Week 1: Assignment 14| Using Flash

Objectives:
In this assignment you’ll learn…
Recall the advantages and disadvantages of using a camera’s built-in flash.

Student Activities (online work): Read, Watch Video & Practice
1. Read the textbook: Chapter 12- Complete: Technical Terms, Review Questions & Workbook
2. LinkedIn Learning Video:Photography Foundations: Flash 

Practice: Bounce Flash; What is due? 12-24 Bounce Flash, Fill Flash and Direct Flash pictures

Bounce flash photography is the use of an external flash unit (also known as hot shoe-mounted flash) to reflect the appropriate amount of light onto your subject so that your shot appears bright and sharp. The external flash unit has a rotatable head that can be adjusted to face a wall or ceiling. When the flash is triggered, light is reflected off those surfaces, which diffuses and softens the light from the Speedlite. Bounce flash photography is extremely useful especially for indoor photography. The key to achieve good results in bounce photography is the bounce angle. The angles which you can adjust the flash head differs depending on the model of Speedlite being used. The flash head can be positioned to face up, down, left or right. Varying the angles of the flash head will result in light illuminating the subject in different ways. In class we use the Profoto A1. Here is a Step by Step Walk Through PROFOTO

Direct Flash: Direct flash refers to a very particular type of artificial lighting: You point your flash at the subject. You don’t add any modifiers (such as umbrellas or softboxes). You make sure the flash is lined up with the camera (so that the lens and the flash are both pointed in the exact same direction).You take a shot. It’ll give you a very bright, very harsh, in-your-face type look.

Fill Flash: It’s any light, a flash or otherwise, used to compliment another light source. It is often used to add light to shadow areas or when your subject is backlit. Fill flash is not used to overpower other sources affecting your subject. Instead, its job is to reduce shadows caused by stronger light. When your subject is lit from behind this often results in it appearing too dark in photos. This is because the exposure meter reads the light from the background and not from your subject. By using flash you can balance the light on your subject with the light in the background. This way both your subject and the background will be well exposed.

Photo Assignment: 
Take 12 images of each demonstrating Bounce Flash, Fill Flash and Direct Flash pictures

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Welcome to the Studio

In class we use Paul C Buff, Inc Studio Lights. Learn about the studio lights….

Watch: DigiBee Demo

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Watch: AlienBees™ Product Demo

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Watch: White lightning x800 & x1600

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Introduction

Controlling light is the main aspect of photography lighting techniques. Softboxes and umbrellas are the well-known light modifiers, they are used to soften and diffuse the light source by spreading the initial beam to create a larger light source. Both of these modification tools are generally portable solutions that can be adapted to a range of light types, from external camera flashes to the most powerful studio flash packs, they are parts of both home photography studio and professional studio. The question is not which one is better, but I think which one is suitable for a specific situation. Trying to choose which type of light modifier to use for your next shoot really comes down to what effects you want to achieve in your photo.

Softboxes are used for softening, diffusing light sources and increasing the size of the light source; A softbox controls the shape and direction of light more than an umbrella and prevents more light spill from occurring. They are able to produce natural-looking light by mimicking the shape of a window. Softboxes come in a variety of different shapes, sizes, and colors, each good for different purposes.

The shape of a softbox can influence the look when applied in portrait photography. When photographing people from close range, the shape of the used light source can often be seen reflected in the subjects eyes (called “catch” lights). The different shapes of softboxes are:

Rectangular and square. These can be used for just about anything, from Key/Main Lights to Fill Lights.

 Strip box:This is a skinny rectangular softbox. Its narrow shape makes it good for casting rim/Hair Lights on subjects without affecting other parts of the image.

 

 

 

 

Octobox: A softbox with 8 sides. Its rounded shape will cast natural looking catchlights in the eyes of your subject, making this a great choice for your key Light.

 

 

 

Honeycomb Grids: help to eliminate fall-off by directing the light into a straight beam. We use it for the background light. We use the silver metal reflector that came with it to control the light spill. I also alternate between four different honeycomb grids, 10° – 40°.

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Umbrella’s

Umbrellas are usually the first light modifiers that people buy when they begin shooting with their flash off-camera. They produce broader, diffused lighting (similar to outdoor light) that is uncontrolled and uncontained. Let’s take a look at the different types of umbrellas and the many options they give you.

Transparent Umbrella– They are made with a plain, white, and semi-translucent material. To diffuse light with these umbrellas, you need to point the outside part of the umbrella at your subject and shoot the light source into the opening so that the light passes through the translucent material, making it much softer. If you’re shooting with a flash or Strobe, your light source is basically a few square centimeters. This umbrella takes that light source and spreads it out; giving you softer light without the harsh shadows that a bare flash will give you.

The shoot-through umbrella also gives you versatility; you can bring it close to a person’s face for a great classic portrait, or pull it back to spread the light into the rest of the scene. You can get two of these and use one for your key light and one for your fill light. With this simple, inexpensive setup you can make great, professionally lit portraits.

Reflective umbrellas, your light source is directed into the opening side of the umbrella, and the light bounces back onto the subject. When used in this traditional position, they produce indirect, bounced light. Reflective umbrellas allow you to move the light source further from your subject without losing much of the light from your flash.  This is great for full-body or group portraits. Because the light is only being reflected you have much more control of where your light lands.

As a general rule, the larger your umbrella, the larger your light source, and the softer your light. Reflective photo umbrellas come in three colors: gold, silver, and white.  Silver and white are the most commonly used, although gold has its place as well.

• Silver reflective umbrellas are going to reflect most of the source light (least light loss) and It is great if you want cool light.
• Gold umbrella will consume a little more light, and it is perfect for warming up your flash’s light.
• White umbrella’s eat the most light, but it will give you the softest light, but remember, you will need to increase the power of your light source compared to shooting into a silver or gold umbrella.
  

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HOW DO I GET THE LIGHTS TO FIRE?

In addition these fabulous lights, you’ll need a few more things. We use the Cybersync trigger which goes on my camera and the Cybersync AC powered receiver that goes on the strobes.

You’ll also need a sync cord. The sync cord plugs into both the receiver and the strobe and allows them to talk to each other. You could also plug the sync cord directly from the strobe into your camera and trigger it that way. You’d have to get a really long sync cord though and I for one would trip right over it!

 

 

 

Hard light
Hard lights are most easily identified by the shadows that they cast rather than the way they rest upon a subject. Anything illuminated by the rays of a hard light will be accompanied by a clear, dark silhouette of a shadow.

Hard light is often considered to be not very good light, although it depends entirely on the look you’re after. Hard light can work extremely well for some images and ideas. The photo below shows a case where using hard light gives a more dramatic effect to the photo.

Soft light
Soft light is generally considered to be more friendly and flattering to your subjects. It’s used often with portraits. The images are meant to be inviting, warm and welcoming. A soft light produces the opposite effect as the shadow loses definition and becomes more muted. The photo above shows less or no shadows in the photo.

Two factors affecting the softness of light: The first is the size of the light source in relation to the subject. The larger the light source, the softer the light being cast on the subject will be.

The second factor is the distance between the light source and the subject. The farther a light source is placed from the subject, the harder the light will become.

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Week 2: Assignment 15| Studio Product with Texture 

Objectives:
In this chapter you’ll learn…
The goal for this assignment is for you to get use to using the studio lights and light meter.

Student Activities (online work): Read, Watch Video & Practice
1. Read the textbook: Chapter 10- Complete: Technical Terms, Review Questions & Workbook

Photo Assignment: 

 

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Week 3 & 4: Assignment 16| Introduction to Portraits

STEP 1: Pick an aperture for the MAIN LIGHT.

STEP 2: Set your FILL LIGHT 1.5 stops less than your main light.

STEP 3: Set your BACKGROUND LIGHT 1 stops less than your main light.

(Start out using f/16 as your main light, f/8.5 as the fill light and f/11 as the background light.)