“Back Light” “Hair Light”

7Jul/110

Getting started with lighting Part 2

1. A Broad vs Narrow light source

The broader the light source is the softer the light will be. The narrower the source is the harder the light will be. A broad light source lessens shadows, reduces contrast, suppresses texture. A narrow light source does the opposite. This is because, with a broad source, light rays hit your subject from more directions, which tends to fill in shadows and give more even “Softer” illumination to the scene.

2. A Close vs Distant light source

The closer the light source is the softer the light will be. The farther the source is the harder the light will be. As you move a light closer, you make it bigger (that is, broader) in relation to your subject. Move it farther away, and you make it relatively smaller and therefore narrower.

3. Diffusion

Diffusion scatters light, basically making the light source broader and therefore softer. On overcast or foggy days, the entire sky, in effect, becomes a single very broad light source—nature’s softbox. Materials such as translucent plastic or white fabric can be used to diffuse a harsh light source. You can place a diffuser in front of an artificial light, such as a strobe. Or, if you're in bright sun, use a light tent or white scrim to soften the light falling on your subject.

4. Bouncing light

Bouncing light acts like diffusion. Aim a narrow light source at a broad, matte surface (such as a wall, ceiling, or matte reflector) and it not only reflects the light but also diffuses it by scattering it over a wider area. If you use a shiny reflector, though, and the light will stay fairly narrow on the bounce. The most extreme type of shiny reflector is a mirror it will keep the light focused pretty much as narrowly in the refection. Bouncing like off coloured surfaces may change the colour balance/temperature of your image.

5. The inverse Square law

The inverse Square law (in relation to photography) states “The farther the light source, the more it falls off” i.e. your subject will be dimmer. The rule says that light falls off as the square of the distance. That sounds complicated, but isn’t really. If you move a light twice as far from your subject, you end up with only one-quarter of the light on the subject.

In other words, light gets dim fast when you move it away. Also remember that bouncing light (even into a shiny reflector) adds to the distance it travels

6. Falloff

You can use your lights to vary the relationship between your subject and your background. If you place a light close to your subject, the falloff from the subject to the background will be more pronounced. Move the light farther from your subject, and the background will be relatively brighter, as more light spills over from the subject to the background.

The same is true for side lighting. With a light close to the side of your subject, the falloff of light across the frame will be more pronounced than if the light is farther away.

7. Frontal lighting

Front lighting will de-emphasises texture. Lighting from the side, above, or below will emphasises it. A portrait photographer may want to keep the light source close to the axis of the lens to suppress skin wrinkles, while a landscape photographer may want side lighting to emphasise the texture of rocks, sand, and foliage. Generally, the larger the angle at which the light is positioned to the subject, the more texture is revealed.

8. Shadows

Shadows create volume and depth to in image. Lighting from the side, above, or below, by casting deeper and longer shadows, creates the sense of volume. Still-life, product, and landscape photographers use angular lighting for this reason. Position a light high above and slightly to the side of your subject, angled down, but not so much that the shadow of the nose falls more than midway down the upper lip.

9. Back light

Backlighting can be used as a highly diffused light source. A person with his back to a bright window will have light reflected from an opposite wall falling on them. Someone standing outside with their back to bright sunlight will have light falling on them from the open sky in front of them. If you use a bright light source as your back light and reflect the fall off back onto your subject you will deemphasize facial texture.

10. Colour

Light has colour, even though it my look “white”. This is called colour temperature, and our brain is very good at adjusting our perception so that we hardly notice it. Digital and film cameras, may record colour casts that our eyes didn’t see. The colour of early morning and late afternoon sunlight is warm in tone, while open shade at midday can be quite bluish. Tungsten light bulbs cast very yellow light. And any surface that light bounces off can add its colour. With digital cameras, you can change the white-balance; to neutralise colour casts or to emphasise them e.g. add a warmer tone to a landscape or portrait.

Putting these tips into practice

Once you have used studio lighting a few times these tips will start to make a lot more scene. For example one of the things that a lot of people don't realise the first time they are in the studio is .....

The Studio flash normally has 2 lamps in it, one modelling lamp, and one strobe. These lamps may have different colour temperatures. As you set up your lighting the modelling lamps will show you the falloff, you will see your shadows, and get an idea how hard or soft your light is. But when you fire the strobes they may have a different colour temperature to what you saw when setting your lighting. If your photos have a strange colour cast it may be that you set your camera to “Auto White Balance” (AWB). Your camera measured the white balance of the modelling light which is a much warmer light than the strobe.

15Jun/111

Getting started with lighting Part 1

In the last few weeks we have had a lot to do with first time studio users and people who wanted to know a bit more about lighting a subject. When you take control of the the light you have far more control over the final image, but at first it can be difficult to understand. There is no one single way to set up your studio lights, but rather a number of way that will provide you different types of lighting effects. The set up you chose will depend, on the subject you are photographing, (such as a human model or a static product), the lights you have available and the result you want to achieve. As your knowledge, experience and equipment improves so will the complexity of your lighting set-ups. These set-ups are very basic way of getting into lighting and should not be thought of as the perfect set-up but rather set-ups that you can try out easily, either in a studio or with your own system flash(s). We deliberately haven't gone into using things like light modifiers (Soft-Boxes, Umbrellas, Beauty-Dishes etc). That is simply all to much for one topic, and will be covered in the future. Also dont forget that the hight of your lights will also play an important roll when setting up your own set-up

One Strobe set-up

A one light set up is great for a simple photo shoot or for a starting photographer who has not yet accumulated a lot of lighting equipment. The camera is placed directly in front of the subject, with the single light slightly to the side of the photographer. The light is pointed directly at the subject. Because a single light set up tends to create many shadows, a white reflector should be placed on the opposite side of the subject just out of frame. If the photographer don't have a reflector, any white surface (such as paper, poster board, polystyrene or even a wall) can be used. It is simple and cheap way to get started, it can be very affective when use properly.

1 150x150 Getting started with lighting Part 1

2 150x150 Getting started with lighting Part 1

Two Strobe set-up

The simplest studio lighting set up is the standard two light system. The first light of the two (called a key light) , and should be placed in front of the subject (between the subject and the camera) and slightly to your side. The light should be directly facing the subject. Because lighting of this type tends to be harsh, the light can be softened with a soft box or umbrella. The second light should be placed behind and slightly above the subject just out of frame. This is called the hair or rim light, and will create a soft halo of light around your subject. NOTE:Your hair light may need to be set to a high power out put then your key light, to get the halo affect.

Another very easy set up with 2 lights is both light s are placed in front of the subject (one left, one right) in approximately the same position, and you shoot from the middle point. Set one of the flashes to have more power then the other. The flash with more power will be your key light and the weaker one will be you fill light. If both lights are set to the same power this will create a very flat light.

A third simple two strobe set-up (that will create a lot more dramatic light) is when both flashes are on the same side. Either both left or both right of the point you are shooting from. If you use the flash furthest away from you as your key light and the closest flash as your fill light you will achieve a very cool look very easily.

Three Strobe set-up

An easy three light set up is a combination of the first two "2 strobe set-ups". With one flash left of the camera and one flash right. Set one of theses flashes as your Key light and the other as your Fill light the. The third flash will be your hair light.

By reversing the first three strobe set up you will totality change your results. Place your Key light close to the same position as where your shooting from. And then set up two rim lights behind your subject, one to the left and one to the right.

Clamshell Set-up

The clamshell lighting set up provides the softest light and is ideal for beauty shots. The camera should be placed even with the subject--at eye level if using a model, or straight on to a static product. The largest light should be placed above the camera and be pointed down slightly so that it is aimed directly at the subject. The smaller light should be placed below the camera and be pointed upward slightly so that it is aimed directly at the subject. You shoot from in between the two lights so that the lights create a "clamshell shape" around the camera.

The Key light

Also called a main light, the key light is usually placed to one side of the subject's face, between 30 and 60 degrees off centre and a bit higher than eye level. The key light is the brightest light in the lighting plan

The Fill light

Placed opposite the key light, the fill light fills in or softens the shadows on the opposite side of the face. The brightness of the fill light is usually between 1/3 and 1/4 that of the key light.

The Hair light

Also called a rim light or back light, the rim light is placed behind the subject, out of the picture frame, and often rather higher than the Key light or Fill. The point of the rim light is to provide separation from the background by highlighting the subject's shoulders and hair. The rim light should be just bright enough to provide separation from the background, but not as bright as the key light.

The Kicker

Some times called a popper. A kicker normally is a small light, often used with a snoot or barn door to limit its coverage. It is generally used to add a bot of "pop" to a fine detail or fill in fine shadows. The placement and brightness of a kicker is a matter of taste and technique. Sometimes the rim light is set just off to the side, on the fill light side. This can add edge detail to the shadowed side of your model's face. This can add the effect of having a kicker light using only the three basis lights of three point lighting.

Background lights

Not so much a part of the portrait lighting plan, but rather designed to provide illumination for the background behind the subject, background lights can pick out details in the background, provide a halo effect by illuminating a portion of a backdrop behind the subject's head, or turn the background pure white by filling it with light