| Hair Lights, Back Lights, and Barn Doors, oh my! | | | | Using the modeling light, make sure the line |
| Studio Lighting can be very overwhelming when | | | | between light and dark runs directly down the |
| you first start getting into it. Some photographers | | | | center of your model’s face, right down the |
| out there have thousands of dollars of | | | | tip of the nose. The model should be looking |
| accessories associated with their studio setup. | | | | directly at the camera. This is what we call a split |
| The good news is, you don’t have to be rich | | | | light portrait. Another photo tip is this: split light |
| to enter into the world of studio portraits. Think | | | | portraits, create dramatic visual results. |
| about it. How many light sources did God create | | | | 4) Rembrandt Light is considered an artistic classic. |
| for earth? If you said “One” meaning the | | | | The main light is positioned high and on the side of |
| sun; you were almost right. He also created the | | | | the face that is away from the camera. Generally |
| sky and the ground to “bounce” that light | | | | the subject is placed at a 45 degree angle to the |
| into the shadows. Light that is bounced back is | | | | camera (as opposed to just looking straight on.) |
| commonly referred to as a “fill light”. If | | | | This technique produces an illuminated triangle on |
| there was no fill light on earth; anything not | | | | the cheek closest to the camera. The triangle will |
| directly lit by the sun, would have NO DETAIL, it | | | | illuminate just under the eye and not below the |
| would all be totally black. | | | | nose. The face should appear illuminated on one |
| It is astounding how much you can do with one | | | | side and heavily shadowed on the other. |
| main light and one or two fill lights. For those of | | | | Place your reflector (or white poster board) on |
| you thinking three lights doesn’t sound simple | | | | the opposite side of the studio light. The reflector |
| to me, let me clarify. In this article what I am | | | | should be angled so that it reflects any remaining |
| describing is one light and one or two reflective | | | | light in the room to the subject's darken side. The |
| surfaces to help bounce that light or to fill in the | | | | key here is NOT to eliminate the dark shadows, |
| shadows. With one light and one or more | | | | but to add detail within the shadows. The third |
| reflectors, you can make amazing photographs. | | | | photo tip to remember: adding subtle detail makes |
| Having the tools and knowing what to do with | | | | images appear more artistic. |
| those tools are two different things. Today I | | | | 5.) Butterfly Light is achieved by positioning the |
| want to show you what to do with these basic | | | | main light directly in front of the subjects face |
| tools. | | | | and adjusting the height to create a shadow |
| 1) Short Light is the type of studio lighting setup, | | | | directly under, and in line with the nose. This style |
| where the face side of the subject which is the | | | | is best suited for subjects with a normal oval |
| farthest from the camera gets the main light. In | | | | face and is considered to be a glamor style of |
| this type of lighting setup, the side of the face | | | | lighting best suited for women. This lighting |
| which is toward the camera gets less light then | | | | technique creates hard shadows in the eye |
| the side facing away form the camera. The | | | | sockets and under the chin depending on the size |
| effect you get when using this lighting setup is a | | | | of your main light and distance to your subject. |
| thin face, this is why it is good to photograph | | | | Use a reflector under the main light source to fill in |
| large (or chubby) people with a short light setup. | | | | the underside of the face (eye sockets, under |
| A photo tip worth remembering is: short light | | | | nose and under chin areas). Sometimes this is |
| helps to visually thin your subject. | | | | referred to as “over and under lighting”. |
| 2) Broad light is just the opposite of Short light. In | | | | Now the setups given above; can use extra lights, |
| the Broad Light setup, the side that is getting the | | | | but they don’t have to. Just as you can take |
| most light is the side facing the camera. This | | | | an award winning photographs with a $50.00 |
| setup is less commonly used for portraits as it | | | | camera or a $5,000.00 camera, you can also take |
| tends to make people look chubby. In both these | | | | great shots with a single light source. As we |
| cases, you can place a reflector on the opposite | | | | mentioned before, having the tools and knowing |
| side of the light (at about a 45 degree angle) to | | | | what to do with them are two totally different |
| help fill in the shadow side. | | | | things. |
| 3) Split Light sounds more complex than it is. | | | | It is my firm belief that photographers who |
| Position your main light on one side of your | | | | learned to master Black and White photography |
| subject so that it’s exactly 90 degrees to the | | | | first and then learned Color photography; will |
| subject. In other words, you will see a dramatic | | | | ALWAYS have the advantage over those who |
| shadow going right down to the middle of his or | | | | started with color photography. This is not meant |
| her face. If your main light is a flash, you might | | | | to insult younger photographers. If a cake taste |
| want to consider a secondary light; not for | | | | bad, it doesn’t matter what kind of icing you |
| exposure . . . but just for light placement. We call | | | | put on it. Learn the basics of good photography |
| this small secondary light a modeling light. In some | | | | first, and then you can add more lights, more |
| units, they actually have a modeling light built in | | | | lenses, or whatever the case may be. Thus the |
| around the main light, so you can visually see | | | | fourth photo tip to remember is this: start with |
| what’s happening. | | | | the basics, master them first. Then go forward. |