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See the Difference that Makes the Difference - part 4 of 1 2 3 4 5

by Dave Newman Published 01/12/2013

The Lighting 'Sauce'

The Keylight: a five-foot Octabox modifier provides my keylight. I always attempt to use the keylight at my formula distance, when creating a portrait of a single subject. To accomplish this, I employ this studio usage measurement: (a) the diagonal of a rectangle soft-box if used or (b) the diameter of an Octabox, if used or (c) 2x the diameter of a Beauty Dish, if used, to achieve a working number for the BEST PLACEMENT distance.

This time-tested measurement provides the preferable working distance (sauce) between light and subject for 'best' lighting. Any comfortable wattage, ie f-stop, works for your base or starting point with my lighting formula. Normally, I set my keylight power based on the depth of field desired, and/or number of subjects to be included in the portrait ... and in the examples shown ... f 6.3 fits my formula, providing adequate, single subject, depth of field, while keeping the background well out of focus.

Fill light: A large movable (on wheels) 5'x 6' wide white wall panel acts as a reflector providing a controllable, simple-to-use, fill light. This roll-around reflector unit is simple to build and works wonderfully well, adding or subtracting the amount of fill light needed to alter the mode and feeling as desired. Less fill illumination adds drama and impact to the image and/or additional fill light creates a feeling of less contrast, less intensity and less drama. Ratio is important, but with digital imagery and exposure, the keylight generally becomes your 'value to watch' and not the fill illumination as was the custom in the film era.

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1st Published 01/12/2013
last update 09/12/2022 14:58:47

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