Hey Pye, great video! I do fashion photography so I love hard shadows and edgy portraits. I have both speed light and ring flash, and as you say, each one has its own look so it really comes to down to the style of the image you want to create. I love (in my eyes) the way ring flash makes the subject “glow” and gives more volume vs speed light that makes it look “flatter” and more angular. Amazing video, keep it up!
Perhaps worth mentioning that you could use the speed light or any other second strobe to eliminate the distinctive ring flash shadow on the background, if you wanted to. And (a bit off-topic) that ring flash can nicely be used as fill.
Indeed you can, but really I'm not going to use the ring flash unless I want the distinct look and shadows. That's kind of the point (at least for my use).
I love that ring light look. I think I like it more when it's not up against a background but I don't mind the halo outline at all. For me, I love the flat, edgy light it produces. As long as the exposures are good to my taste I love the ring flash look. I love the catchlights of ring flashes/lights as well (I know a lot of photographers hate it but I adore them).
A very good video ... And for me the shadow from a ring flash always looks terrible ... so I only use it for outdoor portraits or far from backgrounds ... but very rarely ... I prefer it for macro photography and nothing else .
Thank You Pye for your great tutorials which encourage me to explore new ways of taking pictures. I would like to have your advice on lighting for a dinner gala event shooting. What would be your recommendations for it? Direct Flash or ring light? I have to consider I won't have too much lighting and probably will have to take groups of people sitting around the table? Thank You in advance for your answer. 🙂
Pye I am a huge fan! I’ve been looking at all of the visual flow presets as well as the brushes I’m planning on getting them as soon as I have enough money saved up. If I order them through you do you get credit for the sale? I’ll be really honest you’re the one who sold me on these brushes and the presets! I would’ve never known about them if you had not used them!
On camera flash has always been a style I liked, but that ring flash shadow just doesn’t look good for me. It looks too much like a bad photoshop dropshadow to me.
Good information. Not sure I dig the ring flash though. The shadow it creates around the subject is a bit strange for me. It gives me the feel of a subject being lit from both sides, and somehow not canceling out the shadows that would be eliminated if that were done. Good video Pye. I'll put this in my Pye playlist for future references. Yep. You got your own playlist on my RU-vid.
Hi. I would like to know what camera is used for this video filming? ( Not the camera that takes the photos but the camera that records this video. Thanks. )
Great demonstration thank you. Your model was perfect for this lighting style, incl. her makeup, hairstyle etc... e.g. the shiny reflection on her forehead brought depth. Makeup is probably more important for this direct flat lighting than any other since it creates very little illuminance variation and shadow.
Great video Pye many times on camera flash gets a bad reputation! That was a great side by side for us to consider ring flash for a future shoot. Thanks for all you shareSir!
Pye, my deepest condolences that you had to make this video because hard light is trendy now for some reason. LOL. (well the reason is because subjects like how their skin looks all washed out :P )
Great video as always! Your A-cam has a dead pixel at 802x1969 (4K). Other cams don't show. Doesn't detract from the content at all, I'm just observant like that. Keep them coming!
nice tuto. I am a little afraid to walk with a big ad200pro on my belt and huge ring flash. same for dance floor, parties,... I would be interested by same kind of tuto, also in street, comparing magsphere 2 (w or w/o maggrid 2), magbounce 2 (no need bracket for portrait mode, godox V1 turns) and rogue flashbender large which looks much bigger than a magbounce 2.
