Portrait Workflow
About Greg
• Shooting since 2000
• Primarily self-taught
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Shoot ~50,000 images annually
Assist wedding photographers
Books / web
Network with other photographers
Conventions (WPPI, Imaging USA)
• Focus on Portraits, Weddings, Cityscapes
© 2010 CarbonSilver Photography
Lighting: 4 Scenarios
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No light!
On-camera
Off-camera
Studio
© 2010 CarbonSilver Photography
(1) No light
• Fast!
• Cheap!
• Gear
– Reflectors (add light)
– Gobo’s (remove light)
• Natural lighting
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Sun = bare bulb
Clouds = soft box
White wall = reflector
Trees = gobo
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© 2010 CarbonSilver Photography
© 2010 CarbonSilver Photography
© 2010 CarbonSilver Photography
(2) On-camera
• When? => no other options
– Fast paced environment (wedding, etc)
– Budget constraints
– Gear / weight constraints
• Head on?
– No glasses!
– Fill for high contrast scenarios (full sun)
• Bounce?
– Large enough? Close enough? Right color?
• Gels: Match color temperature!
• See:
– “On-Camera Flash Techniques…” by Neil van Niekerk
© 2010 CarbonSilver Photography
(2) On-camera
© 2010 CarbonSilver Photography
© 2010 CarbonSilver Photography
(3) Off-camera
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No assistant? => 8’ Cheetah stand
Assistant? => “light stick”
– Manfrotto 3218 Monopod
– Optional: 234 Swivel Tilt
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Battery pack & gaffer’s tape !!!
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Triggers
– Budget => Optical or cord
– Speed => TTL radio trigger
• RadioPopper PX (easy, 2 strobes, heavier)
• PocketWizard Control TL (calibration, high speed AB)
– Reliability / Predictability => TTL manual (or cord)
• PocketWizard Plus II (or similar)
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See:
– strobist.com
– tricoastphoto.com/blog/
© 2010 CarbonSilver Photography
© 2010 CarbonSilver Photography
(3) Off-Camera
© 2010 CarbonSilver Photography
(4) Studio
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Ultimate control, ultimate cost
Learn the rules, break the rules
Light on separate planes
Know your modifiers
One light at a time !!!
© 2010 CarbonSilver Photography
Studio: Background Light
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Light on separate planes
– background about 10 feet behind subject.
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Shape light for interest
– unmodified SB-800 flash zoomed slightly to
give it a bit of a vignette.
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Match f-stops
– I wanted the shoot the key at f/11, so I set
this backdrop right at f/11 as well.
© 2010 CarbonSilver Photography
Studio: Key light
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Light:
– Alien Bee 1600
– f/11 (no background considerations, go for
max sharpness with minimal recycling time)
– High (flattering shadows, “butterfly”/”loop”)
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Modifier
– Beauty dish (fairly hard, directional)
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See
– your favorite magazines (watch the
catchlights)
© 2010 CarbonSilver Photography
Studio: Fill light
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Goal: Fill Shadows
– neck
– eye sockets
– scarf under neck
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Light:
– Hotshoe mounted SB-800
– About 1 stop below key (TTL -1)
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Modifier
– Ray flash adapter
– (reflector in lap, not necessary)
© 2010 CarbonSilver Photography
Studio: Separation / Kickers
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Goal:
– Give the image “punch”
– Light the hair
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Light:
– 2 AB800’s (one on each side of subject)
– About 1.5 stops below key
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Modifier
– gridded strip box
– oriented vertically
© 2010 CarbonSilver Photography
Lightroom: Reviewing
• Import with standard previews
• Picking the winners
– “X” to mark for rejection
– “1-5” keys to star only the best
– “P” to mark client picks
• Color (“6-0”) for editing notes
– (sharpened, original, etc)
© 2010 CarbonSilver Photography
Lightroom: Editing
• Get it right in camera!
• Keyboard shortcuts
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“G” = Grid (Library)
“D” = Develop
“N” = Healing / clone
“W” = white balance (Photovision grey card)
Ctrl-+/- to zoom
• Alt / Option key to see the extremes / clipping
• Avoid Photoshop (costs a lot of time)
© 2010 CarbonSilver Photography
Exporting / Printing
• Create presets, they save a LOT of time!
• Calibrate your monitor!
• (Calibrate printer for non-standard papers)
• Photoshop for lab printing
– Resize output by short side
• Crop in lab’s upload tool (ROES)
– Actions for speed
• Smart Sharpen
– radius ~2 (1.5 to 3 for 240-300 dpi)
– Adjust amount to sharpen (optional: fade luminosity)
• Curve adjustment for blacks (0->10) and whites (255->250)
© 2010 CarbonSilver Photography
© 2010 CarbonSilver Photography
Thank you!