Technical Workshop: Flash Bang Wallop

Week 7: Flash basics using a key light.

Task 1:

This was a basic studio flash set-up using one key light. For this we needed a tripod, camera & hand-held light meter. We used the white Colorama paper backdrop, positioning two flash heads directed onto the backdrop. They needed to be of same high and same angle. The shutter speed was set to 1/125 s which is what we needed in order to take a flash meter reading. We took a reading from the back of the set-up by the white backdrop receiving an even illumination at f/16. Next, we positioned the model just in front of the lights which were directed on the backdrop and directed our key light on his face. Another few readings were taken until we got to f/8 because we needed half the amount of light. It became a challenge at one point because we were working closely to other groups which was triggering the lights off at different times which wasn't instructed by us. We were also limited to space and when having to move the light around to help reach f/8, took a while to achieve. Due to the disruption of light communication, we ended up with a rather dark background in comparison to a bright, white background, displayed in the images the worksheet presented us to work with. ( Image on the right)

Once we had solved the problem, we were then able to take a portrait with what we wanted to achieve. As you can see very clearly from the shadow that we projected the key light to models left side. You can see the difference in brightness. Our tutor told us that it is in fact a happy accident where you are able to control the background colour with the us of lighting and coloured gels. I learnt from this that by using just one back light you are able to create a flat grey background colour.

                           

Task 2:

Using a key light with a modifier, we placed a soft box onto the spill kill of our key light. This creates a diffused light softening it. When using the soft box we needed to power up the flash by two whole exposures. We thought the soft box made the image/model look warmer. The image is slightly blurred for this task but we were more concentrated on the lighting. It was very difficult to get the light right due to the communication of lighting within the room aside other groups.

As you can see the we have a much warmer tone glowing from the models skin & the light projected onto him is much more subtle and not so sharp. 

Being creative:

As we had time left at the end of our workshop we decided to play around with the lighting and see what we got. We tried to re-create the image of Jude Law by David Bailey, holding a cigarette in between his lips. We moved our key light towards the back of our photographer so that the light was directed head-on rather than to the side. We had to prevent a shadow casting from our photographer and the soft box being in frame. This was our first outcome...

The background is unevenly lit because we turned one of the back lights off. I would have preferred it to be evenly lit because it looks like an error rather than set up. I do like the lighting casted directly onto the model, especially where the small shadow casted on the side of his face a reflection from the backdrop lit up, breaking up the darker areas on that side.

Our second creative image took us back to our first task with the "happy accident". For this image we decided to keep a light on but knock the exposure down. This created quite an unusual feel to the image because there's light coming from two opposite directions which I quite like the contrasting effects about it. This image was took closer up in comparison to our first few images.

Our third creative image consisted on the key light standing directly to the left side of the model himself. This caused a ridiculously dark shadow casted over the right side of his body. This created an intense look; if the model was to have posed something less flattering like a frown, the image would have displayed a completely different feel with the use of the key light and shadow casting. 

Task 3: Evaluation...

Q - When would you want to use 'Key Light' flash?

A - Portraitures. Photographers who would shoot school photos commonly use key light flash because they don't want no information in the background other than the student in front. 

From the experience during workshops I now feel confident in the studio & working with lighting; both ambient and studio lighting. The last session I done a bit of everything getting me to think thoroughly about what we were trying to achieve. The workshops have been very helpful and has given us a chance to settle in and be able to go off and return to do studio work on our own rather than in lesson time. Beforehand I found it difficult to understand with how we would know whether or not the light exposure would need to go up or down.