Reflected Light: Advancing the art form

[David Battistella]

Hi Guys,

The recent K-Flect Group buy is put together really got me thinking creatively about how to be minimalist but still do excellent lighting. The Kflect and other systems available got me thinking that we should maybe devote a topic to reflected light characteristics.

Diagrams and supporting material would be awesome.

Now that a bunch of REDusers are getting their kits I hope we can start a discussion about great ways to reflect light and general lighting techniques. I can't wait to see how people turn a single light into many with this system.

I's start with a few samples. Please join in.

Cheers,

Battistella

 

[Patrick Tresch]

Working with those special shaped reflectors (K-flect)and parallel light beam puts a different way of how we've seen the effects of light on objects up to day.
I won't say they change physics of light but that we should learn what effects they do have on what we illuminate. We had the common belief that a small light source/reflection could only get you a hard shadow and makes you a hot spot on shiny surfaces or on a person's face. Bouncing light and increasing the light path also has a great effect on light falloff.

The whole system opens a new door on how we can paint with light and we should learn it.

Pat

 

[David Battistella]

Patrick,

i agree reed with you on this. These systems, while forcing us to look at things a bit differently, can open up so many possibilities.

Battistella

 

[steven moreno]

Good stuff...what was your key light, David?

 

[David Battistella]

Thanks for asking Steven,

The source is a Lupo lux dayled 1000 with a 1/4 magenta to take out the green cast.

from there I was reflecting light back into the scene, the key in that scene was a number 9 kflect panel.

ill upload a diagram when I am back at my computer.

 

[Christopher Commons]

Hey David,

Thanks for sharing this. I think this is a pretty awesome concept, i could see utilizing this in situations where I do not have the power to plug in a lot of lights. also if we utlizise this theory in conjunction with a normal multi light set up i think you could create some very dynamic lighting set ups much.

-Chris

 

[Chris McKechnie]

I'll add a few to the mix. In my opinion, reflected light is some of the best lighting techniques you can master, which I'm far from mastering. Shots below are from a recent feature I DP'd as well as a lifestyle campaign.

Reflected sun light using mirrors. Backed off quite a bit so it became a softer source/fill. There were skylights in the kitchen which we put opal over to soften it up quite a bit from being overly top-lit. 4 total mirrors used. So the sun was bounced twice from each source. The mirror off to camera right was closer. Rim (camera left) shooting through backyard door was way far away to soften it up.




8x8 Foam Core off to camera right bouncing the sun from an overcast sky.



Camera left Kino 4 foot bank (4 daylight tubes lit & gelled CTO to get blueish hue) shot into foam core for soft moonlight. Camera right tungsten practical placed high up to provide fill.



Sunlight used as key rim, mirror bounced for fill.



Sunlight used as rim, 8x8 foam core used as bounce/fill.





2 1.2K HMI's Reflected off of 12x Ultra-Bounce (camera right) along with a Kino 4 foot (2 banks lit), camera left/back a bit for fill


2 1.2k HMI's Reflected off of a 12x Ultra-Bounce shooting through the windows. 8x8 foam core and tungsten practical for fill camera right





2 1.2K HMI's reflected off mirrors shot through windows for each actors key, 2K tungsten gelled CTB for back room fill. Went for warmer kelvin temp


Arri 2k Open faced up on church balcony gelled CTB, shot off 8x8 foam core. Candles back behind camera for fill.

 

[David Battistella]

Love this Chris!

Really generous of you to share.

When I get a sec I'll post a few from my latest project.

Battistella

 

[Dustin Dooley]

I really like the concept of this kit. The diagrams you have created also hit a nostalgic nerve from my hologram days bouncing a laser around the light table ;D

 

[Michael Tiemann]

Waking this thread back up...

Anybody have anything new to share? It took me longer than most to get my items from the KFLECT group buy, but now I have them, they are at the studio, and I have a Joker Bug 800 strapped into a KBEAM-40. And now I'm trying to wrap my head around the question "now what?!"

Hopefully some of you who have been playing with your new toys for a few more months have some insights/inspirations to share. Thanks!