Tried my hand at wired, old school studio flash with a film camera -- suffice to say, lots of difference between the digital/wireless incarnation! Fun, but wow do I have a learning curve ahead. It's good to be humbled and drop yourself into a situation where you don't know what you're doing!
@TheFlyingCamera Excellent point, and yes -- one of the first things I bought when I set out to try learn this was a flash meter. Makes a huge difference! And happily I can use it for metering ambient, too.
I'm just starting, I know I need to refine this a LOT -- more lights, more modifiers. I'm very inspired and respectful of photographer Tariq Tarey and the work he does with medium format and even 4x5 in a studio...fabulous stuff.
@Colin Corneau One thing I learned in a semester-long studio lighting course was "There is only one sun!". You can do a LOT with just one light. It all depends on how you position it. Before you go out buying lots of additional lights, just get one of those expandable 5-in-1 reflectors. That will help a LOT with shaping your light and controlling your contrast.
@Colin Corneau "...I'm just starting, I know I need to refine this a LOT -- more lights, more modifiers."
Mmm, maybe more lights, maybe not. It really depends on what you want/need the light to do. As @TheFlyingCamera suggests, you can learn a lot of different ways to use a single source, and I would guess that that's a far easier way to become proficient than multiple lights.
I really like the light falloff in your photo.
@jvo yeah- the most common modifier for shooting people portraits is a softbox. A softbox, a (large) umbrella, and a good bounce reflector will get you very very far. Fresnels are cool, but not a beginner accessory.
Photrio.com contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. To read our full affiliate disclosure statement please click Here.
PHOTRIO PARTNERS EQUALLY FUNDING OUR COMMUNITY:
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.