Great lighting for dark backgrounds

[ReckonerUK]

Thanks for your videos Gavin,I am just getting in to photography and your tutorials have really helped me understand and improve.

[Sonnys503]

great VIDEO! thanks for sharing.

[Melanaize]

Thank you very much Gavin for your all amezing tutorials!

[seabiscuit03]

I tried this using my Interfit ex150 studio lights with the modeling light at 100%, but it was very dark and had to use 40th f/4 to get a usable image. I'm guessing it is because they are low power?

[stecartmel]

can i ask you Gavin, what is your best lens or the one you prefer for portraits ? im just a beginer myself, love your videos

[Erin91225]

Beautiful shots!

[alextfotografias]

Amazing Galvin!!!!

[UltimateVenom]

@alextfotografias galvin?

[alextfotografias]

@UltimateVenom KKKKK I missed the buttons man! ;)

[BassamAlharbi]

what is the camera setup please?

Thank you.

[mikeprdct22]

you are amazing :O

[Baldoxxx4000]

She actually looks ugly on her sides...Photos are all lies!

[piperpilot26]

@Baldoxxx4000 Stupid TROLL, Thats probably Gavin's daughter for Christ sake, Show a little respect, and if you don't like it, then why are you watching it. Your probably not even a photographer.

[exsing]

Great video tutorial, Gavin! Love your work!

[ianjerome727]

Hello sir, was there post editing done to the stills that you were showing?Thanks

[jl644]

very beautiful subject Gav! thanks for sharing!

[MegaChristylou]

gavin, you are my hero!!! thank you so much.

[tdiaz720]

Hello Garvin,,a lot of people are asking the same question as I am right now, and that is what is the F-stop n shutter speed u used to take there

[ethanhuntae]

Hi Corky. That would vary a lot depending on the angle of light I guess. Also would depend on how much depth of field you'd be interested in.

Experimentation would certainly provide some unique results.

[corky322]

I like the video but nothing was said about the (camera seting)

[AntMan1007]

Hi Gavin, I am a photography student studying a professional course written by George Seper, and I'm currently in the middle of experimenting with these kinds of lighting setups. What aperture and shutter speed did you use for these shots?

[lp22hot]

are the photos displayed in the video edited in post before you added them to the video?? and what is your F Stop and Shutter??

[moedabr]

Fantastic!

[Onlineshrekjr]

awesome tips. thanks a lot. is this your daughter?

[thaiamer]

I am subscribing! You're taking pictured with affordable equipment, I have hope! Thanks for the tutorials

[thatsalligot2say]

thanks for the tip there. I can't afford EVERYTHING needed for a "great' shot. I used the window to photograph my granddaughter and it turned out pretty good. How do you get the eyes so bright when the eyes are dark brown? =O) My model is my granddaughter, she has dark brown eyes. Cute as could be, but I would still like to have her eyes stand out more if that is possible. Thanks =O)

[ajayalmighty]

Correct me if I'm wring but portrait lighting can be applied to macro photography as well right?

[LightingShowroom]

Hope to see more

[LightingShowroom]

Nice work

[LonelyMan36]

great lesson I love it, BTW where u get ur shirt? I like it :P

[MrYoda1972]

hi Gavin. thanks for the videos, they are very educational to me as a beginner. anyway, i am trying to set up my first softbox lighting system. would you mind sharing me your softbox set up on your video? been looking on the web, but i'm a little confused on what to look out when shopping. i'm just looking for a basic but decent set up. hope you can help me on this. thank you.

[fret2424]

Incredible results!

You are the man Gavin!

[LentiniJoe]

beautiful girl

[Johncar435]

Gavin, what should I do to replicate what you are doing in this video, but instead with an umbrella instead of a softbox?

[pegasuswatersports]

would this work the same using flash not continuous

[godie1975]

Great job Gavin!!!

[photoguyphotography]

As always, your videos are so easy to view and are so educational. It's these little tips and tricks that can make a world of difference in the quality of the shot! And of course, you have the best looking model there in the world!!! Thanks for all the great tutorials Gavin!

[icelilly123]

LOvely tutorial as always !!!!!!!! Gavin would you please tell me the settings for white balance on camera for conitnuous lighting? I get really greenish / cyan cast on pics specially for white backgrounds . Please help me :o)

[PhotoGavin]

@icelilly123 I sed Auto WHite Balance and adjust the coulour cast in Adobe Camera RAW. A reference shot of my grey card is always taken at the start of the shoot.

[icelilly123]

@PhotoGavin Thanks a lot Gavin . Do u have some tutorial about using a grey card? I understand that you take one shot with grey card and edit in PS later . What to do with the shots without grey card? Do you have some turotial about the way of using a grey card . I can edit the photo with a grey card, but don't now what to do with the shots without a grey card in them .....

[lykishable]

what iso,aperture and shutter did u use? soory im so begginer.. love all of ur vids.. :D

[psyvrm]

Bahahaha daaaaaaaad are we done yet, good tute though

[ekimpj10]

Hey Gavin... another great video!!! all your tutorials are awesome... really like your 15 minute photo challenges... keep them coming... you use continuous lighting alot... do you prefer to use continuous instead of studio strobes, if so why?

[SharpGilpin]

Great tutorial as usual Gavin. Please keep up the good work

[ptlofts]

Hello. That works well for a blonde model;

And If the model is a brunette?

[KeatonDee]

Love your videos, definitely  subscribing.

[AIM2790]

got some pictures liek that love it took them in the same kind of way but just used a stage light not a soft box worked realy well just dropped shutter speed

[jamironited4]

im not even into photography that much, but i like your tutorials. Its like when your watching the discovery channel, you donno why your watching it, but you cant look away

[DramaQueen1958]

What lens are you using in this video?

[PhotoGavin]

@DramaQueen1958 Actually it was a 50mm f1.8... Makes a change from my 24-105L I guess

[SillyFokkerRC]

Great tips there Gav I am guessing this will work for video to?

[PhotoGavin]

@SillyFokkerRC Yes the same techniques will work in video.

[Ghostmaker1970]

@PhotoGavin Thanks Gav keep them coming

ATB GM

Silly Fokker RC

[fabulousminge]

Fabulous.

[karma4796]

she is so cute

[0401556]

Hey Gavin! This has been the first video about lighting that has actually been of any use to me! I am a complete N00b when it comes to studio photography. I dont have the patience to read books so youtube is my main source of info. If you could do more "studio" based videos that would be amazing. Possibly an "idiots guide" to setting a basic studio + lighting up.

[X13ful]

What camera you use Gavin? Great video by the way!

[pachecf]

I believe that by using f8 value you can actually turn the background completely dark (black), but using a f2.8-f4 you would have a hard time with the lighting setup.

[jokymoky]

Can I use a remotely triggered flash unit for this kind of setup?

[nationsc2011]

what mm lens are you useing? 50 perhaps?

[MrWp97]

@nationsc2011 50mm f/1.8 ii

[MrTacCcCcC]

can you check your inbox please? Thank you!

[sadzoot]

Hello Gavin, What is the optimum shutter speed for these kind of portraits if handheld? Great Vids by the way!

[jkddaddy]

very nice. compared to so many of the other lighting video tutorials you might find out there, I really like how the simplicity of it all really emphasizes that great pictures are possible with any setup. Of course the lighting style will all be similar in this case and is limiting in that regard, but again, the simplicity of the setup does well to emphasize that what is important in photography is not the gear - it is the photographer!

[rendear]

Nice, like all your other videos.

[masky0809]

great video gavin. your tutorials are really helpful. can you show us next time how to shoot a bursting balloon?

[doggle124]

i know the moddle shes in my school pretty right?!

[Ethiona]

Great video! But what if I want to have the light in a 45 degree angle and still have a black background? :)

[TheMorts100]

Hi Gavin, can you do one that explores lighting a white background -full body in a home studio (I saw your hassleblad studio one, but that was full-on cyc wall.

[adanpiollo]

Thanks Gavin¡

[JEANKENWELL]

i d'ont take photos but now i want to try thxxx Gavin your great hope you will help me :)

[mikeg11111111]

very well explained - many thanks

[QBERTGTR]

Hi Gavin! Another GREAT tutorial! Your daughter has grown so much! Is this her natural look for the purpose of this video or has she applied a touch of make-up for color? Just curious so I know why color is an issue in my photos.

[DrP1po]

Would love to get one of those lights, hope they ship to Germany. Is there any way to adjust the strength of the light other than moving it further away or closer to the subject or changing the camera settings (as in can one make any settings on the light itself)?

Love your tutorial once again!

[PhotoGavin]

@DrP1po Not sure they do, but I can recommend a Euro alternative if needs be. Check out my review of the lights by searching YouTube for "flora lighting review"

[Imrooot]

Hi Gavin, great tutorial and portraits!

What aperture you use for the studio portraits?

[PhotoGavin]

@Imrooot F/2.8 - f/4 was used for all the shots.

[videboi1972]

Your model is BEAUTIFUL!

[prmass1]

Gavin, your model has grown fast in two years from the last video I have seen.

[biswamberpal]

what was your camera setting Gavin, thanks for sharing

[zeyer73]

what are the setting for the camera (mode)?? great video!!!

[gilegraam]

@zeyer73 manual, obviously.

[zeyer73]

@gilegraam uuuuuuuuuuuuuuy sorry, hahahaha, thanks!!!

[PhotoGavin]

@gilegraam Actually I was in Av mode ~ continuous lighting not flash ;-)

[PhotoGavin]

@zeyer73 I was in Aperture priority (Av mode) using an aperture of f/2.8 - f/4

[zeyer73]

@PhotoGavin cant believe you answered my question!!!!! thanks

[princedawson]

3:47 she looks like an Angel ! ...Thanks for the lovely tutorial Mr. Gavin :)

[VRMorrigon]

Gavin is my hero!

[jonnybeats12]

Great video as always! Thanks :)

[HENEYY]

Thanx...........Mr. Gavin .

[keape86]

Wonderful video. Thank you for sharing.

[fa6i3n]

Nice tutorial... but you Model seems a little bored ;) very nice tutorial though... keep them coming. P.S. when is the next 15 mins Photo Challenge?

[QuannieBoy]

What was your camera settings?

[QBERTGTR]

Another great tutorial Gavin! Your daughter is growing up so fast! Are you ever coming to Raleigh, NC? I would love to attend one of your conferences, but they are always so bloody far away!

[cinamonrocknroll1]

Thank you very much

[a0stud]

Hi Gavin. What kind of lights are those? How much can we expect to pay for something similar?

[PhotoGavin]

@a0stud That's the excellent Flora light from Linco. A link is in the description.

[marcmarleyrian]

what lens are you using on this photoshoot?

[caetanosmc]

@marcmarleyrian looks like a 50mm 1.4

[AyKayEl]

@caetanosmc It's in the description

Camera: Canon 40D

Lens: Canon 50mm f/1.8 ii

[aboodk]

gr8 videos ! would really love it if you would make a series targeting and helping photographers who are getting into food photography , thanx!!1

[greeneyedchul0]

Great video gavin

[consultjohan]

Thanks for your hard work Gavin. You're an inspiration!

[Komatoes]

Would have been worth saying in the video that the further away from the background the model is the easier it is to get it black. I know you mentioned it in the comments, but a lot of people won't read all of them ;)

[lisandromoises]

Nice Work Gavin, regards from Argentina!

[peluche2]

nice video thanks

[TheGazzadj]

Hi Gavin, I had a quick read of the posts, but what camera setting are you using - f8 at 1/250???

[ABiteOfMe]

MORE pleasee!! your lighting tutorials are awesome..especially with the diagrams..

[thehubbucks]

2 people must be using their elbows to hit the like button - they missed completely. Nice one Gavin, extremely effective for something quite simple!

[livinlow11]

Hey that was a great video. I learned a few new tricks to put in my bag. Thanks for posting.

[blackjohnny0]

Nice girl but where's smile on her face?

[lizzybeth0]

Great tutorial as always.. But as a student I can hardly afford this kind of stuff!

[PhotoGavin]

@lizzybeth0 You can make up for a lack of cash with a bit of imagination... So replace the light with a window and move the model (and yourself) to get the desired results.

[msaha1992]

@PhotoGavin

i personaly do that with the window, but i have a problem with the eyes they seem to be a bit too dark for the face.

might be the hard light shadow?

any solution for a more natural eye look?

and thanks your videos have been a great help for me.

[TheRubycapulong]

the last photo was great,very lovely face!

[wertuiking]

is she the little cute girl appear in your earlier videos?

[ny1fanta]

@wertuiking yeah, n i believe she gavin's daughter

[tkdfever]

easy setting but superb effect! thanks gavin!

[jakehanson123456789]

You never posted your settings on the video, post them as annotations please.

[fifilachoy]

I am always thrilled to see you have added a new video, they are always easy to understand and helpful, u r a kind spirit.

[KungFUcat10]

Gav never ceases to amaze me so much talent from one camera, one model one light source and a stack loads of ideas . Thanks Gav for your time is very much appreciated

[KungFUcat10]

Gav never ceases to amaze me so much talent from one camera, one model one light source and a stack loads of ideas . Thanks Gav you time is very much appreciated

[Db3st0794]

does it get hot and warm from the light?

[freestylefilmsinc]

can i ask where's your 5d

[TechnomTigerGeek]

who is that girl? your daughter?

[computersguy13]

@TechnomTigerGeek I believe so. But to the best of my knowledge, he's never confirmed that question before.

[grandmasterj5]

How on earth did you know that I wanted to do this today?!?

Have you been hiding behind my sofa again???

How many times do I have to tell you, it's not nice and it's freaking out the girlfriend!! XD

Apart from that, thanks for uploading what will be another very useful video :)

[larbyrne]

When you see a new Photo Gavin video in your subscription box, you watch it :P

[mr667]

Were you using High ISO? Pictures look somewhat noisy.

[shouldigetit]

But how do you do it without a black background?

[royoroyal]

Hi Gavin, did you used Photoshop in any way to blacken the oictures?

[davidabr1964]

Very nice video thanks for sharing.

[xMrStrongCockx]

I LOVE YOU MAN!!!!!! thx for this, I'm learning so much.

[vladutz8]

great tutorial as always Gav! Oh and btw, that t-shirt is awesome :)

[kaisar1]

loved this tutorial

always wanted to learn how such (exact) pics are taken

[Cvuckin]

Great video !

[SHS123SHS]

could you do photography for beginners video talking about what ios and aperture is , things like that ? x

[tiggstah]

@SHS123SHS iso is how sensitive the sensor is. it used to be film grade. the higher the number the less light the camera needs. the lower the number the more light is nessisary to get a correctly exposed shot. but as the iso # goes up, the quality of the picture goes down.

aperture is how wide the hole that the light passes through from the lens into the camera. the bigger the hole, the less light you need and it blurs the background more but the bigger that hole the less sharp the picture is.

[MVC7CVM]

@SHS123SHS gregorycazillo has got a very good tutorial on exposure. check out his channel, he's a good teacher

[ZeroG84]

Gavin my friend.. Get a headset to speak to. :D You are spinning your head way too much for the little wireless mic to work.

[lexen]

wow no dislikes.. great vid

[amochana]

Can you make a tutorial/video on metering by any chance? What each type of metering is best used for etc

[1mill2]

Thanks for posting! Great video. When looking at these pictures in the histogram, is the right side of her face over exposed? It looks very bright in all the photos.

[PhotoGavin]

@1mill2 No the histogram was perfect (what else you you expect, lol) The compression from still to video pushes the contrast up a fair amount and then there's the small issue of monitor calibration...

[devonmale69]

@PhotoGavin It never bother me is you have blown out highlights, I know some frown on it, I have a calibrated monitor and I have to say some of the images have no detail in parts of the face.

more on the mono ones I would say.

Do you not use a grey background so you can have black or white backgrounds, like in a past video you have done?

[360mix]

Brilliant Gav.... Thanks for this tutorial....

[Fallingtreelee]

Hey Gavin! Can these lighting tips be achieved with shoot thru or reflective umbrella and while using speedlites? Thanks!!!

[PhotoGavin]

@Fallingtreelee Controling the light with a shoot through is a lot harder, but yes it's possible in theory.

[renilicious]

@Fallingtreelee The fallout from the shoot through umbrellas makes it difficult. Get yourself a softbox for your speedlights. They're not very expensive at all.

[roruelas]

Great, you have to work in your audio a little bit, other than that very profesional looking videos =), awesome lighting tip by the way

[muusers]

Is that your daughter? She sure has grown since the last videos! Becomming a really beautifull young lady...

[MrWp97]

thank you very much! favourite`d!

[TheScaryfluff]

the word model is so over used

[viigraphix]

I like the stick figure light 3:06 :P

[mreinstein48]

Very informative and very good shots!!!!

[PhotoGavin]

@tardis1996 All shot with a Canon 40D with a Canon 50mm f/1.8 the Flora light is a continuous light so I worked in Av aperture priority mode at around f/2.8 - f/4

[chirag1106]

@PhotoGavin wht abt shutter speed?????

can make one video on taking photos with having studio lights.....if u can please!!!

[tiggstah]

@PhotoGavin i have that same camera lens setup! i normally have my 24-70 2.8 L on it though. i think i will upgrade to the 60D so i can start incorporating video and get much better low light stuff

[KaltorRotis]

@PhotoGavin I like that lens a lot. Especially the price tag. =D

[Tech4U247]

thank you gavin

[okboy100]

you never disappoint :) keep up the good work please these are very very helpful.

[oSCRIPTo]

Great

[AhmedAlRawi95]

You're the best Gavin :)

[lightwavejunkie]

gorgeous light and some nice alternative setups with softbox light, everyone alway s seems to use the 45 degree setup but i love the extra softness you get with the edge lighting described here, great shots as always.

Btw I got my "Raw to the Core" t-shirt and love it!! Thanks

[PhotoGavin]

@lightwavejunkie I think most poeple start with the obvious, but it's really eye opening just how much light changes when it's moved. So pleased you're lovin' the "RAW to the core" t-shirt :-)

[egavasnai]

Another great video, simple to the point instructions; can't wait to try these techniques

[RyanTheTuber]

I was trying to get a jet black background a while ago with a 45 degree light setup (what the hell was I thinking)... Damn it, I just packed my stuff back in my bags! NOOO.

Thanks for teaching again Gavin! I'll do this first thing in the morning. :)

[PhotoGavin]

@RyanTheTuber The further from the background you move your subject the darker the background goes... have fun trying it again.

[RyanTheTuber]

@PhotoGavin Haha. Thanks. :)

[JacobJT37]

A Raw Shirt?

Inspired by Jared Polin?

[VladVidan]

thanks Gavin :))

[sirsmythington]

Another awesome video Gavin!

(Also, obligatory first :P)