People Solitude (Low Key B/W portrait)

Solitude (Low Key B/W portrait) · **1 Like**

I love the use of negative space in horizontal portraits so I really wanted to get this shot down. My background was a medium gray, but I feathered the light of my softbox off my subject to have it go into black and give it a little more drama.

**Canada_Rockies** · 11-28-2012, 08:50 PM

Nice. Have you tried it with a portrait crop?

bdery · 11-29-2012, 05:47 AM

I like it cropped like this. Very good, it really shows how a softbox can help control the direction of the light. A gobo behind an umbrella wouldn't work as well.

tessfully · 11-29-2012, 06:06 AM

Gorgeous!

**Sailor** · 11-29-2012, 06:54 PM

I love this one. Crisp originality - beautifully done.

Jer

slowpez · 11-30-2012, 09:16 AM

Originally posted by Sailor

I love this one. Crisp originality - beautifully done.

Jer

What he said.

brandonbpm · 12-01-2012, 04:52 AM

Thanks very much!

**Dice** · 12-01-2012, 09:17 AM

Evokes a lot of different emotions. Very well done!

D0n · 12-01-2012, 09:46 AM

like

**jford** · 12-01-2012, 09:09 PM

IMO, you done real good.

gabro822 · 12-09-2012, 06:35 AM

This is fantastic!! Great job!! I also love the BW!
May I ask you a thing since I'm just a beginner? How could you obtain the black background? I mean, was the model quite far from the wall?

Thank you very much and, again, great work!!!

Ed n Georgia · 12-09-2012, 08:09 AM

Very nice. I too would love to see it in a portrait crop\.

Oscar1 · 12-09-2012, 11:48 AM

Excellent use of light. Pretty Model.

brandonbpm · 12-10-2012, 04:14 AM

Originally posted by gabro822

This is fantastic!! Great job!! I also love the BW!
May I ask you a thing since I'm just a beginner? How could you obtain the black background? I mean, was the model quite far from the wall?

Thank you very much and, again, great work!!!

Thank you for your kind words. To achieve a black background, she was about 6 feet away from the gray background, and like I said I feathered the light from the softbox by positioning it so the light was directed almost parallel to the plane of the background and lit her with the back edge of the softbox so the light wouldn't spill onto the backdrop.
It is hard to explain without visuals so I dug this up for you:
A similar technique is described in this video around the 2:12 mark (It is a GREAT tutorial btw).

You Tube

wildman · 12-10-2012, 04:35 AM

Excellent.

Just a speculation: wonder if a bit more background on top would allow hair to fade off into the background giving a sense of being suspended in that dark background. Perhaps add a bit more mystery? Just a thought.

brandonbpm
	View full profile
	Contact via private message
	Find other posts by brandonbpm
	Find threads started by brandonbpm
	Find threads in which brandonbpm has posted

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
People low key portrait work	Wired	Post Your Photos!	1	09-10-2012 08:56 PM
People B/W Self Portrait	Hardleers	Photo Critique	15	06-20-2011 11:14 AM
People B+W Portrait	twitch	Post Your Photos!	2	05-15-2010 06:03 AM
People B+W Portrait	yusuf	Post Your Photos!	13	04-26-2010 10:51 PM
McFly low-key portrait.	Dom	Post Your Photos!	12	06-14-2009 12:56 AM

11-28-2012, 08:50 PM	#2
Canada_Rockies Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Sparwood, BC, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,385	Nice. Have you tried it with a portrait crop?

11-29-2012, 05:47 AM	#3
bdery Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Quebec city, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 9,360	I like it cropped like this. Very good, it really shows how a softbox can help control the direction of the light. A gobo behind an umbrella wouldn't work as well.

11-29-2012, 06:06 AM	#4
tessfully Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: S. Algonquin, Ontario Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,860	Gorgeous!

11-29-2012, 06:54 PM	#5
Sailor Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Coastal Texas Photos: Gallery Posts: 26,203	I love this one. Crisp originality - beautifully done. Jer

11-30-2012, 09:16 AM	#6
slowpez Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: South Carolina, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 18,461	Originally posted by Sailor I love this one. Crisp originality - beautifully done. Jer What he said.

12-01-2012, 04:52 AM	#7
brandonbpm Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: United States Posts: 86 Original Poster	Thanks very much!

12-01-2012, 09:17 AM	#8
Dice Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Emeryville, CA Posts: 1,122	Evokes a lot of different emotions. Very well done!

12-01-2012, 09:46 AM	#9
D0n Banned Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 530	like

12-01-2012, 09:09 PM	#10
jford Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Indiana PA USA Posts: 1,396	IMO, you done real good.

12-09-2012, 06:35 AM	#11
gabro822 Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Milan Photos: Gallery Posts: 339	This is fantastic!! Great job!! I also love the BW! May I ask you a thing since I'm just a beginner? How could you obtain the black background? I mean, was the model quite far from the wall? Thank you very much and, again, great work!!!

12-09-2012, 08:09 AM	#12
Ed n Georgia Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Georgia Posts: 940	Very nice. I too would love to see it in a portrait crop\.

12-09-2012, 11:48 AM	#13
Oscar1 Inactive Account Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 231	Excellent use of light. Pretty Model.

12-10-2012, 04:35 AM	#15
wildman Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Flyover America Posts: 4,469	Excellent. Just a speculation: wonder if a bit more background on top would allow hair to fade off into the background giving a sense of being suspended in that dark background. Perhaps add a bit more mystery? Just a thought.