FOCUS mag cover: Greenberg tech question

[Dave Wooten]

In looking at some of the Greenberg child and animal photos I notice 3 catch lights (in addition to back lighting).

1. In each case the front center light is lower and seems to be a ring light? Is it?

2. Are the two "side lights" seen in the catch lights, both or either umbrellas, or is one side different than the other.

These are seen quite prominently in the cover photo of the august 2008 issue and the featured Greenberg section "Manipulating Reality"

thanks for any insight here.

Dave in Vegas

[QT Luong]

According to Mark Tucker, her formula is: "ringlight-fill-with-hotter-keylight-with-two-sidelight-hotter-rims"

[Dave Wooten]

Thanks QT I thought it might be a ring light, (in catch lights it looks like a ring light) .

So, the "front and center light is a fill and is a ring light, in the photos I am looking at it is also the lowest positioned light....the side lights result on the photo I am looking at are indeed much hotter almost to "blow out" detail on the side cheeks.

The sides seem to be umbrellas, or? One seems to be a different configuration than the other.

[D. Bryant]

In looking at some of the Greenberg child and animal photos I notice 3 catch lights (in addition to back lighting).

1. In each case the front center light is lower and seems to be a ring light? Is it?

2. Are the two "side lights" seen in the catch lights, both or either umbrellas, or is one side different than the other.

These are seen quite prominently in the cover photo of the august 2008 issue and the featured Greenberg section "Manipulating Reality"

thanks for any insight here.

Dave in Vegas
Warning! This thread is Lounge fodder! Can we move this thread there now!

Don Bryant

[David A. Goldfarb]

Either that, or the moderators can keep it on the topic of lighting techniques, which I agree are pretty formulaic in her case--she's got basically one thing, which Mark Tucker describes. It's kind of like the classic setup, which I think is called the "arrow" in Hollywood parlance (two key lights behind the subject, one on either side), with a ringlight fill and a background light.

[Dave Wooten]

Either that, or the moderators can keep it on the topic of lighting techniques, which I agree are pretty formulaic in her case--she's got basically one thing, which Mark Tucker describes. It's kind of like the classic setup, which I think is called the "arrow" in Hollywood parlance (two key lights behind the subject, one on either side), with a ringlight fill and a background light.


thanks Professor....I have never seen ring light used in this manner....so here is my final question...and I have no interest in providing fodder for lounge, (In Vegas we go there to drink, and so do I)

What are the the two main sides (Keys) are they the same? Simple question.

Call me if you are in town (Vegas or Key West) the first one is on me.

[David A. Goldfarb]

Hollywood style the two main lights on the sides would be fresnel spots, but I suspect she's just using strobes in a smallish reflector to get that effect.

[Dave Wooten]

Ok update, I think I found my answer. What are the "side lights" when you look in the catch lights you see a black circle not at all unlike the one in the center light which is a ring light....I thought maybe all were ring lights...not so gentle persons...QT was correct-

There is a sample of her shoot of the bear on youtube (I dont know how to share it here).

1. The ring light is NOT on the camera! It is on its own stand in the center--

2. The two "sides" are also in front left and right and are large (4 ft or more) silver umbrellas. What creates the round black circle in these catch lights which are not unlike those produced by the ring light is the 11 or so inch aluminum reflectors on the strobes bounced into the silver reflector....the obverses of the aluminum reflectors are painted or anodized black, body of the strobes are also black, thus the perfect circle...

3. The camera is hand held - RZ 67 (I think) - and often is BELOW the ring light.

4. Lens, long macro....

[David A. Goldfarb]

Here's a video of her shoot with Lebron James--

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GexMZt_Nf4&feature=related

You can see she's using two key lights in small reflectors behind the subject on either side of the background to produce the highlights on either side of the head, and they're flagged off with black curtains to minimize spillover. The lights in the silver reflectors plus the ring light all over the camera are fill, and then there's a spot in there somewhere for the background.

Looks like she's shooting a tethered Hasselblad H1 in this one.

[Dave Wooten]

Thanks again Dave, the one I found was the photo shoot with the bear.

The ring light is in the Lebron shoot also, I nearly missed it, up on a boom...of course, Lebron is up, waay up!

[Brian_A]

Cool video. Interesting for a non-studio type of guy to watch.

-Brian

[QT Luong]

Here's more (including the photo shoot with the bear):

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2007/10/jill-greenbergs-lighting-setups-laid.html

The beginning of the Stefani video is particularly revealing.