If you only have one light available then this will become your key light. This is the most important light in the setup, as it illuminates the subject within your shot.
It’s usually the strongest and has the most influence on the look of the scene. It’s always placed to one side of the camera/subject so that one side is well lit and the other side has some shadow
Fill Light (2point):
If you have two lights then the second one will be your fill light. This controls the mood or feel of a picture.
This is placed on the opposite side of the key light. It is used to fill the shadows created by the key light. The fill will usually be softer and less bright than the key light. To achieve this, you could move the light further away or use the intensity settings on your lights if you have some. You can also set the fill light to more of a flood than the key. You could also bounce the light onto a reflector which will then casta softer light back onto the subject.
Back Light (3point):
If you have a third light it will become the back light (also known as the rim, hair, or shoulder light). It’s placed behind the subject and lights them from the rear.
It is the light that makes your shot ‘pop’. Rather than providing direct lighting (like the key and fill), its purpose is to provide definition and subtle highlights around the subject’s outlines. When setup correctly, there should be a subtle rim of light around your subject. This helps separate the subject from the background and provide a three-dimensional look. You could also point the back light to the background which will make it very bright and therefore will make the subject stand out more.
During this section of Portraiture looking more specifically at studio lighting believe I have been able to develop my camera skills further and feel that I now have a much much better understanding of studio lighting which I did not have before.
Before starting this project I was very unsure about how to use studio lighting effectively and wasn’t confident in doing so at all. Now after completed the project I feel able to use the equipment and achieve different outcomes without assistance from setup diagrams or help from my teacher. However this is still useful at time when i’m getting particular stuck. For example, when trying to achieve butterfly lighting.
I carried out a couple photoshoots across the week but I feel I was able to be much more creative and independent in my second shoot. I think this is because I felt more comfortable with the setups and also because my subject (Abhishek) in the second shoot was more comfortable and cooperative as we knew each other much better.
Previous blog post depict the process of selecting, editing and producing a final set of images to put into a virtual gallery.
Overall I am happy with my final outcomes and feel a have a couple of strong images that I can print and use.
My favourite final images + analysis of 2 images:
The image above shows my friend Abhishek. When taking this photo, I had him sit on a back to front chair with the flash head pointing to the left side of his face (right in the picture). I did this so that I could achieve a form of Chiaroscuro known as ‘split lighting’. I used the following camera setting when taking the photograph; ISO 100, aperture f/16, shutter speed 1/125sec. I chose these settings along with the flash head in order to effectively light Abhishek and correctly create my own interpretations of Chiaroscuro.
When going into lightroom I first looked at whether I wanted the image in colour or in black and white. After some experimentation I made a final decision on keeping it in colour as I felt that this enabled me to achieve the ‘split lighting effect’ more as it helped to emphasise the contrast between light and dark more.
Overall I am very happy with this image and believe that it is a good first attempt of ‘split lighting’ and Chiaroscuro. I sent the edited images back to Abhishek and he also said that this was one of his favourites.
Same as my previously analysed image, the above shows my friend Abhishek. When taking this photo, I had him sit on the same chair back to front. However this time I had the flash head at a 45 degree angle to his face and had him sit on a slight angle with a reflector to project light back up onto his face. I did this so that I could achieve ‘Rembrandt lighting’ which causes the upside down triangle under the eye. I used the same camera settings when taking the photograph; ISO 100, aperture f/16, shutter speed 1/125sec. I chose to keep these settings the same as the amount/intensity of light being used was the same, it was just the set up that was different.
When going into lightroom I first looked at whether I wanted the image in colour or in black and white. After some experimentation I made a final decision to put it into black and white as I felt that it made to photograph look better and much sharper. It also helped to make the triangle under the eye more prominent and eye-catching for the viewer
Overall I am very happy with this image and believe that it is a good first attempt of ‘Rembrandt lighting’. I also feel the same about the image below which I also believe is a good attempt of Rembrandt lighting. Similarly to the other analysed image, Abhishek also said that this was one of his favourites.
The above shows screenshots of my virtual gallery which displays my favourite edited images from all of the environmental portraiture photoshoots i’ve done. I used the software, Artsteps, to create it. A further evaluation can be seen on another blog post.
I started by either picking (P/white flag) or rejecting (X/black flag) each image.
After this I looked at each image closer, comparing similar ones and giving each image a colour grading
After this I looked closer at each group and gave each image a star rating so that I could pick out my favourite images for editing in the ‘develop’ section on Adobe. Further contact sheets and final edited images are below
Contact sheet of favourite pictures pre-edit:
Pictures of the before and after editing comparison, including the adjustments made:
Contact sheet post-edit:
Overall I am very happy with my final images and feel that they’re my best photographs yet since starting the a-level photography course. I feel that I have successfully achieved each of the 3 techniques; Rembrandt, Butterfly and Chiaroscuro. However, I do feel like my final images using Butterfly lighting are quite weak and have turned out how I would’ve liked. I think this may be partly due to my subjects beard but I plan on trying this technique again further into the portraiture topic.
I am also very happy to say that Abhishek, my main subject, was very happy with the final selection of images.
Chiaroscuro is a visual element in art and is the Italian word for ‘light dark’ (ie- a bold contrast between light and dark). It first appeared in 15th century painting in Italy and Flanders (Holland), but true chiaroscuro developed during the 16th century, in Mannerism and in Baroque art.
Dark subjects were dramatically lighted by a shaft of light from a single constricted and often unseen source as a compositional device seen in the paintings of old masters such as Caravaggio and Rembrandt.
In photography, Chiaroscuro is the technique of using one key light and a variation using a reflector to reflect light back onto the sitter. It is often also known as split lighting however, Chiaroscuro is a more broad term and can be achieved in many different ways. Both Butterfly lighting and Rembrandt lighting could be seen as a from of Chiaroscuro.
Some more examples can be seen below.
The diagram below shows two examples of setups in the studio that could be used for Chiaroscuro.
Butterfly lighting is a technique used primarily in a studio setting. Its name comes from the butterfly-shaped shadow that forms under the nose due to the light coming from above the camera. You may also hear it called ‘paramount lighting’ or ‘glamour lighting’.
Butterfly lighting is a light pattern that flatters almost everybody, making it one of the most common lighting setups. It was used to photograph some of the most famous stars from classic Hollywood, and that’s why it’s also called Paramount lighting.
By using butterfly lighting you can highlight cheekbones and create shadows under them as well as under the neck, making the subjects face the thinner and more defined.
Examples of butterfly lighting can be seen below.
Butterfly lighting requires a key light that can be a flash unit or continuous. A butterfly lighting effect refers to the setup and not to the quality of light – it can be soft or hard light depending on the effect you want. If you want to create a Soft light will distribute the light evenly and smooth the skin. Whereas, Hard light can be used to create different effects as it casts shadows that can really draw attention to a specific part of the subject.
Once you have the light set up you can use a reflector to bounce the light back up and soften the shadows under the chin the nose. To do so, 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. Experiment with different positions to achieve different effects. You can also change the colour of the reflector. A white one will give you a neutral tone, while a golden one gives a warming overcast.
The above diagram shows a setup in the studio that could be used for butterfly lighting.
Rembrandt lighting is a technique for portrait photography. It is named after Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, the great Dutch painter. It refers to a way of lighting the face so that an upside-down light triangle appears under the eye of the subject.
This image shows an old portrait that was painted. The Rembrandt technique can be seen below the eye.
Rembrandt lighting became much more popular in the early 20th century when film director, Cecil B DeMille introduced spotlights into the plain studio lighting setup that was generally used. The Rembrandt effect could be created by this setup and so it quickly become popular in promotional photographs of film stars showing them in a dramatic and eye-catching way. Some more examples can be seen below.
By using Rembrandt lighting you instantly create shadows and contrast – and of course, the characteristic ‘triangle of light’ beneath the subject’s eye. It can add a real element of drama and psychological depth to the subjects character and personality
It’s effective as it gives an individual ‘look’ to the photograph, but also because it acts as a photographic device to draw the eye.
In portraiture, the eyes of your subject are pretty much always the main focus point. Therefore, the triangle of light, just below the eye on the shadow side of the face, will increase the emphasis of the image and really draw in the viewer.
So overall we can use Rembrandt lighting to create not just dramatic portrait photography, but also portrait photography that grabs the viewer’s attention and draws their eye to your subject.
Creating a Rembrandt lighting setup:
Rembrandt lighting is created by the single light source being at a 40 to 45-degree angle and higher than the subject.
A 35mm or 50mm if space is at a premium – or if you’re looking at including more of the subject than just the head and shoulders. A 50mm works really nicely for portraits and will give a nice depth of field if you’re shooting at a shallow aperture. But a 35mm will give you a wider point of view and is great to fit more of the body in of your subject.
The above diagram shows a setup in the studio that could be used for rembrandt lighting.
using reflectors (silver / gold) to really make use of the available light
Artificial lighting is what we can use when taking photographs in a studio. There are two main categories of studio lighting; continuous and flash.
Using artificial lighting can offer many creative possibilities and we should consider the following:
the size and shape of light
distance from subject to create hard / soft light (see below for more detail)
angles and direction…high, low, side lighting
filtered light
camera settings : WB / ISO / shutter speed etc
reflectors
using diffusers (tissue paper, coloured gels, tracing paper, gauze etc) to soften the light
key lighting, fill lighting, back lighting, 1,2+3 point lighting
soft-boxes, flash lighting, spot lights and floodlights
Rembrandt lighting, butterfly lighting, chiarascuro
high key and low key lighting techniques (see below for more detail)
backdrops and infinity curves
long exposures and slow shutter speeds
Studio lighting:
We can use these in different ways to achieve the following types of lighting:
rembrandt
butterfly
chiaroscuro
I will be looking at these 3 types of lighting in more detail in other blog posts.
The best camera settings to use with studio lighting depend on whether you’re using flash or continuous lighting:
Camera settings (flash lighting) Tripod: optional Use transmitter on hotshoe for the flash White balance: daylight (5000K) ISO: 100 Exposure: Manual 1/125 shutter-speed > f/16 aperture Focal length: 105mm portrait lens
Camera settings (continuous lighting) Tripod: recommended to avoid camera shake Manual exposure mode White balance: tungsten light (3200K) ISO: 400-1600 – depending on how many light sources Exposure: Manual 1/60-1/125 shutter-speed > f/4-f/8 aperture Focal length: 50mm portrait lens
Hard vs Soft light:
In photography we can create hard and soft lighting. Hard light tends to be very focused and produces harsher shadows whereas soft light tend to ‘wrap’ around objects, projecting diffused shadows with soft edges. Hard light has more contrast and is usually brighter than soft light, which is usually more even.
Hard light is created by setting up a single point of light that casts very sharp gradations between light and shadow. A camera flash is an example of a light that creates hard light.
Soft lighting can be achieved by using a larger light source or by using multiple points of light. The size of the light relative to the subject is very important for soft lighting.
White Balance:
Another thing to do with lighting is white balance and this directly affects colour temperature. different white balance settings should be used in different lighting scenarios.
High-key and Low-key lighting:
High-key and Low-key techniques can be achieved in the following ways:
During this section of Portraiture looking more specifically at environmental portraiture I feel I have been able to develop my camera skills even further what with having to combat some tricky lighting situations. For example, when photographing my dad outside during bright day light.
Before starting this project I had never heard of environmental portraiture and thought it was simply just headshots. However after lots of research and watching various short documentaries, such as https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjb6nrtwCJc , I learnt that there are many different types of portraiture.
When beginning this project I had a look at some of the photography books/ journals that were in the photography room. This led me to two artists that I was most interested in. The first being August Sander and the second being Laura Pannack. I decided to research them both in more detail and analyse some of their work so that I could obtain a deeper understanding of their approach to environmental portraiture. This really helped me to then move on to taking my own photographs.
I carried out multiple photoshoots across a few days each with different lighting scenarios so that I could simultaneously be working on my camera handling skills and use of lighting, ready for the next project, studio portraiture.
Previous blog post depict the process of selecting, editing and producing a final set of images to put into a virtual gallery.
Overall I am happy with my final outcomes and feel a have a couple of strong images that I can print and use. I am partially happy with the black and white one of my brother sat on his car (see below) as I feel that I was able to capture him at a nice angle and with a nice background behind him, what with the row of houses. I believe that I have successfully managed to create my own versions of August Sander’s work in ‘The People of the 20th Century’ however I would have liked to capture more photographs of people in their work environment. I also feel that I could’ve been more creative at times in order to tell a more powerful story. For example, I could have photographed my brother curled up in a ball in his boot which could have expressed a very different meaning than the ones of him lent against the car.
The other image I think is particularly strong is the black and white one of my dad and his car (see below). However I feel the colour version (see below) of a similar photo is ever so slightly better as my dads feet are cut of in the black and white image making it look not quite right.
In terms of creating my own versions of Laura Pannack’s work I feel I have managed to do this with my brother and his car, however I would’ve like to do much more and with a few more people to really capture young people how Pannack did.
