Lighting In The Gym, Behind the Scenes (Fitness Photography Session)
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Within this blog, I wish to explain/discuss these three things:
What lighting to use when in a gym or studio
When to use background lighting in a photo and why?
How to improve upon shake in a picture
What lighting to use when in a gym or studio?
Here are some suggestions for solutions to this question.
Two light set-up, a light on either side of the main subject
One light set-up
Many fitness photographers may extend the number of lights, depending on the style they wish to portray. I am only going to discuss these two lighting set-ups as you may not have more than two lights to play with.
TWO LIGHT SET-UP
HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF A TWO-LIGHT SETUP, THIS IS THE TYPE OF LIGHTING I USE ON A REGULAR BASIS.
THE MAGIC OF THIS SETUP, IS YOU HAVE A MAIN LIGHT THAT WILL LIGHT UP THE MODEL, WHICH CAN BE POSITION FROM THE FRONT OR SIDE. THE SIDE LOOKS BETTER WHEN USING THE SECOND LIGHT
THE SECOND LIGHT CAN BE USED AS A FILL LIGHT OR ADD A GRID MODIFIER TO THE LIGHT WHICH CAN CREATE A RIM TYPE OF LIGHT THAT WILL LIGHT THE RIM EDGE OF THE MODEL
Theory
Grid light modifier - This is attached to a softbox with a grid and the grid preserves the softness of the light but prevents the soft light from spilling over to the surrounding area.
Another type of modifier is a Honeycomb grid - It’s affixed to the front of a studio strobe. The light shines through the grid and creates a tight beam of light. The aim is to create a focused beam with little diffusion.
One Light setup
THE USE OF A ONE-LIGHT CAN CAPTURE A SET STYLE OR A DRAMATIC PICTURE, AS YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE A DARK AND LIGHT AREA WITH ONE LIGHT.
WHEN YOU BEGIN TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY, YOU WILL LEARN THAT WHEN PHOTOGRAPHING INSIDE YOU WILL OFTEN REQUIRE EXTRA LIGHT. A PLACE MAY SEEM, BRIGHT TO THE HUMAN EYE, BUT NOT THAT BRIGHT TO YOUR CAMERA’S LIGHT SENSOR.
THE OTHER OPTION TO CONSIDER IS TO CAPTURE A ACTION OF MOVEMENT YOU WILL REQUIRE A FAST SHUTTER SPEED WITH YOUR CAMERA, ALONG WITH A FLASH OR STROBE LIGHT.
By looking at either of these lighting setups an extra light may be required to brighten up the room or environment around the model in the picture. A gym or studio may be rather dark, with limited lighting.
When to use background lighting in a photo and why?
The use of background lighting in a photograph is not used to light the back of a model or fitness professional. It is an extra flash or continuous lighting source that has a high strength to brighten up a set area at the side or back of a model.
I use this technique when on location to brighten up a room and illuminate the background area of a set. Once I have set up the main lights for the model, I will then use extra background lights positioned behind the model and these can be used to bounce off walls or the ceiling.
The main reason for this type of lighting is to make sure that the room is brighter as you take each image of the model.
To summarise I would use either the lighting setups mentioned and either one or a few backlights in the room, to be able to take this type of images
After all, the pictures are taken you will start to edit these images. This next section is a way to improve the quality of each image, especially when photographing an action or movement picture.
How to improve upon shake in a picture
The shake I refer to might be minor and in the Photoshop program, there is an option to align an image and correct any camera shake. I only recommended the use of this option when shooting action pictures, but please don’t use this on images that do not require this improvement. This option also has limitations, it only works with minor shakes rather than very shaky image quality.
Photoshop tool = Shake reduction
Theory - Use automatic camera shake reduction
Select Filter > Sharpen > Shake Reduction. Photoshop automatically analyzes the region of the image best suited for shake reduction, determines the nature of the blur, and extrapolates the appropriate corrections to the entire image.
In this blog, I have explained two lighting techniques, the background lighting option and the shake reduction tool in Photoshop. These are a few key techniques to use when shooting a fitness professional within an indoor location.
If You Would Like To Have More Information And Learn More, Then Please Give Me Some Blog Suggestions In The Comments Below Or Arrange A 1:1 Photography Session With Myself.
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