Sony HVL-RL1 Lighting Guide - a lighting and lighting accessories - Page 17

one flash, two lights Being able to place the flash separate from the camera opens a world of creative possibilities. We now have better control over the location, amount and direction of the artificial light added to our images. With the flash on the camera, this photograph looks flat with harsh shadows. Now, let's remove the flash from the camera and position if elsewhere. The cloth diffuser was able to reduce the shadows, but the right side of the subject's face is not as illuminated as her left side. To address this, we simply placed a white reflective card on the right of the subject. We now have a single wireless flash illuminating a white cloth to create diffused light on one side of the subject, which then reflects off of a white card to illuminate both sides of the subject's face. This gives us a nice soft light with depth and costs no more than a single flash and a bit of ingenuity. On-camera flash Off-camera bounce flash, diffuser, reflector 2:1 Light ratio Different levels of light on your subject can highlight detail and make your photograph more interesting. These are expressed as ratios. In this photograph there are two light sources; one direct (Key Light) and one reflected (Fill Light). The direct light is about twice as strong as the reflected light. Therefore we have a light ratio of 2:1. 32 SETUP 03 Off-camera Flash Basics What is it? A technique used to create a studio looking shot with two indirect light sources. How to use it? •Set the camera and flash to wireless 01 •Position the flash on one side of your subject •Aim the flash at your subject through a white diffuser or simply use a piece of white 02 linen with translucent qualities like a tablecloth •Place a reflector or reflective surface on the other side of your subject Where to use it? When you only have one flash, but want to create a studio looking shot with two indirect light sources. Commonly used for portrait or product shots to get a 2:1 ratio. 01 Flash HVL-60M for adjustable power and Quick Shift maneuverability. Attached to included stand for easy wireless positioning. 02 Diffuser White linen tablecloth. Translucent quality allows for diffused soft light to pass through and increase the size of our light source. 03 Bounce Card 3' x 2' sheet of white foam core board. Off-camera Setup For an even softer light, we moved the position of both the flash and white cloth. The flash still hits the white cloth first, but then it bounces off of the reflective surface behind it. 33