Portrait Lighting Technique by Steven Lott   author of www.LottsPhoto.com/ProTips.htm

Exposure & Lighting Techniques

Selection of type of lighting equipment

A. Start with the basics

1. Main light

2. Fill light

3. Background light

4. Hair light

Determining the correct Exposure Index

A. It is not always set at the ASA suggested on the box

1. Test with the film you plan on using and stick with that

2. Use of a Kodak Grey card and or gray scale (NOT unlike Zone system)

3. What you are looking for is a consistent Thickness &  Density of your film

III. Understand & Use the appropriate Lighting Technique

A. The success of a photographic portrait depends as much on the artistic and creative use of lighting as it does on skill and use of the camera

 1. Lighting creates the impact, style, mood.

 2. High-contrast enhances strength, character

One method of creating High Contrast is to use a single Specular Light (a flash light beam is a very direct type of light, very specular and harsh) and no Fill, in fact on the normal Fill side, use Subtractive lighting

3. Lower-contrast lighting produces a softer image

Use Broad even illumination, with little or no exposure difference between the measured sides of the subject.

IV. Apply the Incident Principle to Create Impact

A. As the incident angle of light is increased away from the camera axis, the reflective quality of that light becomes BRIGHTER

1. All lights that strike the subject should have the same Incident volume as the fill light The exception to this is the principal (Main) light.

2. The main light should be One to One and a Half f-stops brighter

3. All meter readings are Incident and the camera should be set based on the light measured from the Main light.

V . Profile

A. The profile is a study of only one side of the face from the chin to the forehead.

1. The widest, most fullest side of the face is most suitable because it usually has the most contours.

2. Watch out for the white eyed look, avoid it by having the subject look at an area Three to Five degrees closer to the camera position instead of straight out in front of them.

3. The top of the head of a male subject should be tilted Three to Five degrees towards the background. For female it’s toward the camera Three to Five degrees.

Main Light; shown at position # 1

  1. The Main Light is what sets the density of the film (the exposure setting)
  2. We place our Main light closest to the subject, but just outside of  the camera view.
  3. Our subject should be facing the main Light if we wish to photograph the other side of their face, move the light to the other side.
  4. Meter the amount of light falling onto the subject (incident metering method) using a hand held meter with the light dome over the sensor.
  5. Take this setting from the meter at set the aperature of the camera to it.  Our reading is f 5.6 based on our film speed and the power from our flash.

Main, Fill and Background only

Fill Light; shown at position # 2

  1. The Fill Light fills the shadows or softens them, the fill light causes the contrast or lessens it
  2. A good fill light source is broad (large) and diffused. It is behind the camera. We two light heads bouncing off of the white wall that is behind our camera, causing a very large light source (the whole wall) and very diffused.
  3. The fill light again fills the shadow areas with light and softens the ratio and the shadows.
  4. Meter the amount of light falling onto the subject (incident metering method) using a hand held meter with the light dome over the sensor.
  5. You need one to one and a half less light falling onto the subject from the Fill light as compared to the Main light meter reading. We want a reading of f 4  for one stop difference.

Hair Light; shown at position # 3

  1. The hair lights job is to add some highlight to the hair
  2. Do NOT use a hair light on Bald headed guys, or bright bleach blondes.
  3. This light should be thru a snoot and should skim over the top of the hair.
  4. This light should measure No Stronger than the fill light
  5. If the Main light is moved to the other side, because we face the subject the other direction Then the Hair light should be moved as well.
  6. Be careful that the Hair light does not illuminate the ear, it just skims the top of the hair.

Main., Fill & Hair lights only

Back ground Light; shown at position # 4

  1. Also called a separation light. Because the background light illuminates the background and sets it apart from the subject.
  2. This light can be set off to the side of the background and skimmed across the background or positioned behind the subject on a low profile stand, use of a honey comb grid helps diffuse and prevent a Hot SPOT look
  3. This light should not be stronger than the Main light reading, it may be lessoned for effect
  4. A neat effect is to turn this light towards the subject if they are against a dark background..

Summary

Keep in mind that the only required light is the Main light.

Fill can be from a reflector card (use a white card), bouncing light from the main light into the shadow area of the face.

The shadow side of the face is usually positioned towards the camera, for a slimmer look.

Proper use of Main light and you will have catch lights in the eyes of your model.

Master these two lights and then add the the hair and background lights.

Steven Lott

author of  Pro Tips for Photographers

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