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Made up a quick strip light from a light stand box - $3 for a very directional but soft light.

Here are some quick portraits taken lit with the strip light only. C&C appreciated.

The ugly first - a self portrait (I didn't bother fixing my skin, as it were)








Cheers

The first one scares me a little Patrick

The other two are just magic! If anything, I'd maybe tone down that catchlight in his eyes a bit - the shape of it is a little offputting.

The alliteration of the blue (can you have this with colours?) in the eyes, shirt and toy just works a treat, as does the obvious connection between the two of you.

Great lighting for sure I like the scary portrait, and also prefer #2 over #3 for the pose..

Thanks for the feedback, and, Leon, I agree with your comments about the catch lights.

Patrick - these are absolutely fantastic!! I love to see people experiment and the results u have here a perfect example of that. I don't agree however, with the catchlight comments, I think they're fine as is.

#1
the first is great. the strip light is nice and agressive, small width gives a strength to the first shot.

#2 and #3
however, I dont like the lighting style applied to a child. the shot is very nice, the moment, the expression, composition, light position. but the light style/shape/characteristic looks evil, or frightening, oppressive. I dont like the light applied to a subject as beautiful as a child. #2 reminds me of a frightened child in a horror movie, looking up from the basement to the basement door being opened. just sharing with you my immediate and honest thoughts as I look at it. photographically/technically nice, just mix of subject and lighting sits uneasy for me as an observer.

Apart from the catchlights nos 2 & 3 are just beautiful. When you refer to a striplight exactly what do you mean?

Oneputt wrote: When you refer to a striplight exactly what do you mean?

A striplight, as I define it, is basically a very thin (read: tall) soft box. It provides a very narrow, yet soft light. Does that make sense?

It does Is yours a commercially available light?

Yes and no. The light source is an SB800. The modifier (the actual soft-box/strip-light) is the cardbox in which a light stand came. I cut a section out of one side, cut a slot for the SB800 to fit in on the opposite side, put a little diffuser in front of the speedlight, covered the inside box with al-foil and taped two sheets of tracing paper over the top. I will try to take and post a photo of it when I get home. Because it fits on the SB800, it is very portable.

I love no#3, to be honest I didn't notice the catchlight reflection until it was mentioned.

P.S. My daughter has the same "Little People" person.

Cheers