This kit includes:

• 2 StarFlash 650 strobes
• Large LiteDome soft box
• 60" RUT Convertible Umbrella
• 6" Umbrella Reflector
• 2 - 2214 LiteStands (8')
• StarFlash Connector
• Transpac Dual Kit Case

For the following lesson the ISO was set at 100, the lens aperture was set at F6.3, as we wanted a fairly wide aperture to allow the background to go out of focus. The strobes were set at about 1/2 to 1/4 of their power and the subject stood several feet in front of the background. This kept the background out of focus and allowed enough room to put a light on it to lessen the shadow.

For figure 2, the first light we set up was our main (key) light which would define our subject. Camera left was chosen for the main light and our model was asked to turn her body away from the main light a little, then put her weight on her back foot, while turning at the waist slightly toward the camera. Then turning her head into the main light created a nice feminine pose, with the camera seeing more of the shadow side of the face. This lighting slims the face and helps define her features.

The soft box was used vertically, in order to light the full length of our subject. It was placed camera left with its center slightly above the height of our model's head. It was then angled down a little to give more even lighting of her body, while letting the light start to fall off near the feet, as we wanted a little less exposure there.

Next, an umbrella was positioned behind and above the camera as our fill light, adjusting its power until we had the contrast we liked (figure 3). The purpose of the fill light is to control your shadows. By positioning the umbrella directly above our camera, the fill light would not create any cross shadows. With the Photoflex StarFlash monobloc strobes, you can change the power at each strobe without the need to move the light. To change the contrast, we could have changed the power of either the main or fill light.

Next, a 39 x 72” soft gold panel was introduced on the opposite side of the key light and behind the subject. It bounced the light from the soft box main light back onto the hair and the rim of the shadow side of her body. This reflector was used to give a rim light and warm highlights to the hair (figure 4). For darker hair, the warmer reflector color of the soft gold is often a pleasing effect, warming up the highlights in the hair and giving a warm rim light. The light on the rim of the subject helps give separation from the background.

Another Approach

Since there are many ways to creatively light your subject, we chose to use the 60" Umbrella as a main light. It was positioned slightly above and to the side of the camera and angled slightly down. The umbrella throws a much wider spread of light than the soft box and, as a result, some of the light bounced off the wall, floor and ceiling in the studio which added a trace amount of light to the shadow area. No additional fill light was used, in order to keep a strong shadow area (figure 5).

Then the soft box was placed on the opposite side, behind and above our subject, aiming it down to help kill the shadow on the backdrop while supplying a strong rim and hair light on our subject (figure 6). The umbrella had such a wrap around effect, that a fill light was not desired.

Without moving any of the lighting, and with a flick of the wrist, the lens was zoomed to a tighter composition to help show the effect of the setup.

In figure 8, the soft box was turned off to show the effect of just one light.

The soft box was turned back on for Figure 9. A very simple 2 light setup.