How I Got the Shot #8
On the 8th installment of “How I Got The Shot,” we have a photo of Fancy Shields. This photo lets you know what you can do with a single light source and a black backdrop.
This photo was taken at Marc’s Creative Space in Oklahoma City. It’s located at 8869 S. Western in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Things used in this photo:
Nikon D800
Lens: 80-200 f2.8
22 inch ring light
Black cotton backdrop
Fancy volunteered for this photo because I was testing out this technique of shooting. She’s sitting in a chair and the camera and light is at eye level. The light used doesn’t have a dimming switch. It’s either or on or off. Its a powerful tool when used properly. Because it’s strong I had to dial up my shutter speed and dial down my iso. The light evenly lights her face. I have her turned slightly to camera right. You can see the beginning’s of shadows from the light fall off on her left side. The black background absorbs the light and acts as a negative fill. Again like in most of my photos I use flash to make the eyes and lipstick pop to give that extra look of life. If you are looking for more clarity on light placement look no further than the catch lights in her eyes. They tell they entire story. The rest of the room was dimly lit so we weren’t walking around in the dark but not bright enough to have any extra light spilling into the shot.
Camera settings were:
Shutter speed 1/200th of a second
F9 (For light control and detail)
ISO 250
This photo can be reproduced time and time again with the right tools. You should try it and let me know how it works for you.
This photo was created by:
Interesting looking subject
1 Chair
1 Ring light
1 Black backdrop
I recorded some video of that afternoon for you to see how things were set up and the outcome. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maMeAFpieKo
Thank you for reading. Feel free to ask specific questions if you want to know more about “How I Got The Shot.”
To see other photos of “How I Got The Shot” click here.