Portable backdrop for company headshots?

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fotojack

Senior Member
Another idea for a back drop is an old chalk board...the kind they used to use in school rooms when I was a kid. :) They even have green chalk boards, too.

Shower curtains, drapery panels, foam board, carpet remnants, vinyl floor tiles on cardboard, sheets of wall paper on foam board backing or cardboard, .....I could go on and on. Use your imagination. :)
 
Whiskeyman

Whiskeyman

Senior Member
One option that hasn't been discussed is to purchase a green screen for the photo shoot, and then photoshop it over a digital backdrop. This way, you only need to physically have one screen, and you can match colors in post processing.

WM
 
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Panza

Senior Member
Before you posted the set up above, I tried with these settings here
a4b6c2c19b.png


Top Left: Directional (white) light from below angling up at subject
Bottom Left: Shoot through white umbrella light angled from below
Bottom Right: Shoot through white umbrella light angled from high above

p0XBlPE.jpg

50mm
f/2.8
1/60
iso1000
 
F

FastGlass

Senior Member
Few issues I have with your set up is the fact that the key light is set to low. Look at the catch lights. To low in the eye for a pleasing look. Just learned that from Wiskyman. Also I often position my fill light more on axis to the camera lens to fill in the shadows the lens would normally see. Plus the hair light should be opposite the key light. The way it's set up it's going to hit his shoulder more so than his back. The back of his left shoulder isn't going to get any light to separate it from the background. Also noticed the ISO is set pretty high. There's no rule for studio settings but generally the shutter is set at sync speed. That way you eliminate strange colors from ambient light sources. ISO is set to 200 why because there's no need for it to be any higher. Aperture is normally F8 or F11. If shooting a few people with one standing behind the other. Shooting at 2.8 will not have everyone in focus. These are the settings I start at and play around from there.
 
Whiskeyman

Whiskeyman

Senior Member
Panza said:
Oh wow! I thought I was going to get ostracized for not having enough equipment for the job but this really helps me out.
Click to expand...

Why? Some of us don't have the equipment that you do. And we can all either learn from this example, or teach to it.

WM
 
Whiskeyman

Whiskeyman

Senior Member
Panza said:
Before you posted the set up above, I tried with these settings here
a4b6c2c19b.png


Top Left: Directional (white) light from below angling up at subject
Bottom Left: Shoot through white umbrella light angled from below
Bottom Right: Shoot through white umbrella light angled from high above

p0XBlPE.jpg

50mm
f/2.8
1/60
iso1000
Click to expand...

In my opinion, this is an example where short lighting should be employed.

See 6 Portrait Lighting Patterns Every Photographer Should Know and/or Short Lighting for Portrait Photography ? PictureCorrect for more of an explanation.

I looks like you've started to go that way, but the fill lighting is too strong. Maybe your key light is also too strong. Drop the exposure and see how it is effected.

WM
 
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Panza

Senior Member
Whiskeyman said:
In my opinion, this is an example where short lighting should be employed.

See 6 Portrait Lighting Patterns Every Photographer Should Know and/or Short Lighting for Portrait Photography ? PictureCorrect for more of an explanation.

I looks like you've started to go that way, but the fill lighting is too strong. Maybe your key light is also too strong. Drop the exposure and see how it is effected.

WM
Click to expand...
Thank you, I think I'll also turn on one light at a time and see how it affects my subject instead of just turning things on. I'm reading all the articles and I'm trying to absorb this all in detail. It's really helpful, I appreciate this.
 
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FastGlass

Senior Member
Looking at the image again I'm not certain which is key and which is fill. I assumed the key was set low and to the left being that to me was the dominant light. Yes your right on turning one on at a time. Seeing what each does in relation to the others helps.
 
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Panza

Senior Member
Hi guys, I wanted to report back with some sample images from the shoot.

4I4IZAt.jpg


Q3mkK0y.jpg


I used the 3 light method with a reflector angled underneath. The room was darker than I expected, it was nearly pitch black by 5 so all I had were my own lights.

1/45 f/4.0 and iso640 were the main settings I used.

I would've wanted the ISO to be a bit lower but images were coming out near black without the ISO raised so I bolted down to f/4.0 instead of f/5.6 because I would've had to raise my ISO to 800 or 1000 which I didn't want to do. For the purpose, I think these photos came out quite nice and was far better than my first samples.

Critique is welcome.

Thanks for all the help : )!
 
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