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.
2 lights setup, one on top of the scene in an angle with some modifier a medium softbox, the other a small light behind the chair, the lens perhaps a 50mm with a large aperture like 22
I think there are three lights.
– Main light about 2m high, camera left about 45 degrees. Probably beauty dish with a grid.
– Second light, prince’s shoulder height, behind the chair pointing ~30-40 degrees up to the speaker hidden by the chair. Probably speedlite with zoom set at 24mm?
– Third light, snooted, at about the height of the prince’s head, camera left, pointing slightly down to the highlight directly in front of the camera.
Camera at about the prince’s knee height, settings: 1/160, f/11, 50mm
Post: Maybe some vignetting.
Camera settings are all still in the EXIF data… so getting that right ain’t nailing it.
Nikon D3S – 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm f/8, Shutter speed – 1/100th, ISO800
Lighting looks like:
Key Light to light the Price: Beauty Dish Camera Left
2 lights lighting the background both with grids. One pointed at the mid-height left of the speaker bank, the other pointed mid-height of the speaker bank behing the prince.
Post:
Looks like only an S-curve to get the contrast right.
It’s definitely not a 1 light setup because the background is exposed the same as he is which makes it impossible. Also the candles/glasses of milk at the back say otherwise as do the catchlights on the tweeter domes of the speakers. 2 lights: the key light is lighting the subject 45 degrees to the left and 45 degrees down aimed at his chest area. I’m thinking a silver lined beauty dish because of those hard shadows across his face and also the large reflection on the black speaker to the left of the subject. There is a slightly specular quality to the light. The light is also pulled back enough so it lights the subject and the floor. The second light is to the camera right, lighting the speakers in the background. Its a larger source, possibly a gridded softbox, bigger than the beauty dish and in close to get fast light fall off. It is positioned level to the candles/glasses of milk just barely out of frame. Camera settings: f/8 for the sharpness and depth of field, High shutter to kill the ambient, probably about 1/125th. Lens selection: wide, 24mm because you’re in quite close to the subject to make him look slightly bigger and to shrink the background. Simple post processing: contrast, colour balance and vignette added. One thing is bugging me though….the speaker driver in his stomach! Unless he’s missing a portion of his lower torso or he’s not quite as big as he looks, it makes me think its a composite in which case a little bit more post processing was done. In that case he could have been shot and lit separately with a single strobe with a kill spill reflector rather than the beauty dish as the reflection on the speaker wall shows. So….am i right? 😀
For me is more like a snapshot.
I think it is available light coming from an aperture on the seilling
You use an wide angle lens at around f5.6-1/30-iso200
The direction? only you ask the persone to seat a lokk to the camera
Post production? maybe some levels and sharpening