Workshop: environmental portraits

The purpose of this workshop was to have an understanding of lighting methods on location, in this case, the college library.

Location lighting can present quite a challenge, as many factors have to be taken into consideration: existing light sources, people, health and safety issues. The library was quite busy, so we had to be mindful of disturbing other students. The ghastly fluorescent lighting couldn’t be turned off, which, considering how unflattering fluorescent lighting is we would have been doing everyone a favour to be frank and large, blind-less windows revealing everything from unwanted reflections to grubby fingerprints.

Tools

Canon 7D

Umbrella

Flashgun on a stand

Portable light with trigger

Lighting set up

Grubby window, white coat, unwanted reflections

ISO 100.

Begone, unwanted reflection!

The overly busy setting - books, plants and other people - have been cropped out, as has the unwanted reflection. The original was under exposed and had to be carefully edited because of the potential of losing detail and over exposing the white coat.

Second set up lighting: subject against the wall away from that window

Contact sheets

Action!

Minor editing was completed in Photoshop: removing the holes in the wall, some basic skin smoothing and cloning out the lanyard.

I am not in love with the first photograph as I'm not a fan of that particular position: the window was filthy and it looked out onto car park and the setting was far too busy which had the potential to distract from the sitter. I feel that the second portrait is more successful due to the connotation of the books, which signify a library and knowledge. The first portrait, whilst taken in the same environment, could easily be set in a doctor's waiting room. The sitter is also looking directly into the camera, which helps the viewer to make a connection with the photograph.