I did try to do this community a favour and asked another, whom i thought could impart knowledge, if they might host this challenge. They either did not see my red bubble or they are seeing if I follow through with the punishment I described if they were to deny my request.y
So in saying that, i don't single handily, want to be responsible for killing off the technique challenges so I am calling out for a group hug kinda host on this one please. Share anything you think might be helpful in this thread?
@lam, the following wordings yours, hope it's alright I copy pasted?
So what is a technique challenge? The host challenger selects a specific “technique” to try. It may be brand new for some, or just a challenge to be creative for others. Techniques may include high/low key, macro, portraits, landscapes, abstracts, the possibilities are endless. It could even be specific techniques in processing. The host will select a technique along with some links and examples. Constructive & kind feedback is encouraged. Feel free to share tips, suggestions or how you were able to get the terrific photo you did. Posting your photo on this thread is encouraged but not required. The challenges will last about 7 days.
To post a photo on this thread:
1) Go to your page that has the photo you would like to post.
2) Find the code located toward the bottom right side of your page. The code is on the right side of the word "share". Copy that code and paste it in this thread.
All photos must be taken within the challenge dates. Enter as many as you would like. Voting will last about 3 days. The winner will host a new challenge (or gets someone else to host it).
Some examples, I really hope it's ok to link these pics.
I want to prove that we all don't need fancy three point lighting equipment to produce art. It can be done with a single torch.
-the rim light should be the key feature of the image
- The light must come from well behind the subject (e.g. no overhead sun or
high spotlight) and not side lit.
- No silhouettes, the subject must be easily discernible.
- No visible light source (e.g. the sun can not be in the image).
- No translucent subjects (e.g. flower petals, stained glass windows) if they don't dominate the scene, as in not used to totally hide the light source, show other rim tributes...totally acceptable. See first example in post might help
This is it, interpret how you will, I can't keep changing the rules as I do in real life lol...
Thank you everyone definitely a group hug which was needed
@anyone whom might impart knowledge, tips, discuss disaster or happy attempts. Researches, I'm a shocker at that @m9f9l I know you research like no other). @mbrunner I know you have fancy lighting techniques up your sleeve. @houdiniem, if you won't tell us what crow said in your conversation, would you at least describe the lighting? @kali66 i'd kinda like some mothering right now lol.
I think possibly just titling the challenge as rim lighting, and then giving the option of a nude would have possibly been the way to go LOL
But we're all grown ups here right? lol, I will try your challenge, albeit in a very prudish manner.....
i've only ever managed rim lighting by happenstance... no way on earth am i gonna attempt one nude ;p you are too funny Gigi! i'll have to do some looking up on this technique to see if i can figure out how to make this lighting happen on purpose :)
I think you need to clearly define the parameters for the challenge, from what I can gather rim lighting is having the light source behind and slightly to the side of your subject so that light leaks around slightly, just enough to define the contours and lift your subject from the background, It is not a completely black silhouette
Do you want entries to only use rim light or is fill light ok?
@gigiz OMG Gigi, it surely did! What a shocker in the morning! LOL! I seriously thought you followed through with your cheeky idea! I really need to work on my lighting skills and I love rim lighting pictures. It'll be fun learning this one.
@northy I too happened upon it by chance, now I have to research how to do it purposefully.
@kali66 Thanks for the flickr examples. I think I like the ones with a bit of strategically placed fill instead of strictly outlined rim lighting. They feel a bit more mysterious to me and as a viewer I seem to be wondering about/mentally filling up the dark areas. But, that's just my opinion.
Here is an example but it isn't eligible for the challenge as I took it last year. Must have another go. PS she was nude at the time, but as you can see she has a few excess body-hair issues.
@gigiz I have to go through the links you and @kali66 added to the thread. to better understand the task.
I'm adding an old shot of mine: is it anywhere near the idea of this technique (I did it without knowing what technicque I was using, of course). Please, comment.
@mara19500 I know this sounds ridiculous and probably somewhat annoying that I choose a subject that i have no grounds to critique on, I was hoping to learn along with every one else. But I will say yes definitely the lines I was assuming, I'm still to research more myself. I will ask you back, if you were to try this again, would you like more of a rim around body? A few more obvious highlights on that lovely hair? More of a profile look maybe we could pick up on eyelashes as well? I'm not sure....I'm just throwing things out there, hopefully others will comment.
@northy Not one nude? Several, then? Sounds like my kind of party.
I've had this kind of effect (rim lighting, not several nudes!) happen by accident, but no idea how to make it happen deliberately, so like you have a bit of research to do.
@gigiz Thanks a lot Gigi . The suggestions are clear And I aigree with the critique: I myself had noticed there wasn't enough highlight and there needs to be a ring, a sort of halo of back light. I will research, too. Thanks for your help :))
I'm not an expert on this technique either to offer critique, however, here are my observations:
@mara19500 I can see the rim light on the contours of your face but there is too much light in the back that the rim light is not the one that is obvious and jumping out at me. So, while this is a good picture, I don't think this would be a suitable example of rim lighting as Gigi outlined in her OP.
If you were to try this picture again, maybe move your head to the left a couple of inches so you would cover the light source a bit more. In the short research I did, everyone seems to be suggesting the rim light to be behind the subject and a little bit to the side so that the light peeks through the contours of the subject's body on that side.
Please feel free to ignore these suggestions if they don't make any sense. :-) Check out Kali's flickr examples for excellent examples of this technique.
mhhh - where to start? I found the books of Neil van Niekerk particularly useful (no long theories - straight to action)
--Neil van Niekerk "Off-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Photographers"
you don't need expensive studio gear to achieve great results - in my opinion its important to understand some basics in flash technique, light formers, how to set up your camera/flash to get to repeatable results. and then shoot - shoot - shoot and have fun!
@gigiz Here are some rules outlined in a different website for the same challenge. Maybe we could use some of them to reduce further confusion on this technique? Just a suggestion.
- The effect must be startlingly obvious, not just a degree of back/rim
lighting. Make it the key feature of the image, make it dramatic, make it
ostentatious!
- The light must come from well behind the subject (e.g. no overhead sun or
high spotlight) and not side lit.
- No silhouettes, the subject must be easily discernible.
- No visible light source (e.g. the sun can not be in the image).
- No translucent subjects (e.g. flower petals, stained glass windows).
I just tried this out, I need to look at my pictures before I post an example but I found out that it is best to have a dark background, the light has to face toward the camera but not shine directly on the lens or the background, so some shielding is needed to avoid lens flare, the light will be in front of the background but behind the subject, but it can be within a 90 degree area behind and to the sides of the subject, this page has some diagrams of what I am talking about, although here the front of the subject is also well lit which may not be suitable for this challenge. http://www.manfrottoschoolofxcellence.com/2011/06/13/christian-berges-portrait-lighting-basics-part-3-the-rim-light/
My attempt, all I can say is it can only get better from here. Not really that rim halo but I did learn some things, more so subject matter. There is a bit of a tantrum chuck going down if you click the photo
@mbrunner I still haven't gotten that far, but I was thinking the whole time maybe it is achieved with flash, I expect the over the top rim is. I only ever imagine continuous lighting, but looking at som of the examples after I tried, I think you might be right. I kinda didn't want hat for us, I wanted limited means to make a photo, as in what if people don't have an off shoe flash? Thank you for your input though, very much appreciated....tell me you are gunna play?
OK - This is an EXAMPLE of what they are NOT looking for in this challenge! :)
Is this what we are looking for? I was going for sunflairs for the camera setting and got this. What are the challenge dates? Also you may want to put the tag technique8 in your description.
@ikamera I think I will edit the post to include that ..thank you clever lady...just not the first cuz as I mentioned to brunner, I think that over the topness is with flash, though would totally adore someone to prove that theory wrong, I wanted this done by limited means so those of us without fancy equipment might try....sence?
@myhrhelper although you have beautiful,rim lighting there, I had to narrow it down cuz I confuse subjects so easily. The suggested rules are at the end of the post....so all of a sudden...lol...yours does not fit the criteria...god that sounds awful, and I totally take the blame for your sad face at the moment.....gimme a chance to make it a happy one?....follow those guide lines? Try some more?
@gigiz The cool example you have at the beginning with the orange is a bit translucent and I really like that one. I think the translucent part is a matter of taste. I do think the light source shouldn't show as in my example.
@gigiz No problem (I posted my other comment before I saw this one - we were writing at the same time). I have no problem with it not qualifying since it is about learning not "winning" a challenge. This is exciting to learn.
@myhrhelper you have me so stuck on the translucent....I can understand why, as it blocks the obvious light source, but I too like the fruit piece, I just don't know how to word it, you can't see the light, you can see hairy arms....how should it word?
@myhrhelper Wow, you got some surreal rim lighting in that pic. It looks like the leaves are drawn with light and filled with green.
I agree with you that I like the translucent orange in Gigi's first link. I guess that stills works as a good example because there is still a lot of rim light which stands out from the translucent light.
I used a black cloth to make the background dark, only one lamp as in the bedside variety which conveniently has a clip on it so I can hang it all kinds of places. It was above and to the side of me, I used a box to shield the lens from it which you can just see cutting off my fingers...multishot on delay timer. I merged two photos because the face was better in one and the hands in another, so this is a cheat, I also put glamour glow filter on it because a girl has to soften the effect of the goosebumps and messy hair a little...but does it work as rim lighting? I think so...
@gigiz Perhaps There should be a clear light outline of the subject not just a translucent view of it. The fruit example has both - some translucent and some not translucent. Would that work?
I also think it would be easy to confuse low key to rim light. Rim light outlines the subject whereas low key some of the subject is lite and other parts are not. I think it is possible to have a low key and rim lighting both in a photo such as Kali's gorgeous example. The nose & face has some rim lighting but the rest is low key. That is my opinion.
translucent subjects would end up being the backlighting challenge, and this is the rim-lighting challenge...a different kettle of fish. Kathy is on to it, for this challenge we should be using the light to define the edges.
low-key just means more to the dark end of the light spectrum as in on a histogram, so rim lighting images with only one light source behind the subject will end up low-key by default.
How strange. I see myself tagged in a comment up there, and to be sure I clicked on it and yup, it sent me to me! But it does not show in my notifications. I wonder what's up with that?
LOL.. @gigiz I love it that the challenge says it will last "about seven days" but that "All photos must be taken within the challenge dates." {{{GiGi}}} There's your hug. What's the dates?
@gigiz Oh, I'm sorry! LOL I actually took a rim lit shot just last week! And note.. that dog is NUDE!! As for dates... 14th through 20th? I know some people include time zones..probably a good idea as this is a global site :-)
@gigiz
ok - here is what i did:
2 shots (as my body did not allow to create this pose at once...):
a) one with legs only,
b) one with head/torso and a little photoshopping to put it all together...
Lighting setup:
a) legs:
- one front light (flash with standard reflector), low power. light direction about 20-30deg above knees, far behind camera
- one backlight (flash with honeycomb grid 40deg. ) to get nice directed light (using Gary Fong power snoot), high power. position approx. 1m behind legs, light direction horizontal
b) head/torso:
- one front light (flash with standard reflector) low power. light direction about 20-30deg above head, far behind camera
- one toplight (same as back light), medium power. light direction vertical, just about 1m above head.
I'm using PocketWizzard remote controls to trigger flash.
@espyetta you get your kit off ....lol...then place a lighting source behind the subject and sometimes slightly off the the side, but still behind, flag off the stray light that is obvious with material or card. Seems it might be smart to use something reflective in the front as we are trying this with rim light only and it becomes quite dark. Gunna give it a go?
@archaeofrog hey! Thank you so much or sharing. I like as others have said the hair, and I also find your nose and nostril to seem a point of interest in a beauty way. And thank you for sharing the set up it will definitely help many
@archaeofrog That's exactly the pose I was going to do, you beat me to it. :-) You got the subtle moody rim light going on there. Very well done. And yes, thanks for including the picture of your setup.
@sianipops Nia, thank you very much! I've been doing selfies for a while, so I'm fine with them but the lighting frustrated me as hell. It would have been so much easier to do it with somebody else. I'm glad you liked them.
What makes you think you are hopeless in selfies? Technical issues or you are just not comfortable with them? If it is technical, i've found from lots of trials and errors having right equipment helps a great deal. A wireless remote(surprisingly not very expensive at all if you google), or a wired shutter release, being well aware of the timer functionality on your camera will go a long way. If you are not comfortable with selfies, why don't you take just a body part like feet, hands or low-key or your hair covering most of your face etc. Just few thoughts.
I've seen some people requesting no selfies in get pushed challenges, so no need to sit out for that reason if you enjoy them. Most people here are understanding and will accommodate your request.
@khirsch man....nor am I, but I'm gunna go with it is a beautifully back lit image...truly. I should never have picked this subject, it is too open for interpretation. Did you try this shot specifically?
@ikamera you have done wonderfully, although I love the whites of your eyes in the second....I think the first hair one has it....but I know me, I am envious cuz I have short hair. Again beautifully done...thanks for sharing
@sianipops Nia....you have some great thinking going on with your photos, I just looked...to me, personally, thinking is the best part of photography. Even a landscape, if you can show what you were thinking, it will ooooooze through. Again just me, starting out photographers will admire the focus or framing or the typicalness of what others think is great photography, but what if the viewer is only feeling admiration for skill? Not the portrayal? A selfie can be your ear! Even your bum, blame it on a friend lol, we will never know, you don't have to post, but try again when you have the time?
@ikamera@gigiz my struggle with selfies is getting the shot in focus - need to read up more. For this challenge I immediately thought of a shot as a selfie but sharing it would also mean I'm letting my father-in-law and kids see something risqué - lol that's what I get for encouraging them to join 365 ( although the kids aren't active). I am going to give it another try, thanks for the encouragement and Gigi, thanks for taking the time to check out my project - it's definitely a work in progress.
@gigiz@ikamera ok gave it a shot, although my husband came home and kindly offered to push the button - so not a full on self portrait but a little bit happier with the focus than on previous attempts.
@tracys Nice rim you got there! Very subtle. Well done.
@sianipops As long as you set the settings, it doesn't matter who presses the button, it's still your shot in my book making it a self-portrait. You did great with the rim lighting. Self-portrait with perfect focus and rim light is double jackpot. Great job!
As with the focus, having a stand-in in the place you are going to stand(an extra tripod at your height, a toy, a volunteer etc.,) and manual focus with enough depth-of-field is a good recipe as far as I know. Manual focus is definitely the key. I totally understand and relate to the focus issues and the frustration in self-portraits.
My "Facing the Facade" attempt ... Not fond of being on the camera – don’t trust any camera to do full justice to those awesome looks . but tried this (more than a hundred times with multiple trial and error) to attempt the technique challenge. Since I attempted this unassisted – appropriate focus as well as determining just the right amount of light was quite a challenge. Not sure if this really qualifies since there are so many interpretations but will give it a go and let you decide.
Set up a black background using a fleece cloth – and the ironing table again covered by a black cloth to hold the mask and position my face. Used a pivot-able reading lamp pointing upwards behind the table below the table surface for the rim lighting, and an additional small flashlight to increase focus on the mask. Minor post process to increase contrast slightly and convert to B/W.
@welcometocarolworld Nice one, Carol. I tried something similar (but lower down my body, and face down - I wasn't happy with my face being in shot), but gave up after two or three dozen fails.
Tweets ahoy!
Join the Group
Pin With Me
I think possibly just titling the challenge as rim lighting, and then giving the option of a nude would have possibly been the way to go LOL
But we're all grown ups here right? lol, I will try your challenge, albeit in a very prudish manner.....
Do you want entries to only use rim light or is fill light ok?
here are some examples from flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/sparkflyphotography/galleries/72157628417601285
@northy I too happened upon it by chance, now I have to research how to do it purposefully.
@kali66 Thanks for the flickr examples. I think I like the ones with a bit of strategically placed fill instead of strictly outlined rim lighting. They feel a bit more mysterious to me and as a viewer I seem to be wondering about/mentally filling up the dark areas. But, that's just my opinion.
@steff love hugs, thank you and tag I edited
@ikamera I edited, I want to prove that lighting can be done with one light source though the average normal light in life is fine
I'm adding an old shot of mine: is it anywhere near the idea of this technique (I did it without knowing what technicque I was using, of course). Please, comment.
I've had this kind of effect (rim lighting, not several nudes!) happen by accident, but no idea how to make it happen deliberately, so like you have a bit of research to do.
@mara19500 I can see the rim light on the contours of your face but there is too much light in the back that the rim light is not the one that is obvious and jumping out at me. So, while this is a good picture, I don't think this would be a suitable example of rim lighting as Gigi outlined in her OP.
If you were to try this picture again, maybe move your head to the left a couple of inches so you would cover the light source a bit more. In the short research I did, everyone seems to be suggesting the rim light to be behind the subject and a little bit to the side so that the light peeks through the contours of the subject's body on that side.
Please feel free to ignore these suggestions if they don't make any sense. :-) Check out Kali's flickr examples for excellent examples of this technique.
--Neil van Niekerk "Off-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Photographers"
Sekonic provides a number of useful information and links:
http://www.sekonic.com/classroom/fillflashtutorial.aspx
http://www.sekonic.com/whatisyourspecialty/photographer/articles/metering-vs-lighting-handling-high-contrast.aspx
Mark Wallace did a few videos on how to use flash to create good and repeatable results:
http://tutolearning.com/creativelive-speedlights-101-with-mark-wallace-3-days/
you don't need expensive studio gear to achieve great results - in my opinion its important to understand some basics in flash technique, light formers, how to set up your camera/flash to get to repeatable results. and then shoot - shoot - shoot and have fun!
- The effect must be startlingly obvious, not just a degree of back/rim
lighting. Make it the key feature of the image, make it dramatic, make it
ostentatious!
- The light must come from well behind the subject (e.g. no overhead sun or
high spotlight) and not side lit.
- No silhouettes, the subject must be easily discernible.
- No visible light source (e.g. the sun can not be in the image).
- No translucent subjects (e.g. flower petals, stained glass windows).
My attempt, all I can say is it can only get better from here. Not really that rim halo but I did learn some things, more so subject matter. There is a bit of a tantrum chuck going down if you click the photo
Is this what we are looking for? I was going for sunflairs for the camera setting and got this. What are the challenge dates? Also you may want to put the tag technique8 in your description.
I can't wait to try this properly.
I agree with you that I like the translucent orange in Gigi's first link. I guess that stills works as a good example because there is still a lot of rim light which stands out from the translucent light.
I used a black cloth to make the background dark, only one lamp as in the bedside variety which conveniently has a clip on it so I can hang it all kinds of places. It was above and to the side of me, I used a box to shield the lens from it which you can just see cutting off my fingers...multishot on delay timer. I merged two photos because the face was better in one and the hands in another, so this is a cheat, I also put glamour glow filter on it because a girl has to soften the effect of the goosebumps and messy hair a little...but does it work as rim lighting? I think so...
I also think it would be easy to confuse low key to rim light. Rim light outlines the subject whereas low key some of the subject is lite and other parts are not. I think it is possible to have a low key and rim lighting both in a photo such as Kali's gorgeous example. The nose & face has some rim lighting but the rest is low key. That is my opinion.
low-key just means more to the dark end of the light spectrum as in on a histogram, so rim lighting images with only one light source behind the subject will end up low-key by default.
ok - here is what i did:
2 shots (as my body did not allow to create this pose at once...):
a) one with legs only,
b) one with head/torso and a little photoshopping to put it all together...
Lighting setup:
a) legs:
- one front light (flash with standard reflector), low power. light direction about 20-30deg above knees, far behind camera
- one backlight (flash with honeycomb grid 40deg. ) to get nice directed light (using Gary Fong power snoot), high power. position approx. 1m behind legs, light direction horizontal
b) head/torso:
- one front light (flash with standard reflector) low power. light direction about 20-30deg above head, far behind camera
- one toplight (same as back light), medium power. light direction vertical, just about 1m above head.
I'm using PocketWizzard remote controls to trigger flash.
Shot:
Setup: (includes description of why the room is so messy - photographically relevant, promise)
I'm not sure if the last one fits all the rules, but I like it, so entering it anyway.
What makes you think you are hopeless in selfies? Technical issues or you are just not comfortable with them? If it is technical, i've found from lots of trials and errors having right equipment helps a great deal. A wireless remote(surprisingly not very expensive at all if you google), or a wired shutter release, being well aware of the timer functionality on your camera will go a long way. If you are not comfortable with selfies, why don't you take just a body part like feet, hands or low-key or your hair covering most of your face etc. Just few thoughts.
I've seen some people requesting no selfies in get pushed challenges, so no need to sit out for that reason if you enjoy them. Most people here are understanding and will accommodate your request.
Just a bit of boob humour
@sianipops As long as you set the settings, it doesn't matter who presses the button, it's still your shot in my book making it a self-portrait. You did great with the rim lighting. Self-portrait with perfect focus and rim light is double jackpot. Great job!
As with the focus, having a stand-in in the place you are going to stand(an extra tripod at your height, a toy, a volunteer etc.,) and manual focus with enough depth-of-field is a good recipe as far as I know. Manual focus is definitely the key. I totally understand and relate to the focus issues and the frustration in self-portraits.
Set up a black background using a fleece cloth – and the ironing table again covered by a black cloth to hold the mask and position my face. Used a pivot-able reading lamp pointing upwards behind the table below the table surface for the rim lighting, and an additional small flashlight to increase focus on the mask. Minor post process to increase contrast slightly and convert to B/W.