Workshop: character portraits
- elle walker
- Jan 31, 2019
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 24, 2019
Task
Shoot a portrait, using light to bring out the character of the subject.
Tools
Canon 7D
Reflector
Softbox
Softbox with grid
Lamps
The studio was set up in two different ways:
a) White backdrop, lights pointing towards the ceiling to reflect the light (to soften it)
b) Grey backdrop, softbox with grid, black panel
With both set ups, reflectors of various colours could be used as desired.
The workshop was inspired by this video https://youtu.be/e9sVIRRABw8 from Joe McNally and Daniel Norton for Adorama TV, wherein lighting was used to enhance the character of the sitter.
Contact sheets
White backdrop
The white backdrop, though providing a clean look to it, didn’t really lend itself to dramatic or creative lighting. A set up such as this might be more suited to something like a corporate headshot or a situation where an uncluttered background is required which can be enhanced later through Photoshop. I didn’t really have any idea of how to make a punchy portrait with this particular set up, so I only took six photographs. Of those, the one posted below is the only one with any real character. I also edited it in black and white, using Camera Raw in Photoshop, to see if it would have a different feel from the colour version. With this lighting set up - the light being bounced back up to the ceiling - there were no problems with the light being reflected in the subject's glasses, which means less time post-processing.
Left - right: Softbox, strobes x 2, large white diffuser
The black and white edit is stronger and goes well with the stance of the sitter. The lighting is even, with no reflections or shadows.
Grey backdrop
This set up provided more scope for creativity and to play with the light. The silver reflector held below the sitters face at a 45-degree angle added extra light to her face. I’m happy with the almost Rembrandt lighting and the silvery glow from the silver reflector and also the catchlight in the sitter’s eyes.
Black diffuser panel and gridded soft box
Black diffuser panel, gridded soft box, and silver reflector
One comment on the contact sheet was to smooth the skin out so I used the Florabella Simple Skin Smoother action. I’m not a fan of overly re-touched skin for a number of reasons, one of them being that it presents an unrealistic and for the most part, unobtainable presentation of the idea of ‘perfection’. Having said that I, acknowledge that basic re-touching, such as blurring blemishes, has its place. To this end I haven’t saved a photograph using the Florabella action, so only a screenshot is presented here.
Further portraits were made with almost identical lighting, but with an additional gridded soft box and using a Mamiya RZ67 camera with colour film. The small soft box on the right of the frame was placed overhead and at a c85 degree angle to ensure the face was evenly lit. The larger soft box provided a greater spread across the remainder of the image.
Compared to the picture of the female sitter, the light is even whilst only the female sitter's face is brightly lit; the remainder of the image is dark and less in focus.
In the image above, the the black background has a richness of tone not captured in the digital equivalent (identical lighting set up but taken with a digital camera). There is also a faint whisper of a pink streak across the the image, partly across the sitter's face and partly across his t-shirt on his right shoulder. This streak wasn't edited out as I believe it adds to the character: it appears as though the sitter is flushed due to warmth. It also adds additional texture to the image.
This next image (above) was the next exposure on the roll, though no such streak appears. As with the digital set-up, there is no reflection across the sitter's glasses, which avoids the issue of time consuming post-processing. This low-key set up creates a much more compelling portrait than the same sitter in the high-key set up.
Minimal editing was done to these two images, to preserve the mood: exposure, highlights, shadows and blurring, to remove minor facial blemishes were undertaken, but far less is required than would be expected of a female sitter.
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