These two images have been taken in exactly the same spot, using two very different cameras, but the same light set up, which I consider 'classic' for studio portrait. Both just use only natural light in a way that closely mimics the studio. My point? To show how I can apply a simple light set-up independently of the environment (the photo studio or a fancy bar). For this images I used a good digital SLR (focal lenght was 20mm, almost equivalent to a 35mm at full frame) and an iPhone, with has an even wider lens. Both images were shot at f2.8. So where are the lights and most importantly, where the lights aren't? Think of how you 'd light this in the studio:
- Key: large softbox to camera left.
- Accent+fill: striplight to camera right.
- fill for face: a white reflector under the subject or a small softbox low and a bit on camera right.
- hairlight or better a spot light.
In an bar you have to position yourself and the subject in a way to take advantage of
the natural light sources you have, in this case;
1 - a large,floor to ceiling window a few feet at camera left, with mostly reflected light from nearby buildings.
2 - a door looking into a small backyard, about 30' to camera right, at the end of a dark corridor.
3 - an electric light behind the subject
4 - a white table
5 - the most important thing: an otherwise fairly dark room, with interesting fixtures and dark walls that absorb light and do not reflect much or any, back onto the subject. The images would most likely do not work as well in a room with white walls, that would make the lighting less interesting. Also, any bright colored walls would make getting appropriate skin colors pretty hard. So choose your scene carefully....
But at the end pretty similar schemes right?
The two portraits also show the effect of using (top) a very wide lens to get a dramatic effect, amplified by the reflection in the model's sunglasses, compared (bottom) with a more classic, 'commercial' framing of the subject. The larger DSLR frame has a shallower depth of field, which shoows in the slightly out of focus bar furniture. In both cases I did some light skin retouching and some post coloring with Lightroom. And if you need to hire a speaker to talk about planets and stars, you can go here, a website where you can also hire Salman Rushdie, although his portrait is not as good, at least in my opinion ;).
