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Live Shoot: Four Light Set Up

Lesson 3 from: Capturing Multiple Looks In Your Portrait Sessions

Victoria Will

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Lesson Info

3. Live Shoot: Four Light Set Up

Next Lesson: Culling Selects

Lesson Info

Live Shoot: Four Light Set Up

So you want to tell everyone your name? Oh, honey, here we go. Tell us about yourself A little. Where you from? My name's Oh, honey Morris, Andi from South America And now live in New Jersey. Welcome. Thanks for being here. All right, so I'm gonna put this down over here. All right? So based off what I see right now, your outfit, I'm gonna bring you over to the set. This is actually our mark right here. I love. So he walked in, as most of your subjects will do in an outfit. Sometimes you want them to change. Sometimes you don't. I love what he's wearing and I think it reads very G Q, Right. Very sharp. Love the shoes, by the way, Just saying so. I think I'm gonna start you over here. And what I've done is, um I've set up to lights that are lighting this background, and now I have two lights here. This is my key light. And then this is someone of a Philips giving a little bit more shape. A lot of people at home are writing right now. Why is this not facing my subject? Because that's wha...

t everybody asks me. They think it's a dog and pony show over here. But this is actually I like the saw the light coming from the side of this modifier better than any other part of it. The middle is very hot. It's secular, and this becomes very soft. So that's why it's where it is. And what I'm gonna do is before we start, I'm gonna can we turn off these two and just do the background and then do one of each? So I'm going to sort of show you the building block process, and I'm gonna have you have a seat while we do this. Perfect. Okay, so what, David no will do while I'm working is tell me the things that I can't really pay attention to because I'm here. So what does your name mean? That's what I would like to know. OK, Chief. Terrific. I love that. All right, So I'm going to take a first portrait right here. That's just the background. So we'll be able to see. Yeah, So the key light is off. So now we know. And so you know, if you can turn on the key way so we can see how that looks. And then just to compare. Thank you and then yes, please. Now we'll show you this one. Are you gonna turn off the two back ones? Turn off back. Think. Yeah, Exactly. Great. I love you looking down there. That's great. We'll have to come back to that when I have actual. So we're actually getting We're definitely getting full from this window. Um, but you can see the background. So I already loved this too. So I'm gonna come back here soon, Right? And I have no exposure adjustments on here right now. Correct. So one of the things that's great about having digital Jack is that he'll tell me when my photos aren't sharp. Because sometimes that happens to us. All right? And so he what? You are best local. It's difficult sometimes because you tell the photographers it's not sharp, is not sharp. It so negative. So I just tell Victoria and, like, give me the best focus, which I Because if I have clients on set, I won't want them to hear that I'm not my You know, the image wasn't sharp. Maybe I'm shooting someone jumping right, so that's difficult to get tack sharp every time. So if there's one that I really loved, he'll check. Make sure that it's tack sharp and if not, also let's try that again. So there's a cream communication that's happening back here, that sort of secret to the client, and these guys always tend to be one step ahead of me. In fact, they're also afraid to talk to her. Sometimes to talk to you. They'll say little things to me. I have to come over and tell you, or I give them like you should go tell her that that would be good for her help that you need to tell me. That's definitely that is true is particularly with. I'm sure it's the same for you guys, not in a commercial capacity. But if you know you. I know you have people who hire you to take porches of them. They might be nervous to tell you that they think that they look too tall or, you know, or they don't look telling that they look too short, so you can see this is gorgeous. I love everything about this. Sorry to bring it back here, but I saw it, and so I would go like this. Don't move. I love it. Are we all on now? Terrific. So that I'm curious to see how the light hitting his foot read. So I'm gonna actually Can You screwed up so I can see this monitor is, um, the one I'm looking at over here is a little bit more accurate. It's a little more calories A little just that I can see. Of course. We have sunlight on their I might move us out of the way I love, So I'm gonna go ahead and shoot here. I love this is really lovely eyes right to me. Perfect. It's a no just flag to delight on his foot without even asking me Because he knew what I was going for. We'd have that conversation. I haven't done a great car. Get on this too. We don't really need. Looks good to start with, but it be a good thing to try. Okay, Whenever you're ready, let's do that. Has worked with great cards, color carbs. I own one, and I only use them when I'm working with my tech because it really is helpful for later on and retouching beautiful. So I love where you're sitting. How's, uh how's that stools? Comfortable? Let me have you bring your eyes with turn your body a little bit more great to see how Knowles just moving that key light so I don't have to think about it. He's watching this. Kate, can you lean a little bit more forward on the chair? Yeah. This feels like a watch at I love it. What's the watch That Movado are forever. Did you do a lot of, uh, commercial modeling? Yeah. Terrific. I'm gonna see you on a billboard soon. Beautiful. What's the, uh, the photo shoot that you're most proud of so far? Fitness. Terrific. You can see what Dave's doing back here. He's checking my focus. He's looking to see all the things that I'm normally have to worry about. But here I can really just talk, So I love Oh, that was great to see how you just turned her by this thing and exaggerated. Look bad way. Keep your legs or they are. And look off that let you stay there. I'm gonna go in head up even more. I loved it. Yeah, sort of exaggerated. Just in that fashion moment. Yeah, There you go. I love that laugh. So very nice. Maybe bring a hand up to your face to sort of Yeah. Maybe you're maybe you're scratching the back of your neck. Yeah. There we go. We have a G Q model in the house. You guys write Terrific. Worried about the seat, The seamless folded all and some of those. Seamus is not bothering much good. Thank you. If itwas then we would sweep it out. But I like how this is. You know, we're seeing the scene. It's raw. I love that. Go in and tuck that. Put that jacket on. Kind of taken off. Button it. Unbutton it. Great. Let's actually have you stand to do this. So we have you pull that out. Not my talent. Um, in the hands was more of not. Not so much that this that that creases involving Udal, Do you wanna deal with it? Post? We could. Now I think we're okay. So he's referring Teoh and making sure that I see this crease right here. You can sort of see it if I was shooting for a newspaper or a magazine that required didn't allow retouching, which there are a lot. I would fix it right now, but because I'm shooting something that, to me feels more fashion I would be able to retouch. So I would just clone that out if we were If I had a very short period of time. Thank you. There. I'm just grabbing my water. If it was a short period of time, I absolutely would not, um, stop to do that unless it was ruining my picture. And then I would So I appreciate you asking me. So up to the mark. Perfect. All right. So I love what you were doing with the arm up. So let's do some more of that. Yep. Beautiful. So you guys see how the lights totally dropped right now, but my lights not affected, right? While sometimes you're shooting with that light, and then it changes, so you have to be ready. And if we were using it as a highlight or whatnot, Noel could add a silver card for reflector to sort of open it up. But I love how it's looking right now, So go ahead and kind of move around this way. I actually like, let me have you switch hands to the other hand, but still facing. That's it. And look this Look to the right there. Go. Great. And now go free. Feel free to shift your weight and move there. Yeah, guys, Queue. Editorial. Right here. Excellent. So maybe try toe button at an unbutton, Nick. Good looking here again. Horizontal that have to remember. Beautiful. That's great. Fantastic. What if you take two steps back and then walk into your mark so I can see? All right, go ahead. Good. Even one there. That's great. Loved. Very nice. And go ahead. None. Button. Perfect. So let's go out. I feel like I have this right. We've been shooting just for a couple minutes, but I love that. I would do that to my guy. We think we got this, Joe, because that's what happens. All right? The subject. I put my camera down and they go, so let's change this light up. Where, um let's kill the back lights and just see what this looks like. So if I was shooting with someone where I didn't have time, it would be I would've had this all dialed in before, but right, But with the subjects that you're working with. I think they're, um when people are hiring Teoh, take their head shot, for example, or they need new tinder profile pictures. I don't know, but they call you and they say We want to pay you to make some images. They want a variety, right? So I think people are willing. Teoh, stand here and be patient. If this if you were celebrity, his publicist would have ripped him out of the room like we're down. We got what we needed, but I think it's all part of It's an open collaboration. So I would say, You know, I'm actually moving the lights around. I'm gonna make it a little bit more sleek, little more dramatic. So let's see how it goes to Dave's point about being negative on Set. I think it's a terrible idea. I'm think if something is not working, I never say that. I just say, Let's move on, though I think we've got this. Let's try. You know, you just have to get my energy is dictating, uh, the energy for everyone in the room. There's always that that pressure to stay positive sometimes I'm sweating on the inside like really sweating bullets but I just don't show it. Because in the end, I know I'm going to get it. Um, it's just a matter. You know, how I'm gonna get. There is just gonna be a little bit different than I planned. So let's check test here. See how this is looking to see that monitor a few defies. So this is just this one key light. Very slick. Go ahead and move again for me here. I think it's great. Now, other ways you could Beautiful way. Opened up 1/3 and pulled it back if we needed to. But let me see open a gate of details. So that's the type of thing that heals Whisper to me, by the way, people like, um, I've been told this I'm not sure if it's positively true, But Steven Meisel, incredible fashion photographer. He has his text on walkie talkies in his ear. Pretty badass. You should try that next time. Okay, But, you know, you're just he just hears in his ear open up 1/3 and he just clicks and opens up 1/3. I don't know if it's true, but I like the story anyway. So, uh, this looks great. I did not open up 1/3. You did not open up 1/3. Did you know that whites looking, uh, you were like that? I have a highlight warning on there. It's going a little bit. This monitors brighter than what I'm seeing actually here to, but that's yeah, it's not quite a blow. Now, if we look, I think the folks at home are actually seeing the perfect exposure. Hope Thank you guys in the audience. I'll show you on this monitor. If there's any sort of hard discrepancies. This is great. So I like what we're doing. Your we've now changing, like, twice or sorry. From the first light to this, like, I kind of want to make this even more dramatic. I'm just like I'm looking a little bit before I'm looking at our history. Graham and World got a little bit far left, but that's fine. No, I like it. I just keep going to keep looking over you because it's a little bit more moody. I love how you're moving. He's doing his job for me. I don't have to worry about it. So what I want to do now is make this a little bit less fashion, more portrait. But one thing you could do to make this just a different scene that's having take his jacket off. That right there is already another shoot. Right? So it's not always. It's just about giving variety as much as possible. So thank you. Have you have a seat here? Let me see what it looks like when you take your jacket off. I mean, hello. I know about you, but I really like it. If you go through this monitor, Dave doing whatever it is, Dave, Darling, I'm getting an idea how much latitude we have in this to push or pull in the direction, which is really important, because if the whites we don't want the whites to blow out. Um And so he's making sure that I have all the detail in the dark, but the white start blowing out that look atyou. That's great. It still feels so chic. My favorite word right now Can I get an apple that possible? Not for me, but I'm gonna put it on his I love you looking down, go and looked at. So when did you goto 13? Was that purposeful? When I closed down 1/3. Got it. Oh, you close down with her. Okay, I'm showing. Thank you. I'm actually gonna give us to him for a sec. So let me lose the jacket. I think it would stay on that, and I'm gonna have you, uh, put your feet up here. Let's just see just one, maybe. Yeah. I don't know. We're gonna see how it goes. Maybe too. Yeah. Okay. Maybe turn your body. Little can I get I think I just want to lower. I'm gonna give you my left lower. Does this go lower? I like what we're seeing. A lot of your arm follows your arm to spell right there. It's really nice house. My white highlight. Okay, I like this. This is great. I have something in my mind where I'm going. But I see instead of stopping and making sure we find another stool, I just sort of I love, but look what he did it so good. So I'm gonna keep shooting, and then I'll bring in a shorter stool. Seems I find one beautiful and look right to camera. Gorgeous. Really nice. Um, let me put you on this lower stool I guess this one spins, but I'm gonna have you put your feet up here. Now, let's change. Just change the light already like this. We've changed it. It's just like this is an evolution. We have to keep moving way overhead way. Do it with the smaller I don't feel like Well, let's see. My instinct is to use a smaller Do you want to quit? See a quick review of what we've been doing. So let's go back. Yes. Kind of pulling And how long we've been shooting? I don't know, minutes ish, but we already have beautiful pictures that are what variety with a lot of variety. Thank you. So I'm just gonna love life, not even set up. I don't care. I'm just gonna shoot, Gonna open. Let me know that like, I'm just gonna shoot available Or did you turn it on You? Okay, so never mind. We'll come back to available because that's really gorgeous. So I definitely need mawr. Let's bring it more this way kind of overhead since he's lower and we're gonna have a hard time reproducing this in here. It's It's almost two decks to your door were coming down. We're not there yet. A little bit more Even That great way. Very nice. This. I'm going to come in right here. Moving on down for me. Not just a bit gorgeous. Let me see how this is going. Nothing. Just keep shooting because to me it's We're going to get there. And if I see something in between, I don't want to miss that moment. So maybe I think I want something a little. Maybe something from underneath. Just a smidge. Pretty. Let's put the jacket back on in this set up, which is over here. Do you see a little bit of Yeah, I say that. Maybe bring it down a tiny bit. I like seeing capsulize denies. Um, look at the O. Put it on. Put it off. Yeah, I mean, it's great. It's fun. Go ahead. Yeah, Yeah, Good. They're Ugo, like, Perfect. All right, I'm gonna come in. I'm going to get more of a quiet, thoughtful moment, and then I'm going to, uh, stop. Let him change clothes, and that will go through all of the pictures. And I'll tell you which ones my favorites are And take some questions. Beautiful, really straightforward. That's great. So what's funny is that I'm right here. So I really wanted this moment. But I saw this, and so I just immediately I'm gonna go here. Great. Let me see that. Tight shots. Great. So here's, um, really my chin up. Just a smidge. There you go. So knows adjusting this light based on where his head is when it's up and down.

Ratings and Reviews

a Creativelive Student
 

An compact look into the unique and highly successful style of a top portrait photographer. Through intense focus, interaction, and willingness to experiment, she can get in ten minutes what others could not get in an hour. A look at her website shows that her style produces photos with great action and life that seem to jump off the page, in contrast to the static and posed look that is so common. For a more complete look at how she works, and to stretch yourself, also take a look at her CreativeLive course, Portraits Under Pressure. Anyone that is trusted and paid to work with top celebrities–and can produce excellent portraits when given only ten minutes and a closet–has a lot to teach us.

Tricia Rubio
 

Great class, I felt like I was there watching this live shoot in real time. It was helpful to see how she works through her process and I gained several fantastic tips! Thank you!

Jon Thrasher
 

More excellent advice and demonstration from Victoria Will. Her casual approach to portraiture and editorial shooting is refreshing! There is a good bit of overlap between this course and her Portraits Under Pressure course, so I did feel like I paid for a bit of duplication. But, they say repetition is good. But, a very helpful, professional course for anyone who shoots people (with cameras)!

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