need help with tips on filming dark skin / R&B video

S

stan_the_man

Member
Hi guys, am about to shoot a new music video in the next 2 weeks and need tips and advice on camera setting and lighting for dark skin tones. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks, if interested you can view my first no budget music video at www.summitstudios.info go the the music videos page
 
I used to be afraid to shoot dark skined people, especially against light backgrounds, but after a few shoots I've found in some ways it's actually eaiser.

With light skinned people, soft light is the key, but with darker skinned people, you can hit them with hard light and it just gets soaked up, it never seems to be too much or too hard, and it always seems to look great. I love lighting dark skinned people now... Just make sure to keep separation from the background if you can, that will help with cast shadows or hot spots on the walls.
 
J, Does that mean use backlight, or no backlight, or keep subject away from any backgrounds..etc., walls....
 
Don't hesitate to use back light.
The only concern with the background might be shadow problems or getting it too hot (bright), thats why I suggested pulling them back from the walls (if you start having that problem)
 
For pulling up details in the face. I go with "peach" or "chocolate" gel. It evens out the eye areas with out dumping loads of light on the tallent.
A great tip I learned from a make-up artist, was to look for the base color in the individual and use the gel best matched to it to pull it out. Example: my skin (light skin) has a yellow base. My friend Emily(light skin) has an olive based sking. My friend Joey (dark skinned) has a chocolate base color, while my man Jaques (dark skinned) has a peach base. It doesn't so much matter with white people, but with dark skinned people, the gels really make the skin look more natural and almost give the skin a glow.
I was amazed at the results. Yes, there has been many a skin color joke attached to it, but that tends to disappear once the image comes up.
When shooting light and dark skin together, get used to half gelling a light for dark skin and using your half scrims to knock down the amount of light on the light skinned person.
I know the base color thing sounds wierd, but if you start to look for it, it becomes very clear.
 
thanks for the gel advice Matthew, I really haven't done anything with gels except for using a very basic one to cut down on light......based on your suggestions I will definitely look into your comments for this video. Thanks!
 
Four keys to light dark skin...
Remember that dark skin is supposed to be dark; don't overexpose.
Shape and detail are created by reflections; provide something, a white card or a softbank, for the skin to reflect.
Kickers and back lights make an enormous difference in dark-skinned subjects. Never set up a darker-skinned subject without one.
Managing contrast makes your job easier. Avoid white whenever possible. When white is unavoidable, use flags or barn doors to keep your key light off of it.

A kicker gelled with either a touch of blue or amber will pick up the underlying tone of the subjet's skin, the kicker makes a remarkable addition.
Click to expand...

all that and more in the article i mentioned above.
 
i tend to use large white/gold card ( 4x4 or 4x8)and bounce some light into it so the skin picks up the reflection of white/gold card = only gives a white/gold sheen on their skin .. i then hit them with 5k thru 4x4 Black silk ...
 
As a still photographer, I enjoyed the comments I read here. I can tell you that in stills, back light and kicker (directly to the side) light do wonders. It was mentioned to use harsh, not soft light. That is fine, but you can still use soft light, and may need to if you have light skinned folks there too. I have done weddings with a very dark skinned black person, and light skinned white person. I would use soft light, put the black person closer to the light, with the kicker on the key light side. I would also use my back light from the same side as the black person, (I would usually put it opposite side of the key). Manual exposure has always been key for me, not sure how you do it, but if you get the exposure dead on perfect, and lighting as described, you can have the faqirest of fair white skin with the blackest of black skin, and get a perfect picture. I am sure it is a little harder for you video guys, just thought I would put in my 2 cents.
 
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