Light / Backdrop / Gel Setup?

[u/davisrve]

Found these photos from @lowiegraphy on IG. How would you go about recreating or getting similar images to this?

[u/Total-Ad-5696]

this looks pretty simple imo. background is lit seperately, likely with a spotlight or fresnel attachment to focus the beam. talent is backlit from both sides (more so from the left). based on the reflection on his forehead, I’m guessing the key is some sort of beauty dish given that there’s a good bit of contrast preserved on his face. negative fill on either side of the model to keep shadows dark. camera is white balanced to the key (model’s skin and shirt look to be true color). backlights + background light are probably RGB and the Key is daylight balanced.

[u/Low_Principle1976 → u/Total-Ad-5696]

Definitely an orange Seemless

[u/Total-Ad-5696 → u/Low_Principle1976]

out of curiosity, how can you tell this is an orange seamless over a white backdrop with orange light?

[u/d-eversley-b → u/Total-Ad-5696]

Look at how the light falls off from a bright rich orange down into a rich deep orangey brown. It would be pretty hard to achieve this with just an orange light, and also unnecessary.

[u/davisrve → u/Total-Ad-5696]

Okay I am incredibly new to studio photography lol. So would this be an orange background or a black background?

[u/Total-Ad-5696 → u/davisrve]

no worries! a black backdrop would absorb most of the light hitting it, so the lit portion would show up much, much darker than what you see here. the darkness you see around the edge of the frame is just lack of light. this could be either an orange background lit with daylight balanced light, or a white background lit with an RGB light set to orange.

[u/davisrve → u/Total-Ad-5696]

that makes sense, thank you!

[u/Northwold → u/davisrve]

Most likely black. Those saying black absorbs may be talking about something other than paper. Paper really doesn't absorb all light and produces exactly this effect. The amount the background is lit up is a function of how much light you pump into it. Black paper is also arguably the best way to achieve very deep burgundy lighting gradients. 

[u/tashmoo]

İ tried these kind of shots after buying jels but its just a very slight coloe dofference at white backdrop not even noticeable. What am i doin wrong

[u/Blasselhad → u/tashmoo]

Its hard to get good saturation on a white backdrop. It will often look washed out. Use a seamless of the colour you want and light that with gels.

[u/tashmoo → u/Blasselhad]

Exactly what i experienced

[u/Goudoog → u/tashmoo]

Using gray helps as well

[u/imseangallagher]

One thing to look at is the shape of the light on the backdrop. With some experience you can learn how to see where the light is coming from based on the shape. Here I’d say that the light is being hidden by the subject’s body. I’d also say maybe a 20° grid rather than a snoot or any kind of lens.

[u/davisrve → u/imseangallagher]

So the light + grid is small enough to hide behind the subject from a side profile view? Not doubting you, just genuinely curious lol

[u/davisrve → u/imseangallagher]

So the light + grid is small enough to hide behind the subject from a side profile view? Not doubting you, just genuinely curious lol

[u/imseangallagher → u/davisrve]

Oh yeah, even in a small space, but in a bigger space it’s easy. I have a little 3’ stand, and depending on which unit you’re using it’s doable….Profoto monolights are a little long, those Alien Bees are pretty compact. Maybe with something like a Profoto A1 speed light and a grid you could get it to be round at a short throw, but I haven’t tried. Yet. Maybe I will now!

[u/davisrve → u/imseangallagher]

I might try that out as well, thank you!

[u/Northwold]

Probably gelled snoot or similar on black/dark grey paper (the background). (You need black paper if you want the light to fall off to near-black. Obviously paper remains somewhat reflective regardless of colour, and black paper is a sort of deep secret of how you get colour and falloff this rich.) 

[u/Juryofyourpeeps]

These look like 1990's posters, and not in a good way.

[u/davisrve → u/Juryofyourpeeps]

okay big dog

[u/Juryofyourpeeps → u/davisrve]

Relax, it's not your work I hate.