Protrait Assignment Advice - Shooting at Night

9wetfckx43j5rg · 16-11-2009 4:32am #1

Hi there guys.

Alright so I'm currently working on a portraiture assignment set by my lecturer.

I have have one session done, and am planning the next within the next two days and need advice.

I'm going to be shooting one of my friends and due to our timetables it's going to have to be a night shoot!

So I want to make it work, shooting at night with a model does anyone have any ideas, advice?

I don't have studio equipment, anyone know anything that can be substituted for studio lights on the cheap.

Does anyone know of any photographers work I can use as research/inspiration?

This pic is all I could find : http://www.olsen-twins-news.com/show/ashley-olsen-meets-the-dark-side---photoshoot-for-v-man-magazine-ashley-olsen-olsen-twins-news-29dee965dd8a27d724180dad5778aec7.jpg

smelltheglove · 16-11-2009 10:59am

Thats a gorgeous picture, have you any/many flashes? This could be done easy enough using flashes and triggers, I am intending on doing one myself soon, you could go outoor and get something nice and spooky.

9wetfckx43j5rg · 16-11-2009 6:33pm

Afraid not, the only flash I have is the one the comes with the camera!

I'm thinking of messing around with lamps, torches and sparklers?

smelltheglove · 16-11-2009 9:06pm

I'm in Lucan, are you close by? I wouldnt mind lending some to you if you promise to take good care, I only have the triggers a couple of weeks now, maybe even tag along and show you how they work.

9wetfckx43j5rg · 16-11-2009 10:49pm

Not really, I'm in Swords! That's very kind of you but I've left it too late, my assignment is due in on Thurs so I'm going to be shooting tomorrow!

Thanks so much though, If only I'd posted this last week!

smelltheglove · 16-11-2009 11:03pm

Ah well, ok so youtube it, home lighting kits etc and you should get loads of tutorials, halogen lamps are nice and bright. I took shots recently for musicians and I actually used the changing room and lavatory of a local gaa club and the pictures worked brilliantly, the lads went into the room and the head honcho said to me 'Rachel I can't envision what you are seeing here but I know you can so we'll go with it' and it was worth it, came out with great edgy shots, some facilities have really bright lights too if you go for that direction.

I also love very soft portraits looking out windows, I wonder will you be able to get some daylight shots? A nice image of a girl looking out the window pulling back a net curtain could work. Or if you go outdoors you may be able to work with the pop up flash, in a nice setting. You can cover with masking tape or tissue paper to soften the light.

I feel bad I didnt offer equipment sooner, if you change your mind let me know. I'll be south city tomorrow afternoon.

uprising · 16-11-2009 11:43pm

Use a tripod/wall/something solid, RAW if possible, tell your friend to STAY STILL, try different exposures, use available light, tungsten setting if available for jpeg if thats all you can shoot with your camera.
Find your starting exposure and bracket up and down a few shots, some with flash some without, EXPERIMENT !, and take as many pics as possible.

Sleepy · 17-11-2009 12:14am

An idea I've been tempted to try but haven't gotten around to yet:

Pose your model extremely still in a dark room and light paint her with a torch.

9wetfckx43j5rg · 17-11-2009 12:40am

Thanks a mil for all the advice and what do you mean by light paint?

Sleepy · 17-11-2009 1:01am

A long exposure and no other source of light but the torch, write something on her, light parts of her but not others etc.

The use of light drawing with long exposures is being done to death in commercial advertising photography and I think this could be an interesting twist on it...

9wetfckx43j5rg · 17-11-2009 1:04am

Hmm I'll def look into that.

Lol now I'm trying to think what I could write on her.

sineadw · 17-11-2009 9:46am

http://pix.ie/darreng/1145972/in/album/350527

Best example of light painting I've seen in ages

Might be difficult to get with just one person painting, but you could do something like this:
http://pix.ie/darreng/1145969/in/album/350527 pretty easily, and it looks good. That's what I'd be going for, given your time frame/equipment. You'll need a tripod though, or at least put the camera on a wall or something and use the timer so you don't move the camera when you depress the shutter.

Good luck! And post up what you get. What college are you in?

Sleepy · 17-11-2009 10:10am

Maybe I was using the wrong term... I'm more thinking of setting the camera on a tripod and using a narrow beam torch to paint light onto the model from an off camera position i.e. the camera recording the parts of the subject that the beam is pointed at rather than the torch light itself...

sineadw · 17-11-2009 10:42am

It can mean both

9wetfckx43j5rg · 17-11-2009 1:55pm

Thanks all gonna try everything later today. Was messing around practicing last night with a torch but I think it was too powerful as it just kind of blurrly lit up the room instead of beam. Will post the results of tonight later!

Oh and I got my new tripod which I'm very happy about

9wetfckx43j5rg · 15-12-2009 11:16pm

I know it's been ages since I did this but I promised to upload my results so here's the two images I ended up using.
I have condensed them alot to make the upload smaller, so the quality is poorer