How do I make a portrait by candlelight?

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Howdy All,

First of all, thanks Shawn for what looks like the makings of a terrific forum. My question, I would like to shoot a portrait by candlelight. This is for a class project. (Second class in a series of three Black and White). Where do I start? A grey card in front of my models face, meter off that and then bracket around that? Is there a rule of thumb that I can use or what? Another question, we have to use an alternative camera for a different project. Would I have a ghost of a chance getting a similar image using a Holga?

Thanks again, Keith

-- Keith A. Enix (kenix@spectraprecision.com), February 09, 2000

Answers

yep and yep. Grey card sounds good to me, and a fast lens/film combo or if a soft image would be acceptable, just design it to be graphically strong. You could use a tripod and have a soft (mysterious) figure with a sharp set. Explore different gestures. Watch out for streaky catchlights in the eyes, they will set the mood of the image. The holga doesn't have much of a close focus possibility, but it does have "B"... t

-- tom meyer (twm@mindspring.com), February 09, 2000.

Me Again,

Sorry, I had a brain fart when I entered my e-mail address on my original posting. This one has the correct address. Thanks Tom. I am going to try the shot tomorrow night.

Keith

-- Keith A. Enix (kenix@spectraprecisionday.com), February 09, 2000.


Why not just set up the tripod, and bracket a few shots off the metered reading off the model's face?

The grey card will just leave you more confused, IMHO.

You can get a similar image using a holga, but it's not going to be anywhere near the same.

-- Edward Kang (ekang@cse.nd.edu), February 09, 2000.


Metering in very low light conditions may be impossible with a grey card. You may be forced to use a white card and adjust accordingly. Approximations: 400iso 1/15 sec f/2

cheers,

-- max elliot (maxel@quik.com), February 09, 2000.


...if you really want Holgaesqueness (you mean Richter, right? "Helga" I thought--I'm not awake yet...) how bout long exposure under flourescent lighting? This would have to be done with colour film obviously, but you could print in BW for your project, no?

Or am I just missing Holga in my brain?

Georgia? geOrgia? GeOOOrrrGia!

-- shawn gibson (SeeInsideForever@yahoo.com), February 10, 2000.



candlelight/Holga

My Holga doesn't have "B". f/8 with two settings: sunny or cloudy. 1/100 s is the only time. the closest focusing distance is about 5 feet. Not very appropriate for close-up portraits in candlelight. But if you really want, pressing the shutter 100 times gives total exposure of one second, maybe enough....

Metering is no problem - as usual, meter off the face and give one stop more exposure, if skin tone is caucasian. The same in sunlight or in candlelight.

If you want the candle in the same picture, double exposure is the best method. Expose for the candle (meter off an area very close the candle, but not the candle included), overshadow the candle with a black card (or a hat...) in front of the lens and expose for the face. The result can be really nice.

Sakari

-- Sakari Makela (sakari.makela@koulut.vantaa.fi), February 10, 2000.


This has also been discussed on the photo.net Q&A forum, you can find a thread her e, while thi s thread discusses how to use fill-in flash without ruining the atmosphere (but since you are doing B&W it might be less relevant to you).

If you can't do Polaroids, then use a light meter. Bracket widely: film is cheap, models are not.

Sorry, I have no clue what a Holga is...



-- Allan Engelhardt (allane@cybaea.com), February 10, 2000.

re: Holga. oops. and: what the heck is Holga?

-- shawn gibson (SeeInsideForever@yahoo.com), February 11, 2000.

Holga is a plastic camera that takes 120 film. You can get them for $12 to $18. Some folks thing that they are the cats pajamas because thay are so flawed & you never really know how the images will come out.... go figure....

-- grant groberg (grant@emeraldp.com), February 11, 2000.

Click here for a site with Holga photos. Not much in the way of people shots and a few seem to be missing, but there's some good shots anyway.

It's just another tool, an agent of seredipity.

-- Jeff Spirer (jeffs@hyperreal.org), February 11, 2000.



if you decide to use 3200 delta with your holga make sure and wrap the entire camera (except the lens) in gaffers tape to a thickness of 1/2"....then when you're finished take the camera outside and smash it against the pavement to retrieve the roll.

-- Trib (linhof6@hotmail.com), February 11, 2000.

You are going to go through all the trouble of getting a model, setting up the scene with candlelights and everything, and then you'll shoot it with a plastic camera??? You must be a student. And completely mad.

(Ah! You said "class project". I guess you are. A student, that is. :-))

-- Allan Engelhardt (allane@cybaea.com), February 13, 2000.


candlelight & Holga

Yeah. Serious photographers use extremely sharp lenses with at least 6x7 cm cameras (preferably larger) - and Cokin nr 2 soft focus filters......

Sakari

-- Sakari Mdkeld (sakari.makela@koulut.vantaa.fi), February 14, 2000.


no Sakari....serious photogs use no less than 8x10 view cameras and never under any circumstances use filters.

-- Trib (linhof6@hotmail.com), February 14, 2000.

What's a lens? Pinhole cameras rule!

Especially those that require a big truck to move around. (What was the name of that woman who took portraits with a truck-mounted pinhole camera one some silly film format?)

(PS: I was only joking in my previous post.)

-- Allan Engelhardt (allane@cybaea.com), February 14, 2000.



Yes Allan, I am completely mad!! No offense taken whatsoever. I guess my original posting was a little confusing. The original shot will be done with my Nikon. The Holga question was more of a curiosity. This class requires a number of technical assignments along with a final portfolio. One of the tech. assignments is to use an alternative camera. My instructor specified a Holga, and since I would already be set up with the candles and all, I just wondered if it might work. By the way, the model becomes the Mrs. in May, so she is getting used to being the subject of my photographic madness!

Keith

-- Keith A. Enix (kenix@spectraprecisionday.com), February 15, 2000.


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