Black Portraits – Home Made Setup Explained…

Hi, I have talked about on how to create a Home Made Setup to shoot on a White Background. Today I’ll share my experiences with you on how I shoot on a Black Background.

Shooting on a Black Background is comparatively easy vs. shooting on a White Background, and I find results better on a Black Background simply because of the mystery and warmth attached to these images.

I’ll pick up this example and will explain you the setup I used to shot this image:

That’s my friend Sunil, we did this photo shoot late in the evening to avoid any sunlight coming from the window as we were living on the sixth floor during that period. I used my living room as usual for this setup and photo shoot.


Equipment used:

Camera: Canon 400D DSLR

Lens: Canon 50mm F1.8

Strobe Light 250 Watts (1 Nos.)

Remote Flash Trigger

Black Satin Backdrop

Curtain Rod (which was already there)

Dining Table (whose height was around 3Ft.)

Black Portraits – Home Made Setup

First, install your Backdrop, I have used my window curtain rod but you can use the backdrop stand if you have. Backdrop texture is of a satin material which if placed on light background becomes a bit transparent and will give you problems in post processing, so I would suggest you use a thick black material cloth or at least place your satin backdrop on a dark background. It becomes somewhat “see through” when you try to increase the brightness while doing the processing. Plain Black colored wall would be a best option.

Ok. Now place your Strobe light on the table and make it face towards the wall in 45 Degree angle so that the light bounce back and fall on your Model, not direct. The distance between the Strobe Light and the wall should be around 2 Ft. Get ready with your camera and place it on your tripod. Keep a distance of around 3.5 Ft. from the model. Distance might change depending upon the lens configuration and the kind of framing you want to choose, close up or till waist length.

Switch on the Light, Camera & Action!

Here are few shots clicked on this setup with a bit of twist in the placement of Strobe light:

I hope you find this piece of information useful. Drop me a line if you need any further info on this setup and shoot @ Vickramh Raghuvanssi Photography

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Vickramh

Electromagnetic Motor – Home Made Working Model

You can’t actually escape when it’s coming from your Kid’s School and since I am no exception, I had to create a working model of the “Electromagnetic Motor” to show how it works. After couple of Google Searches I got an idea about how to do it in my own way. (Wish I concentrated on my studies in my school days)…So, here it goes…

Things we need: (Refer Imagebelow with markings)

1 - A piece of wood, rectangle or square whatever, to give it a base.

2 – Big size battery, which we usually use to put in our torches. You can make by looking the image below.

3 – Metal clamps with holes (2 Nos.). You can get it from any Local Hardware Shop.

4 – Copper Wire (around 1 Mtr.) You can get it in any of the Motor Winding Repair Shops.

5 – Magnets (2 Nos.) Magnets which I used in this project are the one which are placed Inside the door stoppers, I bought these stoppers, broke their outer shell and got the magnets. They are quite powerful.

6 – Nylon Cable Tie (1 Nos.)

7 – Screws

Electromagnetic Motor

How I did it. It’s quite simple!

First you have to install the Metal Clamps (3) on the piece of Wood (1) but make sure you leave a space between the two to fit the Big Battery (2) in such way that both end of the battery should be touching the Metal Clamps you have installed, such that the flow of current should pass through them. Now before placing the battery between these Metal Clamps make sure you install the Magnets (5) on the Big Battery(2) tying it with the Nylon Cable Tie (6). Now place the Battery between the Metal Clamps (3) and keep the Magnets facing upwards. You are more than half way through…

Now take your Copper Cable (4) and make a Circle with a diameter of around 1 inch and keep wrapping the wire unless you make 7-8 rounds of it. You have to make sure that you leave some wire at the start and at the end after completing the Ring formation so that you can straighten it up and insert in the holes of the Metal Clamps (3) installed earlier. Before inserting the wires in the Holes make sure to peel the Copper Wire (4) especially from the region where it’s going to be touching the Hole, with the help of knife. Once you are done with the Copper Wire. Insert your ring and it will start rotating automatically. You can adjust the distance between the Ring and the Magnets to see where it works the best.

I hope many of you will find it useful and you never know when a School Science Project of your Kid/s hits you … Happy Experimenting.

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Vickramh

Experience the Emotions : My Second attempt @short film making

Thanks to Vinit for getting this idea across and to get the shooting done from a lazy bum.

“Expressions” as the title suggests is a sequence of different emotions conveyed through various faces of different age groups…The sequence ends with an emotion of being “Content” - which makes a complete cycle after experiencing all the emotions in life, one should feel contended at the end of the day…that’s how it goes…Correct me Vinit if I am wrong…Watch it to “Experience the Emotions” by yourself…

A Film by: Vinit Vickramh

Artist line up: 

Mr. Arora, Mr & Mrs. Ranka, Kishore, Mr Vij, Shrihan Pandey (Sheenu), Ms Komal, Shubham, Sushant & Vinit and Various other Artists.

Production Team:

Vinit Sehgal

Vickramh Raghuvanssi

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Vickramh

Photo Shoot on a White Background: Home Made Setup

Hi,

Here’s the home made setup, to shoot on a White Background. Many of us including me find it difficult to shoot seamlessly on a white background. Being associated with the stock images, I find it very useful to have a collection of people portraits on a white background. Simply because the usability of the images multiplies when you shoot on a plain background - as most of the time designers want to place cut outs of the people on their customized designs; which makes it easier for them too.

So, I’ll try to share and explain the setup I made to get seamless images on white background.

Let’s list out the things we need for this kind of Setup: (Please refer image below)

1 - Foam boards - 8x4 ft (2 nos) Costs me around Rs 900 per sheet. Stick on the wall with a Adhesive
tape.

2A-2B - L shaped Wooden Panel – 7ft High and Two feet Wide so if you fold it the one leg of ‘L’ would be 1 ft Wide. I got it done from one of local Hardware Shop and it costs around Rs 1200 in total.

3A-3B – Strobe Lights (2 nos) which will be focused on the Background ONLY.

4 - Foam boards - 8x4 ft (2 nos) Costs me around Rs 900 per sheet. Placed on the floor and properly
connected with the foam boards (1) coming down from the wall.

5 - Place where our model will be standing/sitting

6 - Main Light

White Background: Home Made Setup

Let’s talk about the distances between the props. After putting the Foam Boards (1,4) in place, install your Strobe Lights (3A,3B) in a straight line from the edges of the Foam Boards with a distance of 3-3.5 ft and turn the focus of the light towards the Background (1); say around 20 degrees. Now place your Wooden Panels (2A-2B) covering the Strobe Lights such that the reflection of the flash should not fall on the Model; this is quite useful technique to avoid extra light falling on Model’s Head and Shoulders from behind or on the entire Body edge - in case of a full length shot.

Now, ask your Model to stand in the middle (5) of your Foam Boards (1,4) and make sure that the distance between the wooden panels and your Model should be at least 5ft, ideally it should be more say around 7-8 ft but being a Home Setup we need to manage it within the area we have.

You can now place your Main Light (6) in whichever side you want and start shooting. I have used 50mm fixed focal lens from Canon for this series. The other main aspect to look at is your F Stops. If you are getting F 22 on your background lights then the Main Light should read F11 you try increasing it to say F13 or F14, in this way your main model will look little dark and under exposed but when you do a post processing and when you increase the exposure or brightness you will get Pure White Background and with your Model/Subject exposed appropriately. I have to do bit of post processing because of the lights falling back on the subject too harsh. The reason is nothing but the constraint of the space. Hope I’ll have a proper studio setup soon, where I don’t have to move our Sofa/Couches and Tables to make space in our living room for this setup.

Here are few shots I clicked on this setup:

I hope you find this piece of information useful, may be a bit of it, if not all… Drop me a line if you need any further info on this setup and shoot @ Vickramh Raghuvanssi Photography

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Vickramh

Tryst with the Gadget called Camera...

It’s always been a pleasure to have a camera in my hands. I still remember the day when as a kid I got the first camera and it was a Hot Shot, in 1985.

Hot Shot

My Mom got it from the Army CSD Canteen. It was so much fun to shoot with that camera. Then came…couple of Yashica’s (with Flash) which became a part and parcel of our daily lives. Things moved on…and I got busy with other stuff in life, trying out various career options - finally settled as a Graphic Designer in 1994. The Camera still continued to fascinate me; but remained restricted to Birthday Parties and other Family Outings. Finally comes the first digital camera in my life - Olympus C170.

Olympus C170

It was a different experience all together, you shoot, you like, you keep and copy it on your computer, you don’t like the shot - you delete it! It was fun but I got a bit restricted trying out manual features like exposures and shutter speeds. This cute little gadget stayed there with me for a year and now my 12 year old daughter uses it for her school projects and to shoot here and there.

I knew inside - I had to try out something more advanced and I got my first hand on the SLR on a trip to UK - with my then Boss Sid, known as a gadget freak. It was obvious to find the SLR with him - The Canon Rebel XT, with a Sigma Zoom lens mounted on it.

Canon Rebel XT

I spent some very good time there in London shooting that beautiful city and its famous monuments, exploring even more to handle Exposure and Shutter Speed settings. During the same time we (the company) opened an account with iStockphoto; as being in the Web Design business we often needed images which were Royalty Free and within our budget, that’s how I got addicted with the site in 2004. In 2007, I joined iStockphoto as a contributor and bought Canon 400D. Then what? As predicted, I was with my Camera everywhere we used to go and ask my family members to pose for me. Initially they like it but sometimes they would feel irritated. But they all have been so co-operative till date.

As I started getting good responses from iStockphoto, I got a pair of Studio Lights. After all the experiments and late night shoots with my friends (who were indeed very co-operative too), some good results were expected. The next level was to upgrade my camera, and I opted for Canon 5D Mark II after an extensive research.

Canon 5D Mark II 

The story continues…watch out for the next addition…till then Cheers! And have a good day!

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Vickramh

SIXTH SENSE - First attempt @short film making

This is the first attempt @short film making; based on the theme of Water Conservation:

Actors
N. R. Badlapure
Paras Mistry

Casting
Kunal inamdar
Anand

Production Team
Vinit Sehgal
Vickramh Raghuvanssi


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Vickramh

Managed Lightboxes @iStockphoto - Series...

Have a look at my Managed Lightboxes @iStockphoto

Indian Business People

Vetta Collection

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Vickramh