articles/Lighting/bigdog-page2

Rolling with the BIG Dog - part 2 of 1 2 3 4 5

by Damian McGillicuddy Published 01/10/2013

You can see in the behind the scenes image (BTS) that the light is up high and focused to drop a spot of light on her upper torso to offer a little isolation in the image. With this light we get the added bonus of the beautiful shadow it's capable of casting.

Again, if you reference the BTS image, you'll see another unit to extreme camera-left. This is a Hedler DX15 HMI flood light. When the fresnel is focused the light is casts is quite contrasty, so the DX15 is there to control the density of the shadow it, in essence, is a fill light. To get a wide, soft fill I bounced the flood off my white studio wall ... job done, the right solution is often hidden in plain sight - things don't always have to be complex!

The final light is a little bit clever in my opinion and is the light that pulls all the elements of the image together. Again take a look at the BTS image. The light in question is a Hedler, fitted with a four-foot strip light. There is a twist though! This light is fitted with amber and CTO gels. The warm light not only adds a soft accent to the subject but warms the dress, skin and background, pulling the colours together within the image into a narrower colour range, adding to the overall harmony.

The space left in the composition gives the subject room to breathe within the frame and therefore adds to the calm and tranquility that the light and pose engender.

The closer half-length image is lit in virtually the same way. The 'key' has been moved slightly to be more in front of the mask of the face - creating a flatter slightly less contrasty light.

The third image of Kimberley has had a little change in its lighting set-up. If you look at the BTS image the 'Key' has now been fitted with a strip light, offering a softer, less contrasty more wrapping light and the accent light is now a fresnel, 'spotted' mainly into the hair and the upper arms to offer a greater degree of separation.

• Rolling with the BIG Dog page 1
  
• Rolling with the BIG Dog page 2
  
• Rolling with the BIG Dog page 3
  
• Rolling with the BIG Dog page 4
  
• Rolling with the BIG Dog page 5
  

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