Flash Induction
Flash Studio Induction
Coming into this induction, I wasn't sure what to expect as I've never really had access to the proper equipment or the chance to focus on artificial lighting when it comes to photography. I left feeling very confident and ready to experiment.
We first got introduced to the 'Bowens Flash Head': (shown below)
You can adjust the reflector dish and put on different shapes and sizes to either concentrate the direction of light or spread it out, softening the effect. The actual piece of kit wasn't too difficult to understand, it was just remembering to turn it off when manoeuvring it around the studio and adjusting the intensity of light. We started off by just using one flash head. In this process we had to switch modifiers and test out different techniques specific to flash studio shooting. Some of the shots we needed to test out are listed below:
REMBRANDT SHORT
REMBRANDT BROAD
SPLIT/SHORT
SPLIT/BROAD
LOOP
BUTTERFLY
When being inducted into the studio we had to learn how to respect the space and use it properly. These are the things to remember when using a flash studio:
Ownership
During any photo shoot, the photographer has ownership (is in charge).Therefore they are responsible for anything that goes on in that space.
Check the space
Check if the space is clean, tidy and that the equipment isn't damaged before you start. People may have been in the space before you and damaged a piece of kit meaning you'll get the blame if you don't check which, of course, you don't want. Alert a member of technical staff if this is the case.
Stay organised
Try and keep your shoot as organised as possible. Make sure the floor is clear of trip hazards or obstructions. Time manage and plan before hand!
Food and Drink
Try and keep the consumption of food and drink to a minimum when shooting in the studio. Bottles of water are fine as they are necessary. You may be in the studio for hours on end so you'll need to keep hydrated.
Handling Equipment
Take precautions when handling studio equipment. If you can, bring in a second person to help change reflector dishes. DO NOT CHANGE BACKDROP ROLES. Alert a member of staff if you need this to be done.
Tidy Up
Make sure to leave the studio as clean as you can or how it was when you found it. Turn all studio lights off before you leave and don't forget any personal belongings.
SEKONIC FLASH METER
We had to use a Sekonic Flash meter when composing a shot. You use the flash meter before taking an actual shot as it's designed to read ambient or flash exposures which, it then accurately displays so you can sync up your camera correctly- it calculates the shutter speed and aperture. You hold the meter directly in front of the subject you are photographing- get as close as you can. You then bring it out of shot when the camera is ready to go and the shot is composed. So whenever you want your subject to move, you must re-calculate with the flash meter, otherwise you could end up with either and over or under-exposed shot.
We had a little bit of a play around with this and these were the results:
We first got introduced to the 'Bowens Flash Head': (shown below)
You can adjust the reflector dish and put on different shapes and sizes to either concentrate the direction of light or spread it out, softening the effect. The actual piece of kit wasn't too difficult to understand, it was just remembering to turn it off when manoeuvring it around the studio and adjusting the intensity of light. We started off by just using one flash head. In this process we had to switch modifiers and test out different techniques specific to flash studio shooting. Some of the shots we needed to test out are listed below:
REMBRANDT SHORT
REMBRANDT BROAD
SPLIT/SHORT
SPLIT/BROAD
LOOP
BUTTERFLY
When being inducted into the studio we had to learn how to respect the space and use it properly. These are the things to remember when using a flash studio:
Ownership
During any photo shoot, the photographer has ownership (is in charge).Therefore they are responsible for anything that goes on in that space.
Check the space
Check if the space is clean, tidy and that the equipment isn't damaged before you start. People may have been in the space before you and damaged a piece of kit meaning you'll get the blame if you don't check which, of course, you don't want. Alert a member of technical staff if this is the case.
Stay organised
Try and keep your shoot as organised as possible. Make sure the floor is clear of trip hazards or obstructions. Time manage and plan before hand!
Food and Drink
Try and keep the consumption of food and drink to a minimum when shooting in the studio. Bottles of water are fine as they are necessary. You may be in the studio for hours on end so you'll need to keep hydrated.
Handling Equipment
Take precautions when handling studio equipment. If you can, bring in a second person to help change reflector dishes. DO NOT CHANGE BACKDROP ROLES. Alert a member of staff if you need this to be done.
Tidy Up
Make sure to leave the studio as clean as you can or how it was when you found it. Turn all studio lights off before you leave and don't forget any personal belongings.
SEKONIC FLASH METER
We had to use a Sekonic Flash meter when composing a shot. You use the flash meter before taking an actual shot as it's designed to read ambient or flash exposures which, it then accurately displays so you can sync up your camera correctly- it calculates the shutter speed and aperture. You hold the meter directly in front of the subject you are photographing- get as close as you can. You then bring it out of shot when the camera is ready to go and the shot is composed. So whenever you want your subject to move, you must re-calculate with the flash meter, otherwise you could end up with either and over or under-exposed shot.
We had a little bit of a play around with this and these were the results:
When taking a group photo we found it difficult to get equal exposure on all subjects. This was because there was not depth in our photos as one subject was closer to the camera than the others. The light meter is very sensitive so, even if the subject stepped forward an inch, you'd have to re-do the meter reading. Hence why i am very over-exposed compared to everyone else behind me. The Sekonic meter took a reading from where they were standing so, having me closer to the lens challenged the way the camera picked up certain light.
We played around with the placement of subjects to see if we could even out the exposure. We tried it where the photographer moved back slightly, putting me in the correct space whilst everyone else was slightly under-exposed. i think the photo below is a better outcome as the exposure, or lack of, isn't as obvious:
Using a polystyrene reflector board to direct and concentrate the light:
A softer effect is created using the polystyrene board. You can use the reflector to create a back lit effect to emphasise the features of the subject, as shown in the left photo.
Comments
Post a Comment