Assignment 1: Final Image and Lighting Diagram

Inspirational Image

RAW Image - Preliminary Composition

RAW Image - Final Composition

Retouched Image - Final Composition

Final Lighting Diagram

Lens Focal Length: 24 mm wide angle lens
Ambient light exposure: ISO 100 · f 4 · 1/125 sec
Strobe light exposure: ISO 100 · f 8 · 1/125 sec
Camera settings: ISO 100 · f 7.1 · 1/125 sec

First big lesson of the day: If your ideal ambient light is there, take the shot right now, not after because the ambient light can change dramatically in just a minute!!!!! That's exactly what happened to us. Sunny and windy morning and blue sky just till 9:45am. It seemed perfect for what I was looking for. But after 9:46am there were just clouds and more wind. In short: a windy overcast day. That changed the lighting plan: No kicker sun behind the subject. No blue sky as background, just gray-white clouds and diffused light. An no umbrella to shoot through because the wind broke it.

So, we had to change some things, as follows: 1. We had to use the strobe head aiming directly toward the subject. 2. We decided to use a gold reflector to warm up a little bit the skin tone. 3. As the preliminary composition worked well thanks to the blue sky and the fence in the background, and as we didn't have the same lighting coming from behind the subject, we decided to re-compose the frame. So we moved everything toward the bridge, in order to use a dark background that helped us to pop up the subject in the overall composition (as it happens in the inspirational image). This last thing had been planned previously after the test session.

Finally, and after asking Val about it, I decided to "fake" the blue sky and the sun flare in a soft way in order to approach the final image to the original mood of the inspirational image. The result... not that bad, not that fake at the end. Isn't it?

In conclusion, what I think is that despite the fact that I really missed the fences from the preliminary image, the new composition -with the bridge as a dark background for the subject- helps a lot and gives the image more drama because of the high contrast between the lit subject and the dark background. However, the flat grass in the final composition kills the richness in texture that I had in the preliminary and test images. But, the overall final image works anyway.

Final thing: At any rate, a great and very useful location photo experience!!!!

Assignment 1: Lighting Test

Inspirational Image

RAW Image

Retouched Image

Lighting Test Diagram

Lens Focal Length: 24 mm wide angle lens
Ambient light exposure: ISO 100 · f 14 · 1/200 sec
Strobe light exposure: ISO 100 · f 11 · 1/200 sec
Camera settings: ISO 100 · f 11 · 1/200 sec

The lighting test was done according with the preliminary lighting diagram & plan. The only thing that changed was: 1. The shot was done at 10h30am, and 2. we didn't use a gold-silver reflector but a white one. The result of the test is, generally speaking, satisfactory despite the fact that we hadn't a stronger or bigger building as a dark background (as it is in the inspirational image) which really helps the subject to pops-up on the scene (in the inspirational image). In the test image, as there is not a bigger building behind, and the fence is not wide enough, the sun flare is not as strong as in the inspirational image. However the final composition and the elements behind the subject on the test image (fence, post and bridge) are kind of nice.

The test lighting effect worked fine in a general point of view, but I realized when I was doing the retouch that the original light is a little bit harsher and creates a shiny effect on the subject's face.

So, maybe we can try for the final photoshooting to create a harsher-shiny effect on the subject's face using a "beauty dish" reflector instead of a white umbrella to lit the model. In the same way, could be a good idea to shoot a little bit earlier to have the sun over the bridge in order to play more with the composition and the background to pop-up the model a little bit more in the whole composition.

Assignment 1: Research

Lighting Diagram
Lens Focal Length: 16mm or 24 mm wide angle lens

A wide angle portrait from below to add a little bit of drama in the perspective, increasing the height of the subject and the building in the background. A nice mix of textures and objects (signs, fences, lighting post, windows, or any other urban elements) will help to the composition. The sun light coming from above and behind the building and the subject as a strong flare light (kicker) would be the final touch for a successful image.