avoiding dark under eyes when lighting

J

Jay Cowley

New member
i've been running into issues shooting a corporate video in a warehouse with my subjects looking like they have dark marks under their eyes, see screen shot.


im lighting with two 4 bank kinos on either side of the subject at head level, so plenty of light is getting through, but i can't see to figure out how to brighten up the area under the eyes. have also been placing a silk above the subject to soften any hard lighting coming from the metal halides above
is this is a problem for anyone else, what type of solutions have you tried? why is it that there never seems to be enough light on this area of the face?
vlcsnap-2012-01-08-23h49m59s15.jpg
 
Its shadow off the nose

bring the lights round closer to the camera?

45 deg to the side and 45 to above the subject is a 'typical' light

Edit:

Of course as you bring the lights closer they will become 'larger' sources - so you could keep this lighting 'design' and bring the kinos right to the edge of frame

the larger the source the more it wraps and fills

S
 
A little on camera LCD can sometimes do the trick if you're close enough (also makes for a nice eyelight). Or try shooting a light into a bounce board located directly camera right (as noted by nwstudios, keep it on the camera axis for the best shadow fill in). You could also flip one of your fat men horizontal and keep it centered right above camera (this would provide a nice wrap fill while still keeping some sense of directionality in your key).
 
thanks for the replies,
if the fill is right at/above camera, this will de-intensify those shadows, but won't they still be there regardless? With a 4' 4-bank kino as KEY, is there an ideal location to place to eliminate these shadows entirely while keeping some degree of ratio on the face? what type of diffusion would you use with the kino, how close would you place it to the subject and horizontal or vertical?
 
If you want to fix this problem quickly and efficiently, you need a small jar of liquid makeup and some sponge wedges to apply it smoothly. Bags is Bags.
 
Jay Cowley said:
thanks for the replies,
if the fill is right at/above camera, this will de-intensify those shadows, but won't they still be there regardless? With a 4' 4-bank kino as KEY, is there an ideal location to place to eliminate these shadows entirely while keeping some degree of ratio on the face? what type of diffusion would you use with the kino, how close would you place it to the subject and horizontal or vertical?
Click to expand...

For me, from your example, it seems a bit harsh for a talking head industrial spokes person shot. Light coming in at 45/45 doesn't match typical 'factory/warehouse' lighing, and so appears unmotivated. Factory lighing form high does give shadows, but that can be softened with a fill that is flat coming from the camera, and adjusted to minimize 'circles' under the eyes... then there's always make up... some people just have deep sockets, or whatever that enhances the objectionable effect.
 
The closer the kino is, the softer it is, and the less harsh the shadows are. Also, it will wrap better. Just take it as close as you can and see what it looks like. Most of the time you don't really need diffusion on kinos, especially 4 ft 4 banks, because they're a fairly large source already. But if you want to diffuse it, really anything you can clip onto the barn doors should work.
 
Start by placing it right over your lens, then tweak it as you please.
You're not going for art, but it will act as a beauty light. Big catch light in the eyes, fills in the eye sockets, and any wrinkles.
 
Aside from lighting... The talent could use some makeup, comb his hair, straighten his tie, and adjust his lab coat. Or is this a comedy?
 
oh yeah it's supposed to be a spoof, but i agree about the makeup. i tried some of the techniques suggested in this thread on my shoot today and voila!
004.jpg
 
As mentioned, you've cross-lit your subject, & are casting competing shadows across their face.

Even if the lights are directly next to camera you'll get a bit of cross-lighting unless you place a third light above the camera to fill in the dead area.

Unless you know how to do this well your lighting will look flat, & I recommend side lighting instead. Perhaps put your Kinos side-by-side to form a soft-bank, & if needed, fill with a large reflector. Also raise the bank so it's center is above the camera-to-subject axis.
 
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