Mastering the model shoot - Any Light Will Do

1. A Intro: Hey, guys. And welcome to this brand new tutorial. Now, one off. The things that a lot of people struggle with is gear. We all have gas gear acquisition syndrome. We have tobe I'm or more and even Mawr. And if we have more, we need more. And this is where a lot of people actually get confused. Do we really need all that gear to make some photos in this material? We're actually going to show you that you can make great images, Let I say awesome images with very, very simple tools what to think about the tombs and light bulb fluorescent tube like, for example, Which again by for your bathroom or relight? Or what about an old for now that you can build to fit your small strokes? This tutorial is filled with creative stuff about lighting, but most of all about getting that thing out of your mind that you need expensive gear for awesome shots. So join me in this new full length tutorial 2. B Lightmeter: now you all know I'm a huge fan off me during the light. Now why do I need to delight? It's not because it makes me a better photographer. It just speeds off my work. Fun. Let's be honest, boys and girls. We want to have a workflow. That's fast, right? Because we want to do a lot more in one day. Don't spend all day just shooting and checking. Shooting checking doesn't make you look like a pro. Now. The light meter is a really cool tool for this because you just holding from the area you want correctly lit. So don't pointed towards a light source. Don't point it towards the camera. Just hold it in front of the area you want correctly. Let's a take a meter reading and a meter actually tells you exactly how to set your camera . By the way, we did a whole video on the light meter, so make sure you check that out. I believe the link with the name below. So with continuous lighting, do I use a light meter? That's a good one. Now if I use something right like a ring light and I have it on the same distance off my model. I will, without a doubt used the light meter for the very simple reason I know my exposure. It's dead on, and at that point I can just keep on shooting. And I have to perfect exposure for every shot. Now, however, if you look at the videos you see they were constantly moved the light sources around because that's the creativity part of this. So, for example, during life is at one point little bits Ford for the model because he's actually holding the ring light or the fluorescent light is off story. The tombs and light is a little bit further away or closer, or maybe on top or below. And that actually means that we set our camera up. Four. There we go out o isso and we just choose the shutter speed that we like. And, of course, the aperture that fits to it. Because we using continuous lighting, it often means that we're using faster Lance's. So in the case of this video, I shot a lot with him in Alta 50 mil. 1.4 Lens. It's a really fast lens. It's the older Minolta lens, and the reason I like that lens is, it's a little bit afraid of light. That means that as soon as it gets the lights training front, it gives you this beautiful lens flare, a little bit of a milk equality. That's something I really like. And sometimes it sounds ridiculous. I really miss that in the new Earl answers. Because the New Orleans have thes coatings that's really profound lens flares. But sometimes let's be honest. Those lands flares are absolutely awesome. So for setting up your camera, if you're not using the light meter personally on the Sony camera, I shoot manual. I set up my temperature in my shutter speed and choose a shutter speed, which I'm comfortable with. So let's say 1/60 off a second or 1 25th or maybe 1 200 It depends also on the lens I'm using for a longer lens. You need a faster shutter speed for shorter lands like 50 mil. You can you can get away with, for example, 16 years, so manual shutter speed, temperature and then you use auto ISO. Now, the cool thing about most modern cameras is that they actually have a mode called what you see is what you get in the Sony cameras. That's called setting effect. You can put setting effect on on. That means that everything you see through the few finder is exactly what will be captured as soon as you press that shutter button. So that means that with that manual setting and out, so I so you can use your exposure conversation, toe dialing the exposure that you like. That's a really fast way working. Do I still need a light meter for this kind of stuff? Absolutely not, because it's constantly changing. So that would mean that I would tell my mother. Okay, stay that way. Meter. Don't move. Make the picture That doesn't work. Of course it doesn't work. So in death case, you just shoot it and later on the light room. If you're in the ballpark or capture one, of course, if you're in the ballpark, you can easily adjust it. So the best tip about a light meter is know when to use it, but also sometimes know when not to use it 3. C The Colorchecker: Now, if you follow my flock and actually almost all tutorials, you know I'm a huge fan off color checkers or, in other words, of calibrated workflow. Now, why is that important? We want to make sure not only that the colors are accurate, because let's be honest. We all change the colors afterwards because when the image comes straight out of the camera , it looks great. But it's just misses for me person, a little bit of soul. I always tell people I'm a 99% digital photographer, but in my heart I'm a 100% and lock photographers. I love tending my images and well, that means that you always change the color. So why should I use a caller checker to make everything well in sync with each other? This is what a lot of people means if you have the same base for every single emits or doesn't mean that if you should tungsten, you need something else or if you shoot for the rest, since you need something else. Now all the bases are correctly if correct, white balance and correct colors. Now, if you build a preset, for example, in laminar or alien skin or dxl. Film Peck. You normally just add a little bit of read a little bit of blue, maybe change the curves off green a little bit at some 10% here at 10% there. And that means that it actually accumulates. Or let me put it simple. It changes the image in a shirt on way right now, if your base image is constantly different, that filter will give you totally different results on, for example, a tombs and shot a fluorescent shot or shot that he took outside. If you make sure that all those images look exactly the same, then that filter will be if you exactly the same results on every single image. And that's why we use the X ray color checkers. Now the color checker has one part that's for white balance, and in all honesty, I never use that one. This is the one that I use. So how does the color check of work? It's very simple. Make sure that you light it as flat as possible. But of course, with the light source that you use. Okay, can you stand in front of the lights with color checker and make sure that you fill it up and no fingers in from Dale. You go okay, and that's it. So that's the most important shot for dissent to make sure that everything looks exactly the same. So don't set it up with, for example, strokes. If you using fluorescent lights. It doesn't make any sense, of course, so make sure that you shoot it with the light source that you use. And now what I do for color balance is actually I use one of thes three squares, and that's where I said my white balance. And at that point I can create a profile in Life Room, and I'm going to show you, of course, how to do that in the next video. But these color checkers are vital to make sure that every single image is exactly the same , so you can run your field. You can go bananas with all your creativity. Or, in other words, you can instagram the heck out of the shop, and it still looks the same on all those images. One final tip. Why is there an apple logo on it? Is this the new Apple version? No, it's not, but look at this. They're totally black. And in the dark studio, you can actually lose on pretty fast because, well, also, my desk is black. So I put this apple logos on it so I can really find my color checkers back. And it was really necessary because I already lost two here, so yeah. 4. Chapter 1 Diy Fresnel: Now if we talk about metrical lighting the unicorn off lighting the thing that everybody wants but actually hardly everybody anybody can afford it's well, drum roll, please. Different l And remember in the s silence. So what is it for now it's that lights worst that creates those beautiful old fashioned images. George Hurrell, Hard core Oh, man, I totally the romantic off photography just flows through your body as soon as you heard the term for now. But then you see the price and you go like, OK, 2000 3000 euros. That's a little bit expensive Now you can, of course, also by mean continuous lighting. But then you can't make some with stroke so he can make some with stroke, but that you need a longer shutter speeds. In other words, you really want one that works with strokes, right? But then you look at the price again and you go like I don't know well, their solution for that. If you go on eBay or in the Netherlands mother plants, you can actually buy theatre spots. And often the theater spots half that Fern Allen's in front because the whole idea off that for now look is actually the lens in front that shapes the light. Now, if you get one, it's of course, a continuous lighting. Now, if you're lucky, you actually buy one that's defective. Make sure, by the way, that the friend L lends itself has no problems. So if they tell you like, yeah, but it's defective, you only ask them. Is the lens OK? And if they say yes, you say Okay, so the light doesn't wear. Don't be too enthusiastic, but just bring the price down. You know, Dutch. So it did moments you buy it, and what you do is you just take everything out of the housing. You open up the back and actually put in a stroke so you can use a normal stroke like delights or a B R X, or you'll see, and you can just put it inside the housing. But if the housing is a little bit smaller, you can also, of course, you speed lights. And the cool thing about speed lights is you can move from forward and backward to create exactly the same effect that you normally have waited for now. But you can also use the zoom function off the head. So let's see in our studio what you can do way to do it yourself for now and believe it or not, this whole set up. Except, of course, the stand and the speed light was less than 75 euros. I believe we paid 65 euros, but I don't know for sure. So let's say between 65 or 75 euros for different L. And this is actually a pretty big one. So we took everything out and just make the bet open so we can put a strobing and use that beautiful for now. Quality. Okay, because it's a stroke and from a fixed distance to the model. And that's the difference from the tombs and light we used in the ring light because there it actually moved. This is the time where we do use a light meter. So we hold it in front of the area once correctly lit in this case here. And it actually means in this case that we're actually pointing towards light source. Okay, there we go. So now you have to setting for your camera, and it's the cool thing about the light meter. It really speeds up your workflow. You don't have to guess. You don't have to take a lot of shots and look like a not so professional person. You can really just make sure that you kneel that exposure every single shots. And of course, we have to shoot one off the collar checkers. Okay, hold it in front of your face and make sure you light it as flat as possible. So stand in the light source direction. And there we go. That's all. Okay, guys. So you noted. For now, I just explained to that magical unicorn of lighting. And you also noted, it's very expensive, right? That's different. And I was talking about We bought it on eBay and we just took out the continuous lighting and opened up the back. So now we can actually put a stroke in it. In this case, we use the my tress. Plus, it's a speed light, and the cool thing is because it's a fern. L you can actually just moved to stroke further back and forwards to create different lighting effects. But how does it look? Let's take some images, and the cool thing is, you can actually move to for now and create totally different looks. Okay, so first image. As you can see, we have a really dark backdrop. Really like this. That's nice. Almost now if we want a little bit less light on the backdrop, the only thing I have to do is just move a little bit. And it's true, but still under the same angle. See if it's remembers. Amount of control over your lighting Jean up just a little bit. Awesome. That's nice. Okay, you know, just a little turn your nose a little bit towards dairy. That's nice. Wow. Okay, just move it a little bit. Backs who get a little bit more light on the backdrop. That's nice. And of course, by moving yourself in a different position, you can also change the quality of life, but also what the backdrop does. And I like the backdrop to be really dark in the back, not too bright. All the attention has to go to the model. Very nice. Now, if you want more countries, move around and shoot under an angle. Nice. Cool. - Don't you just love that beautiful for now, quality and it's affordable. So get out on eBay and buy one before everybody sees this video and goes online. And Beisel the friend Els, before you go on eBay now search for for now and he s a silent Got it. Awesome! Now you can also use you for now with your speed lights. 5. Chapter 2 Smartphone: now, what is the best camera you f? Well, that's the camera of ritual, right, that unless you can take a picture. And nowadays, we all have smart phones with us because these are amazing cameras. But what is the best lighting? Yeah, well, that's a little bit more problematic, right? And in this video, you can actually see that there are many different ways of lighting your model that are, well, a little bit outside the box. But one of the things you may not think about it actually that all smartphones also have a flashlight, and that can be a really interesting light source. So let's go to our model and let's see what we can actually do with smartphones. Okay, so let's start out with only one light. This is a central note eight. Not that that makes any difference. Of course, you can see here you can create some really cool effects. But of course, this is not what we want. We want something really spectacular. So let's add a little bit off a sidelight. So in a week, can you come with your and that's an iPhone. We put all the brands together here and they all play nice. Really nice. Come a little bit closer. That's cool. Okay. But of course, we also want a little bit off side lighting from the other side and maybe even a mitt straight into my lens so we can get some nice lens flare effects. There we go. A little bit closer. That's nice. Wow. Of course I can create different moods by just moving my light a little bit up. She not a little bit name. That's nice. Close your eyes or just hold it up Really close and again. You said in first career low by moving the light closer to your model, actually have quicker light fall off and creating more spectacular shells. If you like that, of course, can you hold it a little bit higher, light and a little bit closer? Really? Thanks. Okay, cool. Final Schultz Now moving is a little bit further away to give it a little bit more off flat look and really close by just out of the frame to create a high contrast look because I'm shooting on a shallow depth of field. Only 1.4. I'm focusing on the I. That is the closest to the fewer. And then I make my composition and presto awesome, Thank you. But there was interesting right? And it's it's still business me to see what you can do with just a simple light source. It's all about and again that inference Quello movie light closer to the model for a quick , a light fall off. But most of all also think about excellent lighting and, of course, about lens flares and about including the light source in the picture. It it's literally all there. And as you can see now, with those little smartphones, you can create some amazing lighting. The only problem. These smart phones. A little bit more expensive than strokes. But on the other end, you already have one. Uh huh. 6. Chapter 3 Ledflashlight: now on under incredibly simple light source can actually be a standard flesh light. Now, Nowadays you're from with Let's and these are really awesome because with the lets you can actually often use one on the front, and they even have him wit site. So you have different light qualities now. The thing that I like about this is that it's actually a sort of a spot effect, so you can really aim it at your model and create a little bit of a spot. So let's go to the studio and see what I mean. Okay, so let's start out with just a simple spot effect from the flesh. I really like this. Look at this. Get some crazy effects. But yes, using a simple let flashlight, he just loved this awesome knitting. Really nice. And of course, you can steer your life, but just moving the angle create a really stunning effects from the side. You can even get closer, for example, just came under an angle. Focus on the I I shooting on 2.0, so I'm very shallow depth of field that, of course, it's a little bit to the mood. Really nice. Now The cool thing about this flashlight is that it also has a sidelight. So let's turn the top on off. Let's turn this one on, and now we have a little bit like a strip light, if you hold it vertically, can really create from off that old fashioned our core kind of lighting. It's not our core. Of course. That's ridiculous. But you know what I mean, right? It's really focused. Lightning nice. You tilt your head down again like you did before. That's awesome. Keep it that way. Of course I can move it closer and you sit in first gray low to really make the light full of fast tell you go, it's approximating. Just look a little bit that way. More, more, more, more. There we go. That's cool. Awesome, Yes, And of course, you can also use It's from the top down. That's nice shooting. I s 0 500 because I'm not really close to the model now, of course, sometimes the life quality can be a little bit too harsh. So what do you normally do when you want to soft in your life quality indeed, to use diffusion material? So let's take out from the fusion material and see what happens. So there we have the future material. Can you help me out, Nick? So we're going to switch over. We're going to hold a diffusion material in front. Can I get a little bit softer? Life quality. Look straight ahead. It also takes away a lot of the lighting, of course, but, hey, he wants off the lighting. It just lose. You lose a little bit of the output. Nice. Really Like this? Awesome. Wasn't that absolutely awesome? I'm always surprised that you can do such amazing stuff with just such simple tools, like it's just a flesh light. And it just stuns me every time that you can just open up shadows, you can just play around and put it closer or further away from the model. I have so much control. And this is one of the things I hope I really get to you guys in this video, it's all about light control. If you understand what lighting does, every single light emitting source will be an amazing tool to create your images with And by the way, you can also use this. For example, in the part with smartphones. You can use this to open up areas where it's a little bit too dark or in the part with the light snakes. We actually use this one toe open up a little bit off the shadows. If you didn't see that video yet, you will see this one appearing in death video to so the standard flashlight, not a Cray tool to just be creative with and open up some cool options for awesome images. 7. Chapter 4 Tungsten: Okay. Now, what is the most simple light source in the world? OK, it's the sun, and it's a little bit difficult to get that into the studio. You could open up a window, but you know what I mean? Right to the most simple light source in the world. It's actually the tools and light bulb. Now these aren't sold a lot anymore, so if you can get your hands on them, make sure you buy a few now. If you want to do photography with these, it looks like it isn't the really interesting light bulb, right. It's omni directional lighting, so it means that emits everywhere, and it just looks so incredibly simple. Even the holder is incredibly simple. It's something you expect from a 1960 house, right or even earlier. Still, this little device can give you amazing results. If you know a few simple tricks and one off the best tricks is actually one of photography's basic rules. The inverse square law. Let's just keep it simple. If you move your light closer to the model, the light fall off will be much faster if you move your lights further away from the model the light fall off will be slower meaning if you move it further way. Ah, lot of the scene is lit if you move with closer on Lee, a small area of the areas lit and you can actually see some nice contrast E detail. So the light bulb, Let's bring out our model a nuke and let's see what we can do with this incredibly simple light source. Okay, so we're gonna start with the light of far away and I should get C. It's OK. It's more than you expect. Probably from a light bulb. It's not that interesting yet. A little bit boring life. And of course, there's something called the interest Career law. So that means that if I, like, move my life closure, the light full of will be much far, sir. Create something a little bit more cool. So that's tried it. Okay, so we moved to light a little bit closer. And as you can see now, especially when the model looks upwards, it is really nice Life full off. It's amazing. I really like this. But if she looks too close sorry. Too much down. You can actually see this. He gets shadows. We need to rise at something we don't want. Of course. So, look, a little bit up that we go Absolutely awesome. Cool. But of course, we want to get then light source in the picture for more drama. Okay, we now actually lower to life a little bit, so now it's actually in the frame, and it gives you a really nice quality of life because you can also see the light source. It just gives you a little bit more sense of real nous. So make sure that you get the light bulb in the frame a little bit. Let your model look down because this is really annoying with all the lights. Or let her look up. Close your eyes. That's really nice. Okay, I can do something with your hands in front of your body. There we go. That's really nice. I'm still trying to get that lights or is just in the top off the frame. And, of course, you can walk around your model and create more contrast. Get the light in in top off the frame so you can really play with this and make it more interesting from this side. Nice I love it. Keep voting your models. He doesn't see what you see through the lens. You have to make sure that's either these nice Thank you. Okay. And of course, it's really cool to shoot something with a little bit of a prop like a teacup, and the light is not a little bit further away. Give it a nice around effect. Chin up just a little bit. Look towards life. There we go. Awesome, really nice. That's it. Like a blowing effect. Yes, because it's hot. You're enjoying it. She not just a little bit awesome. As you can see, you can do a lot with this light bulb, but there's one thing that you have to keep in mind. Make sure you get one that emits a lot of light. Now, in our case, this is a 100 watt, and also make sure that you have a long extension cable really long because she want to make sure that in the studio you actually don't run out of space. Now there's one thing, Frank. Why do you use a white extension cable and not a black one? Because White shows up way easier in the studio you're absolutely right. And this is a tutorial, right? So we're filled with tips and tricks for you guys. If you use White, it's much easier to clone out in photo show because White, who actually stand out very, very bright. That means that if you are photo shopping and you have a black cable, it could be that sometimes you don't see where the cable is to have some trouble. Clothing it out, especially when you use, for example, content aware fill from Photoshopped. This is easy peasy for photo shop, but if you have a black one, it can be a little bit more difficult. So I always choose White because then it's way easier to clone out. Okay, so another option you can of course, do is just let your model hold the light bulb, and now you get a real combination off that lifeboat and the model dhe. One change. We gave her sunglasses because this it's really freaking annoying because that light is really close to her. And of course I don't want my models to go blind, especially when we have to do a second and a turret shoot. Now, if this is the final shit. I'm just getting okay. So let's take shelter. Make sure that you have to, like both in frame How otherwise it doesn't make any sense And get this really nice lens flare awesome. And because it's so close, you know, get a lot of light fall off. Just play with libel. That's nice. And having a model, that is great expressions, of course, of really helped. And I'm nuke is awesome for this. And of course, when I stand over here, get this really nice contrast. The life cool is move around your model if you also do it strokes to get all those different looks Nice. Awesome. And from the front cool final show. We always do a lot of final shots. So one more on the final one. There we go. Thank you to 8. Chapter 5 Chandelier: now, most of these light sources she saw today were actually very easy to obtain. Their left panels or loom cubes were ice lights or your smartphone. But it's also one that looks a little bit bigger, and it's actually the channel ear now. The chin earlier, you sometimes still finding houses, and I don't encourage you to now get him off the ceiling because don't do that. Go on eBay or in the Netherlands, modern plants and actually finds from chandeliers. And you can have him in many different sizes. Many different forms, and often they retail for about, let's say, 25 euros to 50 euros, if you for real fancy one and they can give you a tremendous amount of fun during a photo shoot. So let's see what we can do with the channel earlier, and it will surprise you how much light output those light bulbs give you. But make sure if you buy one that you really also pay attention to the light bulbs himself . Don't just buy the cheapest one you can get, but make sure you get some of those nice curve he wants. That's really fit. But the channel here so Let's go to the studio and let's play around with chandelier in our model. Okay? So let's start out with only detained earlier. I really loved this. And also look what is less the light background us. This is absolutely awesome for this kind of stuff, and this is the panoramic backdrop. But make sure that see points and nose towards the light. I should get these really nasty shadows. And if you from model, by the way, that doesn't like the lighting. Just give her sunglasses. Doesn't fit with this styling, but some things that really makes the difference. That's nice. Hold the generally a little bit more towards me, and then look that way looked at me. There we go because I don't want her nose to turn totally dark on one side. Okay, chin down just a little bit. There we go. That's awesome. That's really nice. Okay, if you want a little bit more light on her face, for example, and you like this post, I can actually see that their nose is a little bit too dark. So you just use that flashlight again, and you just make sure that those shadows get open up He will also see that the light temperature off the flashlight is a little bit different. A little bit more blue. It actually gives you a really nice difference. Really? Like that. Awesome. Let's add a little bit motion ating. So can you hold it on top? And then I'm going to use the flip off stream to go from a slightly lower angle. Okay. And then on tree, just turn it around a little bit on the step a few steps back. I'm gonna probably be out of the camera. Okay, Turn it. 123 go. Okay. Want to a tree? Go. Okay, this is on 125th of a second, but I'm not going to do is I'm gonna lower that shutter speed and try to keep your head still. 12 tree. Go on one to a tree, go nice. And I get a little bit off a flowing effect. So let's just under expose a little bit, Okay? 123 go. Nice. Awesome. Okay. Thank you. I wasn't an amazing shot, actually. And imagine that it's just a channel air again. Don't get it off the ceiling. Just get run from eBay. Your parents or your wife will offer you much more for it and just be creative with it. 9. Chapter 6 Icelight: now I always love experimenting with light sources and one of the light sources that actually surprised me a little bit. What's the Westcott Ice slides? I call this a while ago and in all honesty, the first time I got it was without the barn doors, and I didn't like it for the very simple reason it. I liked it. If you want fled lighting like a little bit like a soft box. But I didn't like it because it waas literally everywhere. And then I actually got the barn doors. And this is something that I really love to do, just narrow that life being. It could create some stunning effects with this. Now this is the first in one. There's also first into that. There's more light output. But you know what? I can talk for hours about how to use this stuff. Let's just go to a nuke and let's see in studio what you can really do with a nice light, a new car. You ready? There we go. OK for the next set we're using the ice lights from West called It gives pretty much highlight output, so if you use, it's really close to your model, you can get some really cool shots. And by the way, this is the first in one diversion to us even more like. But you can also see something else. Barn doors. I'm gonna show you in a minute. How did works? And during an instructional video, you can also like yourself. So let's do its first flit. I'm holding my camera with one hand and the ice lives with the other. You can see it's a really fled light, little bit reminiscent to a soft box. I really like this beautiful, but of course you want to make it a little bit more interesting. Let's move it closer for a nice, delightful off. Okay, that's cool. And the cool thing about the ice like this I can actually move it around my model and create different looks. Make sure that gets gets lights in your eyes really nice. Don't put it in front of the camera. They could even go for some Halloween lighting, but that's just a little bit scary if you nightmares that three nickel, OK, but you also see the barn door, so let's try a little bit with the barn door so we close the barn doors and how you get a really nice quality of light. Is this cool? Nice. Absolutely awesome. If you could see again, literally steered. A life can create different patterns. Cool. Get the riddle. Bit off a classical looked like our core or Georgia rail. If you don't know those guys, make sure you check him out. Our quarters of studio. It's really classical lighting. And, of course, Georgia Rail. You don't know him. Shame on you. Nice. Let's make its trail cool a little bit from the door. Awesome. Of course, you don't have to use the ice lights, but they are really handy. But you can also use the fluorescent shuping essence. You can use whatever you want. As long as it emits light, you can create cool shots. We did using that interest trailer, moving closer to the model for a quick a life full off, all moving it a little bit further away. Rather my good and no way if I'm gone back. No way. You I came people driving and driving between job just cable 10. Chapter 7 Light tubes: it's Christmas time? Well, not actually. It's almost summer. Assume, I hope, because now that we're filming this, it's actually minus 10 degrees outside. It's why we're terrible clothing inside. Studio in mentioned it. But when it's Christmas, what is the first thing you you look forward to? Of course, being with your family, but also those Christmas lights We call on light snakes over here, those nice lights that you hang over your house and everywhere in the Christmas tree, and it just gives that really nice Christmas feel. But during the year, you can actually also use him for something else. So in the next part, we're actually going to shoot on model Nadine with some, well, Christmas lighting. But there are a few things that you really have to take care off. Okay, so let's first take a shot like this. And of course, it looks beautiful with all the lighting. But as you can very quickly see in the shots, does this absolutely horrendous for the very simple reason there's hardly any light on the model of this really nasty shadows. So what can we do? Well, of course, we can use a let flashlight. Let's turn it on. And of course, we can use dish to light our model. So let's do it like this. And if gifts is already a beautiful look, awesome needing really nice. But of course, it can also be simpler because why use extra lighting is if she has all that lighting there , so that you can also ask you model, of course, needing Can you are Take the light bulbs on the sites, snakes and just putting me from the other side. Your face. There we go. And now we get a totally different look without any extra help of lighting. She's actually lighting herself, very going. I can get a little bit closer for some close ups. That's nice. Whole Tiatto snake A little bit closer. There we go. Okay, now I don't want that shadow on our know. So let's just look a little bit there. Did she not just a little bit And let's make a little bit forward. There we go. You can really steer that light, Move it all the way forward, down. That's nice. Final shows. Cool. Okay, in the final one. Okay. Thank you. - Wasn't that fun? And again, it's so incredibly simple. Now, when you start shooting stuff like this, you will see that very quickly. There's on the face. There's a little bit of a nasty shadow play, so make sure that, or use an extra flashlight to just open up the shadows. But its way better to make your model interact with those lights, snakes and move from in front of her face and just changed the light quality that way, because, remember, SI has total control off the lighting, but just moving those lights names. 11. Chapter 8 Lumecubes: Okay. Now, sometimes you need a little bit more light and, for example, a smartphone or Christmas lights or whatever and debts when actually these coming these heirloom cubes and I I can't tell you enough how much I like this. These are really small led lights, but they're incredibly powerful. You can even use him with a smartphone app to make him a little bit like a flesh. Or you could just turn it on like this. There's a tremendous light output now, one off the things, Of course, that a lot of people ask me like, Okay, Frank. So where do you place these? Well, you can, of course, use the amazing job reports, and you can actually place him on those. But there's something else. If you were the only photographer hey, want to light your model and you want to do it with a Loom Cube. Now, at one point, you will run out of arm length, right? Because you can't go for it in the net. Now there's a tool that we all hate, but we actually on love, and that's the selfie stick. Now, on all selfie sticks, you actually see a little part here we could screw on your camera or your smartphone or whatever. Now you can extend it. And on that part you can actually screw on. Yes, the Loom Cube. And now you have a lot of arms links to just light your model. But, hey, I can talk about it. Let's go to the studio and let's see what you can do with the Loom Cube and the selfie stick. Okay, so this is the Loom coupon, a selfie stick. Now get a lot more lighting than before with smartphones. Actually, this is cheaper than a smartphone, but, hey, smartphone, we already had fried. And because it's on a selfie stick, I can literally just move my light around and creates a real stunning effects. Like How about big lens? Flare from the back? Let's just close down the explosion conversation a little bit, really Go nice. Absolutely awesome. Let's open it up. You can play with your exposure conversation to get the creative effect that you want. Nice. Just make sure that you can focus because lens flare and focusing often doesn't go together very well. So normally I will just focus on my model's eyes. Keep my composition and then changed the lighting to the back to get some really dynamic shots. Okay, so focus got focus, look, and then moving to the back to create a lens for him. Because I'm shooting in life. You mode. I can literally see exactly what's happening. Dale, you go. No. The selfie stick and a loom coop are awesome. But sometimes you need to focus the light a little bit more. And that's why actually loved the loom cubes because this one is actually in a frame. And the cool thing about that is you also have grits and you have gels. But in this video, we're just going to use the grid. You just used the magnetic connection, and now I can literally steer my light. You want to see how it looks? Uh, there we go, OK, and this is the one with the grit. Now we have a way more focused beam of light. And as you know, I love focus lights really nice. And also here, of course, you can try it from the back, but it took a few slightly different results because, of course, now delight is controlled by the great, So the beam is much less wider, much narrower. That's nice. Kids don't. And the cool thing is, I love her post here, and normally he can't move your lights around that easily. But with something like this, I see oppose that. I like. And I can immediately adjust the light to that post. And it keeps you so much more creativity and speeding your photo shoot. And, of course, difference results for your client's. They will absolutely love you for this. Okay, Thank you. Eyes way Say, you kind of broke my heart so goddamn easy as you think, trump my best hold'em but feel myself giving You know that shooting keep it up like this 30 So this feelings on and on Don't you just love those little loom cubes? They're always in my back and literally they're awesome to just light up a scene, and they again they give a tremendous amount of life for such small loom coupes, and you can actually charge him fear USB. I can't recommend them enough. If you're into creative lighting, get one of two off these. They're not very cheap, but the alternatives are much less in light output. And actually, when you all added together the lump, you are a really good deal. Highly recommended 12. Chapter 9 Ringlight: think about fashion. Think about David LaChapelle. What's the first thing that comes in your mind? Okay. Styling, beautiful models. What's the second thing that comes? Okay, maybe something else. But what programs should also come into your mind is during lights. It's that magical unicorn off lighting. It's the lighting that never goes out of fashion, and when it goes out of fashion, it literally jumps back. After a few years, the ring light is the light source that sometimes people absolutely hate. They go like. Do you use a ring light? Oh my, that's so terrible. You get those of rings in those lights and you get those halos behind the model. It's terrible. And then a few years later, they go like, Don't you have a ring light? Oh my, are you fashion photographer? You really need that ring light because it gives you those beautiful round effect. You know it's going up that story going up and going down. It's it's very fashionable sometimes to use a ring light, and sometimes not now. If you bought a ring light on the top off its popularity and then it actually goes down, you're stuck with ring light right, And you go like, Oh, I just bought it. Yeah. Now we leave it in the closet for a year, and then it will be popular again. But can you also use it in different ways? Well, in the next video, I'm going to show you some cool tricks that you can actually do, which will ring light. So we bring out our model a nuke, and we start out with just using the ring light straight through. Okay, so for this set up, we're actually using a let go ring light and ring light is absolutely awesome, but it can give you those rings in the ice. Sure, it's a ring light right now. If you want to do it on the cheap, the continuous lighting ring lights aren't that expensive. This is a let's go one that's more like a really good one and their retail for about 203 100 euros. But you can also get one that you actually use in your bathroom for your makeup or whatever . If you're ago, of course, or a guy doesn't matter, so ring lights are cool. But how do you use a ring life? Well, it's a light that's all around your lens. You get this really cool effect. Of course I can talk about it, but it's better to just show you how it looks. Okay, so this is perfect for beauty Portrait's. But you get those rings in the ice, and it's something that you have to get used to. That's a really nice so commercial awesome. And if you don't want those rings in the ice, just let her look down a little bit so you don't have any cats, lights and you Still, if the beautiful round effect off the ring light cool, that's only one way to use it. Dairies away. That's even way, way cooler. But you have to be a little bit more creative and think outside the box. Okay, so straight through in the ring light. Well, you get these beautiful rings in the ice, which I absolutely am a little bit in doubt about. Sometimes I really like it. Sometimes I don't now if you don't want those rings in the life very simple. Just let your model look away or give her sunglasses and just still to head a little bit down so we don't get that reflection. Remember, with glasses. The angle off incident is the angle off reflection, meaning If you shoot somebody with glasses, a place your life just a little bit higher and aim it down, it will actually reflect down. And if you shoot under debt angle, you won't have any reflections. But of course, you can do way more with ring light because this was just shooting straight through. Gives you great images. But what about if we used to ring light the other way around and just put the photographer in the light? Let's see what happens then. Of course, you can use the ring light like a ring light, particularly with stuff like this. And this is where the creative part comes in. And that's so much more fun because now you get images that are totally different from what you normally see from ring lights. And that's actually what let you stand out as a photographer like Hey, he's really creative, and it's way more fun. Of course, that's nice. And if you use a lens, it has a little bit problems with lens flares. That's a big advantage in this case. This is an older Minolta lens and they are not that good. That's the new lenses, and it means that we can actually get some really cool, insular effect. I love it. Focus on the I. There you go. And even the model is having fun. As you can see, this is a fund set up cool, but that's not all. Okay, now that was funny, right? And it gives you a totally different way off approach in your photo shoot. And that's what this video is all about. Changing your mindset. Now You think, of course, that was hit, right? No. You can do way more with the ring light. How about if you make your model interact with that light should just give you model, delight and letter light herself us a photographer. Walk around your model and create some cool images. You can, of course, also let your model play with your light source. And this is the most fun you can have, because now it's it's real interaction between the light and your model and of course, us of photographers. And I can go really crazy and creative so really cool. They look a little bit towards the light and make sure that you don't Overexposure camera. That's awesome. Now, because I'm shooting on also, I s o I actually can use my exposure conversation if the lights are a little bit too bright . But I actually like it a little bit on the overblown side for this because, let's be honest, there just fun shots. It's not about perfect exposure, but it's about perfect exposure for the look that you want. And it can be totally different from the perfect exposure is more the creative exposure. Let me put it that way. He moves, like, really closer. So that's awesome. That's nice. Okay, okay. You hold it like you're holding a steering wheel with two hands. So here, one, on the other hand, until they regarded Just twisted. Awesome. That's nice. I can even shoot it from here. Make it more like a commercial shelf ordering life. Dad's nice. Oh, very we use. And now I can actually use the flip upstream from my camera and shoot from a lower angle up and get something really bizarre. That's cool. Okay, She not just a little bit. That's nice. Make sure that you get your kids lights. She not just a little bit. Here we go. And of course, we can also do that from the top down. A little bit more interesting from that angle. Always play around with your angles. It's ditched. Also, he never actually lose Fillmore. Nice. Okay? And can you hold it really close to your face from the site? Like you're hugging it? That's cool. And of course, this goes for every single light source. Play around which your lighting use it in non conventional ways. You can really stand out and be creative on. Your client will absolutely love this stuff. You see the model? Now? She's having fun and seasoned, experienced model. I guess he never did this before. Awesome. Thank you so very much. Okay, so we showed you several things you can do with the ring light. Now, remember that the ring light is only a ring light. We shoot true it. So if you invested in the ring light and it goes out of fashion, they don't like the results you saw before. Why not use your ring lighters in normal light source? Just put it on the side of your model. You actually have well, the normal strope or continuous lighting The ring light is actually way more versatile than a lot of people think. It's not just a ring to put your lands through. You can do a lot with, try to figure out not sure Bottom Tonto and days don't work out the way I thought they would. And for you there was no one who understood the one who can make it go away all you have todo me sometimes I can't breathe like 13. Chapter 10 Ledpanel: Now, if you look at this video, you see that I'm late, right? Because otherwise it would be totally dark if we turn off. The panels and the let panels were used for this lighting instructional video are actually from Let's go now let's go. So manufacturer that has big panels, smaller panels in the few kids, ring lights and whatever. And at one point they asked me, Frank, we like your style can shoot some images with our left panels And I was just thinking like , What do you see most in those Mazen's? You see a beautiful shot and then you see a backup shot off that shot. So you see that there's a let's ban all there's a model, but you never actually see him together. And this is one of those panels. Now, what you can see is on the bottom off that panel he actually ever grip. So why not just give your model the panel and let your model play with the fennel and light herself? So that's what we're going to do in this next part. But first I want to show you something and this is the thing why I really like these panels . Now, if you look at the back, you actually see three slots, and in those slots you can actually put in these little containers, and they contain normal double A batteries. And, of course, you can use rechargeable batteries. If you feel all three slots, these things will go on forever. But you can also fill up just one slot if you need. It's very fast, like we now do for the instructional video. We just fill up one slot with batteries, and you can just shoot. Another thing that I really like is you turn it on. You can just literally change the output with just one simple dial that this one doesn't do color temperature. But if you get a little bit more expensive versions, they also can do college temperature. And that's one of the things that I do want to stress. If you buy a let's panel, make sure you pay a little bit more, actually, by one in which you can change the color temperature and on our interview kids, we can do that, and on the big ones in the studio, we can do it, and it's really safe. Your bacon. If you are combining different light sources. So let's panels company. Let's go. But make sure that if you buy something, you have to budget for them a little bit more expensive. Get one way you can change the color temperature and the output. Of course. Okay, so now she's holding the panel, and this is the coolest thing. Of course. Let's your model play with some props and in this case, delighting itself. It could be really creative with your position off the lighting, of course. Or the poses and styling. And I absolutely love this because this is also cool. If you send something like this to the manufacturer off the panels, they always love getting shots like this because you actually see how you're using their gear in a creative way. Okay, Just look a little bit more towards mental. That's really nice. Awesome. Hey, hold it until that's nice. Really School. Okay, Now hold my camera a little bit lower for a different angle shop. I look at this. Here we go. Oh, nice. Yeah, that's cool. And we're using our let go panel. And these were not that expense. If you can also using video and as you can see here also for for you, for your photography. - Okay , so now the model it herself with a Penhall. That's just have some fun and just give her. What should we give her? We recently did a photo shoot with some kits. Guns with bubbles. Let's just see what works out. And of course, we can get some cool effects. If you add a little profit, just have some fun. Nice. And that's the cool thing with motion. Just keep shooting because it's continuous lighting so you can use every frame rate your camera supports. I came it a little bit higher. Awesome shooting a little bit slower enough with timing and stuff. I don't want those bubbles in front of her face one more and then just aim it up and then hold it down. Okay, stop Cool. Thank you wasn't that fun? And again, it's just let's panel guys, just be creative and don't see it as OK. This is a light source. Just move it straight on the model and just light it. Be creative. Open up your mind for different options in which you can use your lighting. There is so much more possible than you might think. As you can see in this video, literally disguise the limit 14. Retouching: Hey, guys. And welcome to the retouching part. Now, I don't want to bore you guys too much with the retouching part, because in all essence, all the shots during this video, we're actually almost straight out of the camera now, of course, there were some things that I did retouch. I'm going to show you very quickly with this shot What I did, and I was gonna explain to you why I did it. Now we shoot with alternative light sources like, for example, in this case, the led flashlight. You will get a little bit less light, of course, than a stroke that it means you have noise. But how much noise? Well, actually, not that much. So let's assuming toe 100%. And as you can see here, the Sony's actually do pretty well and well. There is, of course, something about to skin. You have to retouch. And as you can see here, it's a little bit rough. And as you can see, I didn't kneel to focus 100%. Now a stroke shot, of course, a super super sharp. This is just a little bit off, but it's not a real problem. And I'm going to explain to you in this part how we actually solve that kind of stuff. So the first thing I always do is the skin. Now we can talk for ages about skin, but I I actually found out that this plugging image normal portraiture just works like a charm. If you don't have the money for in the image normal portraiture because it's not really cheap. There's an alternative called toe passed clean three, which which also works very, very well. Okay, So what do I do with image? Roman portraiture? What I do is I actually use it on full blast or everything on 2040 and actually sharpens all the way down a shortness all the way up. Now, you just select your skin tone and you do the plus to add a little bit extra skin tones. Okay, Now you can see you before and after. Now, of course, we never gonna use it on full blast for the very simple reason we don't want a Barbie Dole . So why do I use it on full blast? Well, it's actually easy to explain some areas in the skin. Let's say, for example, around the eyes or a little bit here can be a little bit rougher than, for example, another part of the skin. Now you can run an action three or four times, but why not just put it on full blast and then do the following You go here to your layer that it's actually blurred. You go to layer Layer Mosque. They do, Heidel. So now the effect is actually gone. Now, everywhere where I don't want a lot of the detail to show up. I will use my brush on 100% that you can see here in the opacity. So let's do that on the rougher parts of the skin. There we go. And also, of course, here as considers really smooth this out the skin. And she used a little bit off a foundation that makes it a little bit more surreal. So, normally, of course, the skin looks totally different from this. But we wanted a little bit more off a saree looking, of course, with a flashlight that also wasn't really code for a skin. So don't worry. Nadie normally doesn't look like this. Of course we want that certain looking there. Okay, Now all the parts like here. We don't want it on full blocks. Which actually do is you just pull down your a piss iti to, let's say 50 or 60%. And now you actually duel the area so you don't want to effect on full blast. And this way, you don't have to run the action two or tree times, but you can use it on full blast on the areas where you need it. It just pull down the effect a little bit on the areas where you don't. It's a really cool trick, and it saves you a lot of time. Okay, Now let's say I want to check If everything is correct now, you can, of course, look here and, for example, use the control key for a selection. But of course doesn't make any sense. We don't want selections, but I still want to show you how it works. Or you can use the old key. That also doesn't really make any sense, because now I don't see what I do. So what, You can also do it, of course. Usedto beck slash This is way better. So now I can actually see that I missed some areas here. So were the Becks less area, which actually sees you see your pattern off. What? You already painted a little bit like a mosque? No, no. And I know for sure that I didn't miss any areas and that everything looks nice. You can also see that I'm now using a less sensitive brush. I'm doing it a few times to Eddie Effect together. Or you can, of course, changed your specially if you breast 100%. Okay, there we go. And here we want a detail off her nose to show. So that's why I don't use anything there. Okay, layer, flatten image. This is something that I do. A lot of people say, Oh, you have to change. You have to save those layers. Well, I don't agree. I always like to do my step by step program. In other words, I do my retouching. I know I don't want to go back to that part. So let's just flat in that area now, because off the flesh, light and the makeup she's wearing, you see these weird transitions over here. So let's take those out and let me do that on Ah, well, let me give you another tip for that. Now, if you have a laptop and you would do, let's say, cloning on a separate lay. What you normally do is dish. You create a duplicate layer, right? But if you look under here, you can see that the original documents are 241 max, and at this point, we're already at 482 and that's normal because you actually duplicate your layer. Now let's say you don't have a lot of memory in your left hope or in your computer, and your computer is getting a little bit slower because old age, what you can do is the following. Just create an empty layer. So go to new layer and anti. And now you see that the document size didn't grow, and what I can do now is, for example, take my healing brush and simple old layers. Now you can do current layer current and below or old layers, and this is pretty cool because now, because it's on old layers, what I can do is actually just take this effect here out. And if you take note off the document size, you see that it only grows very, very slowly. And that's because we're working on an empty lay and I'm gonna show you in a minute. What we actually did go. Okay, So what did I do? I actually only did this. So that's why the document only grew from 2412264 Now, especially on a lesser machines are a way of a little bit less power. This saves you a lot of time and speed on your machine. So let's say that you don't want it completely out in this case I do. But you can always change the opacity to give it a little bit of structure back. But in this case, we wanted real surreal. Look, that really surreal. Look yet. Okay, that's a real look. There we go. Okay, now, sometimes when you re touch skin and you can also see that here, it doesn't really flat on out the way that you want. There's a little bit of blood itchiness in the skin, maybe, or it's a little bit off color change. There's one simple trick, and that's also part of the skin retouching. If you really want to smooth like here again. We're not going for a Barbie doll, but we're certainly not going for a normal skin. Look, I really want to totally flett. And that's why I do this tutorial on this video. Because normally of course, we want to have forcing. They didn't make any sense to do another tutorial on that, But in this case, we really wanted this flat as possible to give you that surreal look almost like a machine . Okay, so this part over here has to be a little bit more smooth. Now, if you run into problems like that too, there's one simple solution. Don't go into your clone tool on 100% and just clung the heck out of it. No go very, very low, like on maybe 10% of nothing more. Open it up just a little bit to make your brush wider and not just simple. And just like you're massaging the problems away, you can see it but always follow the lines off the face. So if you know that some some bone somewhere, some bone structure follow those lines because then it will look natural. Although, of course, this is far from natural. But you know what I mean, right? Just make sure you follow the lines off the face. No. Okay. And a devil. It, like the welcome, really, really helps here, because otherwise this is really difficult to do. You can also use your press sensitivity to make this a little bit more flexible. Okay, so now we really have nice, almost completely white skin and again the stakes a little bit more time, then by just cloning the heck out of it. But it just it gives you way better. Look. Okay, Another problem gets light. Hardly indicates light. So let's fix that. Take your clung to give it 100%. And now it have to do is just go in here. Take that catch light, Let's say on the dot and just aiming here. There you go. Now, if there wasn't any cats like there, I will show you also how you can do that. So let's say there's no cats. Right? So let's just take that gets light out. And this just looks weird, right? A dark eye and a perfectly lit I know what some people will do is to following they make a new layer when they do this, they take a brush with white paint and 100% of course. And they will just painting a catch light. Sure, you have to do it with white. Of course, just painting gets light like this. Now, in all honesty, it just doesn't look right for me. So what? I normally do it if I really have to do it like this. And I can't clone, for example, from year, because there are no cats lights. And let me put it first, make sure you have cats lights when you do the photo shoot for the very simple reason if you if you just pain to me and it never is 100% natural. So let's say I painted in now. What I will do is I will always take do you raise her tool, and I will, for example, just cut off the top part Hope. Make sure that it's a little bit harder than it is now. I always have, my brother said. I'm very soft, but in this case medium hard. Just cut it off like this and just create some some form sweeter that you can see here and that makes the catch light a little bit. Mawr like. Okay, this is a cat's light, and it's not just a brushstroke. Okay, we get now, we have another problem, and that's actually the hand over here. It's a little bit more yellow than the face, right? So how do you solve that? Well, you can do a few things, Let me show you. We can go into a new layer and then we have to remember how it looked. And then we go into you. In such rate US. Situation lowered situation a little bit changed to you. Lower the situation. There we go now. Use a layer mosque. Do we lay a mask high? It'll take a brush, and this is not the way to do it, by the way, and then paint effect in. It works. But you have to remember, how do you original emits looks and that can be a little bit of a problem, especially when we're getting older just getting guys okay, so let's make a duplicate layer for now. Let's do the following take you brush and put it on color mode. I don't do it in 100% but let's say I'm 50% or so Now simple one off the colors that you like, for example, in her face and now just painted in with the color brush. And this is a way better method because now I can actually see immediately in the entry salt how it's gonna look. So don't have to remember anything and fine tuned later on. I could just paint it in and look at the difference. That's a huge difference. This is way easier now. That's about it for this. So now I literally have my image the way that I like it. There's only one thing off course. We want to make the image a little bit more interesting, and we also had some images that had way more noise than this one. But I also want my whole Siri's to look about the same. So I use a filter called Alien skin Exposure. But you can also use Lumina or D XO film pick whatever you guys like, But in this case, we're going to do alien skin. Let's track it to this monitor. There we go now for this one. I actually created a new preset and let me find it and different lights. Okay? And as you consider, there's not really a lot of change. It's just very, very solo now. Why did I do this? Well, if you zoom in, you can actually see what I did. So let's go toe one on one. And now let's do it before and after. So there's a little bit of a change in the skin. But most of all, what you see, we look very carefully is that there's a very, very slight layer off noise. You see that, especially when you look here around her chin or cheek area and let's do it before no noise . And here this is actually not noise, by the way. We call this grain because noises bad grain is cool. So this is green and per image. I actually changed the grain strengths off with this one. I would maybe at a little bit more to the highlights to give that skin a little bit more sense of real nous like there are pours in there. But she's still pure white, like that machine. Look, it's going because totally, totally fled just nothing. In real life, it's totally flat. Unless, of course, it's also reflects light and our skin needs a little bit of structure for that to make it look. Morial, There we go, OK, And maybe taken out a little bit in the shadow areas. Now, if you have a lot in the sharers like this, it looks like very high I s O or badly exposed film or whatever. So make sure if you do stuff like this that in the shadow areas you're very careful about the noise. Don't take it out completely, but just added in a little bit because then it will blend together with the noise from your camera and create a little bit more of an arch look. And the mid tones there you can play around a little bit more. Just find an area. That's why assuming on the face so I can see all the different areas off where migraine actually affects the total image and add a little bit to the highlight. There we go show you for before and after. Let's go to full screen now fit and before an officer. And this is actually all I did for a worthy images on this instructional video, I use the same setting an 80 and skin exposure. I only changed the noise. So the more noise the camera had, For example, on I s 0 64,000 with snakes or the the light troops. I just raised the race. The noise just a little bit more to make it more look like grain or film or whatever. It's more feeling, Um, okay, Crop twice. I want to keep the same aspect, Rachel, because all these images, of course, have to be in the video. So normally I'm a little bit more like OK, I will just cropped away that I like it, But in this case, we wanted to keep the same aspect ratio. So that's why you originally expected nature can be selected here in the crop tool. Normally, I would have done ratio, so I can just do whatever I want as you can see here. But in this case, we choose original ratio because it was for a video, and I like it a little bit closer now. Normally, I would actually group it more like this to really draw your eyes into Theo area off her face here. But in all honesty, because I really like the head piece I shut it a little bit wider than normally. So and I also included some off the hands and it actually made it possible for me to include also the top off the head and just created like this. Okay, the only thing I have to do is safe, and I'm done. Hey, guys, if you could see photo show, it's You could make it as crazy as you want. But I hope with the simple tips you actually know how I retouched all the images on this video. Now, some infants images. Of course, I took away from cables or edit a little bit more grain or a little bit less. But overall, all the images were retouched exactly the same way with exactly the same plugging. Hey, guys, Thank you so very much for watching. And I hope you enjoy this material.