My Portrait Lighting Downscaled 2 by
Nokton48, on Flickr
25 years ago I studied Tim Kelly's lighting techniques. This is my 2021 retro version, scaled down quite a bit, no giant softboxes. But the same lighting principles apply just the same.
Here's the scheme.
A Broncolor Impact 21 strobe on full power, set at extreme camera left 90 degrees, providing an overall fill to the set and lighting the backround completely. The fill light modifier is a Broncolor Impaflex 60x60 softbox. Exposure measured incident F16 on full power. FILL F16
A Broncolor Impact 41 strobe on full power, set at 45 degrees camera left. Provides main light on the subject. The light modifier is a Broncolor Impaflex 60x60 softbox. Exposure measured incident F32 on full power. MAIN F32
A Broncolor Impact 21 strobe on full power camera camera light and up high. Impact reflector with Impact Grid. A tight circular pattern tightly aimed above the subject (no light on the subject) and creating a lighter background area to the upper right of the frame. Exposure on background measured incident F22 on full power. GRID SPOT F32
Finally a 36" round silver reflector just off camera right 45 degrees and "feathered"
Since we read left to right, this makes a "dark, light, dark, light" across the frame that I find attractive. What I'd like is something interesting to look at in every part of the frame.
Not there yet but it's a start. Exposed F32 4x5 TMAX100 Makiflex Automatic #2 210mm f6.8 Kern Apo Repro lens. Also shot some Ilford FP4+ 6x6cm Linhof Black Rollex film magazine. Man these early wind knob Rollex's are a good match for the Makis Sheet film developed in an 8x10 Unicolor Unidrum using one-shot D23 diluted 1:1 ten minutes at 72F on a Unicolor Uniroller.