I still deconstruct the work of other photographers all the time – it’s a great way to expand skill sets and understanding. And I know from your previous feedback that you guys are fond of these posts, so let’s dig into another one.
I was asked to photograph the amazing and controversial Prince Manvendra of India last month in NYC. It was an honor. But tell me…
How did I make this picture?
Is it a snapshot?
Lighting?
If so, how?
The camera Settings?
The direction?
Post production?
Whatever details you think were needed to make this image.
We’ve done this lots before, but I thought this particular image would be a good one to dig into for a couple reasons. I’ll reveal how it was made in a followup post and give a signed book or something to one person who nails it in the comments below.
Initially I thought just one light from camera left, I’d say pushed even further toward perpendicular to the camera line than 45 degrees. Bare or gridded, but not too much. 40 degrees? But the fall off from that light would be too much for the speakers camera right to be so bright, so I looked again, and believe there is another strobe, probably gridded and flagged, camera right and pretty close to the background.
Zoomed in, the spherical sections in the middle of the speakers cones reflect the two light sources. Only one source though in the Prince’s eyes.
I’d also say you’re stopped down a good bit. Speakers are pretty sharp. F/8? I honestly would love for someone to say how the shutter speed evidences itself in the finished product. The only thing I know is that I can’t sync with strobes any faster than 250th of a second, but I doubt you have that issue. I am thinking though that you are stopped down and shooting fast enough to eclipse the ambient, so let me say ISO 100, f/8, 250.
Certainly setup. Not sure about direction…looks as relaxed as I imagine a Prince would ever allow himself to be in a photo. So, probably got him comfortable and made some tweaks to chin and nose direction.
Oh, and I would think no longer than a 35 mm.
Thanks for doing this. I’m going to search for your previous deconstructions. This is my first.
Tim
It’s a tough one for me, not too much experience in the studio. The shadows are strange on the background as none of the sides of the stereos are lit up other than the light brown one on the left.
Gotta be a strobe on the extreme left, to light the subject, but that reflection off the backdrop behind the light brown stereo says a light source was pointed directly at that area. But the blown out white on the right tells me a light source was pointed close to those as well. Perhaps behind the chair? But look at the dispersion of light… what the.
So 2 lights? Both on the left of the photographer: one pointed directly at the left side of the stereos to highlight background-left. The other is a little more powerful and wider, hitting both the subject and the background-right. Whatever hit the subject has a cover on it.
Settings?
shutter: 200
f/4
ISO: 600
Post: Bumped up contrast and blacks, but DE-saturated the image while bumping up the Vibrancy.
Good fun. 24-70 (we know from history this is your walk around wide lens), semi-snapshot (noise, high ISO), no lighting except for available, hardlight, one small continous source camera left (theres a mean reflection of a speaker on the guy which I suppose looks more like a UV filter reflection or maybe a store front window reflection) + some vignette, sharpening, perhaps tone curve and vibrance or saturation.
Simple 2 and half light set up: speed light camera left, high, speed light behind chair, triggered with on camera (CLS) flash. Camera.. f5.6 – f8 at sync with flash power adjusted for exposure. Light looks a bit hard, so limited use of modifiers, may a s omnibounce behind the chair.
2 light setup main large soft box with grid to left and small behind char at speaker stack. 35 or 50mm