Lighting in Photography Part 5

Avoid Double Shadows and Double Catchlights

Adding a fill light can pose two problems. If placed too close to the subject or is too intense, the fill light will produce its own set of specular highlights that show up in the shadow area of the face, making the skin appear excessively oily. To solve the problem, move the camera and light back slightly or move the fill light laterally away from the camera. In many cases, the fill light also creates a second set of catchlights in the subject’s eyes. This gives the subject a directionless gaze, so these catchlights are usually removed in postproduction. When using a large diffused fill light, there is usually not a problem with dual catchlights. Instead, the fill produces a large, milky highlight that is much less objectionable.

Understand Lighting Ratios

The term “lighting ratio” describes the difference in intensity between the shadow and highlight side of the face. It is expressed numerically: 2:1, 3:1, etc. In the studio, one can control the ratio precisely; in the field, your goal should be more general. Is there detail in both important highlight and shadow areas? Are the shadow areas too dark and lifeless? With digital, one can inspect the lighting by firing a few test frames. (This is particularly important when using flash, since you cannot see lighting effect with the naked eye.) Professionals should also carry an incident
flash meter, which also measures ambient light. From the subject position, you can then measure the highlight side of the face separately from the shadow side of the face, thus determining the difference between the two and thus the effective lighting ratio.

In a 2:1 lighting ratio, the main and fill light sources are the same intensity. A 3:1 lighting ratio is produced when the main light is one stop greater in intensity than the fill light. In a 4:1 ratio, the main light is 11/2 stops greater in intensity than the fill light. In a 5:1 ratio, the main light is two stops greater than the fill light.

Avoid Overlighting

In setting the lights, it is important that you position them gradually, studying the effect as you aim each additional source at the subject. If you merely point the light directly at the subject, you will probably overlight the person, producing pasty highlights with no detail. Instead, feather the light so that you employ the edge of the light to illuminate the subject. This will add brilliance to your highlights, enhancing the illusion of depth. (Note: Sometimes feathering won’t produce the desired highlight brilliance. If this happens, making a lateral adjustment to the light or moving it back from its current position will usually rectify the situation.)

Lighting in Photography Part 4

Rembrandt Lighting. Rembrandt lighting, also called 45 degree lighting, is characterized by a small, triangular highlight on the shadowed cheek of the subject. This is created by moving the main light lower and farther to the side than in loop and Paramount lighting; the main light comes almost from the subject’s side, depending on how far his or her head is turned away from the camera. The fill light is used in the same manner as it is for loop lighting, although a weaker setting is often used to accentuate the shadow-side highlight. The hair light is often used a little closer to the subject for more brilliant highlights in the hair. The background light is in the standard position. With this setup, kickers are often used to delineate the sides of the face. (Note: To ensure they are not shining directly into the lens, place your hand between the subject and the camera on the axis of the kicker. If your hand casts a shadow on the lens, then the kicker is shining directly into the lens and should be adjusted.)

Split Lighting. Split lighting occurs when the main light illuminates only half the face. This is produced by placing the main light low and to the side of the subject. Depending on how far the subject is turned from the camera, the main light may even be slightly behind the subject. This placement of the main light creates a nice slimming effect. It can also be used with a weak fill to hide facial irregularities. For a dramatic effect, use split lighting with no fill light. The fill light, hair light, and background light are used normally for split lighting.

Profile or Rim Lighting. Profile or rim lighting is used when the subject’s head is turned 90 degrees away from the camera lens. It is a dramatic style of lighting used to accent elegant features. It is used less frequently now than in the past, but it remains a stylish type of portrait lighting. To light the profile, the main light is placed behind the subject so that it illuminates the far side of the face and leaves a polished highlight along its outline. Care should be taken so that the light principally accents the face, rather than the hair or neck. In this setup, the fill light is moved to the same side of the camera as the main light and a reflector is used to fill in the shadows. An optional hair light can be used on the opposite side of the main light for better tonal separation of the hair from the background. The background light is used normally.

You can even create an elegant profile of the bride with a single flash used as a backlight, outlining the edges of her face, neck, and the wedding veil. With the daylight as fill, only one light is required to produce an elegant, classically lit portrait.

Lighting in Photography Part 3

Look for the Classic Lighting Patterns

While the classic lighting patterns do not have to be used with absolute precision, it is essential to know what they are and how to achieve them. If, for instance, you are photographing your bride and groom outdoors, you can position a single main light to produce the desired lighting pattern and ratio, and use the ambient light (shade, or sun as back lighting) as the fill light. No other lights are needed to produce any of the five basic portrait set-up. Use of reflectors, instead of an independent fill light or kickers, may accomplish much the same results in terms of controlling light. Basically, however, each of the lighting patterns takes its personality from the placement
of the main light, so this is the most important source to consider.

Paramount Lighting. In Paramount lighting, sometimes called butterfly lighting or glamour lighting, the main light is placed high and directly in front of the face. This gives a symmetrical, butterfly shaped shadow directly beneath the subject’s nose, it also tends to emphasize cheekbones and good skin. The fill light is placed at the subject’s head height directly under the main light. Since both the main and fill lights are on the same side of the camera, a reflector is used on the opposite of the subject to fill in the deep shadows on the neck and shaded cheek. The hair light is used opposite the main light and placed so that it does not skim onto the face of the subject. The background light (if used) should be low and behind the subject, forming a semi circle of illumination background.

Loop Lighting. Loop lighting is a minor variation of Paramount lighting and is ideal for people with average, oval shaped faces. The main light is lowered and moved more to the side of the subject so that the shadow under the nose becomes a small loop on the shadow side of the face. The fill light is placed on the opposite side of the camera from the main light, close to the camera lens. (Note: Be sure to evaluate this from the camera position, making sure the fill light does not cast a shadow of its own.) In loop lighting, the hair light and background lights are used the same way they are in Paramount lighting.

Lighting in Photography Part 2

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Lighting Tips from Mauricio Donelli

According to Mauricio Donelli, “The most important thing when creating a spectacular and beautiful image of a bride is to be very, very fast. Own the situation and give the bride the confidence to be her most beautiful in front of your lens. The essence of this philosophy is to take the pictures quickly if you lose control and spend too much time evaluating the moment, you will freeze everything and lose the perfect image.” To do this, Donelli uses the D2X and the Leaf back 28 for the Mamiya.

“I don’t work with too much artificial light,” he also notes. “Also, if most of the situations are being taken at night, the fact is that I work a lot with very slow shutter speeds. This gives a good mix between the flash and the ambient light presence. Also, you can work with the single bulbs that you find in ceilings and walls and place them behind the subject to give an effect of warmth and depth. Sometimes we don’t need to use a lot of light. Much of the time, my pictures are taken with natural light and filled with mobile flash from the camera. I prefer the Metz 60-CT4 series. They are the best I’ve used for this type of fill.”

“It is important to have a good, lightweight tripod with you, as well as one or two assistants working around the subject with flashes. Of course, you will need to trigger them from the camera with radio-controlled slaves. They work effectively and are very handy to use with the flash on a monopod. Also, it is important to have a decent-size reflectors (LiteDiscs) to reflect light back onto your subject’s shadow areas.”

As for power, Donelli says that he never uses generators, because his weddings almost always take place in hotels or homes. “When they do the weddings in open areas and put up tents,” he notes, “they need to have light too, so I always ask the wedding coordinators to provide two or three plugs for my monolight-mounted round softbox inside the tent. I never use more than one, but I travel with two in case one goes bad.”