How is this lit?

[Joe Cage]

Hello,

How is this lit?

I have a aputure ls1 with a softbox, and soon a quasar science 4ft tube, and a big shoot through reflector(which can also be used for negative fill).
I am also wondering what the background on this picture actually is, it looks like it is the floor. But not sure if it is the floor right at his feet or actually 10 meters in the back.

Thanks!

 

[Mark Phelan]

Looks like a single overhead fixture. Any number of which could get this result.

 

[Alastair Duffield]

I'd guess the background is a wet road or possibly a river stretching off into the distance, looking at the depth of field, I'd guess it has about an inch in focus, if it was the ground at the subjects feet I feel it would be far less creamy than it is if it was only 3' away.

And as Mark says, assuming the hands are out in front of the person then the fixture used is overhead.

 

[David Battistella]

Don't discount the possibility that the person is laying flat on their back.

 

[Todd T]

Looking at the left-hand, there's a light source some distance in front of and above subject, and reflecting off the ground.

Looking at the right hand; the fold of the bandage under the pinky is not lit from the same light source that is iluminating the right side of the wrist. This second source seems to be slightly to the right of and above the subject, but not shining on the ground.

Looking closely how the light falls between the fingers of each of the hands also seems to indicate light coming from two directions.

 

[Alastair Duffield]

I agree David, the subject may be on their back, and certainly guessing by the lack of distortion this wasn't taken with a super wide lens that would be needed to get both hands in frame with a body limiting how far back a camera could be placed.

Todd, I'm not sure I see this being two sources, the way I read it there is a large source overhead (relative to camera frame) but behind the hands, so the light is acting as a high back light, assuming it's in the region of a 6x6 or larger and likely something like a half grid, you'd see light falling on the fingers in the way we do.

I agree the light in the BG could be spill, but I think it more likely to be reflected ambient light simply because the shapes and colours lead me to believe it's an outdoor (as opposed to studio) shot.