I met with Judge Levine a week prior to the shoot. He was so very gracious as he gave me a private tour of the Allen County Courthouse. Wonderful rich history here in Allen County.
This type of image is not all that different than shooting any portrait in low key. Controlling the contrast is the key here. Since bounce flash off a ceiling was out of the question, I set up a 42" silver umbrella to camera left. (1) 30" white foamcore reflector was used to the opposing side for fill. Getting the right amount of fill requires a little trial & error by simply moving the reflector closer or further until the balance (ratio) looked good.
While I certainly could have used my flash meter to establish a lighting ratio, I found a little trial & error plus use of the camera's histogram faster for my purposes; especially in a low key shot.
ISO 160...50mm @ f/3.3
Thank you Judge Levine for your gracious hospitality and a great day at the Allen County Courthouse.
5 comments:
The lighting is awesome.
Is there a trick to get it to look this way?
It's not so much a trick as it is proper use of lighting.
In this case, a basic 42" umbrella was my key light, feathers to create the light falloff. The opposing reflector helped fill in the shadows created by the main or key light.
The deep rich tones requre a simple white balance adjustment.
Do you ever use diffusers?
Hi Mike,
I sure do when needed. Most of the shoots I do that require a diffuser are outdoors where the sun light is usually quite harsh.
I do employ diffusion in studio when needed, especially in a commercial glamor shoot.
I did try a shoot thru with the images you see here but felt the look was a little too soft for what I wanted..Your mileage may vary.
Pete
Love the deep rich color.
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