I took a small selection of images when experimenting with studio lighting, and from the ones I took there were definitely some missed attempts, which I have marked in red on the contact sheet above. The two final images have been marked in green, edited, and shown below:
These two images I felt best showed how studio lighting can produce the chiaroscuro effect which is why I chose them.
If I were to say how my first attempts at creating the chiaroscuro effect could be improved, I would say I have to create a greater contrast between the light and the darkness, as well as focus on making the background all blend together and disappear into a single block colour, perhaps using an infinity curve or have some people hold it tighter so it does not fold over and leave clear marks.
There are two main different types of light one can use as a photographer: natural and artificial. Natural light can be found outside or literally anywhere with access to the sky. Artificial light is best used in a closed and specialised environment, like a photography studio.
This way, the photographer can adjust the size and shape of the light, the hardness or softness and the angle of the light, as well as adding backdrops or infinity curves to smooth out the background of the image, or using soft-boxes, spotlights or flood lights.
One particular reason for using studio lighting is the possibility it gives for a chiaroscuro effect or Rembrandt lighting. The chiaroscuro technique is when part of the subject’s face is in shadow and completely obscured by darkness, and the other part is in bright light. This is not just a term used in photography, as this effect has been used in paintings and art for hundreds of years.
Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, Caravaggio
A young woman holding a distaff before a lit candle, Adam de Coster
Both of these are strong examples of the chiarascuro effect, where part of a person’s face is obscured in darkness. The second painting, of the young woman, presents the Rembrandt lighting technique, where half of the subject’s face is lit and the other is not, except for a small triangle shape beneath the eye on the dark side.
This is an example of Rembrandt lighting in photography
In photography, this lighting style is achieved by using a strong key light directly at the person, as well as a reflector on the opposite side to achieve the triangle shape desired.
a versatile genre of photography that can include high key photographs, which are full of light, or low key photographs, which will be highly contrasted. studio portraits allow you to use lighting to enhance the images and create a more interesting and eye catching image. in the studio the light is completely controlled by the photographer, so we can change the lighting to allow for there to be lots of different moods to be captured.
mood board of studio portraiture
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above are photographs from various photographers, that i would like to relate to and try to take some inspiration from. the ones annotated with a‘+’are from photographers that i would like to look at with more detail.
One use of studio lighting is to create a chiaroscuro effect, similar to Rembrandt lighting. The chiaroscuro technique shadows part of the subject’s face, completely or, mostly obscured by darkness, with other part in bright light. This term is also used in paintings and art, which came hundreds of years before its use in photography.
This is a strong example of the classic use of Rembrandt lighting in classic art. Both of the woman’s face have dark and light areas, and the first lady has her face turned, but still shows a defined circular curve of darkness on her face
