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Can I get more color
I have shot this with an HVX200 SD, with 2 300w with (I am not sure) about a 1/2 ND sheet for diffusion. The lights are about 12FT from the subject. When I move closer about three feet, the lighting looks a little better on me, but I seem to be getting these dull colors. It may be my monitor, but they my skin doesn’t “pop” even on the LCD viewfinder of the camera. I am new to lighting and I want to know if my reference frame is off. I don’t have any light over me, because I am working with a 7FT ceiling. Can I use an overhead color corrected florecent? Can I bounce a few 250 watts off the ceiling?
Here is the Pic https://homepage.mac.com/nelsonmay/reference_pics/PhotoAlbum6.html
Thanks
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5 Replies
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The color doesn’t look bad, it’s just that the overall feel is flat. IMO you need some more light on the subject, but without adding light to the background. You can punch things up with color correction in your editing app, but you’re always better off starting with the best possible lighting.
Check out this site which presents various lighting techniques that could help you out. https://www.EFPlighting.com
I’d also suggest you get a decent monitor on the set. A camera’s LCD is not accurate enough to make critical judgements.
John
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using cooler/darker colors for the background will also help.
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A couple more lights for the background is needed.
First, light the talent – move the lights IN closer until zebras appear.
Then light the background in the same way with the other lights.
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Oh, and shoot in ‘manual mode’ – i.e. ‘automatic’ mode will be fiddling with your iris setting and, frankly, make tuning your lighting a exercise in futility.
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Nelson:
Why the ND? ND cuts transmission by about 30%. Your better off using spun diffusion or light frost pinned to barn doors.
The still doesn’t look that bad actually. Maybe a tad under exposed. Skin tone looks decent.
If you only have two lights you have a small dilema. Do you use the second light as a hair light or use it on the BG?
Using the zebras in camera, set them to 75 or 80%. Put flooded) key ( 8-10 feet from subject) on subject with diffusion and expose so your pretty near wide open on (manual) iris. (also, make sure to get subject away from BG so there is somewhere to throw shadow from key). If zebras are seen on face, back off key so they disapear. Don’t iris down. If you have to, iris down a tad, maybe half a stop. Try to keep the iris open as wide as possible assuming your indoors. This will help in the fact you only have two lights and brighten the overall scene. And since your only using one key, get some foam core to bounce and fill for subject.
Remember to always expose for skin detail not overall picture.
Now with the second light, either throw a pattern on BG or use it as a hair light. This will give you sepration and pop your subject. This is your choice!
Now once you’ve done this and your happy with overall look, take it to post and adjust chroma/color levels for the color pop your looking for.
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