Lucky you. Have a great time as I'm sure you will. :)

Don

Thanks Duncan and Mark.
This was done to put a slightly different spin on lighting, as opposed to soft light using white diffusers and reflectors.

A little clue.
Steel unless shiny, or cast iron as in these gears, and white diffusers don't really work and subject tends to lack life. So the main light source has to be fairly hard hence the undiffused SB-80DX and use of foil.

I will give Foxy and others time to ponder before posting the set-up shot.

Don

How about the use of a foil reflector to bounce harsh light on the front face of those gears.

Given how Mark looks for all the reflections to determine the light sources I thought I would really confuse him with this one. :)
Easier to get your head round thinking how it may be lit rather than how it was.

Close enough Foxy but this is a bit subtler than using a straight silver brolley or 180 deg bounce.

See attatched behind the scenes.

Don

Clue was real give away, once I read foil I knew the exact foil piece that was used.

:p :rolleyes:

Looks like I need to be more inventive. :D

Don

Normally Don and I would provide a write-up on a photo when using flash. I think this thread is interesting and provides the same thing using successive guesswork. I'll offer the below photo for reverse engineering - I have a photo of the scene should anyone get close enough.

Foxy,

It may help, as I know how I would do it with what I have, but not too sure if you have added to your kit list of 1 brolley, 1 lastolite reflector. :rolleyes:
I notice from the gallery you had SB800 and SB600 both at full power so will check out relative powers for positioning.

Don

No real change of kit this year with exception to another brolley. Using the new macro lens flash needs to be full power to light any subject at f32-36.

Soooooo, how was it done?

Ok...there looks to be a light source on shooting-camera left, hitting the front of the subject-camera and looks about level with shooting-camera.

There looks to be a second light from shooting-camera right, higher...and a reflector above, slightly left and angled to light the subject top?

I prefer this because it exercises my brain more, rather than just going "oh, yeah...very clever" to a write-up...

It would be nice to see some others having a go at guessing...

Are we going to hazard a guess our self?

Moderately diffused light source - gun with stofen perhaps, probably not a brolly, mounted slightly up and to left of scene in front of subject giving soft catchlight in the front lens element and providing the lighting on the Nikon branding and the bright patch on the very front edge of the rotating switch around the shutter button.
White reflector (I think, maybe a second gun with big brolly but it looks too diffused to me) used to bounce light back down from above to light the top plate and provide fill in behind the buttons. This reflector/very diffused gun is lighting the ridge above the second n of Nikon and the ridges on the rotating switch surrounding the shutter button.

Am I getting warm?

D.

See post #50. ;)

Whoops, did not see post 50. You are both nearly right.

The scene was generally lit using one flash in a brolley this did not illuminate the Nikon or D2X but did provide soft lighting on the prism. D2X was the main motivation for the shot and was the focus area. A hand held second flash was used through a white reflector/diffuser to lit this area and provide the life in the lens. See attached image.

I particularly like the expensive stand to keep the lens level ;)

Mmmm, my thoughts were similar to Mark and Duncan.
SB800 at the front and SB600 above. I failed on the Lastolite for the front unit though. Even bigger failure would have to be the flash resting on the table so only hitting the bottom of the reflector. :rolleyes:

Don

Well as its a D2X this should get Foxy's interest. :rolleyes: :D
I could not take a pic of the set up as not enough hands and there's a clue, so will have to do a sketch.

3 flash units in use. Multiblitz 252 studio job with white brolley on full power, SB80-DX on full power and Metz 45CL on 1/4 power. Also a Lastolite reflector.

Don

Whoops, missed this one but will study for a while and report by guess.

A clue,

Done in the workshop and Multiblitz was by the door in case it caught fire under pressure. ;)

Don

Ha! That gave us both such a laugh. I imagine Stevie was there with fire extinguisher just in case.

Give me 24 hours and I have my answer.

Here is my guess for Don's D2X shot.

There are three lights which has already been stated.

Light 1 - Above and in brolley, this lights top on switch and prism cowl etc.
Light 2 - Right hand side of the image filling front of camera auto focus selection and lens remove button.
Light 3 - Behind Lastolite reflector/diffuser to create life in lens and illuminate 'Nikon' and front of flash hot shoe.

I will also there is a reflector providing a reddish warmth to the RHS edge lighting the neck strap plastic retainer.


.....I must be close ?

Partially right Foxy. :p

I will do a sketch for you to fill in the blanks. :)

Don

Foxy,

Using your numbers.

Light 1 ( RHS ) is Multiblitz about 4ft away by the door firing into a brolley so the light is from about 30 degrees above. This is a fill light.

Light 3 ( LHS ) is Metz 45 with home made diffuser bowl but only used for the splill light in place of a reflector due to space limits. Position slightly above and level with the mid point of the lens. Reflections from this light in workshop paraphinalia created the effect on the RHS.

Light 2 is SB80-DX on full power and is the key light. So just a matter of positioning the flash and lastolite reflector.

Don

Here is the full lighting set-up for the D2X shot.

Don