A chat thread about conceptualizing lighting styles
Yesterday I wrote about creating a lighting scheme that fits the tone and feel of a story, in which I chose to use a soft green light to exaggerate the feel of hospital lighting. I thought I would open up the floor to questions about conceptualizing light for a project or story.
Do you have a lighting set-up you would like to discuss? Or are there any questions you have about using flash or choosing light?
Since I’ve started fallowing you I’ve noticed you choke your lights with a snoot, cinefoil or soft grids a lot. I like the approach and technique you use but maybe you could tell us how you’ve arrived to this technique as this would be your look moving forward.
I arrived at this technique for certain stories because I thought the lighting technique you mention referenced the renaissance period of painting - an artistic period that explored religious and biblical subject matter. By using this light in a modern context while covering conflict, it allowed me to access a visual lexicon around birth, death and spirituality that we are used to. My aim was to add a layer of meaning in my images through introducing light.
I don't know if it's too late to post a question, but on the off chance that it isn't, I'm curious about how you start dialing in camera settings once you do have a concept in mind, as in your quarantine self-portrait. I'm really interested in mixing ambient with flash/strobe. With strobe, I know shutter speed has a significant effect on the ambient light; how does that differ when working with a continuous light source when mixed with ambient & natural light? Does it? To again reference your recent self-portrait, you stopped down 2 stops to have the look and feel of indeterminate time, and so I think went from f2.8 to f5.6 and the 1/30 must've remained. Would 1/125 at ff2.8 have given you a very similar look, but you knew that you didn't want a very shallow depth of field? Do you start with the aperture and work from there, or does it differ scenario to scenario? As always, thank you so much, Adam!
Hi Olga, great question and one I should explore in future posts - what are my exact settings( Firsty, read my comment to Justin’s question above for some context about using light outdoors, it might help)
When working in a studio with flash, where all light is controllable/adjustable - I start with a key light. That is the light that will light the brightest part of my image. Generally in portraiture, it's the light that will light a particular side of a face. I always establish the key light with the power set at half, which is normally ‘5’ on a power pack, or a flash head. I set my key light to half power because once I start introducing fill lights, I have the most room to increase or decrease power as needed.
Once I have my key light set, I make an image, then assess it and decide what other lights I want to introduce. How much fill do I need. Do I need multiple fill lights, or a hair light?
The key here is not to turn all your light on at once, but to start with a key light and build your light from there. This is the art of painting with light.
For situations where there is ambient light that isn't adjustable as it would be in a studio, like the quarantine portrait you mention, I control the room light (which is the fill light) through the exposure. By stopping down from the average ‘through the lens’ exposure, the room looks darker, like there is less light. Then once I have the room at a desirable exposure/brightness, I introduce my key light and adjust it to the intensity.
For the camera settings - I normally pick an aperture first, because the depth of field impacts the look and field of focus in an image. It's about massaging all these things together, and sometimes you might need to cut corners.
Thank you so much for your thorough answer to my question. It's so helpful—both the technical aspects, which will help execute the ideas I already have, but also the reminder that it's about building the light, one at a time. Lighting, when starting out, can feel really intimidating. I can't emphasize enough how much it helps to have you break things down. And the answer to Justin's question is also very helpful and applicable. Thank you so much again for your time and for your newsletter!!
Hi Justin, by synthetic light you mean introduced light (strobe, LED etc)? I use synthetic light outdoors when I look at a scene, or landscape, and think the light could be improved by adding light. But it’s rare that I make that decision because introduced light either overtakes or competes with the natural/ambient light. I’m talking during the day. It's very hard to add to natural light without creating something that feels fake, or over lit for no reason.
If we think about some of the posts I have done on lighting portraits indoors, it’s not dissimilar to lighting outside. I am still introducing light into a scene that has natural light, or inherently synthetic light (lights and lamps). Although inside the natural light is lower, and can be controlled with a curtain, or the time of day one might shoot, it's the same concept of using synthetic light.
If I made the decision to introduce light while shooting outdoors in daylight, I use bounce light from a reflector, or flash that is at a very low power, so it doesn't overpower the dominant key light, the sun.
Outside, as in a studio setting - it's about establishing a key light, and building light around it that compliments it.
You nailed the answer to a badly written question. Thanks Adam, flash outside is very hard to make subtle and additive. Some good points regarding lights, inside on location as well. Like you Nicki Minaj exit light. Great stuff. Thanks!
Since I’ve started fallowing you I’ve noticed you choke your lights with a snoot, cinefoil or soft grids a lot. I like the approach and technique you use but maybe you could tell us how you’ve arrived to this technique as this would be your look moving forward.
I arrived at this technique for certain stories because I thought the lighting technique you mention referenced the renaissance period of painting - an artistic period that explored religious and biblical subject matter. By using this light in a modern context while covering conflict, it allowed me to access a visual lexicon around birth, death and spirituality that we are used to. My aim was to add a layer of meaning in my images through introducing light.
The last post made me be interested to hear of any 'lighting the story' workshops you would run in Sydney.
Hi Marty, I may do this at some point, and will certainly post about if I am planning. Stay tuned.
Hi Adam,
I don't know if it's too late to post a question, but on the off chance that it isn't, I'm curious about how you start dialing in camera settings once you do have a concept in mind, as in your quarantine self-portrait. I'm really interested in mixing ambient with flash/strobe. With strobe, I know shutter speed has a significant effect on the ambient light; how does that differ when working with a continuous light source when mixed with ambient & natural light? Does it? To again reference your recent self-portrait, you stopped down 2 stops to have the look and feel of indeterminate time, and so I think went from f2.8 to f5.6 and the 1/30 must've remained. Would 1/125 at ff2.8 have given you a very similar look, but you knew that you didn't want a very shallow depth of field? Do you start with the aperture and work from there, or does it differ scenario to scenario? As always, thank you so much, Adam!
Hi Olga, great question and one I should explore in future posts - what are my exact settings( Firsty, read my comment to Justin’s question above for some context about using light outdoors, it might help)
When working in a studio with flash, where all light is controllable/adjustable - I start with a key light. That is the light that will light the brightest part of my image. Generally in portraiture, it's the light that will light a particular side of a face. I always establish the key light with the power set at half, which is normally ‘5’ on a power pack, or a flash head. I set my key light to half power because once I start introducing fill lights, I have the most room to increase or decrease power as needed.
Once I have my key light set, I make an image, then assess it and decide what other lights I want to introduce. How much fill do I need. Do I need multiple fill lights, or a hair light?
The key here is not to turn all your light on at once, but to start with a key light and build your light from there. This is the art of painting with light.
For situations where there is ambient light that isn't adjustable as it would be in a studio, like the quarantine portrait you mention, I control the room light (which is the fill light) through the exposure. By stopping down from the average ‘through the lens’ exposure, the room looks darker, like there is less light. Then once I have the room at a desirable exposure/brightness, I introduce my key light and adjust it to the intensity.
For the camera settings - I normally pick an aperture first, because the depth of field impacts the look and field of focus in an image. It's about massaging all these things together, and sometimes you might need to cut corners.
Hi Adam,
Thank you so much for your thorough answer to my question. It's so helpful—both the technical aspects, which will help execute the ideas I already have, but also the reminder that it's about building the light, one at a time. Lighting, when starting out, can feel really intimidating. I can't emphasize enough how much it helps to have you break things down. And the answer to Justin's question is also very helpful and applicable. Thank you so much again for your time and for your newsletter!!
In what circumstances do you use synthetic light outdoors and how?
Hi Justin, by synthetic light you mean introduced light (strobe, LED etc)? I use synthetic light outdoors when I look at a scene, or landscape, and think the light could be improved by adding light. But it’s rare that I make that decision because introduced light either overtakes or competes with the natural/ambient light. I’m talking during the day. It's very hard to add to natural light without creating something that feels fake, or over lit for no reason.
If we think about some of the posts I have done on lighting portraits indoors, it’s not dissimilar to lighting outside. I am still introducing light into a scene that has natural light, or inherently synthetic light (lights and lamps). Although inside the natural light is lower, and can be controlled with a curtain, or the time of day one might shoot, it's the same concept of using synthetic light.
If I made the decision to introduce light while shooting outdoors in daylight, I use bounce light from a reflector, or flash that is at a very low power, so it doesn't overpower the dominant key light, the sun.
Outside, as in a studio setting - it's about establishing a key light, and building light around it that compliments it.
You nailed the answer to a badly written question. Thanks Adam, flash outside is very hard to make subtle and additive. Some good points regarding lights, inside on location as well. Like you Nicki Minaj exit light. Great stuff. Thanks!