I think as creatives sometimes we fall into the safe plug and play of what works, or we may not take the time to finesse a new skill or technique. That was me ::raises hand to confess guilt :: I've always loved overhead lighting but to me I never got it to look just right. Something always felt off or not quite right. I took sometime to really troubleshoot my own damn process and see if I could finally lock in the lighting technique that had kind of eluded me for awhile.
OVERALL AESTHETIC
The general vibe that I wanted to go for was something with an editorial edgy feel but with clean lighting and interesting elements. My model, Bayley, crushed it in the wardrobe department and brought this woven black tank top. Not only was the texture cool, but I knew the overhead lighting would create something cool catching his skin under the shirt. I used a backdrop from Background Town that had a bit of a distressed wall texture to it. The background added an element but didn't distracting from my model. Side not, the background is more brown/tan/beige in person but photographed on the more gray/blue side. I played up that color in post as I liked the concrete-esque feeling it created.
LIGHTING BREAKDOWN
Aright, here's the good stuff haha. The photos seen in this post consisted of two lights. My main light was the overhead light (that I could never seem to get right). It was modified with an umbrella and diffusion fabric. I raised it up as high as I could in my 8-ft. high ceiling garage haha. I started with it as high up as it would go since I knew I was going to have my model stand and he is around 5'11". I found the key to getting this lighting setup looking a little more ::chef's kiss:: is ... placement. I placed my subject at the edge of the umbrella to avoid any hotspots that could come with placing him directly under the light. I had the black side of a v-flat camera right to absorb some of the bounce of light I was getting off of my garage floor. This gave me a great starting point, but I wanted to fill in the shadows just a bit with a little more control. Using what I got in a small studio space, I put my garage door to work by firing my flash into the white of the door to bounce back as a bit fill in the shadows. If I had a larger space, I would have moved this light a bit but I'm still happy with the end results.
BEHIND THE SCENES OF MY SETUP
I've put together five tips to help you when trying this technique.
- FIVE TIPS WHEN USING AN OVERHEAD LIGHTING SETUP -
Soft Light Sources:
Use large, diffused light sources positioned overhead to create soft, flattering lighting. Soft light minimizes harsh shadows and produces smoother transitions between highlights and shadows. This can be achieved with softboxes, umbrellas, or even a simple white sheet to diffuse the light.
Adjustable Heights:
Experiment with the height of your overhead light to control the intensity and direction of the shadows. Lowering the light source creates more defined shadows, while raising it can produce a more even illumination. Consider using a boom arm or a ceiling-mounted system for flexibility in adjusting the height.
Avoiding Glare and Hotspots:
Be mindful of reflections and hotspots that can result from overhead lighting. Position your lights at angles that minimize glare on reflective surfaces like glass or metal objects. Additionally, use modifiers such as grids or barn doors to control the spread of light and prevent unwanted spill onto your subject.
Balancing with Ambient Light:
Pay attention to the ambient light in your shooting environment and adjust your overhead lighting accordingly. Sometimes, a subtle fill light from the sides or front can help balance out the shadows created by overhead lighting, resulting in a more natural and dimensional look to your photos.
Experiment with Light Angles:
Don't be afraid to tilt or angle your overhead lights to achieve different effects. Tilting the light slightly towards the front can create more flattering facial illumination for portrait photography, while angling it towards the back can produce striking rim lighting effects. Experimenting with different angles allows you to tailor the lighting to suit your subject and creative vision.
Taking the time to embrace something new will not only give you a new skill to add to your handy dandy tool belt of tricks, but also will give you understanding that just because something doesn't work the first time you try it doesn't mean you need to give up on it! I'm excited to use this overhead lighting technique on an upcoming shoot! It's super versatile and really flattering for so many subjects!
MODEL // Bayley Barmore
AGENCY // Tribe Talent Management
BACKDROP // Toffee from BackgroundTown
UMBRELLA // Photek Softlighter Umbrella
LIGHTING // Godox AD200PRO / Flashpoint XPLOR 300 Pro / Godox X3S Touchscreen Trigger
VFLAT // V-flat World
CAMERA // Sony a7iii
LENS // Sony 24 - 70mm f/2.8 G Master
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