Definitely. As the light gets further away the relative size of the light (to the subject) gets smaller, so the light gets harder/harsher. If the studio was bigger I would have liked to move the light even further away. It’s still relatively soft at the far distance, but if I could have moved it further away it would have been more “evenly” light, but a lot harsher with harder shadows like you noticed.
I am so glad you are doing this series Ben. Totally new to flash but you make it very easy to follow along. What light meter are you using and can I use that one for exposure outside?
Thank you. I’m glad you are finding them helpful. I’m using the Sekonic Flashmate L-308s-u. And yeah, you can use it outdoors for natural light. There is a mode button that you press to switch from constant light/outdoor mode (a little sun icon) or flash mode (a little lighting bolt icon.) In flash mode you press the button and it will blink and will give you a reading when it detects a bright flash of light. The constant light mode (good for sunlight or constant LED lights) will give you a reading when you press the button. I bought this light meter because it’s relatively inexpensive ($220 USD) and it’s pretty compact. There might be a newer version out since I bought mine years ago. I don’t use it all the time, but it’s especially useful in the studio when the model is in make up, and I don’t have anyone to base an exposure off of. So it’s nice to have a light meter, because I can get the lights pretty up, and get the exposure pretty much set before the model steps in front of the camera.
5:22 contrast gets lower but light gets harsher as you move away light. you can see harshness in the cheeks and forehead.
Definitely. As the light gets further away the relative size of the light (to the subject) gets smaller, so the light gets harder/harsher. If the studio was bigger I would have liked to move the light even further away. It’s still relatively soft at the far distance, but if I could have moved it further away it would have been more “evenly” light, but a lot harsher with harder shadows like you noticed.
I am so glad you are doing this series Ben. Totally new to flash but you make it very easy to follow along. What light meter are you using and can I use that one for exposure outside?
Thank you. I’m glad you are finding them helpful.
I’m using the Sekonic Flashmate L-308s-u. And yeah, you can use it outdoors for natural light. There is a mode button that you press to switch from constant light/outdoor mode (a little sun icon) or flash mode (a little lighting bolt icon.)
In flash mode you press the button and it will blink and will give you a reading when it detects a bright flash of light. The constant light mode (good for sunlight or constant LED lights) will give you a reading when you press the button.
I bought this light meter because it’s relatively inexpensive ($220 USD) and it’s pretty compact. There might be a newer version out since I bought mine years ago.
I don’t use it all the time, but it’s especially useful in the studio when the model is in make up, and I don’t have anyone to base an exposure off of. So it’s nice to have a light meter, because I can get the lights pretty up, and get the exposure pretty much set before the model steps in front of the camera.
@@brgphotography thanks so much Ben!
Excellent video!
Thank you! It was fun to make!