Photoshop Help

UPDATE - I figured it out.

Okay, I'm sorta familiar with Photoshop, but not entirely. I was wondering if someone could provide some tips on how to achieve a dramatic headshot portrait. Where one side of the photo/subject is darker while the other is lighter. Sorta like this image...

Thanks!

 

It's done with a single light source. In this photo, obviously the single light source is at camera left.

If you look at the quality of the light, it's pretty bright. It could be bare flash possibly or a hot light but most likley flash because hot lights heat up the set and make the subject more uncomfortable the longer they sit.

Then what you would do on the right side is use what we call a C stand - it's a metal stand that you can clamp light modifiers to. In this case, it's very possible the photographer used a black piece of foamcore or similar to absorb any extraneous light and help create that very dark, detail free right side (his left) of his face.

The light on the left side looks like it could be directly in line with his face. if you have the space you'd maybe put it slightly behind Glover so it doesn't spill over to the right side (left side of his face). Light modifiers like barn doors can be used to make that strip of light on his face very focused.

You would then take a series of shots and look at how the light is falling and adjust the light accordingly until you get the desired effect.

This was done in a similar fashion, it's called "strip lighting" where you get just a strip of light on part of the subject. I have a studio flash on both sides with directed and scrimmed or narrowly focused.

Basically if you want to do this sort of thing, getting 1 or studio flashes would be the way to go. Then get some light modifiers.

 

Here's a rough sketch. The light that's behind the background, isn't technically behind the background, imagine the background stops before where those lights are positioned. The light *could* be slightly behind that parallel line that Glover is standing on. You would do this, to prevent spill over to the left side of Glover's face, you would take some test shots and tweak as necessary to get the darkest possible exposure on his left side. But you get the idea.

The lens is a long lens, a portrait type lens, in 35mm you would use anywhere from 150-200mm, maybe 250, just depends how tight you want to get on his face.

Hope this helps.

 

Good deal, thanks @bassmusic

 

You're welcome brother.