Off camera lighting 101

[BigBear]

I wasn't sure if I should post these images here or in the strobist forum or indeed if at all but here they are.

They are a direct rip-off of the strobist lighting 101 introductory video which I'm sure many of you have seen.

They are mostly for my own benefit as I'm doing a beginner course at the moment but I offer them up to anyone who is new to photography/lighting like myself.

As the saying goes, "I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand."

All images are f/4.0, 1/60 sec, ISO 100

Cheers

[Birdman]

Thanks for the interesting post and your time to do these, I think for me the lighting works best in number 3.

[luckyforteja]

Agree with Birdman, number 3 works for me too

[BigBear]

Yes bouncing of the roof as in number 3 works well. The main thing I got out of it was that there are lots of ways to light a subject to get a different result and it is easy to do with minimal gear. Bouncing of the roof will work every time but if the subject is a portrait of a footballer or something like that then one of the later methods would produce a more dramatic result and probably a better photo.

[fillum]

A worthwhile exercise BB. For this scene I prefer the last couple because I find that the light on the background makes the images more interesting. Cookies are often overlooked but are a simple way to add interest (although I haven't had much success myself the few times I've tried ). I think here I'd prefer to see the cookie a little closer to the subject (or the light source further away) so that the 'pieces' of shadow were a little less broad (although doing that also makes the shadows more defined which might not be desirable?).


Cheers.

[jamesyu]

It's very interesting

[Burnman]

Agree - #3 offers the best balanced lighting. Other options as put forward do give more drama. Would have been interesting exercise continue theme and look at the option of reflectors while you were there as well (vs relying on the single light source) seems to give all bar #3 a very one sided look. Thanks for posting!

[Rattus79]

it is important to remember that all of these these results are skewed by the white wall reflecting the light back into the subject thus giving it a backlit look. Hence the shadows reflections coming back to the camera.