Now that I have experimented with using lots of different types of lighting and lighting effects, I will present my best outcomes from my photo shoots. During these photo shoots I learnt how all the technical camera settings should be set in order to make the images look good.
Spot light
Chiaroscuro
soft lighting
Natural lighting
Flash
Studio Experimentation #1
For this shoot we as a class experimented with different lighting, clothing and backgrounds to create a story centered around the London Underground and with a stereotypical ‘thug’ like model. The model is wearing a hooded puffer jacket, has minimal makeup and is in a slouched position in order to create this atmosphere.
This is a gallery of the photos I took; you can see each adaptation of the lighting, position and facial expressions throughout.
I began the shoot with using a key light quite brightly in front of the model and I think this looked good and illuminated it in a way that resembled the underground but I wanted the temperature to be warmer and darker so it looked more like a ‘grotty’ atmosphere. I also experimented with angles and closeness, e.g for most photo I was a good distance away and her hood was up so I didn’t get a lot of the model’s features in the photos, it was concentrated more on the background and her clothing. After this she took her hood down and I positioned myself closer up to capture more detail. Some of these photos also have more hard lighting to show the shadows and relate it to the location. For the last part I stood further away but got still a more portrait type photo which included the background.
Best outcomes for each stage of the shoot:
In my opinion the photo above looks the most realistic due to the harsh above lighting which only shows some facial aspects so the gender of the model isn’t necessarily clear. I also like the shadow which has been created by the light and how the background looks like it could be genuinely taken in the underground.
Experimenting in the studio with different lighting techniques.
Chiaroscuro and Rembrandt Lighting
Chiaroscuro is an Italian term which translates as light-dark, and refers to the balance and pattern of light and shade in a painting or drawing, it creates the illusion of light from a specific source shining on the figures and objects in the painting. The word chiaroscuro is Italian for light and shadow. Classic artists such as Leonardo DiVinci and Caravagio have also used this technique. It creates a high high contrast light/dark style used in Renaissance painting and later in cinema.
Joseph Wright of Derby, An Iron Forge 1772, Tate
Rembrandt lighting is a lighting technique that is used in studio portrait photography. It can be achieved using one light and a reflector, or two lights, and is popular because it is capable of producing images which appear both natural and compelling with a minimum of equipment.
My examples of Chiaroscuro and Rembrandt Lighting:
I also experimented with different white balances as you can tell some photos are warm due to using tungsten light, and others are more cooler toned due to using the white fluorescent light setting and some are in between. The model is centered in the center of the frame and the only light is one just one side to create the shadow effect on his/her face.
