Lighting Techniques

[benjikan]

I have been asked on several occasions about different light techniques I employ.  Please find attached a couple of interviews in French that were in Photo Magazine France on two separate occasions.  I you can't read French you can use a computer generated translator. If not I will try to answer your queries...

Cheers
Ben

I'll post them one by one left hand first to rright hand

[benjikan]

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[KHEXT]

Heh, you suggest put this JPEG via OCR and after via computerized translator? IMHO a bit of trouble. I rather get a book.

[manual_focus]

I had my son translate as much as he could, (the font size was pretty small in the printout).  The first part of the article talks about the history of Benjamin.  Started out as an architectural student, had a bad accident, meet a beautiful woman, etc.

The lighting technique takes two assistants, uses 1/8 sec flash, and talc.?

I make no pretense of accuracy in the translation.

From the pictures it looks like light from a window coming into a dark room.  If you are using flash it must take some time to work out the specifics as the light is highly focused and not being able to pre-see it would be difficult.  Why flash?

Overall, the mood of the images reminds me somewhat of Helmut Newton.

Care to give a brief synopsis of the lighting technique used?  How do you get soft light so focused?

[benjikan]

I had my son translate as much as he could, (the font size was pretty small in the printout).  The first part of the article talks about the history of Benjamin.  Started out as an architectural student, had a bad accident, meet a beautiful woman, etc.

The lighting technique takes two assistants, uses 1/8 sec flash, and talc.?

I make no pretense of accuracy in the translation.

From the pictures it looks like light from a window coming into a dark room.  If you are using flash it must take some time to work out the specifics as the light is highly focused and not being able to pre-see it would be difficult.  Why flash?

Overall, the mood of the images reminds me somewhat of Helmut Newton.

Care to give a brief synopsis of the lighting technique used?  How do you get soft light so focused?

Very GOOD question..How do you get soft light so focused?

I want you to think about it and realize the conflict in terms, but so true.  Very observant.  Well done. I'm not being evasive.  Just want you to use the old grey (gray) matter.

[faber]

benjikan.. are you challenging us to guess how you did that?

My try:
you have a softbox and you put something in between the light and the subject

is it right or I haven't really understood manual_focus' queston?

[manual_focus]

Here are my thoughts.

To get the focussed light that are in you images, but keep them soft.  You first have to generated soft light.  Assuming artificial lights, some form of diffuser, (talc? or the normal softbox, etc.).  From the look of your images I would guess the light has to go through some smaller opening with perhaps multiple reflectors behind the opening so you don't lose so much of the original light?

However you do it, and I'd be interested in know how. Its an interesting idea.  My reading of lighting books, and my meager attempts at it, they generally just stop at trying to make soft light, with little attempt at managing it beyond that point.  They usually use simple light fall-off to provide interest.

 

[benjikan]

I will only say this...Breaking mirrors is not always bad luck...

Ben

[Joshua Hakin]

Hmmm, I suppose if you use a mirror to reflect light from a large softbox it WOULD mimmick a window with natural light!
Is that the deal here?

[benjikan]

WWWWHHHHYYYYYYY a soft box...Please throw that thing away...Please..Soft-boxes are not being used as often as one might think.  Just imagine this.  How can you re-create 50 light sources from one and be able to direct them where you want?

I am not letting you off easy.  I won't give this one away.  I was able to copyright this baby in 1987...Believe me it was a Eureka..

[Joshua Hakin]

...Please throw that thing away...

No problem, I don't even have one.

Don't tell me you are using natural light!
Setting up mirrors to direct it??
That's the best I can come up with

[srk7282]

Strong light source pointed away and reflected back to specific spots with multiple mirrors?  Are you using the destruction of light by controlling the angles of incidence?  This is the appearance to me.  Strong areas of no interference, soft area of interference, and dark areas of destructive interference.

[srk7282]

Would add that I say strong light source because of the intensity of light in the shadow near her right arm of the second picture. 

[benjikan]

Strong light source pointed away and reflected back to specific spots with multiple mirrors?  Are you using the destruction of light by controlling the angles of incidence?  This is the appearance to me.  Strong areas of no interference, soft area of interference, and dark areas of destructive interference.

BINGO....

[KhoKing]

benjikan,

This is really new to me and I am truly amaze! Do you have a shot of the scenery with the mirrors shown? I am quite curious as how the actual setup is