Preset for dark skin. at DVinfo.net

Kiflom Bahta · September 17th, 2008, 02:21 AM

Hi guys, Do you any preset that work better with dark skin. Or is there is anything in the carmera that can reduced the blacks. thx

David W. Jones · September 17th, 2008, 06:04 AM

Attention to lighting is the key here, not an in-camera preset.

Richard Gooderick · September 17th, 2008, 07:33 AM

I read a lot about how difficult this was supposed to be but I didn't find that it was. Here's an example if you want one. I lit it the same way as I lit everything else I've done - which isn't a lot. I'm not that experienced. Which is why I got wound up by what I'd read. Maybe you are in the same boat.
Take it away: Tony Kofi on Vimeo

Perrone Ford · September 17th, 2008, 08:43 AM

Richard, well done. Only "complaints" I would have are that that the background is in excellent focus when it shouldn't be, and you put the subject a bit close to the background which makes it go from black to gray, and of course allows it to be in better focus.

Lighting African Americans isn't that hard on it's own. It's what's around them that can make it more difficult. Looks like you used a large light source and did a great job!

Richard Gooderick · September 17th, 2008, 09:41 AM

Thank you Perrone. I appreciate the tip too.
I was wondering what I could have done to make the background darker. Sounds like I need to learn more about depth of field.
It was shot in a dilapidated cricket stadium in Tony's village using a drape between two stands for the backdrop.
There wasn't a lot of room and I don't think I could have got further away without dropping off a one foot stepdown.
I used a lowel dv lighting kit - 235w Pro-light, 300w Rifa 44, & 500w V-light.
Used the rifa as a key, v-light with umbrella for fill and the pro-light to pick out the sax.

Perrone Ford · September 17th, 2008, 10:12 AM

Dude,

You can only do what you can do. Sounds like you used the best tools at your disposal. Probably the only way you could have improved it was to put an egg crate on that RIFA and keep some of the spill off the background. Since you didn't have one, it looks like you did the best you could with the tools in your kit. That's all ANYONE could ask.

Honestly, the eyes look great, the sax looked great, and the lighting was even and "friendly". It's a darn sight better than my first efforts at this!

Did you get the RIFA light where you can put in the fluorescent fixtures? If so, try to get that and put in some. It lets the light fall off MUCH sooner so you can get a darker background. I have been VERY pleased with the results I've gotten by doing that. Even with my big Rifa 88.

Richard Gooderick · September 17th, 2008, 01:58 PM

Thanks :-)))
I can get an adaptor for the rifa to take the fluorescent so I think I'll take your advice and do that.
I really appreciate your feedback and help. I wouldn't have worked out how to improve on that background by myself.

Kiflom Bahta · September 17th, 2008, 06:00 PM

Hey Richard, Your shot looks great. What preset did you use? i shoot mainly african and african american. Most of my shoots envolve above 500 ppl per venue. I shoot mainly events and concerts and it very hard to get the perfect light condition like you have. What i notice is each preset give's a different exposure and look. I use vivid and it seem's to add red to the dark skin which kind give it a cool look but sometimes even with good light they are darker that they are. So what i do fix this i decrease the black output in adobe and they get more of their natural skin color back. Is there any way i can reduce the blacks in the camera. What do the black setting do in the camera? Once again thank you for all the help. (*___*)

Richard Gooderick · September 19th, 2008, 01:50 AM

Hi Kiflom
Thanks. I'm not sure what the preset was. I've got truecolor loaded at the moment and I think that may have been the one I used. I used vivid on a previous shoot (because I was using my Sony A1 as a second camera) and found that it was too red.
Sorry I'm a bit vague. I haven't experimented with the presets enough to form any strong opinions and it all tends to be a bit hit and miss.

Kiflom Bahta · September 19th, 2008, 05:07 AM

You did a fab job, true color tend to be a little blue and blue on black skin don't go well that why i use vivid and pany2look.

September 17th, 2008, 02:21 AM	#1
Kiflom Bahta Major Player Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Seattle Posts: 203	Preset for dark skin. Hi guys, Do you any preset that work better with dark skin. Or is there is anything in the carmera that can reduced the blacks. thx

September 17th, 2008, 07:33 AM	#3
Richard Gooderick Major Player Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: London, UK Posts: 795	I read a lot about how difficult this was supposed to be but I didn't find that it was. Here's an example if you want one. I lit it the same way as I lit everything else I've done - which isn't a lot. I'm not that experienced. Which is why I got wound up by what I'd read. Maybe you are in the same boat. Take it away: Tony Kofi on Vimeo __________________ http://www.gooderick.com

September 17th, 2008, 08:43 AM	#4
Perrone Ford Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Tallahassee, FL Posts: 4,100	Richard, well done. Only "complaints" I would have are that that the background is in excellent focus when it shouldn't be, and you put the subject a bit close to the background which makes it go from black to gray, and of course allows it to be in better focus. Lighting African Americans isn't that hard on it's own. It's what's around them that can make it more difficult. Looks like you used a large light source and did a great job! __________________ DVX100, PMW-EX1, Canon 550D, FigRig, Dell Octocore, Avid MC4/5, MB Looks, RedCineX, Matrox MX02 mini, GTech RAID, Edirol R-4, Senn. G2 Evo, Countryman, Moles and Lowels.

September 17th, 2008, 09:41 AM	#5
Richard Gooderick Major Player Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: London, UK Posts: 795	Thank you Perrone. I appreciate the tip too. I was wondering what I could have done to make the background darker. Sounds like I need to learn more about depth of field. It was shot in a dilapidated cricket stadium in Tony's village using a drape between two stands for the backdrop. There wasn't a lot of room and I don't think I could have got further away without dropping off a one foot stepdown. I used a lowel dv lighting kit - 235w Pro-light, 300w Rifa 44, & 500w V-light. Used the rifa as a key, v-light with umbrella for fill and the pro-light to pick out the sax. __________________ http://www.gooderick.com

September 17th, 2008, 10:12 AM	#6
Perrone Ford Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Tallahassee, FL Posts: 4,100	Dude, You can only do what you can do. Sounds like you used the best tools at your disposal. Probably the only way you could have improved it was to put an egg crate on that RIFA and keep some of the spill off the background. Since you didn't have one, it looks like you did the best you could with the tools in your kit. That's all ANYONE could ask. Honestly, the eyes look great, the sax looked great, and the lighting was even and "friendly". It's a darn sight better than my first efforts at this! Did you get the RIFA light where you can put in the fluorescent fixtures? If so, try to get that and put in some. It lets the light fall off MUCH sooner so you can get a darker background. I have been VERY pleased with the results I've gotten by doing that. Even with my big Rifa 88. __________________ DVX100, PMW-EX1, Canon 550D, FigRig, Dell Octocore, Avid MC4/5, MB Looks, RedCineX, Matrox MX02 mini, GTech RAID, Edirol R-4, Senn. G2 Evo, Countryman, Moles and Lowels.

September 17th, 2008, 06:04 AM	#2
David W. Jones Trustee Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Little Rock Posts: 1,383	Attention to lighting is the key here, not an in-camera preset.

September 17th, 2008, 01:58 PM	#7
Richard Gooderick Major Player Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: London, UK Posts: 795	Thanks :-))) I can get an adaptor for the rifa to take the fluorescent so I think I'll take your advice and do that. I really appreciate your feedback and help. I wouldn't have worked out how to improve on that background by myself. __________________ http://www.gooderick.com

September 17th, 2008, 06:00 PM	#8
Kiflom Bahta Major Player Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Seattle Posts: 203	Hey Richard, Your shot looks great. What preset did you use? i shoot mainly african and african american. Most of my shoots envolve above 500 ppl per venue. I shoot mainly events and concerts and it very hard to get the perfect light condition like you have. What i notice is each preset give's a different exposure and look. I use vivid and it seem's to add red to the dark skin which kind give it a cool look but sometimes even with good light they are darker that they are. So what i do fix this i decrease the black output in adobe and they get more of their natural skin color back. Is there any way i can reduce the blacks in the camera. What do the black setting do in the camera? Once again thank you for all the help. (___)

September 19th, 2008, 01:50 AM	#9
Richard Gooderick Major Player Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: London, UK Posts: 795	Hi Kiflom Thanks. I'm not sure what the preset was. I've got truecolor loaded at the moment and I think that may have been the one I used. I used vivid on a previous shoot (because I was using my Sony A1 as a second camera) and found that it was too red. Sorry I'm a bit vague. I haven't experimented with the presets enough to form any strong opinions and it all tends to be a bit hit and miss. __________________ http://www.gooderick.com

September 19th, 2008, 05:07 AM	#10
Kiflom Bahta Major Player Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Seattle Posts: 203	You did a fab job, true color tend to be a little blue and blue on black skin don't go well that why i use vivid and pany2look.