light analysis

[anorphirith]

what do you guys think the light setup was in this capture ?
I"m thinking
one light on the top right
one right on top
one light to the middle left at 1/4 of a stop
I might be completely wrong, how did they do things in the early 1900's ?

 

[wiltw]

No artificial lights in the very early 1900s ...electricity was not commonplace yet. It generally first became available in 1890s with very limited availability, although SF did have it first in 1879!. I have no idea when 'high output' light became available, but certainly the early tungsten bulb was very dim.

 

[anorphirith]

so you think it's just a lot of dodging and burning ?

 

[Kawaiithulhu]

Could be just an open studio window at the right time of day, with a fill reflector?

 

[tedr1]

Nice portrait
I agree, too early for electric light, probably a skylight w/reflectors to fill in the nearside.

 

[Arklatexian]

Nice portrait
I agree, too early for electric light, probably a skylight w/reflectors to fill in the nearside.[/QU

Most studios who would have access to subjects like Mark Twain would probably have a large "North Light" window and reflectors and know how to use natural lighting. Electric studio lighting, I think, did not become common until the 1920s and the advent of mogal base photo floods. One of my grandmothers was born after the war between the states, before Edison invented the electric light bulb and lived to see Boeing 707 and Douglas DC8 jet liners. The world we live in today doesn't resemble the USA of 1850 and photography only came along in the 1830s. If you read about photo history, you will learn that the first enlargers used open flames to provide illumination. "Burning-in" may have had a different meaning in those days......Regards!

 

[MattKing]

so you think it's just a lot of dodging and burning ?

Could be just an open studio window at the right time of day, with a fill reflector?

This - although it might be a very high window, or even a low skylight.
Plus film with a bit different response than current films, and development to somewhat different criteria.

 

[btaylor]

Reflectors for fill. High window/low skylight for key. A very simple but precise set up. To me, the beauty is in the simplicity. Perfect

 

[Kawaiithulhu]

Something like...

that.

 

[Kawaiithulhu]

different response than current film

Mark Twain died in 1910, and panchromatic films were just becoming available commercially in 1906. So quite probably orthochromatic film since he doesn't look quite dead yet.

 

[paul ron]

Something like...

that.

that's it... skylights were very popular in most studios.

 

[anorphirith]

Something like...

that.

incredible

 

[TheRook]

A little information on the shooting session:
http://www.twainquotes.com/Bradley/bradley.html

 

[LAG]

what do you guys think the light setup was in this capture ?

I might be completely wrong, how did they do things in the early 1900's ?

Outdoor, not indoor!

Perhaps there's no need to remember that in those years, in order to take advantage of the greater amount of "sunlight", false backgrounds (and false scenes as well) were mounted outdoors, that way, the expositions were shorter, which in the case of portraits were especially necessary. It has always been easier to reduce light than to increase light, always, even in the beginnings ...

 

[Nodda Duma]

Flash pan if it wasn't a window.

Rembrandt lighting setup, right? (I'm learning about lighting)