Set Ups
23
Apr 13
Lighting Pottery With Two Lights
A simple two light set up for lighting pottery.
The final photograph looks like this:
Modified with a small soft box, a light on either side pointed downward at a 45 degree angle.
Here you can see a wide angle including the light sources.
Photography by William Alan Photo
09
Dec 12
Loud and stringy
HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH:
1. Camera Position
2. Main light - Snooted speedlight
3. Hair light – Snooted and gridded speedlight with blue gel
4. Fill light – Speedlight into silver bounce umbrella with 1/4 CTO gel
This photo shows the effect of the Main light only (2)
This photo shows the effect of the hair light (3)
This photo shows the effect of the Fill light (4)
This is another overview of all lights and camera position.
1. Camera Position
2. Main light - Snooted speedlight
3. Hair light – Snooted and gridded speedlight with blue gel
4. Fill light – Speedlight into silver bounce umbrella with 1/4 CTO gel
09
Oct 12
Paper Cutter Portrait
This was a really fun concept! The artist is a paper cutter. I wanted to show some of her work and tools as if they are ideas floating around her head. I could have just photographed all the individual items, her, and the sky and assembled it in photoshop, but I wanted to get it all in the camera.
The two photos below show the entire set up. We set up outside with the camera pointing up toward the sky, almost directly at the sun. I set up a large piece of glass (one panel of a sliding patio door, thank you Mary Anne!) on saw horses. All the paper cutting tools and art pieces are laid on top of the glass with the camera position under the glass. There could be no reflections on the underneath side of the glass so it was wrapped in black cloth to disable any light getting under and onto the glass.
This photo is lit as follows: The sun is coming through the clouds and offers some ambient light. There are three additional strobes highlighting the subject. A large gridded 750 watt-second octobank at full power is the main light for the subject. (at right in the photo below) Two additional speedlights provide rim light and hair light. (at left in the photo below)
Here you can see a different angle of all three lights and some of the paper cutting items starting to find their place on the glass. The large gridded octobank is on the right. On the left is one of the speedlights for rim light at about eye level and in the distance is a speedlight for a hair light on the model.
The photo below shows the photographer “in action”. I determined the parameters of the frame through the camera and then we started to build the shape of the model and her related tools and paper cuttings within that area. By the time we had decided on a composition I had determined my exposure for the clouds and then dialed in the amount of strobe needed to light the model to make the image.
Here is a photo of the photographer (me) and the Paper Cutting Artist on the set.
25
Sep 12
Happy in the Sky
HOW TO:
First, find some sky. Are you still with me? Ok.
Then, get a model, a ladder and a light.
- The most important aspect of this photograph,
is making sure the ear rings are perfect.
Here is a photo of the sky and the model with no additional lighting.
The sun is providing a hairlight/rim light.
Here is a lighting set up photo.
04
Sep 12
Portrait of Searching
Searching
Searching. Everybody’s looking for something.
This portrait involves the mufti-pronged concept of searching, and a composite of 6 individual images.
Before the model and lighting were added; this photo shows the background scene from the camera angle.
The photograph is lit by a combination of ambient sunlight and a studio strobe. The color temperature of the strobe is warmed with a .25 CTO gel and modified with a 64 inch parabolic (bounce) umbrella.
This is a view of the camera, model and light.
The camera position does not change. The model and flash move around the scene to achieve 5 different concepts of searching.
Here I could not resist including myself in one of the light tests while the model changed wardrobe.
The photographer is a giant…
16
Jul 12
Washington State Native Blackberry
YUMMY Berries!
A plastic white jug is re-purposed as a light modifier.
28
Jun 12
Beef Chunks With Juices by William Alan Photo
Beef Chunks
This can has been with me awhile. It is a family heirloom. I moved to Seattle 18 years ago. When I left, my mother gave me this can.
25
Jan 12
Woodinville Whiskey Product Photo
Woodinville Whiskey by William Alan Photo
Set Up photo for Woodinville Whiskey by William Alan Photo:
1. Camera position
2. Product position
3. Speedlight bounced into an umbrella on the background only
4. Speedlight snooted and gridded to light the label
5. Speedlight snooted aimed at diffusion panel to fill label reflective letters
6. Small white reflector to fill reflective label on right side
The photo below shows the effect of light number 3 in the set up diagram above. No direct light is hitting the product. The light is bouncing from the background through the liquid and glass toward the camera.
- #3 Background light only
The photo below shows the effect of light number 4 in the set up diagram above. The light source has both a snoot and a grid to pull the light into a small area, mostly on the label (and some on the cork).
- #4 Snooted and gridded light on the label
The photo below shows the effect of light number 5 in the set up diagram above. A snooted light source lights up the translucent panel in a controlled way. This keeps the size of the apparant light source appropriate to the area being lit. In this case it is offering light to the reflective lettering on the bottle that is not lit by light number 4. Likewise the reflector (number 6) lights up the right side of the bottles reflective lettering.
- #5 Snooted light through diffusion material to fill reflective portions of the label.
08
Sep 11
Pianist Harumi Makiyama ~ www.harumiflesher.com
Environmental location portraits by William Alan Photo:
The lighting set up as follows:
1. Main light – large softbox
2. Speedlight accent on keys
3. Speedlight accent on keys
4. Hairlight for model and piano fill
5. Camera Postition
02
Sep 11
Environmental Portrait on Location Photography
1. Camera Postition
2. Main light – large softbox
3. Speedlight accenting piano innards
4. Hairlight for model and piano fill
5. Speedlight accent on keys
6. Main model position
24
Aug 11
How to Pole Cam
A brief video explaining how to get a different perspective with your camera on a pole.
11
Aug 11
Studio Portrait Lighting Set Up
Studio portrait:
Lighting set up as follows…
View from the subject of the portrait looking toward the camera:
View from the camera including lights:
18
Nov 10
Wood Stove Lighting Set Up
The Set Up photo:
- Main Light
- Fill Light
- Grid Spot on Kettle with blue gel
- Camera position
- Cable release for long exposure