or an electronic flash unit, usually used where the lighting on the scene is inadequate for picture-taking.
Flat
Too low in contrast. The range in density in a negative or print is too short.
Flat Lighting
Lighting that produces very little contrast or modeling on the subject plus a minimum of shadows.
f-Number
A number that indicates the size of the lens opening on an adjustable camera. The common f-numbers are f/1.4, f/2, f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11, f/16, and f/22. The larger the f-number, the smaller the lens opening. In this series, f/1.4 is the largest lens opening and f/22 is the smallest. Also called f-stops, they work in conjunction with shutter speeds to indicate exposure settings. Your digital camera may give intermediate f-stops in 1/3 or 1/2 increments.
Focal Length
The distance between the film and the optical center of the lens when the lens is focused on infinity. The focal length of the lens on most adjustable cameras is marked in millimetres on the lens mount.
Focal-Plane Shutter
An opaque curtain containing a slit that moves directly across in front of the film in a camera and allows image-forming light to strike the film.
Focus
Adjustment of the distance setting on a lens to define the subject sharply.
Focus Range
The range within which a camera is able to focus on the selected picture subject – 4 feet to infinity – for example. This is determined by the lens for most cameras.
Foreground
The area between the camera and the principal subject.
Frontlighting
Light shining on the side of the subject facing the camera.
High Contrast
A wide range of difference between the light and dark areas of a scene. Alternately, a wide range of difference in the lightest and darkest areas in a print.
Highlights
The brightest areas of a subject and the corresponding areas in a photograph.
Hot Shoe
The fitting on a camera that holds a small portable flash. It has an electrical contact that aligns with the contact on the flash unit’s “foot” and fires the flash when you press the shutter release. This direct flash-to-camera contact eliminates the need for a PC cord.
Hyperfocal Distance
Distance of the nearest object in a scene that is acceptably sharp when the lens is focused on infinity.
ISO Speed
The emulsion speed (sensitivity) of the film or sensor as determined by the standards of the International Standards Organization. In these standards, both arithmetic (ASA) and logarithmic (DIN) speed values are expressed in a single ISO term. For example, a film with a speed of ISO 100/21° would have a speed of ASA 100 or 21 DIN.
LCD panel
Liquid Crystal Display on cameras that shows such information as remaining exposures, flash status and aspect ratio selected. On most digital cameras, the rear LCD also is used for image playback and on many digital cameras it is also used for viewing.
Lens
One or more pieces of optical glass or similar material designed to collect and focus rays of light to form a sharp image on the sensor, film, paper, or projection screen.
Lens Shade
A collar or hood at the front of a lens that keeps unwanted light from striking the lens and causing image flare. May be attached or detachable, and should be sized to the particular lens to avoid vignetting.
Lens Speed
The largest lens opening (smallest f-number) at which a lens can be set. A fast lens transmits more light and has a larger opening than a slow lens.
Macro Lens
A lens that provides continuous focusing from infinity to extreme close-ups, often to a reproduction ratio of 1:2 (half life-size) or 1:1 (life-size). A 1:1 reproduction ration means that an object’s image on the film or sensor is the same size as the object itself.
Monopod
A one-legged support used to hold the camera steady.
Normal Lens
A lens that makes the image in a photograph appear in perspective similar to that of the original scene. A normal lens has a shorter focal length and a wider field of view than a telephoto lens, and a longer focal length and narrower field of view than a wide-angle lens. Usually a normal lens is close to the diagonal of a film/sensor format. For example, 35mm film has a diagonal measurement of about 45mm and most normal lenses for 35mm cameras are nominally 50mm.
Opening Up
Opening the aperture to a larger f-stop, for example going from f8 to f5.6
Overexposure
A condition in which too much light reaches the film or sensor, producing a very light final image.
Panning
Moving the camera so that the image of a moving object remains in the same relative position in the viewfinder as you take a picture.
Panorama
A broad view, usually scenic.
Reflector
Any device used to reflect light onto a subject. This can be as simple as a piece of foamcore or a collapsible reflector.
Saturation
An attribute of perceived color, or the percentage of hue in a color. Saturated colors are called vivid, strong, or deep. Desaturated colors are called dull, weak, or washed out.
Selective Focus
Choosing a lens opening that produces a shallow depth of field. Usually this is used to isolate a subject by causing most other elements in the scene to be blurred.
Shutter
Blades, a curtain, plate, or some other movable cover in a camera that controls the time during which light reaches the film.
Shutter Priority
An exposure mode on an automatic or autofocus camera that lets you select the desired shutter speed; the camera sets the aperture for proper exposure. If you change the shutter speed, or the light level changes, the camera adjusts the aperture automatically.
Sidelighting
Light striking the subject from the side relative to the position of the camera; produces shadows and highlights to create modeling on the subject.
Soft Focus
Produced by use of a special lens that creates soft outlines.
Soft Lighting
Lighting that is low or moderate in contrast, such as on an overcast day.
Stopping Down
Changing the lens aperture to a smaller opening; for example, from f/8 to f/11.
Telephoto Lens
A lens that makes a subject appear larger on film than does a normal lens at the same camera-to-subject distance. A telephoto lens has a longer focal length and narrower field of view than a normal lens. (Technically, a telephoto lens is any lens whose physical length is shorter than its focal length though it has come to be a blanket term for any long focal length lens since most long focus lenses for common small format cameras are telephoto designs.)
Tripod
A three-legged supporting stand used to hold the camera steady. Especially useful when using slow shutter speeds and/or telephoto lenses.
Tungsten Light
Light from regular room lamps and ceiling fixtures, not fluorescent. Professional tungsten fixtures are used in film/video shoots and can be used for still photography as well. The Lowel Tota and Omni lights we used in our in class shooting session are tungsten lights. Tungsten lights have a color temperature of 3200K and require that either the White Balance on a digital camera be set appropriately, an 80A filter be used with daylight balanced film or a CTB gel be used over the light to balance it with daylight.
Underexposure
A condition in which too little light reaches the film, producing a thin negative, a dark slide, or a muddy-looking print.
Vignetting
A fall-off in brightness at the edges of an image. Can be caused by poor lens design, using a lens hood not matched to the lens, or attaching too many filters to the front of the lens. This can be mitigated or enhanced in most image editing software programs.
Wide-Angle Lens
A lens that has a shorter focal length and a wider field of view (includes more subject area) than a normal lens.
Zoom Lens
A lens in which you adjust the focal length over a wide range. In effect, this gives you lenses of many focal lengths.
Definitions above are generally overly simplistic. Though they came from the Kodak link above, I’ve modified many of them to update them for digital and clarify some language.
For more, consider one of these books:
Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson
Scott Kelby’s Photography Box Set
Photography, London and Upton, Sixth Edition (This has been my reference book, though an earlier edition. It is born of film; digital is an add on here. Most information applies, but Bryan or Scott’s books probably will feel more directly related to the cameras in your hands.)
This isn’t the article I’d mentioned in class, but it is by the same author and covers the same ground. Michael Johnston used to write a weekly column on the Luminous Landscape website. This column deals with flare and its upsides and downsides.
This post is for Raquel and her need for a compact lighting kit to bring with her on her maternity shoots. I’ll start with another link to David Hobby’s Strobist blog: his Lighting 101 post about traveling light kit. It’s a pun; get it? The entire Lighting 101 expands on the basic lighting lessons I did in sessions two and three. It is worth taking the time to go through all of his posts. This particular link is how to put together a light weight and compact yet capable and versatile lighting kit.
His travel lighting kit boils down to this:
• 6 foot compact light stand (he suggests a Manfrotto model, but Lowel has good options as well)
• shoe mount flash (alternately a hot light like the Lowel Tota or Omni that we used in class might be easier for learning to light, but it has its downsides as we talked about)
• umbrella stand adapter for the flash (hot light eliminates need for this)
• Westcott double fold collapsible umbrella (with a hot light, one of the Lowel umbrellas made for the high temps would be better suited)
• sync cord or radio slaves (hot light eliminates need for this)
• collapsible reflector
A stand, Tota Light, Lowel silver umbrella and collapsible reflector take up little space and would expand greatly your lighting options indoors (mixed color temp would be an issue when mixing the tungsten light with daylight). Swapping that Tota light for a small shoe mount flash, umbrella stand adapter and Westcott convertible collapsible umbrella will allow you to better work with daylight (meaning you’ll have two light sources to play with), though you won’t be able to see the light as you’re setting it up (no modeling light). You’d have to get a studio strobe or monolight to get both a modeling light and powerful flash output but that would add weight and bulk that you don’t want.
Either option would easily fit into your rolling case (a monolight would be pretty tight, though). The cost would be about $200 on the low side, though you could spend far more…
If you are doing shoots as a professional, Nnot having a light (and preferably a back up as well) is risky. If it rains or is cloudy then your shoot is hosed. If you have a shoot in winter time after 4pm you are out of luck. Having a light means you always have light. During the summer it means you can better control and subdue the often harsh daylight. In winter it means you have more than a six hour window to shoot each day.
Read through David’s site. There’s lots of good info for you.
Links:
Manfrotto stand
Lowel stand
Basic Flash 1
Basic Flash 2
Lowel Tota Light
Lowel Omni Light
Umbrella stand adapter
Westcott double fold umbrella
Lowel silver umbrella
Gone wrong (or right if your sitter is a Nazi collaborator), cross lighting is going to look like the Krupp portrait in the previous post. Done in a more nuanced way it can be a dynamic light set-up. David hobby talks about how he uses cross lighting on his Strobist blog.
The post is here.
This is the “evil” cross lighting I had mentioned in class. I had the photographer and date wrong; it is actually an Arnold Newman portrait of Alfred Krupp taken in 1963 in Essen, Germany. Arnold’s portrait echoes a similarly eerie portrait made by Eisenstadt of Goebbels in 1933 (and it was echoed in turn by Nigel Parry’s portrait of Newt Gingrich for the NY Times Magazine in 2009).
You can see that the lighting comes from just slightly behind both the left and right sides resulting in a dark shadow down the center of Krupp’s face. His nose and cheek bones are sharply defined while his eyes are shadowed in a grotesque way. This isn’t the kind of lighting you want to use unless you’re looking to offend.
