Why do we use Studio Lighting?

We use studio lighting because it allows us to create a variety of effects naturally, without the need for editing. Studio lighting also presents a professional look in photos, differing from the quality without studio lighting. Studio lighting does many things to a photograph like setting the mood, creating shadows and texture, providing direction and more. Using studio lighting is much easier than any other, for example, natural lighting, you can’t move the sun around and adjust the brightness like you can with most studio lighting.

1 Point Lighting

1 point lighting is a lighting set up which uses a single light source to illuminate the subject. The light is often positioned directly in front or behind the camera and can create the illusion that the subject is 2D, however, it is also often positioned at a 45 degree angle to the subject. The light used for this set up is known as the key light.

2 Point Lighting

2 point lighting consists of 2 different types of light, the key light and the fill light. The key light is placed to one side of the camera and illuminates the subject, creating shadows and the fill light is positioned directly opposite the key light to ‘fill in’ the shadows. This produces a more harmonised and authentic appearance.

3 Point Lighting

3 point lighting involves the use of 3 lights which are strategically placed in order to create a well balanced photograph, whilst illuminating the subject. Alike 2 point lighting, 3 point lighting includes a key light and fill light, however, it also has a backlight. The backlight is placed behind the subject to illuminate the sides of the subject and make it stand out from the background, rather than blending in.

Fill Lighting

Fill lighting is used to reduce contrast between highlights and shadows in an image as well as illuminate areas which may be unlit to reveal details in the areas of the subject which may not have been seen beforehand. It’s most commonly used in portrait photography to create a more aesthetically pleasing image.

Chiaroscuro

Chiaroscuro is a word which originated in Italy, translated to lightdark and defined as a bold contrast between light and dark. Using this technique creates a 3D effect in photos and paintings through highlights and shadows, as well as create a sense of depth. The light and shadow becomes more pronounced and impactful in this technique when in black and white. Chiaroscuro is also used in photography to emphasise shapes, create a sense of volume and drama, evoke mood and suggest motion. The most used technique for taking these images are 1 point lighting with the use of a reflector and sometimes even a back light.

Rembrandt lighting

Rembrandt lighting is a technique named after Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, who was a great Dutch painter. This technique refers to lighting which produces an upside down triangle below the eyes of the subject. This triangle is formed by the shadow of the nose and is often opposite the key light. This technique is used to create an appealing result without the need for the use of editing.

Butterfly lighting

Butterfly lighting is a portrait technique where the light source is positioned directly in front of and above the subject to create a shadow under their nose. This technique is named ‘butterfly’ as the shadow beneath the nose resembles the wings of a butterfly. This technique reduces shadows on the subject’s face to highlight their features and it is often used for glamour shots.

Butterfly lighting is a lighting technique used by photographers where a light source such as a flash head is placed right above and ever so slightly in front ‘an exact 45-degree angle’ of the models face. This creates a small butterfly-shape made from a shadow under the nose. This technique is often used to make the model look thinner and their eyes look larger.

Creation and Development of Butterfly Lighting

One of the most famous photographers to use butterfly lighting was George Hurrell. Hurrel used multiple sources such as precision lighting, spotlights, shadows, and hand-retouching. He made ‘romantic portraits’ these portraits then became his trademark style, this style of photographing became extremely famous and glamourous in the celebrity and movie industry. This look then became known as “Hurrell style.” Here are some examples of ‘Hurrel style’ butterfly lighting images.

My Attempt at Butterfly Lighting

Whilst editing this 1/4 shot photo I focused on capturing butterfly lighting. In this setup, my light is placed directly in front of my model , right behind my camera. It was around one foot above my model’s face, this creates a slight shadow under her nose. This shadow is meant to represent a butterfly shape, to edit these photos I mainly focused on decreasing the highlights, increasing the texture and increasing the shadows.

EXAMPLE:

Above is a perfect example of butterfly lighting, this shadow under the lose creates a butterfly- like shape. Here are my attempts of butterfly lighting in my first photoshoot.

These are the camera settings I used for these photos, I focused on having a reasonable shutter speed, a fast shutter speed creates a shorter exposure and a slow shutter speed gives the me a longer exposure. I also made sure my aperture was not too high, if it was, too much light would be let in and my photo will look washed out.

This photo I took is high quality due to my model having a strong pose and the photo is balanced, however, my shutter speed was too high. I want the shutter to move fast and let in less light. Next time I will start with a shutter speed around 1/125 for my still portraits and increase as needed to darken your photos.

Rembrandt lighting is a way of taking a photo and creating an upside down triangle on one side of the models face just under the eye. The technique got its name from Dutch painter Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn

It was commonly used throughout 20th century Hollywood, often with hard light to create harsh dramatic shadows. As seen in the photo below.

It was often used for promotional pictures as by highlighting part of the face the model could either look dreamy or possibly serious. The technique is considered one of the main five studio portrait techniques.

To set up the studio for a Rembrandt photo sit the model at a 45 degree angle to the light then position the light accordingly. the model then could sit in a comfortable position unless there is a specific position the photographer is looking for.

Here are some photos that I have taken.

I brightened up the photos by bringing up the exposer slightly, same with the contrast. I used the adjustment brush to help brighten the eyes just lightly.

Rembrandt Lighting: Rembrandt lighting is a technique for portrait photography. It refers to a way of lighting a face so that an upside-down light triangle appears under the eyes of the subject.

Why is Rembrandt Lighting Used?
Rembrandt lighting instantly creates shadows and contrast and with the triangle light beneath the models eye. Which is the main focal point of the image.

This is how you would setup your camera, light and person if you were trying to do Rembrandt lighting. Because the camera is at an angle facing the person, with the light at the opposite side, so half of the face gets shadowed but because of the angles of each object it creates a triangle underneath the persons eye depending what side each of the objects are on.

Rembrandt lighting is created by the single light source being at a 40 to 45-degree angle and higher than the subject. Use cans use both flashlights and continuous lights.

Butterfly Lighting: Butterfly lighting is a type of portrait lighting technique used primarily in a studio setting. Its name comes from the butterfly-shaped shadow that forms under the nose because the light comes from above the camera.

Why is Butterfly lighting used?
It is used for taking flattering, glamorous portrait photos. The lighting is soft on the face. It forms a butterfly-shaped shadow under the subject’s nose, which is the source of the name. It is ideal for portraits as it highlights the subject’s main features, like the nose and cheekbones.

To do this setup, position the reflector under the subject’s face. Start at waist level and see how it looks. If the shadows are still strong, move it closer to the face and so on.

Chiaroscuro Lighting: Chiaroscuro refers to the way light and shadow are used to create realistic three-dimensional images on flat two-dimensional surfaces. Chiaroscuro uses the contrast between light and dark to spotlight images for dramatic effect.

In this photo of our studio setup, we were trying to use Chiaroscuro by putting the flash light directly on one side of the model, the camera facing the model straight on and in the middle and with the reflector to try get a small brighter reflection on his left side of his face.

Why is Chiaroscuro Lighting used?
The effect uses light and shadow to highlight a subject and create additional depth in the background. It can be used to add shadow to make an object rise off the page, or side lighting to create a painterly effect. To create realistic three-dimensional images on flat two-dimensional surfaces. 

Chiaroscuro is using one key light and a variation using a reflector that reflects light from the key light back onto the sitter.

Rembrandt Lighting is a technique for portrait photography named after Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, the great Dutch painter. It refers to a way of lighting a face so that an upside-down light triangle appears under the eyes of the subject.

Rembrandt lighting is where there is a triangle of light seen below the eye. Photographers use this lighting because it creates a dramatic yet natural image

Rembrandt lighting adds an element of drama and psychological depth to the character of your sitter. In portraiture, the eyes of your subject are nearly always the main point of focus. The triangle of light, placed just below the eye on the shadow side of the face, will increase the emphasis and the viewer really will be “drawn in” to your image.

Why do photographers use it ?

Rembrandt lighting is extremely popular technique because it allows the photographer to create a dramatic image but yet also a natural image. Rembrandt usually is used to portray peoples moods through the image and usually has the effect of moodiness.

As you can see from this image, the lighting is behind the subject whilst taking the images. The subject in these images is a person and as you can see from this that the model has their body at an angle whilst the camera is straight on. There is also a reflector used at an angle on the left side of the model, and this makes ensures the shadow is less harsh which allows the triangle to appear.

Chiaroscuro lighting is a high-contrast lighting technique that utilises a low-key lighting setup to achieve contrast between the model and the dark background. Photographers use chiaroscuro lighting to highlight the model and create depth to the background.

Chiaroscuro is lighting used with portrait pictures to create a split of light and shadow. ( Italian for “lightdark”) and is defined as a bold contrast between light and dark. A certain amount of chiaroscuro is the effect of light modelling in painting where 3-dimensional volume is suggested by highlights and shadows. It first appeared in 15th century painting in Italy and Flanders, but true chiaroscuro developed during the 16th century, in Mannerism and it baroque art.

As you can see in the image above, to achieve the chiaroscuro lighting the subject needs to be facing straight in front of the camera and there needs to be a fill light on the right of the subject and a key-light to the right of the subject.

Studio lighting consists of 2 main categories. Continuous and Flashlight. Continuous is light that’s on all the time never flashing. These types of studio lights are similar to a house lamp. Turn the switch on and the light comes on. Turn it off and the light goes off.

Flashlight light is a sudden bright artificial light used when taking photographic pictures. They have umbrellas, or a softbox can be attached to diffuse the light.

Other objects and tools you can use are reflectors. A reflector is a photography tool used to redirect light to a subject or scene. It doesn’t create light; rather, it redirects light that is already there.

Hard light is harsh and creates strong shadows, while soft light is more diffused and creates softer shadows. Photographers would use hard light to create dramatic effect with lots of contrast. It’s more natural-looking and makes your subject appear warm, welcoming, and friendly. A lot of wedding pictures would use soft light!

High Key: Very important when taking photos because High Key is a style of photography that uses unusually bright lighting to reduce or completely blow out dark shadows in the image. Upbeat and positive photos are made from using high key.

Low Key: Low-key lighting has greater contrast between the dark and light areas of the image with a majority of the scene in shadow.

Henry Mullins moved to Jersey from London to take commercial portraits of over 9,000 islanders from 1852 to 1873. He compiled copies of these portraits into 4 large albums currently kept in the Societe Jeriase Photo-Archive.

Henry Mullins opened a studio named the ‘Royal Saloon’ at 7 Royal Square. Here he would photograph middle-class subjects under Queen Victoria’s rein. Commercial photography was still incredibly new and costed £1 per image. This price meant that portraiture was no longer limited to wealthy upper-class individuals. His subjects included the elite: the Bailiff, Lt Governor, Jurats and Deputies but also bankers, doctors and Clergies.

The commercialisation of photography

Carte de Visite was a small photograph originating rom France in 1854. This was not the first permanent photograph or commercial photography process (Daguerrotype came first. It was the process of printing onto a fragile copper plate created in 1839.) but was the first small, portable type. These images were 6x9cm and would be sent like postcards between friends and sparked interest in creating albums. Carte de Visite used Albumen Print where the images were binded using egg whites. This technique used negatives which made allowed for reproductions. This was the technique used by Henry Mullins where he even advertised his studio as being cheaper than London.

Henry Mullins

Henry Mullins adventured with different styles of portrait. He would use diamond cameo, four ovals showing a face at different angles, as a unique presentation. He would cut out the ovals and arrange them into a diamond shape. Additionally he would bleach the edges to whiten the background and fade them into the page. Both of these styles would frame a headshot unlike the usual portraits which were full body in front of a intricately decorated background.

An Inspiration

Henry Mullins has inspired many other photographers including Michelle Sank who travelled to jersey to photograph people in a similar way. There are many similarities between the portraits but also many differences.

Comparing the two

In this Portrait Michelle Sank photographed Ian Gorst, the chief minister. It would have been impossible for Henry Mullins to photograph Jerseys Cheif Minister since the first one was only elected in 2005, however he did photograph many of the islands elite.

Composition

I decided to compare these two images because they both show a man dressed in a suit angled straight on. Both of the subjects are resting their right hand some furniture to create an interesting pose and are stood upsright.

Michelle Sank was able to take her photographs in colour due to the advancements of digital photography. This photograph is also taken to landscape to showcase the background unlike a traditional portrait. The background is a dull 2000s office with the whole thing in focus. This image uses the natural light from the window as the main source of light and frames the subject slightly off centre. These features together separate this image from a traditional portrait and instead file it under the umbrella of ‘modern art’ instead.

Henry Mullins took his photograph in his studio using slightly harsher light. The image has been taken in portrait to frame the subjects full body. However unlike Michelle Sanks portrait, Henry Mullins bleached out the background and the bottom of the mans body to frame and draw attention to the subject, a technique called vignette. Since this was early in the development of photography, it was used as a means of documentation instead of an art form. Bleaching out the background was a way to highlight the individual in their portrait. Having a full background could make the frame too busy which is why when Henry Mullins does use backgrounds its a way to put a person into an environment or to create unique shapes.

Clothing

This portrait shows a modern man in modern dress. Like Henry Mullins, the subject wearing what he would normally be wearing to work, only this was taken 100+ years later showing a stark difference in silhouette, fabric and colour. Both here and in inspirational photographs show the subjects in typical suits of the period. A modern suit is created with cut corners due to the nature of them being mass produced. The fabrics are thinner and cheaper to produce leading to less flattering draping, shaping overall quality. There is no care put into their production which comes through when buying, wearing and being photographed.

The modern suit can have as few as 2 main layers: Shirt and blazer. A Victorian suit however needed to cover everything and a shirt had only really recently stopped being seen a part of underwear. The suit had began showing signs in Britain while under the rein of Charles II however only became recognisable in the late Stuart era. The Vicorians are well known for their modesty which meant formal attire for men required a minimum of 3 layers but was typically accompanied by a coat also. Typically the sets were created with bold colours and patterns as well as rich embroidery and detailing to showcase wealth (which would be important in a portrait being sent to friends for example).

These sets were made with thicker, organic materials and were still being handmade which meant it was tailored with more flattering seams and unique shapes. Unlike a modern suit with only one back seam at times, the Victorian suits could have 3. This would allow for a form fitting jacket, movement and a unique silhouette which wouldn’t be possible with just one back seam. These differences are evident when comparing photographs. In Henry Mullins’s photographs, the fabrics show depth in folds, texture and shape leading them to photograph much better.

Michelle Sanks portrait above shows a rigid, square and ill fitting suit. I believe this is a good comparison between the portraits because it is (apart from the colour) the first visual sign of a difference in time period I caught onto. This demonstrates how photography creates perfectly preserved time capsules. The modern suit is quickly identifiable due to its familiarity now and in years time fabrics and shapes. A Victorian suit isn’t what we’re used to or would see on a daily basis so it is unfamiliar despite still being a suit. When putting these two images next to each other it shows

Since the above Image is low resolution here is a good example of the quality difference. This is another portrait taken by Henry Mullins however this time of Victor Hugo, a French writer.

Juxtaposition

Juxtaposition is when two opposites are placed next to each other with contrasting effect.

Placing these two images next to each other showcases not only the advancements in photography and production but also society.

Headshots

This photoshoot is a response to Henry Mullins where I will be experimenting with a new camera lens (105mm) and diamond cameo.

Photoshoot 1

I began choosing sets of 4 images to use for a diamond cameo. To edit the images I set them all in black and white and adjusted the settings until I was happy with the effects. They don’t all have the same background since I was moving around the backlight for different lighting effects. This wont be as much of an issue when I edit the portraits into a diamond cameo however when all the images are being presented as is it ruins the continuity.

Set 1

Set 2

Diamond Cameo

I wanted to try out two different styles when I created the diamond cameo arrangements. I wanted one where I used some old paper as a background and coloured the portraits in beige to create an aged look similar to Henry Mullins. I then wanted to try a second one where I used a different background and didn’t recolour the portraits.

For this first one I added each Image onto the background and created an oval shape. This oval shape needed to be same for each of the four portraits so I copied the shape 4 times and rearranged them into the diamond shape. I then added the portraits over the top of the shapes and created a clipping mask so they’d be the correct shape.

The only difference in this was when I recoloured the portraits. To recolour the black and white portraits I selected the colour overlay and changed it to a brown to match the background. This one was made in portrait as opposed to landscape like the first. This made the circles more round which didn’t look like Henry Mullins examples.

Photoshoot- Edits

The photographs that are highlighted green are the photos I have chosen to edit, because they have the best poses and composition. They also display the different types of lighting the most effectively and well, so it is easy to tell which lighting was used for each of these photographs.

Rembrandt

Rembrandt lighting usually displays a triangle on the cheek under one of the eyes. This is how we can tell it is Rembrandt lighting. The set up of Rembrandt lighting, that we used in the studio is below;

The light was on the right hand side of the camera on a 45 degree angle, onto the model. The light is also roughly 2 feet higher than the model and positioned to point slightly down. The reflector was then used to reflect that light into the eyes of the model to make them brighter and more visible in the photo. The reflector is positioned either under the model on an angle, or to the side of the model on an angle. The camera is then positioned directly in front of the model.

Edits

I edited this photo to make it brighter, so the model would stand out more. I did this by increasing the exposure, contrast, highlights, whites, texture and dehaze, while decreasing the shadows, blacks and clarity. I also then made a copy of the edited photo, which I edited again to make it black and white. I also used a brightening tool on Lightroom to brighten up the models eyes and used a correction tool on Lightroom to get rid of any blemishes on the models skin, hair etc.

I then took another photo of the model, but experimented with the background, and tried out a black background.

I edited this photograph to make the model brighter and exposure higher, so the model would be more visible and the viewpoint of this photograph. I edited this by increasing the exposure, contrast, highlights, whites, texture and clarity, while decreasing the shadows and blacks. I then also made of copy of the edited photograph and edited it again to create a black and white version. I also used a brightening tool on Lightroom to brighten up the models eyes and used a correction tool on Lightroom to get rid of any blemishes on the models skin, hair etc.

I then started to experiment with different poses, using hands, arms, legs, or body movement. In the photograph below I ask the model to turn to sit facing the side and to hug her legs and then look at the camera.

I edited this photograph to make it brighter, and to create more of a light contrast on the models face. I did this by increasing the exposure, contrast, highlights, whites, texture and clarity, while decreasing the shadows and blacks. I then made a copy of the edited photograph and edited it again, to create a black and white version. I also used a brightening tool on Lightroom to brighten up the models eyes and used a correction tool on Lightroom to get rid of any blemishes on the models skin, hair etc.

I then asked the model to sit facing away from the camera and turning around over her shoulder to look at the camera.

I edited this photo to make it brighter, so the all the models features were visible. I did this by increasing the exposure, contrast, highlights, whites, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the blacks and shadows. I then made a copy, to create a black and white version. I also used a brightening tool on Lightroom to brighten up the models eyes and used a correction tool on Lightroom to get rid of any blemishes on the models skin, hair etc.

I then experimented with different backgrounds and used a black background, instead of a white background.

I edited this photo, to make it brighter and give it higher exposure, so the model was more visible against the darker background. I did this by increasing the exposure, contrast, highlights and whites, while decreasing the blacks and shadows. I then also made a black and white copy. I also used a brightening tool on Lightroom to brighten up the models eyes and used a correction tool on Lightroom to get rid of any blemishes on the models skin, hair etc.

I then experimented with the space around the model, by making the model much closer and bigger, with less space around her.

I also made a black and white copy of the edited photograph.

For all my Rembrandt photos the camera settings were:

Shutter speed: f/14

Aperture: 1/80 seconds

ISO: ISO-100

Top 9 Rembrandt photographs

Conclusion

In conclusion, I think this photoshoot went well, as I understood the lighting technique and managed to achieve portraits using this lighting technique, because I was able to set up the studio correctly for the different types of lighting. I also experimented with different backgrounds, such as black or white backgrounds, to give the photograph a different mood. I was also able to direct my models to try different poses and to sit at different angles or facing different ways. This helped change the mood of the photographs. I also experimented a lot with my editing skills, as I used a brightening tool on Lightroom to brighten up my models eyes, so they would be more visible and stand out more. Furthermore, I also used a correction tool on Lightroom to correct or get rid of any blemishes on my models skin, hair etc. I then also experimented with making my photos black and white, so it would give a complete new portrait and a complete new mood.