PURCHASE BOOK
SAMPLE CONTENT
TOC - TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE iii 1 2 7 13 19 20 27 31 36 37 47 48 PAGE 51 53 55 61 65 66 71 77 81 85 89 PAGE 93 94 98 103 109
Author’s Story & Prologue: Introduction and Purpose • Introduction to OCF • Available Light - Au Naturel • Story One: Wings of Victory The Fundamentals of Light: • A Study of Light • Exploring Lighting Dimension • Story Two: Samantha Anderson • Story Three - Shannon Feeney • Exposure: BV - EV - Lux Basic Premise of OCF: • A Balancing Act: Of Exposure • Vivitar 283 - 285 Flash One Light Portrait: • EV, Flash and Guide Number Using Gels for Creative Color: Constructing the Environment: • Environmental Portraits • Story Three: Miranda Wedding • Story Four: Model Lexi Lemke • Story Five: Escape from Berlin • Mogollon Rim: Shelby Pippin • Story Six: Shannon Feeney Working with Electronic Flash: • Flash Synchronization • High Speed Sync • The Watt Second Myth • Flash Exposure Triangle i
AUTHOR'S STORY & PROLOGUE
E David Lloyd, CPP As the author of this hard bound or eBook, it is my wish that you, the reader, find a degree of inspiration within these pages to help you expand the pallet of your photographic adventures. That you regularly venture into personal assignments and share with others, what you learn in the process.
arly in my recollections of the adventures I have embarked upon in life, I discovered that I wanted to augment and directly impact my experiences first hand. That is, not take them at face value. Instead, I wanted to pursue a creative path and explore the world around me from a meaningful perspective. I concluded that the process of personal creativity is perhaps one of the greatest gifts available. So it is with the interest of sharing something about my personal journey with my own creative directions, that this book has taken form and come into being. While my interests have spanned a wide gamut of topics, this book is a story of my ongoing relationship with photography, which began well before I had ever given thought to how a photograph might be illuminated. My fascination with photography began in 1953 when my Mom took me to Amos Carr Photography Studio in Hollywood, California. Peggy Moran, a close friend of my
Mom's had suggested that we have some professional portraits taken of me in Hollywood. It was a beautiful Spring day in April and my memory of the experience easily comes to mind. Walking up to the studio located on the north side of Hollywood Blvd. the warm morning sun projected the shadows of palm tree fronds moving in the cool breeze. As we walked in the front door, the large panes of glass illuminated the easel mounted photographs of movie stars, lining the front lobby. The room itself, was understated by the poster sized black and white prints displayed in a setting of pastel turquoise. “Are you here for an appointment,” the receptionist inquired? “Why yes,” replied my Mom. Walking into the studio area was like walking onto a movie set. Tall lights, like trusty sentinels were staged against a gray backdrop and a perfectly poised stool set center stage seemed to beckon to me. A role it had certainly played endless times before. ii
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My adventure in photography began in 1956 when my Uncle Julian sent me a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye camera and encouraged me to take some photographs and send them to him. My school, as it so happened had just built a black and white darkroom, which I frequented often. In that same environment, I was also given the opportunity to learn about electronics, by building one tube radios. My career directions were founded in those early years, ultimately giving way to the eventuality of this book.
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AUTHOR'S STORY & PROLOGUE
David Lloyd, CPP
AN EARLY FASCINATION WITH PHOTOGRAPHY I then glanced over at the camera, fastened to a wooden tripod. As my Mom and I were taking in the somewhat plain appointments of the studio, a gentleman walked in and introduced himself as our photographer. The photographer was very confident as he re-positioned and adjusted the lights, setting the mood. Striped t-shirt, white dress shirt and tie, hats and clothes pins. The latter, to keep my tie straight and tuck my shirt together in back. The accomplished photographer spoke to me with instructions that perhaps assumed that I was a seasoned child actor. After all, this was a famous Hollywood studio and Peggy Moran had by then married a famous Hollywood director. So I simply followed in suit, not knowing that otherwise I might have needed some prior training to play the parts he described.
The photographer seemed to assume that I had acting experience, so I simply acted out his instructions, for each look he apparently wanted to achieve. I had often attended the long running play, "The Drunkard," which played in Hollywood. My Mom was one of the regular actresses and I often spoke with the other play actors back stage. Perhaps that may be a reason that I so easily assumed the rolls the photographer instructed me to become. I imagined Cary Grant, Tyron Power, Marlin Brando and Clark Gable. In a week or two, we picked up an envelope of 25 separate 4x5 contact prints, which were a reddish purple color and easily faded with exposure to light. I remember being fascinated wanting all 25 photos. However, we selected four to be taped together to make an 8x10 comp card... Continued on pg. 105. iii
CHAPTER 1
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CREATING A MICRO-ENVIRONMENT OF LIGHTING, SETS THE STAGE FOR BLENDING THE VISUAL ELEMENTS OF A SCENE.
ALL CONTENT AND IMAGES © DAVID LLOYD PHOTOGRAPHY 2015
INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE 1
INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE
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You never know where your adventures in photography will lead you, particularly if you get out and meet people, follow hunches and follow through with self assignments. The self assignment depicted here was the catapult which launched the idea of writing this book and taking the photographs you will find in it’s pages. It has been and continues to be a fascinating journey of self discovery, overcoming challenges, and learning new techniques that I am able to now share, with you the reader.
STORY ONE: WINGS OF VICTORY - PPA IPC MERITING PHOTO The story behind the photo at the top of this section, like many stories, set the stage for an adventure. Seven years prior to the day of this photo session, a very good friend of mine photographed the wedding of Alex Majesty’s. Alex’s wedding truly had a vintage theme and like all brides, Alex was the center attraction. Once processed, viewing the resulting images was like walking into a Hollywood story book, the vintage theme of the wedding and the day itself, could easily have been a day in the life of Grace Kelly and Alex Majesty perfectly fit the part. Now fast forward six years. A photographer friend of mine, Shawna, was in need of some Off Camera Flash tutoring, as she had a scheduled an engagement session on the beautiful coast of California, for the following week.
Shawna and I set a time for the lesson and as we were talking, I mentioned that I taught 40’s Hollywood Lighting Workshops at the Commemorative Air Force Airbase Arizona Aviation Museum in Mesa, AZ. As the conversation continued, Shawna mentioned that she had also photographed a friend of hers at the Airbase a few years back. When I saw the photos, I immediately recognized that the person she had photographed was none other than Alex Majesty. Our eyes sparkled as we decided to collaborate for another photo session with Alex at the Airfield. While our mutual enthusiasm was high, there were some hurdles to overcome; Alex had since moved to the east coast, it was approaching summer, and the B-17 Sentimental Journey was on it’s yearly tour out of state. 2
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A YEAR IN THE PLANING, THE STAGE WAS SET TO CREATE ICONIC IMAGES; THE DREAM OF A PERSONAL VISION.
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MODEL: ALEX MAJESTY PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID LLOYD
THE ARIZONA WING OF THE COMMEMORATIVE AIR FORCE AVIATION MUSEUM 3
Setting the main speed light to full power, I was able to produce a light value of f-8 on Alex from the main light, positioned approximately 5 feet in front of her. The ambient light level and the brightness value of the main speed light were the key elements to control. Guide Number value = 40-ft.
TRANSLATION: At ISO 100 the Guide Number for a typical 60 Wsec speed light is 164-ft or f-16, at a distance of 10 feet. Setting the speed light into the 26 inch rapid box, spreads out and attenuates the light output level for a resulting Guide Number of 56-ft. or a three stop reduction, in trade for potentially softer light. Having placed my main light approximately 5 feet in front of Alex, dividing the Guide Number of 56-ft by 5 feet, provides a light output of f-11. As this is reduced by one stop due to the 1 stop neutral density filter, the resulting light is f-8, or one stop above the measured ambient light level. This value can also be determined by a flash meter or by inspection of the camera’s histogram.
This self assignment, fueled from a personal vision, was the catapult that launched the idea of writing this book. Several of the images from that day will be found within the pages. I hope you will be encouraged to read through the materials presented, draw inspiration and then embark on your own self journey of self assignments, such that you are able to master the techniques presented.
Fig.#1
Once having established the two base light values; that of the ambient light, for the background and the main light, for the subject, I adjusted the output of the three other speed lights to provide the right mix of fill and back lighting. In Section One of Chapter Eight, you will find the lighting formula and process for correctly determining the exposure values needed. Essentially, f-5.6 at 1/200th sec at ISO 50, by use of a 1 stop neutral density filter. F-5.6 allowing the background to be slightly out of focus. These settings produced a background value about one stop underexposed to darken the sky. Now the main light was adjusted to produce f-8 light at our subject, rendering the subject about a stop brighter than the background. 4
MODEL: ALEX MAJESTY PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID LLOYD
THE ARIZONA WING OF THE COMMEMORATIVE AIR FORCE AVIATION MUSEUM 5
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ENVIRONMENTAL PORTRAITURE BEGINS WITH A VISION OF THE END RESULT IN MIND.
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CHAPTER 2
ALL CONTENT AND IMAGES © DAVID LLOYD PHOTOGRAPHY 2015
THE FUNDAMENTALS OF LIGHT
MODEL: ARLIN GUADIAN PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID LLOYD
6
STORY TWO - PILOT SAM ANDERSON
A
young pilot, Samantha Anderson began an early journey as a contestant in the Arizona United States Pageant System. I was later to discover at a send off party that Sam had been instructed and earned her Pilot’s License through the care and training of her parents, both accomplished pilots for well known airline companies. Last year, October, 2014 I invited the reigning Queens for 2014.
Fig.#2
PORTABLE LIGHTING KIT ON LOCATION MODEL: SAM ANDERSON PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID LLOYD
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PLACING YOURSELF IN THE WAY OF OPPORTUNITY, RENDERS A CLOSER APPROXIMATION OF THE GOAL.
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MODEL: SAMANTHA ANDERSON PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID LLOYD WARDROBE: FLIGHT CAPTAIN UNIFORM
THE ARIZONA WING OF THE COMMEMORATIVE AIR FORCE AVIATION MUSEUM 8
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To my surprise and delight, Sam Anderson arrived at my 40’s Hollywood Lighting Workshop, outfitted with her Mom’s flight uniform and vintage suitcases.
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They were to model for my annual 40’s Hollywood Lighting Workshop, held at the Arizona Wing of the Commemorative Air Force Aviation Museum in Mesa, AZ. To my amazement, Sam arrived perfectly outfitted for the 40’s theme. As she walked into the Air Museum, I greeted her with a warm hug. Little did I know what she had in store for the day. Whisked off for 40’s styling, Sam was to return on set with a surprising outfit. Her Mom’s Captain uniform and vintage suitcases. Needless to say, Sam practically stole the day and graced our set for some fabulous photographs.
LIGHTING POSITIONS: As will be seen in the lighting diagram of Fig.#2 on the first page of this article, the Main Light is set directly above the camera’s optical axis, such that there is a butterfly shaped shadow cast directly under the model’s nose. Often called Butterfly or Paramount Lighting, due to the shape of the nose shadow it produces and the Hollywood movie studio that made it famous. Paramount lighting also produces an accentuation of the cheek bones, pushing shadows directly within the slight hollow of the cheeks, and became famous for the beauty it rendered to the feminine stars of the 40’s Hollywood era. Notice in the setup photo to the left that there are two back lights which beautifully illuminate Sam’s hair, shoulders and right forearm. This edge lighting separates the subject from the background and creates a sense of dimension in the pho-
tograph. This sense of dimension is partly psychological as it infers that there is a source of light outside the frame. Depicted in the diagram of Fig.#2, though out of view in the pull back photo, the fill light serves to lift the shadow values such that they are a pleasing tone value and not rendering too dark, as well as performing the function of insuring adequate catch lights in the eyes. Looking at the full portrait to the right, when the lights are out of view, the rim lighting imparts a sense of space between the subject and the background. The setup for this style of lighting is fairly simple and straight forward. Imagine our model, Sam, in the center of a clock face. The camera and the main light are set for a position of 6 o’clock and the two back lights are at 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock respectively. All three lights are about five to six feet from the subject and the fill light, out of view in the pull back photo, is very nearly at camera position, to lift the shadows seen by the camera. Note the vertical height of the main and hair lights, set between 8 to 10 feet to illuminate Sam’s hair and push the nose shadow down, creating dimension in the resulting portrait. As in all photographs where supplemental lighting is used, there are two separate exposures to calculate; that of the background or ambient light. And, of course the light value from the speed lights. On the previous page, you will see the actual lighting setup used for capturing these images, as well as how the ambient background level and the lighting from the three speed lights were balanced for the low key 40‘s Hollywood style photo. 9
MODEL: SAM ANDERSON PHOTO BY: DAVID LLOYD PHOTOGRAPHY - RON GERSON THE ARIZONA WING OF THE COMMEMORATIVE AIR FORCE AVIATION MUSEUM 10
STORY TWO - PILOT SAM ANDERSON CAMERA:
FILL LIGHT:
Sony A99 with Carl Zeiss 24mm to 70mm f-2.8 zoom lensfor the first and second photos. A Sony 100mm Macro Lens is used for the head and shoulders portrait.
V-850 set for 1/8 power, about seven feet in front of subject at a height of about four feet.
Four each V-850 speed lights set into the Westcott Rapid Box style of portable soft boxes and one 42 inch convertible umbrella, serving as the fill light.
V-850 set for 1/4 power, seven and a half feet from subject at a 70 degree arc from camera axis at a height of about ten feet.
CAMERA SETTINGS:
MATERIALS COVERED:
ISO 400, f-5.6, 1/30th second and lens focal length of 100mm, provided a low key illumination level for the exposure triangle signature of the ambient light.
As you explore the chapters in this Book, the quality and character of the light sources will be presented along with photo examples and accompanying lighting diagrams and pull back setup photos.
MAIN LIGHT: V-850 set for 1/4 power, six feet from subject at a 70 degree arc from camera axis at a height of six feet. The guide number for the main light is 6-ft X f-8, or GN 45.
NOTE: It is important to note that the desired output from the main light should be about one stop above the ambient light level to properly illuminate the subject. That is, one stop above the ambient illumination. Therefore, we are looking for f-8 light from the main speed light, at the subject distance. In this instance, the skylights were illuminating only the aircraft and not the position where our model was staged. Had the ambient light level of the hangar been at f-5.6 at the 1/40th second shutter speed, f-5.6 light would only have been required from the main light as it would have been additive to the room light and produced 2 x f-5.6 on our model.
HAIR LIGHTS:
Each setup will be examined for lighting positions, output power settings and camera settings. Please note that the examples are a result of some experimentation and fine tuning, based on the location and that the distances and heights of the lights is approximate. By using the preview image on your camera, you will be able to get a good idea of the contributions of the light sources, being recorded by your photograph. While every attempt in photographing these images was to get very close to the final image, some post production is always valuable. While a gray card can provide a reflective reference for zone 5, middle gray, for accurate exposure information of each light source, an incident reading light meter is recommended. With practice you will establish a workflow with the ingredients making up image capture and processing. 11
STORY THREE - SHANNON FEENEY
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eversing the Three Point Lighting configuration, explained in detail in Section 1 of Chapter 7, “Lighting for Beauty,” I was easily able to mimic a photo from the 40’s of actress Veronica Lake in a War Bond campaign. Our Model, Shannon Feeney had arrived with her Grandmother’s 1940 Navy Wave Uniform at my 40’s Hollywood Lighting Workshop of 2012, as the featured model of the event. Doubling
PORTABLE LIGHTING KIT ON LOCATION MODEL: SHANNON FEENEY PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID LLOYD
Fig. #3
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Fig.#4 LIG HT ) f-1 .0
SS
f-1 .4
f-2 .0
1/2
LA
) HT LIG
MO RE
LE 00
RG E(
T(
LE
NS
AP ER TU RE f-5 .6 f-4 .0 f-8 f-1 1
f-1 6
IG HT ) f-2 2
f-3 2 LOW (LESS LIGHT)
400
800 ISO
1600
3200
) HT LIG
200
1/1
(ISO) 100
E OR
1/2
LIGHT SENSITIVITY
(M
1/4
SS L
OW
(LE
SL
1/8
AL L
D 5 EE SP 1/1 R 0 TE 1/3 UT 0 1/6
SM
SH
1/1
ME TI ) RE ed pe rS
tte
SU
hu
PO
25
OP f-2 .8 p e ENI NG rtu re )
50
EX (S
Each component of the exposure triangle is stated in stops of exposure. Therefore an exposure value of f-8 and 1/125 sec-
1/5
1.0 - 1.4 - 2.0 - 2.8 - 4.0 - 5.6 - 8.0 - 11 - 16 - 22
0
As the aperture diameter is decreased incrementally such that the circular area is reduced by a factor of 2, the new f-stop will be assigned a progressive value multiplied by the square root of 2 or 1.414. Thus the familiar notation of numerical aperture values produces the following series of f-Stops.
00
That is, from the case where the lens aperture diameter is the same value as the focal length, the resulting numerical assignment for the aperture is considered to be f-1.
1/1
A brass slide, was fitted to the early lenses, which contained circular openings, each being one half of the area of the preceding opening. This slide could be moved up or down to reduce or increase the effective lens opening and was called a series of Waterhouse Stops. Individual slides were also utilized to effectively vary the amount of light entering the lens system. Each slide having a circular hole, either half or twice the area of the previous in the set. As the effective circular area of a lens is derived by the square of the radius multiplied by the value of Pi, the ratio of lens focal length to lens diameter, produces the familiar f-stop scale, essentially described by the square root of 2.
S FA
Doubling the circular area of the diameter of the lens, increased the light gathering ability by a factor of two. Further, by reducing the circular area, described by the diameter of the lens, to one half of the previous area, reduced the light gathering ability of the lens by a factor of two.
(A
EXPOSURE: BV - EV - LUX
6400
HIGH (MORE LIGHT)
ond will be the same as the exposure produced by f-5.6 and 1/ 250 second for an EV of 13. As will be seen in the EV chart on the next page, by simply shifting aperture and shutter speed values a similar number of stops in opposite directions, an equivalent EV (Exposure Value) is obtained. The EV scale was initially incorporated on camera lenses which contained both the shutter and aperture mechanisms within the lens assembly. They were mechanically coupled as a method to select a metered EV value. Once set, the corresponding shutter speed and aperture values could be easily shifted for the desired relationship. 13
A kind of rudimentary exposure slide rule, it maintained an equivalent exposure for adjacent values of shutter speed and aperture. Interestingly, the EV scale as designed, corresponds accurately at ISO 100, where the EV value of Zero represents an exposure of 1 second at f-1.0 as can be seen on the EV chart below. The highlighted EV values in Red and Blue show the relationship of shutter speed and aperture value combinations for a specific EV setting. This of course corresponds any selected EV value. The chart below does not contain negative values, however, an EV of -1 would correspond to a shutter speed of 2 seconds at f-1.0.
Fig.#5
Aperture Values (f-stops)
Shutter Speeds (time)
1.0 1.4 2.0 2.8 4.0 5.6 8.0 11 16 22 32 45 64 1
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10 11 12
1/2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10 11 12 13
1/4
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10 11 12 13 14
1/8
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10 11 12 13 14 15
1/16
4
5
6
7
8
9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
1/30
5
6
7
8
9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
1/60
6
7
8
9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
1/125
7
8
9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
1/250
8
9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
1/500
9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
1/1000 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
MODEL: MADDIE ROSE HOLLER PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID LLOYD
EV - EXPOSURE VALUE
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LIGHTING, AN ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT IN SETTING THE STAGE FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL PORTRAIT.
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CHAPTER 3
BASIC PRIMISE OF OCF
MODEL: ELIZABETH RILEY PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID LLOYD ALL CONTENT AND IMAGES © DAVID LLOYD PHOTOGRAPHY 2015 15
VIVITAR 283 - 285 FLASH
P
erhaps it was with the introduction of the versatile and now famous Vivitar 283 and 285 flash units, in the mid seventies, that the OCF revolution may have begun its journey into the annals of the Strobist movement. I had the very good fortune to have been employed by Vivitar at the time, as a New Product Design Engineer.
While shoe mount flash units have become much more sophisticated in their ability to interface with their OEM companions of dedicated digital cameras, the basic concepts of auto and manual exposure and remote triggering, hallmarks of the OCF movement, have essentially been available since the late sixties. That’s 45 plus years ago flash fans.
SPEED LIGHT ON LOCATION MODEL: ASHLEIGH ORR PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID LLOYD
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VIVITAR 283 - 285 FLASH
THE QUINTESSENTIAL SPEED LIGHT
With OCF, the direction of interest is to move the flash unit away from the camera axis and trigger it remotely by command of the shutter. Then, to control the light output value, such that it contributes to the scene to produce creative lighting control. The idea that creative lighting can be accomplished with small shoe mount flash units, Speed Lights, opens some very versatile doors, including portable lighting without cords or battery packs. In the days of film based photography, creative outdoor lighting was primarily accomplished with scrims, a translucent material supported by a frame, to block direct sunlight and provide diffused lighting. Or, AC powered hot lights or studio strobes. Polaroid photos were taken to help in balancing the lights, prior to exposing the final image. While Vivitar dominated the market for versatile shoe mount flash units in the 60 Watt second range, other manufacturers produced portable flash units ranging from 100 to 200 Watt seconds. A drawback to the smaller and very convenient Speed Lights, when used with cameras having focal plane shutters, the case of 35mm SLR cameras, was the very slow FP-X Sync speed of 1/60th second and slower. Leaf shutters, found in medium format cameras such as Hasselblad and Rollie, provided flash sync speeds up to 1/500th of a second and were much more applicable for off camera flash application. While Vivitar allowed for manually controlled variable output power and optical remote triggering, the real boon to OCF
was the introduction of the vertical focal plane shutter and radio remote triggering, spoken of in the introduction. As a curious footnote, during the seventies, when I was working for Vivitar, we developed several innovative ideas, such as the Auto-Thyristor circuitry invented by Jean Orban, which translated into conserving battery power by quenching the flash pulse providing for shorter flash durations. This gave way to variable power and auto exposure control. Several innovations, however, did not make it to the market place. One of which was my concept of a modular flash component system, of which I built several prototypes and received a U.S. Patent for. To the interested reader, portions of my inventions appear in the back of this book as original concept drawings with photos of my hand built prototypes. Of particular curiosity is the odd fact that as an engineering team, and while the technology was available with discrete transistor circuitry, it did not occur to us to design a radio based remote trigger. It is interesting that preceding the Strobist direction of popularizing the concept of Off Camera Flash, the Vivitar 283 and 285 flash units, became the experimental platform for hobbyists looking to create the perfect solution to early applications of creative lighting. New, the 283 was available for around $100 and the array of accessories, to include rechargeable battery packs, bounce flash, vari-power and remote triggering, made for a revolution in portable flash photography. Time frame - mid seventies, yes 40 years ago OFC fans. 17
EV - FLASH AND GUIDE NUMBER
E
ssentially, determining and setting the exposure for Off Camera Flash is easier than it might initially appear. As mentioned before in Chapter 3, Section 1, The Basic Premise of OCF, being the combination of flash and ambient light, incorporates two separate exposures. One for the ambient light, the window of which is controlled by the shutter speed. (the interval of time that the shutter is open for the exposure) A shorter duration, flash exposure, occurs within the duration of time that the shutter curtain is open. The FPX Sync insures that the flash fires at point (b) as shown in the diagram on the following page. Fig #8.
Fig. #7
MODEL: JULIA FRYS PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID LLOYD
18
The Nuts and Bolts of Flash Synchronization b
5 mili-sec.
Fig. #8
c
The degree of its contribution to the overall exposure is based on the brightness, being represented by the amplitude or height of the flash waveform and the flash duration at the 50% point. (baseline of shutter waveform)
FLASH EXPOSURE:
FP shutter first and second curtain transition time at 1/200 sec. shutter speed
Flash exposure is a product of amplitude (brightness) and flash pulse duration. The brightness of the flash is a product of input power, in Watt seconds, flash lamp output efficiency, angle of projection and distance from the subject being illuminated.
WATT SECONDS: 1 mili-sec.
a
d
Input power to the flash unit is a measure of the power supply voltage and the energy storage of the main capacitor, measured in micro-farads. Watt seconds is NOT a measurement of Output Power.
GUIDE NUMBER: Normal flash pulse at full power.
A LITTLE TECHIE STUFF: The diagram above represents the waveforms of a typical focal plane shutter and the pulse of light from an electronic flash unit. During the interval of time that the shutter curtains are fully open, point b to point c, light is being admitted to the film plane of the camera. Assuming that the combination of shutter speed, ISO and aperture have been selected to produce an accurate exposure, the synchronized pulse of light from the flash, is simultaneously exposing the film or digital sensor.
Flash output power is the product of input power, flash lamp conversion efficiency, lamp projection angle and the flash pulse duration. The effective output power available to illuminate the subject also falls off with distance, by the inverse square law. It must also be realized that the projection angle of the flash substantially affects the light value at the subject distance. The zoom head of a Speed Light widens or narrows the projected beam, as does the selected parabolic reflector associated with a mono-light or studio flash. Further, attaching a light modifier, such as an um19
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ROCK ON GAL, YOUR SPEED LIGHTS ARE AGLOW WITH VIVID COLOR FROM RED AND BLUE GELS.
USING GELS FOR CREATIVE COLOR
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CHAPTER 4
MODEL: LADY BUG PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID LLOYD ALL CONTENT AND IMAGES © DAVID LLOYD PHOTOGRAPHY 2015
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USING GELS FOR CREATIVE COLOR
A
s shown in the diagram Fig. #9 below, placing colored gels in a speed light at 90 degrees to the camera on either side of the subject, creates added dimension, similar to a nightclub stage. Once the exposure is determined for the main light, set the gelled speed lights for the same power as the main light and rock on.
Fig. #9
MODEL: MADDIE SANCHEZ PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID LLOYD
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GELS FOR THE BACKGROUND
W
hen working with Gels, typically complimentary colors work best. Examples are Red and Blue, or Magenta and Cyan, representing primary and subtractive primary colors. My experience has been that Green and Yellow don’t produce a pleasing effect. However, the action word is experiment. For the portrait of Adrienne on the following page, aside from the three light portrait setup as shown in the pull-back photo; main, fill and hair light - three additional speed lights were fitted with magenta gels to create the background by lighting up the fountain. As seen in the resulting photo on the following page, the effect is dramatic and should be photographed at night for the best effect. Just after the sun sets, if there is color in the sky is another good choice when using gels. Depending on density of the gels, it is necessary to experiment with the output power level of the speed lights for the desired effect. In the case of the photograph of our model, Adrienne, three speed lights, fitted with magenta gels were required to fill the background fountain with the desired value of color.
Gels are available as individual sheets about 24 inches square, that can be easily cut to size. Or you can purchase gel kits specifically made for speed lights. Another valuable use for gels is to match the color temperature of the speed light to the ambient lighting, such as at a wedding reception where the ambient lighting might very well be tungsten lights, which have a color temperature of 3,200 K. For that case one would use a CTO filter on the speed light. Color Temperature Orange. CTB and early fluorescent matching filters are also available. However, fluorescent lamps come in a very wide range of values now, either color balanced for daylight simulation, or unbalanced. Unbalanced, Argh...! 22
MODEL: ADRIENNE MITSIS PHOTO BY: DAVID LLOYD
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TURN NITE-LIFE INTO BRIGHT LIFE. SPEED LIGHTS FITTED WITH GELS ADD COLOR TO ANY SCENE.
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EXPLORING THE CREATIVE WORLD OF ENVIRONMENTAL PORTRAITS ARE AN IDEAL OPPORTUNITY FOR THE APPLICATION OF SPEED LIGHTS.
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CHAPTER 5
MODEL: ARLIN GUADIAN PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID LLOYD ALL CONTENT AND IMAGES © DAVID LLOYD PHOTOGRAPHY 2015
CONSTRUCTING THE ENVIRONMENT 24
STORY 5: ESCAPE FROM BERLIN
O
lesya Karpova had ventured to the United States from Siberia Russia in search of work in keeping with her software engineering talents. Hired by Cisco Corporation where she met her husband, Olesya’s career would be based in the United States. Aside from her engineering and sales talents, Olesya would also seek out a career in fashion and clothing modeling.
Fig.#12
2014 was the third year of my annual 40’s Hollywood Lighting Workshop at the Arizona Wing of the Commemorative Air Force Aviation Museum in Mesa, AZ. One of the hair and makeup artists for the day, brought a newly discovered model to the event, Olesya Karpova. As we set up the various lighting stations throughout the air museum in preparation for the day, the cold gray steel looking outer fuselage of the P-51 Mustang drew deeply upon my imagination. Much like Danny Kaye in the original 1947 movie, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, I began to daydream of the the plight of a beautiful young Russian immigrant being rescued from East Germany by a dashing young RAF pilot, Mitty. The story finds the young couple first meeting in France at the underground resistance. In a romantic story of love, intrigue and daring our ace promises to save Olesya from the fate of being held captive by a German officer of the Luftwaffe. With nothing but two small suitcases, a black dress and Ermine shoulder wrap, our heroine flees across the Pacific to escape from Berlin, with her RAF pilot in 1943.
Only the P-51, having just been fitted with the new Rolls Royce Merlin engine, could have made the journey, giving it supremacy in the air over the German Messerschmitts, transporting the daring couple to safety. With the lights set as depicted in Fig.#12, our modern day heroine, Russian born Olesya Karpova-Drummond, reenacts the drama of WWII. The moment captured in the camera, holds the cold steel blue of the P-51 fighter and the tension of emotion as our heroine awaits the arrival of her RAF pilot to whisk her into the air with the roar of the engine in the saga of 25
MODEL: OLESYA DRUMMOND PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID LLOYD
THE ARIZONA WING OF THE COMMEMORATIVE AIR FORCE AVIATION MUSEUM 26
STORY 3: ESCAPE FROM BERLIN - PPA IPC MERITING PHOTO
“E
scape from Berlin” to the safety of the shores, off the White Cliffs of Dover, England. On the following page, you will see the actual lighting setup used for capturing this image, as well as how the ambient background level and the lighting from the three speed lights were balanced for the low key 40‘s Hollywood style photograph.
Camera: Sony A99 with Carl Zeiss 24mm to 70mm f-2.8 zoom lens. Two each V-850 speed lights set into the Westcott Rapid Box style of portable soft boxes and one 42 inch convertible umbrella with third V-850 speed light, as the fill light.
Camera Settings: ISO 400, f-5.6, 1/40th second with a lens focal length of 45mm, provided a low key illumination level for the exposure triangle signature of the ambient room lighting.
Main Light:
Note: It is important to consider in order to set the mood for this image, the desired output from the main light was set about one stop above the ambient light level. Illuminating the subject one zone above the ambient level. Therefore, we are looking for f-8 light from the main speed light, at the subject distance. In this instance, the skylights were illuminating only the aircraft and not the position where our model was staged. Had the ambient light level of the hangar been at f-5.6 at the 1/40th second shutter speed for our subject as well, 1/8th power setting on the speed light would have produced a light value of f-5.6 at our model. As the room ambient and speed light illumination would have been additive a value of f-8 light 2 x f-5.6 would have been projected on our model. While the above is true and should be considered, the final result of blending the light values is subjective
Fill Light: V-850 set for 1/8 power, about seven feet in front of subject at a height of about four feet.
V-850 set for 1/4 power, six feet from our subject at a 70 degree arc to the right of the camera axis set for a height of six feet. The resulting guide number for the main light at 1/4 power is 6-ft X f-8, or a GN of 48.
Hair Light:
As you practice these lighting techniques, you may very well discover that the light placement and settings become second nature with practice.
The following page shows the staging and lighting for this classic image, “Escape to Berlin.”
V-850 set for 1/8 power, six feet from subject at a 70 degree arc from camera axis at a height of five feet.
27
“
ONCE THE AMBIENT LIGHT LEVEL IS DEFINED FOR THE BACKDROP, THE FOCUS CAN TURN TO CREATING A MICRO-ENVIRONMENT OF LIGHTING FOR THE SUBJECT OF THE PHOTOGRAPH.
“
MODEL: OLESYA DRUMMOND PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID LLOYD
THE ARIZONA WING OF THE COMMEMORATIVE AIR FORCE AVIATION MUSEUM 28
THE SPLENDOR OF THE MOGOLLON RIM
O
companying the sunset photo depicted to the left, the pull-back photo on the following page, plays witness to the versatility of three point lighting for a dramatic look.
Camera: Sony A99 with Carl Zeiss 24mm to 70mm f-2.8 zoom lens. One V-850 speed light set into the Westcott Rapid Box style of portable soft box, a second V-850 speed light to project light onto our model’s hair with a snoot, and one 42 inch convertible umbrella with a third V-850 speed light, as the fill light.
Camera Settings: ISO 100, f-2.8, 1/200th second with a lens focal length of 70mm, provided a low key illumination level for the exposure triangle signature of the ambient lighting to capture the full color of the sunset.
Main Light: V-850 set for 1/4 power, six feet from our subject at a 30 degree arc to the right of the camera axis, set for a height of seven feet. The resulting guide number for the main light at 1/ 4 power is 6-ft X f-8, or a GN of 48 into the 26 inch soft box. As you practice these lighting techniques, you may very well discover that the light placement and settings become second nature with practice.
MODEL: SHELBY PIPPIN PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID LLOYD
29
“
THE VERSATILITY OF THREE POINT LIGHTING, CONTINUES TO PROVIDE A GO TO SOLUTION FOR DRAMATIC ENVIRONMENTAL LIGHTING.
MODEL: SHELBY PIPPIN PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID LLOYD
30
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BY VIRTUE OF THE MOMENTARY PULSE OF LIGHT FROM ELECTRONIC FLASH, EXPOSURE BLENDING CAN BECOME AN ART FORM IN ITSELF.
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CHAPTER 6
ALL CONTENT AND IMAGES © DAVID LLOYD PHOTOGRAPHY 2015
WORKING WITH ELECTRONIC FLASH 31
CREATIVE OCF LIGHTING A TECHNICAL NOTE:
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Understanding the Technical side of Photography, may at times seem daunting. However, with a grasp of how your Lighting Gear operates, how to balance Flash exposure with ambient light exposure and the FP-X synchronization speed limitations of your camera shutter, adding some technical knowledge to the pallet of your experience, can provide you with an invaluable level of knowhow.
“
THE WATT SECOND MYTH:
A
MODEL: DONNA NEWMAN PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID LLOYD
UNDERSTANDING YOUR GEAR
majority of photographers, Pro’s and Amateurs alike are under the impression that the term Watt Seconds is a quantifier of a strobe unit’s output power. And that it directly equates to the quantity of light that will be available to illuminate a given scene. This conclusion is incorrect. Watt Seconds is an electrical term which defines the quantity of electrical energy temporarily stored in a flash units power supply. This stored energy, when triggered, ignites the Xenon gas filled flash tube and produces visible light in the daylight spectrum. The quantity of visible light that emits from the flash tube is a factor of the conversion efficiency of the electrical circuitry of the flash unit.
Just how much of this light reaches the subject to be photographed is a factor of the projected beam width, the efficiency of the reflector, and the projection distance.
IN THE FIELD: I recently demonstrated to a group of professional photographers that the level of light reaching the subject, from a 500 Watt Second Profoto B1 and a generic 60 Watt Second Speed Light are in fact, under very normal conditions, essentially equal. How is this possible? This was the question I posed to the group, as we proceeded with the following experiment. 32
The Watt second Myth:
10 feet
PROFOTO B1 VS. SPEED LIGHT SHOOT OUT 23 deg spread
Fig.#15
4 foot diameter
60 Watt sec. Speed Light Zoom 105mm Full Power
500 Watt sec. Profoto B1 Reflector 28mm Full Power
77 deg spread
16 foot diameter
As measured with a Sekonic 358 flash meter, both units produced a reading of f-13 at a distance of 10 feet. That is, a guide number of 130. (See the following text for explanation.)
33
THE SETTING: MODEL: JAYMIE RICHARD PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID LLOYD WARDROBE: NOSTALGIC BOUTIQUE
A Profoto B1 500 Watt Second unit was placed on a light stand at eye level to our model, who was positioned 10 feet forward from the Profoto B1. The B1 was set for full power output. Simultaneously, a Yongnuo 60 Watt Second speed light was placed on a boom arm, directly above the Profoto B1, and also set for full power.
LIGHT OUTPUT MEASUREMENT: A Sekonic 358 Flash meter was used to measure the light output of each flash unit, at the subject position of 10 feet from the strobe units. A reading of f-13 was obtained from both flash units at ISO 100 for a shutter speed setting of 1/500. See Fig# 16 on the previous page.
GUIDE NUMBER: Converting the above reading to an equivalent Guide Number, provides a GN value of 130 for each unit. That is each strobe unit will produce a correct exposure with the following camera settings: ISO 100 - a Shutter Speed of 1/125 and an Aperture setting of f-13.
THE EXPLANATION: Watt seconds is a statement of the stored input power of a given strobe unit and is based on a simple algebraic calculation. Wsec = ½ C x V^2. The equation states that the input power of a strobe unit in Watt Seconds is equal to 1/2 the value of the storage capacitor in micro-farads - times the applied storage capacitor terminal voltage, value squared. Watt Seconds is specifically a statement of input power and is not a measure of output power or light output.
A TECHNICAL NOTE 34
The Watt second Myth:
10 feet
PROFOTO B1 VS. SPEED LIGHT SHOOT OUT
23 deg spread
Fig. #16
4 foot diameter
60 Watt sec. Speed Light Zoom 105mm Full Power 500 Watt sec. Profoto B1
7” Zoom Reflector 50mm Full Power
45 deg spread
8.5 foot diameter
For the second test, measuring again with the Sekonic 358 flash meter, the Profoto B1 was fitted with the Profoto 7” Zoom Reflector. Now with a focused beam width of approximately 45 deg, a reading of f-20 was obtained.
35
CHAPTER 7
ALL CONTENT AND IMAGES © DAVID LLOYD PHOTOGRAPHY 2015
LIGHTING FOR BEAUTY
MODEL: SHANNON FEENEY WARDROBE: 1940 NAVY WAVE UNIFORM 36
DAVID LLOYD, CPP Chapter 8
CHAPTER 8
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
AIRCRAFT: SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY B-17 MODEL: ALEX MAGESTY ALL CONTENT AND IMAGES © DAVID LLOYD PHOTOGRAPHY 2015
37
ABOUT ABOUTTHE TheAUTHOR AUTHOR
G
rowing up in the ‘50s, David Lloyd’s interest in photography and the technology of electronics was shaped at an early age, building experimental vacuum tube radios and spending evenings and weekends in the school darkroom. He was further inspired by his uncle Julian Ely, who was stationed in Japan during WWII and became the editor and chief photographer for the Pacific Stars and Stripes newspaper. Along with earning exclusive rights to photograph the Emperor during the rebuilding of Japan, Lloyd’s uncle gave him his first camera, a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye.
David Lloyd, CPP As the author of this hard bound or eBook, it is my wish that you, the reader, find inspiration to expand the pallet of your photographic adventures. That you regularly venture into personal assignments and share with others, what you learn in the process.
“The whole process of taking pictures, developing the film and then projecting the image onto photographic paper, totally fascinated me,” says Lloyd. “Along with building my own radios, I was truly instilled with the idea that I could build anything I wanted to. To me, photography and electronics were the ultimate do-it-yourself projects and propelled me into the field of electrical engineering and professional photography.” Lloyd’s career in professional photography officially began in 1975 as a new product design engineer for the Vivitar Corp. based in Santa Monica, Calif. Deeply inspired by his interest in photography, Lloyd instituted a photography instruction course for the Vivitar engineering staff. As his course evolved, the curriculum included trips to Hollywood Fashion Studios. “I wanted to instill the engineering staff with a personal interest in photography, to stimulate their design ideas,” says Lloyd. “We were a think tank in those years and Vivitar products were very hot items amongst amateur and professional photographers alike.” Lloyd soon focused on designing a modular flash system based around components of the Vivitar 283 and 365 flash units. “The idea was to create an expandable portable lighting system for the wedding photographer,” says Lloyd. 38
HANDS ON DIGITAL TUTORING Through this research Lloyd built working prototypes and experimented with a focus on designing the ultimate portable lighting system, well before the recent Strobist term, Off Camera Flash, came into vogue,
MODEL: MADDIE ROSE HOLLER PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID LLOYD
Today, many of Lloyd’s design ideas, including a U.S. Patent for electronic flash, have entered the marketplace in the ever-expanding arena of Off Camera Flash, the use of small shoe-mount flash units for on-location portrait lighting. “It is essential as a photographer to understand the nature of light and how to shape it,” says Lloyd. It’s for this reason that he has developed simple lighting techniques to replicate iconic eras of photography and has created a rich curriculum of Photographic Lighting Workshops to share these ideas with other photographic lighting enthusiasts. “My background in engineering, technology and computers allowed for an easy transition to digital photography,” says Lloyd. “I augmented my professional photography business with teaching college courses in digital photography and became the go-to digital guy for local photographers, making the digital transition.” Today, Lloyd’s continuing passion for photographic lighting has launched the creation of a unique portable Lighting Kit as an extension of early prototypes developed while working at Vivitar in Santa Monica in the seventies. Lloyd also teaches a series of Photographic Lighting Workshops, which include a yearly 40‘s Hollywood workshop.
Several of the images in this book were either inspired by or a direct result of one of the 40’s Hollywood Lighting workshops held over the past few years. A natural instructor, Lloyd also offers private one-on-one tutoring sessions. The topics of instruction include; in studio and outdoor lighting, digital imaging processing with Adobe CC Photoshop and Lightroom as well as digital and eBook publishing instruction. Lloyd provides a unique hands-on teaching style, designed to focus on the specific tools and subjects each client desires to understand and learn. 39
MODEL: MAGGY DAY PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID LLOYD
40
ORIGINAL 1977 OCF PROTOTYPE:
I
n 1977, with the release of the original Star Wars Movie, I had just completed my first prototype OCF unit. Designed as a modular flash system, depicted on following pages in the original conceptual drawings, the system I developed allowed the photographer to distribute the weight of the flash components of a 160 Watt second power source, storage capacitor and flash head, on a belt pack or bracket system. The compact head design minimized the weight of the light source and allowed for interchangeable reflectors, a unique zoom head and small bracket mounted bounce umbrella. The modular bracket system, placed the flash head well above the camera axis and swiveled 90 degrees, allowing the flash head to bounce into the umbrella or flip straight forward. To promote my design concept, I photographed my prototype system with the Star Wars character, C3PO. “Off Camera Flash� was an uncoined term until it was recently made popular by the Strobist phenomenon of recent times. My early pioneering days in this field of small battery powered flash units and a workshop I attended with Scott Robert Lim in 2010, encouraged me to revisit my early interest in small shoe mount flash. That rekindling idea and my ongoing interest in teaching Lighting Workshops, ultimately led to the writing this book. You might imagine; my responsibility at Vivitar was to dream up new products and then to build and test prototypes. Something like working in a candy store with very talented people.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR 41
DAVID LLOYD,CPP
CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER AND TUTOR
5 msec
1 msec
Shutter Flash
6 msec
HSS
PURCHASE BOOK CREATIVE OCF LIGHTING TECHNIQUES FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS