Blown White Background with Tayla + Lighting Set-up

As promised, here is the other set I made recently with Tayla using a bright white background. Back before the pandemic I used this set-up a fair few times, but then packed it away and moved on to other styles. However, I have some projects coming up where I hope to use it, and this shoot gave me the opportunity to refresh my brain on how to do it.

I have included a lighting diagram with this post. In order to achieve this style I used a Lastolite HiLite (I believe now rebranded as Monfrotto) - it's an awesome item for achieving "high key" photography in small spaces or on location. If you haven't seen one in operation, it's like a huge softbox (I think I have the 6' x 7' model). The sides have zip-up panels and you insert a flash head into either side. When the flashes fire, the light bounces around inside the HiLite and produces a nice even bright light. You can place the model very close to it and still get next to no shadow. I tend to place a standard reflector on each light, and I also make sure that the modelling lights are turned off. For this I am using an old pair of Bowens Geminis and the modelling lights get very hot. If one of them touches the Hi-Lite then it's likely it will burn a hole in it.

When I use it I tend to place the model about 1.5m in front of the HiLite. I have found this can give me the best balance between a brightly lit backdrop, without that light wrapping around the edges of the model's body too much. I then use a single strobe with octabox to light the model from the front. When setting it up I meter the backdrop so that I am getting the blown light behind the model (the highlight alert on my camera comes in very useful for this), and once I am happy with the settings I then adjust the front light's power until I am happy with the level. It's usually at least a whole stop less than the HiLite is producing.

There is also a white train available for the HiLite so you can produce full-length images. However, I bought my set second hand and the train was heavily creased and has some marks. I have got over this problem by using a different bright white roll of plastic and introduce another flash, but I am still struggling to get even lighting from top to bottom. I think it's all boiling down to finding the perfect position for the additional light in my small studio space and it's something I need to continue to work on.

And as an aside... I had read that the HiLite can also be used as key light, and works like a giant softbox. I decided to give it a try today and I am very happy with the results - it gives a lovely soft light similar to shooting a model using the light from a floor to ceiling window.