Model: Harriadnie Beau (harriadniebeau.com) WORDS & PICTURES KINGSLEY SINGLETON
Single light set-ups You might think that two lights is the minimum you need, but with just one flash, simple modifiers and a reflector, you can create a dramatic range of portrait styles Look around a typical portrait studio set-up and you’ll seldom see just one light – usually there’ll be three or more – but more lights doesn’t automatically mean better shots. In fact, the simplicity offered by a single light can be striking and revolutionary. Yes, there are certain styles you simply can’t achieve with just one flash, but there’s plenty you can do, especially when the light is twinned with suitable modifiers and reflectors. Not only that, but one light means there’s less to cart around, which opens up a wider variety of locations to shoot in, and the minimalist set-up means you can alter the style of lighting much faster. For those Advanced Photographer is also available as a fully interactive magazine – go to iTunes now!
just starting out in portraiture, the lower cost of a single light kit is also a factor – rather like sticking to a single camera body and expanding your range of lenses, investing in modifiers will arguably have more creative impact on your shots. Over the next few pages we’ll look at some ways to get it right with one light and avoid common mistakes.
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SET-UP Here, a light fitted with a beauty dish in front and angled down at the model with a silver reflector below gives a pleasing double catchlight. If you have a second light, you can use that, too.
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LIGHTING ACADEMY WORKING WITH ONE LIGHT
FLATTERING LIGHT You can create a simple clamshell lighting effect using just one light and a reflector. The light can be directly above, or to the side, just make sure that the reflector is positioned at the opposite angle for maximum fill-in.
The single most limiting factor of working with one light is coverage – the amount of the subject and the background you can illuminate at any one time, and therefore how prominent shadows will be. If you’re going for a high-key, low-contrast style this can make things tricky (though not impossible as you’ll soon see). But by placing the light in the right place, as well as using a reflector and highly diffusing modifiers, you can certainly reduce the strength of shadows a huge amount and produce pics with none of the harshness you might expect from the single light source. Perhaps the best example of this is found in a classic clamshell lighting arrangement, which, even when used with a reflector instead of a second light, provides lots of wraparound illumination and therefore considerably fewer shadows on the subject. The effect is a real winner, adding vitality to the subject, hiding blemishes and producing distinctive double catchlights in your model’s eyes. To achieve this, the light source and reflector are
THE EFFECT IS A REAL WINNER, ADDING VITALITY AND PRODUCING DISTINCTIVE DOUBLE CATCHLIGHTS
THE KIT YOU NEED
SMARTFLASH 2 All you need to start experimenting with the lighting effects in this guide is a single flash head, a lighting stand and some modifiers: a spill-kill reflector (pictured), softbox, and honeycomb will offer a good range of effects.
For our single light shoot we used one Lencarta SmartFlash 2 head which costs just over £100 and accepts a huge range of modifiers thanks to its S-fit mount. The light has a Guide Number of 100 and power is adjustable through five stops at ⅓ increments, so it can provide both high and low levels of light, making it suitable for everything from group shots to dimly-lit scenes. The lowest power levels are also useful if you want to shoot using very wide apertures, meaning that shallow depthof-field effects can be achieved without resorting to using an ND filter on your lens. With a full aluminium casing, the SmartFlash 2 is also more than durable enough for lugging from location to location – although weighing in at only 1.56kg with its protective headcap fitted, there’s not much lugging required – and at just 30cm long, it’s small enough to fit in most backpacks, making it a truly versatile companion. The SmartFlash 2 can be controlled wirelessly with Lencarta’s Wavesync Commander system (as used on other Lencarta flashes) or via a supplied sync cable. lencarta.com
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CONTROLLING BACKGROUND SHADOWS WITH ONE LIGHT
LIGHTING ACADEMY
If you’re looking to create a contemporary studio shot with a light background and an evenly lit subject, you might think that more than one light would be vital. Not so, if your placement of the light, subject and reflector is good. You’re unlikely to be able to get the background completely white, which normally requires an additional flash, or to backlight a semi-transparent background with the sun, but you can certainly make sure shadows are kept to a minimum as the shots in this panel illustrate. The desired effect is achieved in several ways: first by fitting the light with a diffusing modifier to make sure the shadows lose their intensity, then also placing the light slightly above the subject so that any shadows on the background are forced downwards. Finally, moving the subject away from the background means that the shadow, in turn, moves further from them, diffusing even further and almost entirely leaving the frame. As in the rest of this issue’s set-ups, a reflector is vital in balancing the lighting further.
SUBJECT CLOSER TO BACKGROUND
SUBJECT FURTHER FROM BACKGROUND
SIDE LIGHT WITH SPILL-KILL REFLECTOR
SIDE LIGHT WITH OCTO SOFTBOX DIFFUSER
LIGHT ABOVE WITH OCTO SOFTBOX AND REFLECTOR
placed at opposite sides of the clock, usually angled at 45º onto the subject from above and below, hence the name. Then you shoot through the middle of the two. The effect can work from both sides, too, though the look is less natural than from above and below (which mimics daylight). For the most flattering results, the light (or lights) should be fitted with a diffuser – either an umbrella, a softbox or, in the case of our example pic, a beauty dish. Below, and to start off, as close to the subject as possible we used a Lencarta 80cm 5-in-1 Collapsible Reflector (£14.99) with its silver surface. Silver or white both work well, but the former doesn’t cool the light like white does and adds more sparkle. To avoid an unnatural uplighting effect, the illumination from above should be slightly brighter, with the reflected light bouncing into the shadows. Due to the scattering of reflected light, this is always going to be the case when using a reflector, rather than a second light, though the distance it’s held from the subject makes a big difference. Held close, a lot of light is bounced onto the subject, and another bonus is that your model will often be able to hold the reflector for you, assuming you crop closely enough. But if the effect is too bright, slowly move the reflector back, angling it against a lighting stand, or even laying it on the floor. Finally, make Advanced Photographer is also available as a fully interactive magazine – go to iTunes now!
sure the angles of the light and the reflector aren’t too oblique or you can cause unflattering shadows. Once the modelling looks about right, use your flash meter with the reflector in place (with the reflector used close, the amount of reflected light is high, and the overall illumination increased, so if you meter just for the flash you can overexpose). For example, with the flash at around 75cm from the subject, and fitted with a 40cm white beauty dish, we got a flash power of 1/8th shooting at f/8 and 1/125sec, ISO 100. With the same settings and without the reflector, the power required from the flash was higher. Making shadows a feature Of course, shadows don’t need to be a problem – they can be the making of a portrait, too. In our second set-up, we wanted lots of contrast with the subject picked out against a dark background, and if you’re looking for this kind of low-key effect, one light is the easiest route. Glancing light is particularly powerful in this context, so in the first shot we placed the light in the 9 o’clock position, and had our model, Harri turn towards it, creating a chiaroscuro effect. This was complemented by a gold-surfaced reflector in the 3 o’clock position, which stopped her hair falling into darkness. Here,
MAKE SURE THE ANGLE OF THE LIGHT AND THE REFLECTOR AREN’T TOO OBLIQUE OR YOU CAN CAUSE UNFLATTERING SHADOWS ISSUE 50 ADVANCED PHOTOGRAPHER
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THE SPOT-LIKE EFFECT OF THE HONEYCOMB IS MORE NOTICEABLE HERE AS THE LIGHT FALLS FAST AWAY FROM THE TARGET a softbox or umbrella would spread the light too widely, so to heighten the shadowy look we fitted a honeycomb to the SmartFlash 2’s spill-kill reflector. The honeycomb and the 9 o’clock position keep the light off the background so it remains dark. Care must be taken here so that the light doesn’t become unflattering, because the glancing style and its increased contrast will inevitably make features look stronger. Using your flash’s modelling lamps, observe the shadows on the face closely and bring the light back towards you if it’s looking too harsh. Alternatively, push it around to 10 o’clock to achieve something closer to rim-lighting. For our second low-key shot, we kept the honeycomb modifier and brought the light closer to the shooting position at around 7 o’clock. The spot-like effect of the honeycomb is more noticeable here as the light falls fast away from the target. Because the honeycomb concentrates the light, you find flash output can be kept quite low. At 1/125sec and f/11, ISO 100, we metered only 1/32 power at around 1.2m from the subject. NEXT ISSUE: Shooting with two heads means more light and more creative styles to try out.
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SHOOTING LOW-KEY When you want to restrict light spread, modifiers like honeycombs and grids are vital. Here, the honeycomb, inserted into a spill-kill reflector, concentrates the light on the subject and stops it falling on the background.
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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE LENCARTA SMARTFLASH 2
SmartFlash 2 is the powerful, adaptable, expandable studio flash from Lencarta
TWO HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE
The SmartFlash 2 system from Lencarta offers a brilliantly balanced option for studio photography, with a range of features that make it ideal for any enthusiast looking to achieve professional looking results. Power just as you need it Studio lights offer much more power than a regular speedlight, but the way in which that power is delivered is very important. The SmartFlash 2 system provides just the right amount for your home studio – plenty of juice for brightly-lit portraits and controllable output through five stops, right down to a low 1/32nd level, making it great for low-key work and when using wide apertures. And with the eye on setting up and packing up fast, these fan-cooled heads are very small and lightweight, too. Compared to similar units, the flash duration is also very short, offering 1/900sec to 1/2700sec from the full to the lowest setting – more than adequate for nearly all studio subjects. And to keep you shooting, recycling times are very fast – just 1sec at full power and less than 1/5sec at the minimum power setting. If you’re used to standing around, waiting for your flash to be ready, this will come as welcome change!
THE SMARTFLASH 2 SYSTEM PROVIDES JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF POWER FOR YOUR HOME STUDIO…
Creativity made simple But it’s not all about power – the ability to shape the light to your needs, and make it fit your ideas and the mood of the image you’re creating, is where studio photography really takes off. To make this easy, Lencarta designed the SmartFlash 2 with a universal S-fit mount, meaning it can be used with the vast majority of modifiers and creative light shapers. Backing this up is the head’s full-metal housing, which can take any weight of modifier. To help visualise the strength, style and placement of your lights, the SmartFlash 2 also packs in a 250W modelling lamp (the brightest in its class). This is fully adjustable so you can perfectly match the output of the flash, allowing you to work faster, and ensure you get the look you’re after without the frustration of trial and error. Effortless accuracy and control Of equal importance is ease of use, and for this the SmartFlash 2 has every angle covered. Full wireless remote control is available via the WaveSync Commander system, so there’ll be no tripping over trailing wires if you opt for this modern range of heads. What’s more, Lencarta’s other flash systems, the portable Atom and Safari 2 kits, and the ElitePro and SuperFast studio flash heads, all use the same WaveSync Commander kit, so a SmartFlash 2 head will slot into any existing Lencarta set-up. In addition, SmartFlash 2 heads feature two slave modes, so you can trigger them from a hotshoe flashgun if you prefer. All this takes the effort out of shooting letting you concentrate on your pics.
As any experienced photographer knows, you can get plenty of great shots with just one flash, but a second really opens up the creative possibilities. And it’s not an expensive addition. A single SmartFlash 2 will set you back only £109.99, although you will need to add a stand and some modifiers to this for the best results – so that’s where Lencarta’s range of SmartFlash kits comes in. There are three SmartFlash 2 400Ws Lighting Kit options, each of which includes two heads and lighting stands, plus either two umbrellas (at £299.99); a softbox and umbrella (£319.99); or twin softboxes (£339.99). Pick up a kit and you’ll have everything you need in one package, bar a model!
SPECS
MINIMUM POWER 6Ws MAXIMUM POWER 200Ws POWER ADJUSTMENT 5 stops (full power to 1/32nd power) GUIDE NUMBER 100 (100ft at ISO 100) MODELLING LAMP Yes, 250W Halostar MODELLING LAMP ADJUSTMENT Yes, infinite SYNC SOCKET Yes USB SOCKET Yes, (for use with included WaveSync trigger SLAVE CELL Switchable on/off, located at top rear of unit ACCESSORY FITTING Standard S fit STAND FITTING Standard 16mm/
5/8in fitting
COOLING Built-in fan OVERHEAT PROTECTION Yes
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE SMARTFLASH 2 SYSTEM, TAKE A LOOK AT THIS MONTH’S LIGHTING ACADEMY FEATURE | WWW.LENCARTA.COM | 0845 618 2889
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