Feat. the NANlite Pavotube 30c & Forza500
Continuous lights, RGB lights, maybe the best way to improve your lighting skills!
Jennifer Morelle (Toulouse I France) CANON EOS R5 - RF50mm f1.2 1/80sec f/1.2 ISO 200
I completely changed the way I light my subjects recently. This doesn’t mean this will be my method from now on. It’s temporary for sure but it might make me rethink the gear I bring with me to future sessions. I made a few of these recently, and I decided to share with you my findings. During this session with Jennifer, we played and tried different color combinations, and after watching the behind-the-scenes video, you will quickly notice I often work around certain specific colors. But the most important lesson I’ve learned during this photoshoot wasn’t much my choice of colors, but the way I placed my lights. It's crazy how much more precise you can be when each one of your lights has a distinctive color. The problem with white light is that in the end, you don’t see clearly how your lights overlap each other when you are using multiple sources. With colors, it’s a totally different story. Especially with continuous lights. While you shoot you see the effect, you see exactly how your lights behave, how they fall on your subject’s face. You see the hard/ soft shadows, where the transitions are, where they mix, and so on. First, I placed my lights like I always do and started shooting. I soon realized I needed to fine-tune my lighting placement because the angles and direction of some of my lights were not right. Something that takes me much more time to realize and change with strobes.
Jennifer Morelle (Toulouse I France) CANON EOS R5 - RF50mm f1.2 1/80sec f/1.2 ISO 200
I am using 2 Pavotubes 30c by NANlite and the Forza 500 like in my previous tiny home sessions. I am still working with a cheap cloth that acts as a backdrop and all this in my tiny living room… Yes anyone can do this at home. We then improvised with the light placements, colors, with and without catch light in the eyes.
Jennifer Morelle (Toulouse I France) CANON EOS R5 - RF50mm f1.2 1/80sec f/1.2 ISO 200
For those dark portraits on a dark backdrop, I often ask my models to close their eyes on a few shots. When using Three lights, I place both Pavotube led lights on the side or in the back and use the Froza500 with the fresnel and a colored gel on the front.
Jennifer Morelle (Toulouse I France) CANON EOS R5 - RF50mm f1.2 1/80sec f/1.2 ISO 200
We also played with color temperatures. I usually set my main light in front is at 5600k and on the sides, we are at 2700k
Jennifer Morelle (Toulouse I France) CANON EOS R5 - RF50mm f1.2 1/80sec f/1.2 ISO 200
If you are hesitating between using flashes and gels and RGB led lights ask yourself only these 2 questions:
Will you have total control of your ambient light in your studio?
And do you wish to capture fast-moving subjects?
If you want to freeze movement, for example, you will need a ton of power, so if you want to avoid bumping your ISO to insane levels strobes are your best bet unless you can afford bigger and more powerful RGB led lights.
If fast movement is not in your plans, and if you are starting out, and wish to play with colors, I would strongly recommend using continuous RGB lights if you can. You will actually see what you do, exploring and experimenting will be much easier and you will quickly have decent images.
Jennifer Morelle (Toulouse I France) CANON EOS R5 - RF50mm f1.2 1/80sec f/1.2 ISO 200
I am now ready to take these portraits a little further, my journey has just begun. If you are interested in the Amazing lights I used for these sessions here they are listed down below:
PAVOTUBE 30c PAVOTUBE single Tube holder PAVOTUBE Double PavoTube Double Bank T12 LED Tube Gooseneck Mount Barndoor + Eggcrate FORZA 500 Fresnel REMOTE
Jennifer Morelle (Toulouse I France) CANON EOS R5 - RF50mm f1.2 1/80sec f/1.2 ISO 200
If you missed my other videos about the PAVOTUBE RGB led lights:
Comments