Creating Hair Shine - Good Commercial-Style High Key Setup?

[Nick Lovell]

Hi, all! Anyone have tips to add shine to hair for hair product spots, and/or a general good high-key setup for hair spots?

Not just a kicker or typical hair light for separation, but making hair that's facing toward the camera shine.

In this video, Matthew Rosen shows how to place lights to the sides (almost like kickers) to create reflections in the hair... But I find that, when I do this, in order for the lights to be around to the front enough for the hair to reflect the light, it also creates shadows on the face. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLg9SGa9tIQ).

The client likes no shadows under the chin, so I've been using a large source as key in kind of a typical clamshell setup with either a reflector or another light from underneath (sometimes both)...  Would a harder key light create more shine coming back toward the camera?

We have access to lights like Godox VL300s and Aputure LS300s, and also 1x1 and smaller led panels...  But not anything like a Briese or Skypanels.  

Any thoughts or experience on this would greatly appreciated! Thanks!!

Nick

 

[Christopher Santucci]

The level from your side lights is too high. You're going for reflections on something that's shiny and that doesn't take much level. Think of it almost like an eye light which is just enough light to put a reflection on reflective eyeballs. And, avoid point source. If you have the same kind of hair as shown in that video, you have large reflective surfaces, so you need a large enough radiating face to reflect against those large hair surfaces.

Edited May 2, 2021 by Christopher Santucci

[Albion Hockney]