Studio stacking: Lighting examples - a photo on Flickriver

Here are four examples of different lighting approaches. Obviously there are endless possibilities and I've only made fairly small changes. In all these examples the light is provided by two LED lights. I've used two different diffusion materials – white plastic (from a yoghurt bottle) and regular copy paper.

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Even lighting (top left)
Paper cylinder diffuser wrapping around the subject and up towards the lens, two LED lights from right/left

Simply too flat and boring for my taste. The "black hole of death" caused by the dark reflection of the lens becomes painfully pronounced

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Sculptural lighting (top right)
One LED diffused through white plastic, from the top, in front of and slightly to the left + one LED diffused through a sheet of paper from the right and somewhat behind the subject.

The asymmetry/directionality of the light brings out the texture and the slight backlighting brings out some of the translucency. I would consider this the standard approach, where lighting directions etcetera are chosen in order to bring out detail, texture and dimensionality.

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Directional lighting (bottom left)
Two diffused LED's from the left.

This strikes me as a rather under-utilized lighting approach in this type of photography. I find it quite interesting – sure some of the detail is lost in the heavy shadows but this also adds some mystery and tension to the image.

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Backlighting (bottom right)
Two diffused LED's from behind and to either side of the subject.

An experimental approach which became my first pick in this case. Obviously not always the best choice but worth trying when you feel the need for variation

Taken on: January 13, 2014

Tags:

insect

macro

beetle

ceruchus chrysomelinus

Canon 5DmkII

Nikon PB-6 Bellows

Schneider-Kreuznach Apo-Componon 60/4

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Sets appears in: • Studio stacks • Coleoptera more » • Gear « less

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