STROBIST : Reverse Engineer This Light

[jayhan]

Help yourself to this plate of sizzlin hot Steph - I mean to reverse engineer the lighting which was used to make this shot. :P
Discuss about it and I will reveal how it was done.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f44/jayhan78/steph.jpg

[funkiller]

Let me try.

Looking at the shadow on her neck, I guest the lighting is on her front face, high above her, about same axis with her face, with a STU to soften the light, probably a bit right to the camera.

Background underexposed by 1 stop (i guest...). No other reflector or flash been use in the scene.

:D

[zique]

Zamrudku and me cannot participate right? :p since I was there...

[ShaolinTiger]

A bit unfair since you PP the picture in a way which effectively changes the appearance of the light condition.

[andretong]

i would have to agreed with funkiller about the light source.
But on the background being underexposed i think it is done by PP. can see some masking being done there.

[jayhan]

lol... basically the color cast was weird. so i had to do some selective color adjustments and to add to the rather moody effect, i desaturate the whole image and adjusted the opacity. as for the underexpose BG - its not done by PP. i dont think i could have retained the details of the clouds if i were to underexpose by PP-ing.

as for the lighting... here goes.

The sun : on the left side of cam axis. note the light fall on her baju. but this shot was taken with an underexposed reading of approx. 2-stops. prob a little bit more so, i'd say its anywhere between 2-2.2/3 stops. I wanted the CPL to help cut the lights but end up screwing my color cast - damnit.

The strobe : I wont be able to do jack crap with the SB800 at such settings. shooting at f16-f20 requires massive lights. Mikey mike was holding the brollies which is slightly above steph's face which i wanted it to feather thru a bit to give some shadows to her feet area. note the fall of light on her left thighs for more apparent cues (since her face is kinda evenly lit frm both the sun and also the strobe)

And I guess dats about it.

I did dodge and burn the existing highlights and shadows to just further enhance the effect.

[desaintlights]

it's amazing what photoshop can do.........