:cool: Lets see those ''film'' shots

Vertex Ninja · 09-30-2010, 08:37 PM

Decided to take some pregnancy photos of my wife with our second child. She's 36 weeks and likely isn't going to make it much past 37; says the doctor. I know some feel pregnancy photos have become a bit of a cliche, but this is our last pregnancy, so the experience is important to us. I wanted to try my hand at some semi-proper lighting, so I built a diffusion panel out of pvc pipes and got some black velvet from the fabric store for the backdrop. Fun experience and the setup will get lots of use int he future.

Chamonix 45n-1 with Horseman 6x9 back; Funjinon W 125mm 5.6@16 for .5 sec; Tmax 400 in 2 bath Pyrocat MC.;Toning in Lightroom.

Quick question for those of you that have done studio work. I was using anywhere from 600-1000 watt halogens for the Key light and I had a 60W overhead as a hair light(not so evident in these shots), but the weak hair light still casts hard shadows even with a reflector for fill. Can this be eliminated somehow?

tuco · 09-30-2010, 09:10 PM

Originally posted by Vertex Ninja

Decided to take some pregnancy photos of my wife with our second child. She's 36 weeks and likely isn't going to make it much past 37; says the doctor. I know some feel pregnancy photos have become a bit of a cliche, but this is our last pregnancy, so the experience is important to us. I wanted to try my hand at some semi-proper lighting, so I built a diffusion panel out of pvc pipes and got some black velvet from the fabric store for the backdrop. Fun experience and the setup will get lots of use int he future.

Chamonix 45n-1 with Horseman 6x9 back; Funjinon W 125mm 5.6@16 for .5 sec; Tmax 400 in 2 bath Pyrocat MC.;Toning in Lightroom.

Quick question for those of you that have done studio work. I was using anywhere from 600-1000 watt halogens for the Key light and I had a 60W overhead as a hair light(not so evident in these shots), but the weak hair light still casts hard shadows even with a reflector for fill. Can this be eliminated somehow?

Really nice work.

I've always made my hair light as strong as the key or more to accent the hair. Having a very narrow beam allows it to be aimed. In the case of the shot with your son, you'd need two hair lights one for each person that you could aim but it looks like it would still be a challenge not casting a shadow with your son. So maybe his hair light on the right of the frame getting that side of his head would work.

Vertex Ninja · 10-01-2010, 07:26 AM

Thank you tuco!

The 60W gave nice highlights in some other shots where my wife wasn't horizontal. I decided to leave it on in these shots because it worked well to illuminate the belly just a bit more than the diffused key light by itself. You can see it's shadow under my wifes fingers in the second shot and under my sons head in the first one. Off to the side, like you suggest, would have worked perfect for the first one! I'm gonna take some more tomorrow and will try some different positioning and wattage.

Another question; What do you hang or attach the hair light to? I was in my small bedroom and the only thing I could think of was clipping it to the ceiling fan, but that limited my positioning. A heavier light would need something more supportive for sure.

tuco · 10-01-2010, 08:03 AM

Originally posted by Vertex Ninja

Thank you tuco!

Another question; What do you hang or attach the hair light to? I was in my small bedroom and the only thing I could think of was clipping it to the ceiling fan, but that limited my positioning. A heavier light would need something more supportive for sure.

I use a light stand and have used a counter-balance arm attached for hair light on occasion to get the light stand out of the frame. If you plan on doing more of studio shooting, you can buy -relatively- inexpensive studio kits that get you off to a good start and from there you can build DIY lighting equipment.

On your next attempt, experiment with a back light. Place on the ground behind the subject and aim it at the back drop. It can help separate the subjects from the background giving the perception of more depth. Making some form of a barn door for the light helps too.

Lights are nice since you can preview the look. But flashes will often get you faster shutter speeds than that living on the edge 1/2 sec shot

Today we have our digital cameras to use for a Polaroid back making flash work easier. And with a flash meter you can measure the flash strength of each flash and balance light easily too. For instance, it is nice to know the number of stops difference between the key light and the fill light to know how strong any shadows will be.

You could get some thin, flexible plastic sheets at the art store. You can make a cone bezel for your hair light. If hair lights only fall upon the back of the head, diffusion is not needed often.

Vertex Ninja · 10-01-2010, 08:24 AM

Wow thanks for the helpful answers! Very true and funny about the .5sec exposure. Keeping a 3 year old still for that long is impossible! Even with my wife I had to say... OK deep breath and 1..2....3.

I toyed with my flash and it worked great, but I'm wondering how to trigger it with my Fujinon's cable release? Thanks again, I don't ever intend to do this professionally, but it's nice to have a studio setup for the kids and such.

tuco · 10-01-2010, 08:52 AM

You can buy used camera flashes as an option. Then get a shoe mount umbrella/light Stand Adapter to mount the flashes to light stands. You can buy these inexpensive flash slave triggers. All you have to do is have one flash connected to the camera by a cord and that flash will trigger the other flashes off by light.

jgredline · 10-04-2010, 08:23 PM

I did not shoot these with film, but thought they where cool pics to place here for the obvious. I remember doing this on a pad when I first started out.

Nesster · 10-06-2010, 06:59 AM

BW400CN, FA 43mm, Program Plus

Stratman · 10-06-2010, 01:07 PM

ES II, S-M-C Tak 200mm F4, Fujicolor 200. For some reason the ES II was overexposing a bit on this day. Last time ( examples to follow ) it was fine.

Here are some from Saturday, with the SMC 55 1.8, Exposures were pretty much spot on. Maybe the 200 has a bit of a problem

Stratman · 10-06-2010, 01:13 PM

Here are a few with the Spotmatic SP II, Auto Sears Tele-Zoom 55-135 F3.5 at the St. Louis Strassenfest.

goddo31 · 10-07-2010, 07:57 AM

Enjoyable shots Steve and everyone else! Been a while since I have posted, but I just got 5 rolls of C-41 developed and am slowly scanning my way through them.

Here is a 'test' shot with the M20 f/4 I purchased recently (impulse buy, awesome lens)
Pentax MX, M 20mm f/4 @ f/11, Superia 400

Pentax MX, M135 f/3.5, Ektar 100

Pentax MX, ???, Ektar 100

Steinback · 10-07-2010, 10:52 AM

Kodak Portra 400 NC, MZ-5n, FA 28mm f/2.8

My scanner isn't agreeing with the film's colour mask, so I've been fighting with different post processing approaches to come out with something that looks somewhat natural.

womble · 10-07-2010, 03:33 PM

Originally posted by Steinback

Kodak Portra 400 NC, MZ-5n, FA 28mm f/2.8

My scanner isn't agreeing with the film's colour mask, so I've been fighting with different post processing approaches to come out with something that looks somewhat natural.

Have you tried Vuescan? Often works better than the scanner's own software.

K.

womble · 10-07-2010, 04:16 PM

Brancepeth Castle in 1987. Pentax ME Super, no-name slide film, probably SMC-M 28mm f/2.8 lens.

K.

womble · 10-07-2010, 05:23 PM

A sunset at some point in early 1987. Pentax ME Super, no-name slide film.

10-01-2010, 08:52 AM	#4056
tuco Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Pugetopolis Posts: 11,030	You can buy used camera flashes as an option. Then get a shoe mount umbrella/light Stand Adapter to mount the flashes to light stands. You can buy these inexpensive flash slave triggers. All you have to do is have one flash connected to the camera by a cord and that flash will trigger the other flashes off by light. Last edited by tuco; 10-01-2010 at 08:58 AM.

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09-30-2010, 08:37 PM	#4051
Vertex Ninja Inactive Account Join Date: May 2007 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Posts: 652	Decided to take some pregnancy photos of my wife with our second child. She's 36 weeks and likely isn't going to make it much past 37; says the doctor. I know some feel pregnancy photos have become a bit of a cliche, but this is our last pregnancy, so the experience is important to us. I wanted to try my hand at some semi-proper lighting, so I built a diffusion panel out of pvc pipes and got some black velvet from the fabric store for the backdrop. Fun experience and the setup will get lots of use int he future. Chamonix 45n-1 with Horseman 6x9 back; Funjinon W 125mm 5.6@16 for .5 sec; Tmax 400 in 2 bath Pyrocat MC.;Toning in Lightroom. Quick question for those of you that have done studio work. I was using anywhere from 600-1000 watt halogens for the Key light and I had a 60W overhead as a hair light(not so evident in these shots), but the weak hair light still casts hard shadows even with a reflector for fill. Can this be eliminated somehow?

09-30-2010, 09:10 PM	#4052
tuco Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Pugetopolis Posts: 11,030	Originally posted by Vertex Ninja Decided to take some pregnancy photos of my wife with our second child. She's 36 weeks and likely isn't going to make it much past 37; says the doctor. I know some feel pregnancy photos have become a bit of a cliche, but this is our last pregnancy, so the experience is important to us. I wanted to try my hand at some semi-proper lighting, so I built a diffusion panel out of pvc pipes and got some black velvet from the fabric store for the backdrop. Fun experience and the setup will get lots of use int he future. Chamonix 45n-1 with Horseman 6x9 back; Funjinon W 125mm 5.6@16 for .5 sec; Tmax 400 in 2 bath Pyrocat MC.;Toning in Lightroom. Quick question for those of you that have done studio work. I was using anywhere from 600-1000 watt halogens for the Key light and I had a 60W overhead as a hair light(not so evident in these shots), but the weak hair light still casts hard shadows even with a reflector for fill. Can this be eliminated somehow? Really nice work. I've always made my hair light as strong as the key or more to accent the hair. Having a very narrow beam allows it to be aimed. In the case of the shot with your son, you'd need two hair lights one for each person that you could aim but it looks like it would still be a challenge not casting a shadow with your son. So maybe his hair light on the right of the frame getting that side of his head would work.

10-01-2010, 07:26 AM	#4053
Vertex Ninja Inactive Account Join Date: May 2007 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Posts: 652	Thank you tuco! The 60W gave nice highlights in some other shots where my wife wasn't horizontal. I decided to leave it on in these shots because it worked well to illuminate the belly just a bit more than the diffused key light by itself. You can see it's shadow under my wifes fingers in the second shot and under my sons head in the first one. Off to the side, like you suggest, would have worked perfect for the first one! I'm gonna take some more tomorrow and will try some different positioning and wattage. Another question; What do you hang or attach the hair light to? I was in my small bedroom and the only thing I could think of was clipping it to the ceiling fan, but that limited my positioning. A heavier light would need something more supportive for sure.

10-01-2010, 08:03 AM	#4054
tuco Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Pugetopolis Posts: 11,030	Originally posted by Vertex Ninja Thank you tuco! Another question; What do you hang or attach the hair light to? I was in my small bedroom and the only thing I could think of was clipping it to the ceiling fan, but that limited my positioning. A heavier light would need something more supportive for sure. I use a light stand and have used a counter-balance arm attached for hair light on occasion to get the light stand out of the frame. If you plan on doing more of studio shooting, you can buy -relatively- inexpensive studio kits that get you off to a good start and from there you can build DIY lighting equipment. On your next attempt, experiment with a back light. Place on the ground behind the subject and aim it at the back drop. It can help separate the subjects from the background giving the perception of more depth. Making some form of a barn door for the light helps too. Lights are nice since you can preview the look. But flashes will often get you faster shutter speeds than that living on the edge 1/2 sec shot Today we have our digital cameras to use for a Polaroid back making flash work easier. And with a flash meter you can measure the flash strength of each flash and balance light easily too. For instance, it is nice to know the number of stops difference between the key light and the fill light to know how strong any shadows will be. You could get some thin, flexible plastic sheets at the art store. You can make a cone bezel for your hair light. If hair lights only fall upon the back of the head, diffusion is not needed often.

10-01-2010, 08:24 AM	#4055
Vertex Ninja Inactive Account Join Date: May 2007 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Posts: 652	Wow thanks for the helpful answers! Very true and funny about the .5sec exposure. Keeping a 3 year old still for that long is impossible! Even with my wife I had to say... OK deep breath and 1..2....3. I toyed with my flash and it worked great, but I'm wondering how to trigger it with my Fujinon's cable release? Thanks again, I don't ever intend to do this professionally, but it's nice to have a studio setup for the kids and such.

10-04-2010, 08:23 PM	#4057
jgredline Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: LosAngeles, Ca. Photos: Albums Posts: 10,628 Original Poster	I did not shoot these with film, but thought they where cool pics to place here for the obvious. I remember doing this on a pad when I first started out.

10-06-2010, 06:59 AM	#4058
Nesster Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: NJ USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 13,072	BW400CN, FA 43mm, Program Plus

10-06-2010, 01:07 PM	#4059
Stratman Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: St Louis, Missouri U S A Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,464	ES II, S-M-C Tak 200mm F4, Fujicolor 200. For some reason the ES II was overexposing a bit on this day. Last time ( examples to follow ) it was fine. Here are some from Saturday, with the SMC 55 1.8, Exposures were pretty much spot on. Maybe the 200 has a bit of a problem

10-06-2010, 01:13 PM	#4060
Stratman Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: St Louis, Missouri U S A Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,464	Here are a few with the Spotmatic SP II, Auto Sears Tele-Zoom 55-135 F3.5 at the St. Louis Strassenfest.

10-07-2010, 07:57 AM	#4061
goddo31 Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,576	Enjoyable shots Steve and everyone else! Been a while since I have posted, but I just got 5 rolls of C-41 developed and am slowly scanning my way through them. Here is a 'test' shot with the M20 f/4 I purchased recently (impulse buy, awesome lens) Pentax MX, M 20mm f/4 @ f/11, Superia 400 Pentax MX, M135 f/3.5, Ektar 100 Pentax MX, ???, Ektar 100

10-07-2010, 10:52 AM	#4062
Steinback Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: GTA, ON, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,673	Kodak Portra 400 NC, MZ-5n, FA 28mm f/2.8 My scanner isn't agreeing with the film's colour mask, so I've been fighting with different post processing approaches to come out with something that looks somewhat natural.

10-07-2010, 03:33 PM	#4063
womble Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Hertfordshire Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,324	Originally posted by Steinback Kodak Portra 400 NC, MZ-5n, FA 28mm f/2.8 My scanner isn't agreeing with the film's colour mask, so I've been fighting with different post processing approaches to come out with something that looks somewhat natural. Have you tried Vuescan? Often works better than the scanner's own software. K.

10-07-2010, 04:16 PM	#4064
womble Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Hertfordshire Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,324	Brancepeth Castle in 1987. Pentax ME Super, no-name slide film, probably SMC-M 28mm f/2.8 lens. K.

10-07-2010, 05:23 PM	#4065
womble Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Hertfordshire Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,324	A sunset at some point in early 1987. Pentax ME Super, no-name slide film.