Photo 2: Kick 'em!

It was a pretty busy weekend... I worked mostly on a wedding album for a client and then I was with Jerica on her friend's wedding on Sunday. I really didn't have enough time to set-up a photo shoot for this week, so please excuse me for lack of a better subject :D

Following the previous photo, I just added a 2nd light to the mix. The 2nd light was a kicker light, which in my opinion is usually taken for granted. The key and fill lights are what photographers usually focus on. I can't really blame them because those elements are very important. However, I think that the kicker light is equally important and it's this element that usually adds the spice that gives the photo a little more "umph."

See that overexposed part at the back of my neck, my hair, and shoulders? That's the kicker light, and it creates a separation between the subject and the background, creating a more 3D effect.

The set-up for this shot was simple, and was done like this:

The key light was again as close to the face as possible, and the kicker was aimed at the right shoulder (yes the right, not the left), which feathered a bit of highlight.

I actually made a mistake for this photo, but I won't reveal it unless someone can point out what exactly that is :D

I also have a colored version of this... but I prefer the B&W copy... letting the red color stand out is more dramatic, in my opinion :)

Technical details of this photo:
Camera - Nikon D700
Lens - Nikkor 70-200mm F2.8  @86mm
Aperture - F10
Shutter - 1/160
Lighting - SB800 with 60x60 portable softbox and bare SB600