Home Made Studio Set Up - Self Potrait... C&C

[MattyO]

Decided to try my hand at a studio type shoot. Made myself a big softbox that i connect to the Sb-600, and some hotlights for some fill. The first 2 shots show the setup, the second one was where i was standing.

Used the d70s with the 50 1.8 becasue the onboard flash on my d200 isn't working anymore, the sb600 was controlled remotely from the pop-up on the d70s. The camera was controlled by myself using the laptop with nikon capture to be able to focus and take pictures of myself, as nobody else would model for me.






Anyways, comments and criticism's are welcome, try not to focus on the "model" as it was just me but im more concerned about the lighting.

Thank you everyone

[Nnnnsic]

I would probably either step closer to the camera and decrease your aperture a bit so the lines of the garage door can blur a bit and not be so evident. I think the lines will work quite well in the image, but less evident.

Or you could just select everything but you and blur it in PP.

[Alpha_7]

Matt the model isn't too bad, and best of all he's cheap!
I'm prett impressed by the lighting, I'd have to say I'd like to either open the garage door or hand a sheet of it to remove the distracting background from the equation. How long did it take you to make the soft box ?

[MattyO]

soft box was really more fiddly than anything. took me an afternoon, but really i think its too big. I couldn't figure out how to hang a sheet infront of the garage door.... but i think i may now have an idea... i want to try and get the seamless white background happening.

[Dr Jan Itor]

Forget the garage door as that can be changed later. The object of the shot was to test a home-made softbox, and I think it passed with flying colours. You're well lit, and that's what matters at the moment.

[rooboy]

I love ghetto setups

Results look pretty good; good diffusion from the SB600 and even fill from the hot lights. I also think that window light is affecting the exposure in these shots - have you tried comparing results at night? Might have more controlled/shaped light then.

Colour temp may be a problem with this setup for future shots - there's some orange showing up on your LHS (RHS of the pic). Presumably the hot lights are tungsteny-orange, or perhaps the roof used to bounce is giving off a colour cast. You could work around this by gelling the SB to match (or at least bring it closer) - BTW orange cellophane = cheap gel

All that said, I actually like the blue/orange lighting in this shot. Nice work

[Alpha_7]

Any close up shots of the softbox, possible the inside.. it it just carboard inside, or a reflective material ?)

[gstark]

soft box was really more fiddly than anything. took me an afternoon, but really i think its too big.

There ain't no such thing.



The good doctor of cleansers has pointed out the obvious: that the softbox is giving you good light.

All you need to do to hide the garage door is to get something that can support a sheet, and hang it from your garage door runners. This might be as simple as as some clothes line rope, or maybe some simple aluminium bar that you could clamp to the runners. Then just hang your <strike>sheets</strike>background cloth from that.

Easy.

[MattyO]

soft box is just cardboard.... nothing reflective inside, and just used some of mums lunch wrap for diffusing material.

The hot lights have "ultra white globes" in them, so the light should be close to white at least. Maybe the window is causing that color cast. I will try some more tonight.

Otherwise, how can i set up the whitebalance for it all to turn out correct?

[gstark]

Otherwise, how can i set up the whitebalance for it all to turn out correct?

You can use gels over one light source, or the other, to bring them into balance.

Have a look at the tiny gels that come with an SB800. Same idea, just bigger.

I'd suggest getting them for the softbox, inside, but not too close to your light source, for obvious reasons.

[Kyle]

Or ring up a lee or rosco filters dealer and ask them if you can have/buy a swatchbook... perfect size for the speedlite head

[MattyO]

had another crack at it, used a backdrop and a slightly different light setup

comments and criticisms please

[Jonesy]

Or ring up a lee or rosco filters dealer and ask them if you can have/buy a swatchbook... perfect size for the speedlite head

Thats a great Idea... I'm sure theres a spare one at the theatre I (now casually) work at. Why hadn't I thought of that before

[Kyle]

Or ring up a lee or rosco filters dealer and ask them if you can have/buy a swatchbook... perfect size for the speedlite head

Thats a great Idea... I'm sure theres a spare one at the theatre I (now casually) work at. Why hadn't I thought of that before

I used to chop them up for use in my maglite (a long time ago) But this is a much more useful idea

matt, last two look great, light is even like you want.

For some reason though, i actually don't mind the roller door background..

[Mj]

All in all a pretty good 'n economic setup that's getting acceptable results I'd say... using the garage door as a background works well but listen to Leigh's suggestion... get some better separation between subject and background and then you can play with all manner of background colours and textures.

A big softbox is good... bigger and closer is better than smaller and/or further away. I'd also suggest investing in another of those bunnings hotlights so you can get some further control of the shadow play.

[Alpha_7]

I like the sheet, as I'm not distracted by the lines and can concentrate on the lighting... I wouldn't mind seeing a little more dynamics in the pose, or atleast a different angle inrelation to your head and the camera (but that's not lighting).

Lighting wise, there is a bit of shadow creeping in that the light on the left of the shot is significantly overpowering the light on the right... I'd like to see the right a little stronger to lessen the shadows around your right arm, and your lower nice..

Face wise the light is good.. and we are still getting the contrast between the warmer and colder light sources (in effect a two tint head).