I learned to light after years of deconstructing the work of other photographers. And I know from your previous feedback that you guys are fond of these posts, so let’s dig into another one.
How did I make this picture?
Is it a lucky snapshot?
Is it lit?
If so, how?
The camera Settings?
The direction?
Post production?
Whatever details you think are needed to make this image.
Looking forward to you trying to pick this apart… I’ll reveal everything in a followup post. The person who gets the closest gets… …a chest bump and a pizza, or signed book or something. Don’t be shy. Let er rip.
Great shot by the way! Let’s try to guess…
The shot was taken from above her. She’s doing a split on a plexiglass. The contrast is too harsh for softboxes, so my guess is a more direct light, The main light is under the plexiglass at 45° on her left. The back light probably also under at 45°. Around f/11 at 1/250.
I don’t think she was posing. I think she was maybe warming up, stretching. But I don’t think it was a lucky shot, you probably just wanted her to feel comfortable as you were waiting for the right shot. The post-production seems basic, black and white conversion, some contrast adjusment to make sure the background i perfectly black.
Definitely not a lucky shot 🙂
– 3 strobes, 1 lower left, 1 lower right, 1 upper left
– f/11 around a 1/500s camera settings, ISO 800
– Once all camera settings were ready, the dancer took a rather graceful leap!
– The photo was shot from below on a tripod with a black background
– Post production with just a little tonal curve adjustments making contrast a little stronger
1 Large space, ambient light greatly reduced (could be in the shade) or turned down so that the strobes can overpower what ambient there may be.
2. Two vertical strip lights or large softboxes positioned slightly behind her, parallel to her body facing each other. In other words, cross light lighting her. (she’s turning her head which allows light from the camera left light to highlight the left side of her face; otherwise, the left side of her face goes black if she looked straight into the camera.)
Strips or softboxes are diffused as the diffused shadow-highlight edge has a bit of softness to it. Perhaps grids on both strip lights to help focus the light.
The camera left light is slightly higher than the apex of her jump (gives the nice churiso effect under her left eye); the camera right light is slightly lower than the apex of her jump.
3. Each strip flagged off with black flags to prevent flare issues.
4. f8/11 @1/250; ISO 100?
5. Post production? Strip out the color, bring up the contrast, Selective Color -> Black Increase it 10 – 15%
looks lit from high on a stand on camera left, low on camera right, maybe even a black reflector or screen (accidentally?) to remove light from her upper torso. Zack Arias’ class makes me think this was shot wide since there is a decent amount of dof but was probably shot at a decently low f since its dark but maybe not too wide because her foot is in proportion with the rest of her body. The curves are too perfect so it looks like she was cut out of her background with the pen tool.
Shot in the studio in the dark.
Two softboxes: one on her left, the other on her right pointed perpendicular to the camera.
Shooting from below. She’s standing on a glass floor and you’re shooting up towards her.
Camera settings: f/11
Post: converting to black and white, bringing up contrast.