Nikon D800, 85mm f1.8 @f6.3 ISO 100, 1/200s
Taking a 180 degrees turn from our color-bursting portrait, here is a very soft black and white portrait and how to build a great setup for it.
Gear
- 1x 90cm Octabox (left open) on a 500Ws monoblock
- 1x 90cm parabolic umbrella on a 500Ws monoblock
Setup
In this setup, a parabolic umbrella forms the base. The light is very defined and creates highly visible highlights.
A second open Octabox brightens the shadows created by the model’s pose and brings some light into the shadow areas.
Using an infinity cove (a.k.a. cyclorama), with its gentle curvature, ensures a smooth transition between floor and wall.
The individual light sources
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Main light
As you can see in the picture here, the main light is almost parallel to the model; it’s a really hard light that casts dark shadows on the left side of the model. The direction of the light is very clear and does not raise any questions.
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Fill light
The scene is brightened very subtly from the front. This light mustn’t compete with or overpower the main light. You don’t want to introduce any more obvious light sources into the scene. The shadows here, falling behind the model, are much softer than those cast by the main light.
Downloads
For the pictures in the article, we used the light simulation Set.A.Light 3D. You can download the lighting setup and try everything for yourself.
If you’ve never worked with Set.a.Light before, you should give it a try! There is also a free demo version on the website, which you can use to open our project file
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