Staff photos

I do volunteer photography for the local senior center and yesterday I did staff and group photos. I put up two lighting setups. One for individual photos with a Godox AD360 in a Glow 24” x 36” softbox for the main light. Camera was a Canon 5DIII with a Canon 70/200mm f/2.8 lens and a Godox Xpro controller on channel 16. The other for the group photos was a Godox AD600 in a 60” wing umbrella for the main light. Camera was a Canon 5DII with a Canon 24/105mm f/4 lens and a Godox Xpor controller on channel 17. Exposure on both setups was ISO 100, aperture f/8 and shutter speed 1/160.

Off Camera Flash

 Off Camera Flash

There are many ways to balance natural light and flash. Here are five ways that I have used. Which one you use will depend on how sharp or blurry you want the background to be. How much power your flash has or what ND filters you have on hand. When mixing ambient light with flash for portraits, your shutter speed controls the ambient light, and your aperture controls the flash. In the five examples here, I have kept the shutter speed and ISO the same in all five examples. I did all my manipulations with the aperture, that was to keep the shutter speed as high as possible and to keep the aperture as wide as possible. My friend Mandi volunteered to pose for the pictured. The start time was about 7:30 PM on an overcast day. The background was a group of trees in my backyard. The light was a Godox AD100 in a 65cm Triopo softbox.

Method #1

Method #2

Method #3

Method #4

Method #5

Headshot Booth

 Headshot Booth

Explanation: I use this setup for headshots in my family room because it fits well with my furniture. I got the idea from a book called “Headshots – 101” it’s a free eBook from Photzy and built it around my equipment. You want to start with a totally dark frame. In my small studio with the overhead light turned on, my camera set to ISO-100, shutter speed 1/160 and aperture at f/8, a test shot gives me a totally dark frame. So that’s the base exposure for my main light ISO-100, shutter speed 1/160 and aperture f/8. My fill light is set to f/5.6.

Equipment

·        2 - Flashpoint/Godox AD200 strobe.

·        1 - Flashpoint/Godox V860II speed light.

·        Collapsible backdrop 57” x 79”.

·        2 – 42” white reflectors.

·        Triopo 65cm softbox.

·        Triopo 55cm softbox.

·        InterFit white gel.

·        2 – Phottis flash brackets and two umbrella brackets.

·        1 – Large light-stand with boom arm.

·        4 – Small Flashpoint light-stands.

·        1 – Medium Flashpoint light-stands.

Staff Headshots

 Formal Staff and/or corporate headshots

Explanation: I do staff and corporate headshots from time to time. This is the lighting setup that I have been using for several years now. It has always worked very well for me. It consists of three lights, two reflectors and the background. There is nothing special about the lighting equipment, it’s just what I have.

Equipment

·        Flashpoint/Godox AD200 strobe with extension kit.

·        2 - Flashpoint/Godox V860II speed lights.

·        Collapsible backdrop 57” x 79”.

·        2 – White foam-core reflectors.

·        Glow 24” x 36” softbox.

·        Glow 10” x 24” softbox.

·        Rouge snoot & gels

·        2 – Godox S2 brackets.

·        1 – umbrella bracket.

·        2 – Small Flashpoint light-stands.

·        3 – Medium Flashpoint light-stands.

·               1 - Large Flashpoint light-stand.

The main light is usually the brightest light in the setup. All other lights are based off this light. the main light is feathered to kept light off the background.

The fill light (lights) can be a reflector or another light. Its purpose is to fill in some of the shadows on the side of the face opposite the main light, also the shadows in the eye sockets and under the chin.

The Hair/Rim light puts a little light on the hair opposite the main light. This light is usually set one stop less than the main light. That will vary depending on the hair color of the talent, more light for darker colored hair and less light for lighter colored hair.  

The background light puts the small circle behind the head. It’s a speedlite in a Rouge Grid. You can control the size of the circle by changing the grids or moving the light closer to the background or moving it farther away from the background.

Note: Talent with dark skin and/or dark clothing will require more exposure. You may have to make adjustments to lights and/or reflectors.

 

One Light Setup

 One light setup - 1

I like this lighting setup because it is simple and easy to set up. just one light and a reflector. I want to do a whole series on one light portraits as soon as I can find a model that works TFP. The model here is Carley, one of my granddaughters.

Equipment

·        Flashpoint/Godox AD360II strobe.

·        Collapsible backdrop 57” x 79”.

·        20” x 30” white foam-core reflector

·        Triopo 90cm softbox.

·        Phottix umbrellas brackets & Bowens mount flash bracket.

·        DIY clip board reflector holder.

·        2 – Medium Flashpoint light-stands.

·        Large Flashpoint light-stand.

 

Explanation: You want to start with a totally dark frame. In my small studio with the overhead light turned on, my camera set to ISO-100, shutter speed 1/160 and aperture at f/8, a test shot gives me a totally dark frame. So that’s the base exposure for my main light ISO-100, shutter speed 1/160 and aperture f/8.

Two Light Setup

 Two light setup 

I like this lighting setup because it is simple and easy to set up. you can change the background accent color to suit the subjects outfit color. The model here is Kay Rose.

Equipment

·        Flashpoint/Godox AD369II strobe.

·        Flashpoint/Godox V860II speed light.

·        Collapsible backdrop 57” x 79”.

·        20” x 30” white foam-core reflector

·        Glow 24” x 30” softbox.

·        Neewer snoot

·        2 – Phottix umbrellas brackets & Bowens mount flash bracket.

·        DIY clip board reflector holder.

·        3 – Medium Flashpoint light-stands.

·        Large Flashpoint light-stand.

 

Explanation: You want to start with a totally dark frame. In my small studio with the overhead light turned on, my camera set to ISO-100, shutter speed 1/160 and aperture at f/8, a test shot gives me a totally dark frame. So that’s the base exposure for my main light ISO-100, shutter speed 1/160 and aperture f/8. A second light in a snoot with a colored gel was added for a background light.

Portrait-3

 Two light portrait - 3

I like this lighting setup because you can shoot between the two light stands. I should have made the large light the fill light and the small light the main light, and I will do that if/when I use this setup in the future. The model here is Carley, one of my granddaughters.

 

Equipment

·        Flashpoint/Godox AD369II strobe.

·        Flashpoint/Godox V860II speed light.

·        Collapsible backdrop 57” x 79”.

·        Glow 32” 5 in 1 reflector.

·        Triopo 90cm softbox.

·        Triopo 55cm softbox.

·        2 – Phottix umbrellas brackets & Bowens mount flash bracket.

·        Flashpoint reflector stand.

·        2 – Medium Flashpoint light-stands.

·        Large Flashpoint light-stand.

 

Explanation: You want to start with a totally dark frame. In my small studio with the overhead light turned on, my camera set to ISO-100, shutter speed 1/160 and aperture at f/8, a test shot gives me a totally dark frame. So that’s the base exposure for my main light ISO-100, shutter speed 1/160 and aperture f/8. A third light could be added as a background light.

Portrait

 Two light studio portrait.

This is one of my favorite lighting setups. It’s a variation of clamshell lighting, I used a reflector for the bottom light. I also used a third light for the background, to keep it as white as possible. The model here is Carley, one of my granddaughters.

 

Equipment

·        Flashpoint/Godox AD200 strobe with extension kit.

·        Flashpoint/Godox V860II speed light.

·        Collapsible backdrop 57” x 79”.

·        Glow 32” 5 in 1 reflector.

·        Glow 25” beauty dish/softbox.

·        Glow 10” x 24” strip-box.

·        2 – FlashpointS2 umbrellas brackets.

·        Flashpoint reflector stand.

·        2 – Small Flashpoint light-stands.

·        Large Flashpoint light-stand with extension arm. 

Explanation:

You want to start with a totally dark frame. In my small studio with the overhead light turned on, my camera set to ISO-100, shutter speed 1/160 and aperture at f/8, a test shot gives me a totally dark frame. So that’s the base exposure for my main light ISO-100, shutter speed 1/160 and aperture f/8. The hair/Rim light is usually the same as or a little less than the main light. A third light could be added as a background light.

Natural Light-1

 Natural Light Portraits -01

I have been trying to work on my natural light photography. I have read several books and watched an endless number of videos. The best book of which was “the Natural Light Portrait book” by Scott Kelby. It is packed with tons of information. He suggests you shot in Raw format, Aperture Priority (set your lens to its widest aperture), set a minimum Shutter Speed of 1/125 and auto ISO. This actually works quite well. Below is the results of my first try. My biggest problem is getting a catch light in the eyes. The model is the lovely and vivacious Mandi Lynn.

Under The Bridge

 Under the bridge

Near my house there is a wide bridge that goes over the Mississippi river. There is a small park there and there is always lots of open shade there. I like to use the bridge supports as a background. I used flash here but I didn’t want the picture to look flashy. I just wanted a kiss of flash, just enough to open up the shadows. It metered at ISO-200, aperture f/2.8 and shutter speed at 1/125. I set my flash at f/2.8 to match the ambient light. The light was a Godox AD360II in a 90cm Triopo softbox. Camera was a Canon 5D-III with a Canon 70/200-f/2.8 lens and a Godox Xpro controller. Scene was metered with a Sekonic L-308 light meter.