Homework Due 4/16/10 - Night Shoot

HOMEWORK - NIGHT SHOOT
1 Shoot a portrait in very low light.
2 Time of day on a clear day 630-830PM shoot a full two to three hours.  Begin just before sunset and
work until after sunset.  Tip - if you are using flash slow your shutter speed as it gets darker outside.
If it is a stormy, rainy or dark day, start shooting earlier as it will get darker earlier. 
3 Choose your location carefully.  Look at content and composition, color, texture, ambient light. 'composition is the bones of your image' -Greg Heisler
Shoot a frame you like. Your exposure should be mid grey to dark in tone.
4 Place your subject in a strong place in your frame compositionally.
5 Shoot a frame with no light on your subject.  Subject should look too dark.
6 Add your light on the subject.  Shoot another Frame.
7 Adjust your exposure - experiment first with shutter speed, then fstop, then iso, in that order. 

8 Tip - your main set up time is before sunset.  Your main shooting time is just after sunset.
Around sunset your exposure will change dramatically.
9 Tip: bring and use a light meter on ambient and constantly track your ambient light
and adjust your shutter speed.  Technique with a minolta or sekonic flash meter, set your meter mode to ambient (sun icon) and hold your finger down on the 'reading' button 

as you shoot, at a certain time notice the exposure will change before your eyes

minute by minute.  Note this time of day as '# of minutes before sunset or after sunset

when my light changed the most dramatically' in your lighting journals.  This is valuable to know

when you plan your next night shoot.
10 Tip: use a tripod and cable release
11 Tip: Bring a flashlight to see your camera settings. Bring a lupe to study your preview screen on the camera back.
12 Tip: Bracket +/- 1/2, 1, 1, 1/2 stops on both shutter speed and fstop.
Also consider bracketing ISO.  Remember high ISO is faster and more sensitive
but will produce more noise.  Shoot as low as possible with your ISO while getting the exposure
you need for a good histogram. Reminder: expose to the right of your histogram.
 Last Tip -  Because the light will be changing rapidly at sunset - FEEL the light.
Feel it’s direction, Feel its color, Feel its quality,  let your feeling control the light.
For example -
Make it lighter or darker to suit.  Move your subject, camera, and light to control direction
to create strong shape or shadow. Think of ways to alter lighting ratios or contrast.
--
Homework -Final presentation - deliver one frame with subject but only the background light showing well. deliver a second shot with the subject well lit.  Try to show me your best tests and up to 8-10
alternate shots.

Here are shots done in a previous class below.  These were done during the daytime

but illustrate the basic concept:  Shoot a good dark exposure of your scene, where your subject is in a strong position compositionally but dark, then use your supplementary light to light your subject -

Sample set up test shot.  We like the blue sky and background. Subject is positioned

so that most ambient light does not light up our portrait subject.  Composition has not been adjusted yet.

Final shot: Our subject is boldly bleeding off the left and bottom edges.  Her scarved head meets the top frame edge.  Dancing figure is stategically placed on lower right of background.  Architectural elements critically meet the top left and right corners.

With the composition or 'bones' of the image in place we may now 'paint' with light.

Essentially we maintain our exposure to keep background consistent and focus our light

only on our subject with a strobe head to the right of camera position.

Your homework is similar in many ways.  Please reference this blog post by the 

Bui Brothers to see inspiring shots done at night using a similar one light balanced with

background/ambient light.  Their approach and advice is the same - determine your 

background then light your subject to complete the image.

http://blog.pictage.com/?p=3575

Black Straw DIY Grid Spots

Our case of black straws has arrived! I will bring to class this week. If you wish to build your own grid spot modifier for your on camera flash, please bring a cereal box or similar cardboard type material, black paper tape, your flash and $3 to cover the cost of black straws.  Some 
of many online tutorials to make your own grid spot light modifier -
Black straws with vivitar 285 HV
Strobist blog
Corrugated Cardboard Grid

NJCU Students Exhibit Portraits at 32 Jones Gallery!

The Art and Design Association of New Jersey City University is having their 2nd off-campus exhibition at 32 Jones Gallery in Jersey City, NJ.
"-nouns" is an exhibition featuring portraits of persons, places or things. Be it a self-portrait, a traditional portrait or an abstract portrait.
"-nouns" is how you interpret a portrait to be.
Featuring artists: Nicole contreras, Steven defendini, narciso espiritu jr., austin Booker, cristine posner, allana clarke, and Lisa hibbert  (advanced studio lighting students)
April 9th - May 31st
Opening Reception: Friday, April 9, 2010 @7-10p
Wine & Refreshments will be served
32 Jones Gallery is open to the public daily Monday- Friday 11a-6p
Directions: take PATH train to journal square. Walk towards Sip Ave, Make right onto Jones St. Arrive 32 Jones St.

Images from Josh's Four Lighting Patterns Demonstration

Split Light - by Josh
(Slim a round face)

Rembrandt Light or 3/4 - by Josh
(noble light for a writer or dignitary)

Loop - by Josh
(bright, happy, universal light. if in doubt use a loop)

As always isolate each light for best 
control.  Here we see only the back light -

Butterfly - by Josh
(very advanced difficult to achieve, sculpts round faces by accentuating cheekbones)

Short or Narrow Light - by Josh
(Roksana asked about film noir light last week
and this is in the direction of that intent.
Most of your subject is lit darkly with low light
and shape is defined by minimally lighting 
edges.)

Broad Light - by Josh
(widens thin faces)

Rembrandt - by Josh

Student Class Work - Identify the patterns !

Guest Speaker: Josh Lehrer

Advanced Studio Lighting Class (asl) enjoyed a special guest speaker last week, my APA Success Team member and pal Josh Lehrer.  When Josh began his career in photography a few short years ago, he claims he did not know the difference between a Mapplethorpe and a Leibovitz photograph.  Today, in the tradition of Mapplethorpe, Josh’s work is being honored with a one person show at Robert Miller gallery, exclusive dealer of Robert Mapplethorpe’s photography in the late 70s.  Although it is a difficult challenge to succeed as a commercial or fine art photographer today Josh continues to stealthily achieve significant recognition in both areas.  A recent APA meeting with Josh reveals a recent assignment to shoot Elton John, plus a peak at one of many times square billboards exhibiting Josh’s colorful images. During the past year this powerhouse artist has completed a major installation of exquisitely produced murals for the Mandarin Oriental Spa in Las Vegas, and his virtuoso cyan-rendered portraits of transgender teens have been featured on the NY Times photography blog.  After studying at
Boston University's School of Fine Arts, Josh enjoyed a career as a theatrical producer in NYC.  It was a natural transition to then sign on for seven years as Director of Photography at Showtime. There he produced television network branding projects and was able to hire and collaborate with notable photographers including Avedon, Leibovitz and David LaChappelle.
Josh graciously agreed to visit our class last friday to discuss his transition from Director to Photographer and further, performed a virtuoso live demo of four basic lighting patterns sans light meter and sans modeling lamps.  He is that good !