Experimenting with Aperture/Shutter Speed/ISO in studio environment (continuous lighting), need opinions.?

Question

So my nephew came over today because I had to watch him, and he agreed to pose for me so I could do some experimenting.

Here's my two shots, the first is what a pro I talked to told me to try, and the last is what I eventually worked it down to.

f/8 1/60 200
http://img406.imageshack.us/my.php?image=860jx6.png

f/2.8 1/10 100
http://img512.imageshack.us/my.php?image=f2810ut3.png

Equipment:
Tripod
DIY Softbox (Fill)
Reflecting Umbrella (Key)
Hairlight, and background light
All full spectrum lights.
Camera: Kodak EasyShare Z650 Digital SLR

Thanks in advanced for the opinions! And helping out an ameteur! :)

Yes, my lights are weak. They are just store bought florescent full spectrum bulbs in individual sockets, 1 bulb per light.

Answer 1

Well so much for your friend the "pro". The only problem I have with what you did is the ISO change. Had you left it at 200 the exposure you worked out would have been f4 @ 1/10 or f2.8 @ 1/20. Since your "model' was able to sit still as well as he did f4 would have been slightly better quality-wise. At ISO 400 your exposures would have been f5.6 @ 1/10 or f4 @ 1/20. Image quality at f5.6 would be even better.

Keep experimenting and practicing.

Answer 2

There are a lot of things you could do to improve this picture.

I agree that you should have increased the ISO setting, but I would have gone to 1600 (if the camera is capable.) This will introduce noise, but we'll deal with that in a minute. If you had used 1600 as your setting, your aperture/shutter combination would be ƒ2.8/@ 1/160 or ƒ4@ 1/80 (You could even go to ƒ5.6 @ 1/40 but I don't recommend it - most people cannot sit as still as your nephew.) The higher shutter speeds should eliminate shake and as digital renders the image much more sharply than film you can get away with a wider aperture.

Now, the lighting itself. From the glare in his eyes, I can tell the main light was directly in front of him. Try this instead. Use the light without the umbrella to light the background. Put the light far enough away from the sheet that the light spreads out evenly behind the subject. This light should be one to two stops brighter than the subject (so your meter should read ƒ 5.6 @1/160.) Set the subject well away from this light and at a good distance from the backdrop. Then use the softbox at 45 degrees off of his face. Use a fill card (big white card) on the other side of his face. Use the hairlight to further seperate his head from the background. This will introduce some shadow area in his face and make the image more interesting.

Now, about the noise. Some of the most beautiful, interesting portraits I've ever seen were shot with 3200 ISO film, pushed to 6400. Pushing film increases grain. You can treat the noise in the image just like grain, and even use post processing techniques to emphasize it further. A technical limitation can almost always be turned into an aesthetic advantage. So, while many people would not think of taking a portrait at this ISO, go for it. If you want to shoot at a lower ISO, you will need higher wattage lighting.

Keep shooting and have loads of fun! Good start!

Answer 3

1/10 of a second is too slow for a really sharp portrait. You may use a speed that slow for effect, but it is certainly unorthodox for portraits. The subject will move slightly, no matter how hard they try to avoid it, and will introduce a degree of motion blur.

For this reason, ISO 100 is not appropriate for that light condition, unless you're going for a softer effect. I would suggest moving to minimum ISO 400, which would give you 1/40sec at the same aperture. Any decrease in quality introduced by the grain will be more than offset by the sharpness introduced by the shutter speed. Increasing the ISO further will buy you either faster shutter or more DOF (f-stops).

Any "pro" that told you to try certain settings without considering the lighting conditions isn't much of a pro.

Your lights aren't very well powered to be using modifiers like softboxes. Consider purchasing some old Vivitar flashes (283, 285) off eBay along with some wireless slaves to experiment with studio style lighting. Look at strobist.blogspot.com for further info.

Answer 4

The combination of exposure variables is based on the amount of light that you are shooting under. Since you are using continous lighting (hot lights) your camera should give you and acurate metering. It must have shown that your were like 4 stops underexposed on the first one.

Anyway, continuing, your goal should be at least: f/8, 1/125, ISO 100. Or faster shutter or tighter aperture. The reason for this is that is some cases you will want to stop down to f/16 or have enough light to stop a candid or to overexpose for a high-key effect. You'll need some stronger lights.

Answer 5

Definitely check out Alien Bees. Their lights are affordable and they just work. Customer service is second to none. You don't have to buy everything at once, and you may be better off starting with one light, mastering it, then adding additional lights as needed, but AB offers progressively increasing discounts on their accessories when purchasing multiple lights so you might want to check with them first. Your budget would allow you get a really nice studio setup. Also check out their White Lightning series of lights. They are a little more expensive (still very affordable when compared to some of the other brands), but offer higher wattages and have aluminum bodies. Don't forget some good quality light stands, backgrounds and light modifiers (umbrellas, soft boxes)

Answer 6

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Answer 7

Type for different Websites....SUNNY RULE 16 FOR PHOTOGRAPHY for lighting at different apertures and shutter speeds.