Does anyone know anything about how to light older women and make them look good on video? I will be filming a show soon, the woman will probably be standing behind a podium talking and the longest shot will be from the waist up...

We are just going to try playing with lights and figure it out, but any pointers will be great... We will probably shoot with two cameras( VX-2000s)

Thanks alot,
Raus

I saw a demo using a gold reflector for the fill-in. It gives a 'tan' to the talent. You can also use a Soft-FX filter. I have .5 that I use for 'wedding' style footage. The Soft-FX smooths the skin and reduces blemishes. Like airbrushing live.

One word

Pro-Mist


(Is that one word?) So, basically soft lite from the front to hide the wrinkles, a bit of frost in a filter, and nice sparkly hilights to the hair.

Hello,

I know in Photography you should use a reflector that will bounce light that will be toward the front of them (you can be off to the left or right of them to clear your camera view) and the light should be bounced up so it hits them in the neck area and face.. this can soften the neck area, which can be one of the sure signs of age.. Also if possible use diffused light from a softbox type light or from an umbrella..

Mike M.

Thanks for all the ideas.. The suggestions will help a lot. Before we shoot, we'll probably just have a day of experimentation just to see what works, so I'll try anything....

Raus
www.zendik.org

How old are you talking?

If you can borrow or rent any of the recent or current Sony pro cameras, they all have a flesh-tone detector that, when it is set to the person's flesh tone, softens the focus just in those areas.

The effect is controllable and you can make them look like the Pillsbury Dough Boy if you take it to extremes. Used properly (and many TV stations use this) it does wonders.

<<<-- Originally posted by Mike Rehmus : If you can borrow or rent any of the recent or current Sony pro cameras, they all have a flesh-tone detector that, when it is set to the person's flesh tone, softens the focus just in those areas. -->>>

Hi Mike,

I'd save money from buying anti-wrinkle products if everyone had to wear glasses that had such a detector built in. :)

Raus,
We worked with a 65 year-old lady whose skin was pretty weathered and wrinkled. Besides the bounced light mentioned earlier, we used a subtle pin light that accented the color of her eyes. It drew attention there instead of the wrinkles, and she was happy.

when you say older are you seeing wrinkles -lines ?

men with wrinkles add 'character" to the face so one can use some type of side lighting to accent the "character"

HOWEVER !!! women do not like this type of "character" showing = avoid side lighting ... move the key light around to the front area ... add #216 or double silk or equal type diffusion to the light ... use bounce fill .... add a eye light ( opal diffusion) above the camera ( adds sparkel to eyes and fills in wrinkles ) ..

if that doesn't work then put a 2-5k fresnel light ( heavy diffusion) right above the camera lens axis ... then use double nets ( create butterfly effect) to take some light off cloths, hair.. use solids to keep light off podium , walls .... that should fill all wrinkles ...

Yes, that's why some people think those shots from the nightclub where the photographer blasts them straight in the face are 'great' shots. The face-on lighting tends to erase wrinkles.

One can use something like After Effects and make a mask for the face area and soften the focus just in that area. But do make certain you put holes in the mask for the eyes so they are sharp.

If you want to "do it in post," look up a product called 55mm at http://www.digitalfilmtools.com/html/55mm_prod.html
They have a good skin detail filter that works quite well, if you are willing to take the render hit, and pay for the software, of course.

I definitely see the day when most filtration is done in post. More control, options, etc.

That ought to stir things up.

Wayne Orr, SOC

I would have never thought of the pin light for the eyes on my own, that's an interesting idea... And as far as the flesh tone feature on a camera.. I use a Sony VX-2000, and I don't think it's got it, unless I'm missing something.. But I guess that camera is a not quite pro cam.. It seems like in general most of you guys are saying use soft light, and the eye light..

Oh yeah, and the woman is late 60's.. I think she is 68. And one of the features she worries about most is her chin and the skin underneath her chin...


Thanks,
Raus

Wayne is right. IF you can do it in post, do it there. For this assignment, I'd have After Effects or Edius out and doing some serious smoothing inside a mask of her face (except the eyes). Maybe several masks treating different areas differently.

<<<-- Originally posted by Mike Rehmus : The face-on lighting tends to erase wrinkles. -->>>

This is the tradition in theatrical lighting as well. A follow spot gives you the frontal lighting, and footlights provide a glow that helps fill in the shadows of any wrinkles. Needless to say, makeup is also very important....

Just as an addition, I learned today that it's not the actual wrinkles that don't look good.. But the sagging of the skin that happens with age.. Arol, the 68 year old woman we will be filming soon told me this today... So you don't have to hide the wrinkles, but the shadows caused by sagging cheeks and chin...

Raus

A couple other things to try:

Place the key light a bit higher than normal. This will cause the chin to shadow the "turkey throat" effect.

Change the position of the body versus the head. If she is looking head-on to camera, have her rotate her body one way or the other, so she is looking at camera a bit over her shoulder. This is not only visually often more interesting than having the shoulders square to camera, but it can pull the skin more taut.

A single soft source straight into the face usually yields the best results in this situation. Not the most interesting photographically, but the softest look. The most like fashion photography.

Also, pay attention to background, if you can. Warm colors are more flattering to complexions. Colors like dusky rose are used in restaurants that wish to create a romantic atmosphere because they are more flattering to flesh tones.

Wayne Orr, SOC