Lighting Setup Critique at DVinfo.net

Mike Watkins · October 10th, 2009, 08:02 PM

Hey guys. I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who contribute to the forum and help out the upstarts like myself.

I just wanted to throw out my latest lighting set up to get some feedback as to the setup and if, to your more professional eyes, I have made some improvement, and where I have room to improve. Hit me with it...

McKinley Goodger - Barrel Racer By Mike Watkins On ExposureRoom

For a bit of history on where I started, please see this thread and all of the suggestions in it.
http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/photon-m...-lighting.html

It's great to have a resource like you guys.

Thanks,

Mike Watkins

Tom Daigon · October 10th, 2009, 11:04 PM

From a pro editors perspective (30 years) I gotta say I like your lighting. Nice modeling on the face. Nice fill. Good hair separation from bkg. The only critiques would be have a little more distance between her and the bkg. Then you could throw the bkg a little more out of focus (just a touch) and a little powder on her face to reduce the bits of shine .Nice job.

Shaun Roemich · October 13th, 2009, 04:40 PM

Everything Tom said x2.

Looks great, now tweak it.

Bill Ward · October 15th, 2009, 10:34 AM

Mike: Looking better each time!

a few very minor suggestions:

1. Maybe just a little less intensity on the hair light.
2. Rather than giving the fairly even wash of light on the wall of belt buckles, also experiment with bars or slashes of lights, or a gobo-type effect, with random patterns of light spread across the background.
3. If you are stuck in a tight room, I've been having some pretty good luck with moving my softbox (Chimera) key in fairly close, and adding a layer of neutral density, so as to get the camera lens irised pretty much wide open. Really helps narrow the depth of field, and separate the subject from the background.
4. I know she has a wild mop of hair, but I'll sometimes gently suggest an "ear tuck" of the hair on the key side, so it doesn't cast that hard edge shadow on her face.

Eric Stemen · October 18th, 2009, 02:53 PM

Wow, what a huge improvement! I remember reading your original post where you used your wife I think(I didn't bother to re-read your link, just looked at the photo.)

I would have lowered the intensity of the back light some, but that's about it.

Mike Watkins · October 18th, 2009, 08:00 PM

Tom,

Thanks for the input. I really wanted to get some separation, but when I showed up to the shoot, I found it was a very confined living room. Tried to powder some of the hotspots, but there was quite a bit of makeup already applied...

Thanks again for the compliment.

Mike W.

Mike Watkins · October 18th, 2009, 08:01 PM

Thanks Shaun!

I'm feeling like I'm tweaking every time I shoot. Don't know if it's a good or bad trait.

Thanks again.

Mike W.

Mike Watkins · October 18th, 2009, 08:03 PM

Bill,

Thanks for the great suggestions. I'll see that I use them in my next shoot.

Mike W.

Mike Watkins · October 18th, 2009, 08:06 PM

Thanks Eric,

My wife is glad someone else is in front of the camera. However I've finally wore her down to where there's no fight getting her to stand in for lighting..:)

Bill Ward · October 19th, 2009, 10:46 AM

Mike:

I'm going to cautiously weasel on one of those suggestions. I should have said: I had been having luck with my big camera and its 2/3-inch imagers. I spent a great deal of time last week trying to replicate the same look with the much smaller chips on my Sony Z1U HDV camera...without much luck.

There is just too much depth of field with the smaller chips to affect the bokeh primarily using the iris. Even with a lot of linear feet to deal with, I had a very difficult time getting the background even faintly soft.

Keep on experimenting...some of the best looks are found by accident!

October 10th, 2009, 08:02 PM	#1
Mike Watkins Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Burleson, TX Posts: 131	Lighting Setup Critique Hey guys. I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who contribute to the forum and help out the upstarts like myself. I just wanted to throw out my latest lighting set up to get some feedback as to the setup and if, to your more professional eyes, I have made some improvement, and where I have room to improve. Hit me with it... McKinley Goodger - Barrel Racer By Mike Watkins On ExposureRoom For a bit of history on where I started, please see this thread and all of the suggestions in it. http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/photon-m...-lighting.html It's great to have a resource like you guys. Thanks, Mike Watkins __________________ XHA1, FCS2, Shake 4.1, 501HDV

October 10th, 2009, 11:04 PM	#2
Tom Daigon Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Las Vegas, NV Posts: 170	From a pro editors perspective (30 years) I gotta say I like your lighting. Nice modeling on the face. Nice fill. Good hair separation from bkg. The only critiques would be have a little more distance between her and the bkg. Then you could throw the bkg a little more out of focus (just a touch) and a little powder on her face to reduce the bits of shine .Nice job. Last edited by Tom Daigon; October 10th, 2009 at 11:38 PM.

October 13th, 2009, 04:40 PM	#3
Shaun Roemich Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia (formerly Winnipeg, Manitoba) Canada Posts: 4,088	Everything Tom said x2. Looks great, now tweak it. __________________ Shaun C. Roemich Road Dog Media - Vancouver, BC - Videographer - Webcaster www.roaddogmedia.ca Blog: http://roaddogmedia.wordpress.com/

October 18th, 2009, 08:00 PM	#6
Mike Watkins Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Burleson, TX Posts: 131	Tom, Thanks for the input. I really wanted to get some separation, but when I showed up to the shoot, I found it was a very confined living room. Tried to powder some of the hotspots, but there was quite a bit of makeup already applied... Thanks again for the compliment. Mike W. __________________ XHA1, FCS2, Shake 4.1, 501HDV

October 18th, 2009, 08:01 PM	#7
Mike Watkins Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Burleson, TX Posts: 131	Thanks Shaun! I'm feeling like I'm tweaking every time I shoot. Don't know if it's a good or bad trait. Thanks again. Mike W. __________________ XHA1, FCS2, Shake 4.1, 501HDV

October 15th, 2009, 10:34 AM	#4
Bill Ward Major Player Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 580	Mike: Looking better each time! a few very minor suggestions: 1. Maybe just a little less intensity on the hair light. 2. Rather than giving the fairly even wash of light on the wall of belt buckles, also experiment with bars or slashes of lights, or a gobo-type effect, with random patterns of light spread across the background. 3. If you are stuck in a tight room, I've been having some pretty good luck with moving my softbox (Chimera) key in fairly close, and adding a layer of neutral density, so as to get the camera lens irised pretty much wide open. Really helps narrow the depth of field, and separate the subject from the background. 4. I know she has a wild mop of hair, but I'll sometimes gently suggest an "ear tuck" of the hair on the key side, so it doesn't cast that hard edge shadow on her face.

October 18th, 2009, 02:53 PM	#5
Eric Stemen Major Player Join Date: May 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 378	Wow, what a huge improvement! I remember reading your original post where you used your wife I think(I didn't bother to re-read your link, just looked at the photo.) I would have lowered the intensity of the back light some, but that's about it.

October 18th, 2009, 08:03 PM	#8
Mike Watkins Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Burleson, TX Posts: 131	Bill, Thanks for the great suggestions. I'll see that I use them in my next shoot. Mike W. __________________ XHA1, FCS2, Shake 4.1, 501HDV

October 18th, 2009, 08:06 PM	#9
Mike Watkins Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Burleson, TX Posts: 131	Thanks Eric, My wife is glad someone else is in front of the camera. However I've finally wore her down to where there's no fight getting her to stand in for lighting..:) __________________ XHA1, FCS2, Shake 4.1, 501HDV

October 19th, 2009, 10:46 AM	#10
Bill Ward Major Player Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 580	Mike: I'm going to cautiously weasel on one of those suggestions. I should have said: I had been having luck with my big camera and its 2/3-inch imagers. I spent a great deal of time last week trying to replicate the same look with the much smaller chips on my Sony Z1U HDV camera...without much luck. There is just too much depth of field with the smaller chips to affect the bokeh primarily using the iris. Even with a lot of linear feet to deal with, I had a very difficult time getting the background even faintly soft. Keep on experimenting...some of the best looks are found by accident!