Today I'm sharing some shots from a recent shoot I did with Kayte and Katie at my Sandy Springs studio.
 |
| Kayte |
 |
| Kayte |
 | |
| Katie |
I also wanted to offer two images from another recent shoot I did with Keni Cole to illustrate hard light vs soft light (a mini lesson if you will.)
This picture was taken with a soft box camera left. If you notice, the shadows on the model, as well as the light is very soft (hence the term). I often find soft light to be perfect for offering up a subject in a very flattering way. When I think soft light, I think grace and delicacy.
This picture to the right was taken with a strobe outfitted with just a reflector. It was placed directly in front of the model about 5-10 inches above her height and angled down. The harder light makes for harder shadows; they really cut. In my opinion, this lighting is perfect for an edgy and bold look
Achieving a soft light or hard light set up can be simple.
For soft light, my favorite piece of equipment is a soft box. Ensure that it's a big one to make sure that your subject is lit evenly. My go to lighting set up is a soft box camera left or right and a reflector. It's always a good place to start and then expand on as your shoot continues. You can also shoot through an umbrella or reflect with an umbrella as well (I'll try to provide pics in future posts).
This is an example of my go to lighting set up. The soft box was set up camera right; raised above the subject. The reflector is camera left and reflects just enough light to help create shadows. It's a more dramatic lighting then a fully lit subject.
For hard light, there's nothing simpler than a monolight (I use Flashpoints, Alien bee is also popular) and a reflector. Most monolights come with a reflector, so there's nothing extra to purchase. Positioning it directly in front of the subject is a good way to evenly light them if you only have one light at your disposal. If you have more than one, I've found success with aiming one at the subject from camera left or right and one at my background to eliminate shadows on the background (if you want that).
This is an example of the technique mentioned. Pointing that light at the background not only eliminates shadows on the background, but also makes for nice back lighting.
I hope that the info above was useful. Please send any questions, comments or booking requests to info@benwattsstudios.com.
