What is lighting in Portraiture?
There are different types of lighting, such as artificial lighting/ studio lighting, or natural lighting. In artificial lighting there are different lighting techniques, such as Rembrandt, butterfly, chiaroscuro etc.
Mind Map
Mood Board
Exploring Technique
In most cases we can make use of natural or available / ambient light, but we must be aware of different kinds of natural light and learn how to exploit it thoughtfully and creatively;
Golden hour- Seen as the best time to shoot, because the lighting is warm and soft, which enhances shots of landscapes, nature and more.
Artificial/ Studio Lighting
Using artificial lighting can offer many creative possibilities;
Rembrandt Lighting
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.
In Hollywood in the early 20th century, the legendary film director Cecil B. DeMille introduced spotlights to create more realistic effects of light and shadows into the ‘plain’ studio lighting setup that was generally in use. Rembrandt lighting is one effect that was created by this, and it became widely used in promotional photographs of film stars showing them in a dramatic and eye-catching way. An example of these film stars is Marylin Monroe and Keanu Revees;
Why use Rembrandt Lighting?
Rembrandt lighting is used to create shadows and contrast, and the ‘triangle of light’, beneath someone’s eye. This causes an element of drama and psychological depth onto the individual, who’s photo is being taken. Rembrandt lighting is an effective device to draw the eye. However, you can do this in many ways in photography, such as depth of field, leading lines, negative space etc. 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.
How to create Rembrandt Lighting set up?
Light: Lighting styles are determined by the positioning of your light source. 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.
Lens: Use 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.
Examples of Rembrandt Lighting
This photograph is using Rembrandt lighting, with hard lighting.
This photograph is using Rembrandt lighting, but now with soft lighting.
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. You may also hear it called ‘paramount lighting’ or ‘glamour lighting’.
What is Butterfly Lighting used for?
Butterfly lighting is used for portraits, because it is a lighting that flatters almost everyone, as it can highlight cheekbones and create shadows under them, as well as under the neck, which makes the model look thinner. This makes it the most commonly used lighting setups. This lighting has also been used for famous stars, from classic Hollywood and that’s why it’s also called Paramount lighting.
Lighting: Butterfly lighting requires a key light that can be a flash unit or continuous. If continuous, it can be artificial or natural. In other words, you can use strobes, speed lights, LEDs or even the sun. 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, you’ll need to use modifiers. A beauty dish is perfect for glamour photography as it distributes the light evenly and smooths the skin. You can also use a softbox or an umbrella. Instead, if you want to have hard light, you can leave the light source as it is. Alternatively, you can use grid spots to direct it and create different effects.
Experimentation: Once you have the key light set up, it’s time to fill the shadows. You can use a reflector to bounce the light back up and soften the shadow under the chin and the one from under 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. Once you’re happy with your butterfly lighting, direct the model to have a striking fashion pose or whatever the desired pose or expression you’re looking for. Just keep in mind that the subject’s face needs to be towards the light in order to have the butterfly shadow under the nose.
Examples of Butterfly Lighting
Chiaruscuro
Chiaruscuro is a visual element of art, which is defined as a bold contrast between light and dark. It is called chiaruscuro, because it is an Italian word meaning lightdark. 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 (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 was a compositional device seen in the paintings of old masters such as Caravaggio and Rembrandt.
Chiaruscuro in Film
Film noir, which is French for Black Film, is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize moral ambiguity and sexual motivation. Hollywood’s classic film noir period is from the early 1940s to the late 1950s. Film noir of this era is associated with a low-key black-and-white visual style that has roots in German Expressionist cinematography, while many of the prototypical stories and much of the attitude of classic noir derive from the hardboiled school of crime fiction that emerged in the United States during the Depression.
Chiaruscuro in photography
Chiaroscuro lighting uses one key light and a variation using a reflector that reflects light from the key light back onto the sitter.
Examples of Chiaruscuro
The photograph on the left is the Flagellation of Christ is a painting by the Italian Baroque painter Caravaggio, now in the Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte, Naples. It is dated to 1607. This painting uses chiaruscuro lighting. The photo on the right also uses chiaruscuro and is by Johannes Vermeer and is called The Girl with the Pearl Earring, 1665.
These two images are examples of chiaruscuro lighting being used in a film.
These three images are examples of chiaruscuro lighting being used photography.
Photoshoot:
These are all the photos I have chosen to edit, because they are my best photographs of environmental portraits. These are my best photos, because they have the most interesting environments and have the best composition. These are also my clearest and least blurry photographs, as the camera was focussed when taking them.
These are all the photographs I have taken for environmental portraits and the photos highlighted green are my best photos, which have been edited.
Edits
I edited this photo to make it more vibrant and to make the individual stand out more and be the main viewpoint of the photograph, by blurring the background. I edited this photo by increasing the contrast, shadows, whites and vibrancy, while decreasing the exposure, highlights, blacks, clarity and dehaze.
I also created a black and white version of this photograph, so it had more contrast and black and white tones.
I chose to edit this photo, because it has the best composition and the individual is using her hands to pose, which adds an element of her character into the photograph.
I edited this photo to make it more vibrant, so it attracts the viewers eye and makes the environment for this environmental portrait more interesting. I did this by increasing the contrast, shadows, texture, clarity and vibrancy, while also decreasing the blacks and the dehaze.
I chose this photograph, because it has an interesting environment, which we can learn a lot about the individual through.
I edited this photograph, to make it brighter and more vibrant, by increasing the contrast, texture, clarity and vibrancy, while decreasing the highlights, shadows, whites and blacks.
I chose to edit this photo, because it has an interesting environment, which we can learn a lot about the individual through. We can also perceive from her pose and smile that this is her natural environment as she feels comfortable in it and is also happy in this environment.
I edited this photo to make it brighter and more vibrant, by increasing the exposure, contrast, highlights, texture and vibrancy, while decreasing the shadows, whites, blacks and clarity.
I also edited a black and white version of this, so that the two individuals would be the main viewpoint and focus of this photograph.
I chose to edit this photo, because I was experimenting with having more than one person in my environmental portraits. I also chose this photo, because the two individual used their hands to pose, with them on their laps, which presents to the viewer about their personality.
I edited this photo to give it a more warm lighting, so the photograph was more clear and in focus. I did this by increasing the contrast, shadows, whites and vibrancy, while also decreasing the exposure, highlights and blacks.
I edited this photo to also give it warmer lighting, so the photo and the individual were more clear. I did this by increasing the exposure, contrast, shadows, whites and vibrancy, while decreasing the highlights and blacks.
I chose both of these last two photographs to edit, because they had good composition and had an interesting environment. I also chose this last photo, because of the use of the prop, which shows that this individual is in this environment that much, that he even comes here on his birthday.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I think this photoshoot went well, as I experimented with taking environmental portraits of one person, or with more than one person. I also experimented with different poses using the individuals hands and I experimented with props. I also experimented with editing black and white pictures.
Who is Arnold Newman?
Arnold Newman (1918-2006) was an American photographer known for his environmental portraits of artists and politicians. He was also known for his carefully composed abstract still-life images. With his method of portraiture, he placed his sitters in surroundings represented of their professions , aiming to capture the essence of the individuals life and their work. Arnold Newman is widely known for pioneering and popularizing environmental portraits.
About him
Arnold Newman was born March 3rd 1918, in New York City. He studied art under a scholarship at the University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL from 1936 to 1938. In June of 1941, Beaumont Newhall of the Museum of Modern Art and Alfred Stieglitz “discovered” him, and he was given an exhibit with Ben Rose at the A.D. Gallery in September. There he began working on experimental portraiture. He then returned home to Miami Beach, but once he was well established, he moved to New York in 1946 and opened his studio and became a member of the American Society of Magazine Photographers. Newman’s new approach to portraiture began its influence through key publications in America and abroad. Exhibits and purchases of his work by major museums quickly followed. In 1949, he married Augusta Rubenstein, and they had two sons, Eric, born 1950, and David, 1952. He died in New York City on June 6, 2006 and his wife died in 2009.
Who inspired him?
Arnold Newman stated that he was particularly inspired by Flemish painters. However, he also mentioned the work of Cubists including Picasso, who influenced the way Arnold Newman structured his photographs.
His work
This image shows us into the life of Pablo Picasso, who is the man in this photograph. Pablo Picasso is a famous artist, who painted and made art pieces. In this photograph he is surrounded by all his work, which suggests this is his studio. However, the rocking chair in this photograph also suggests that this is his living area and his home.
This image is in black and white, which most of Arnold Newman’s pictures were. This helped to add more contrast to the photo, because it had lots of light and dark tones throughout the photo. The black and white also helped to create more texture in the photograph, especially in Picasso’s art pieces and canvas painting. The viewpoint of this photo is Picasso, who is in the centre of the photo. Him being in the centre in the composition presents him as the viewpoint, as it is leading out eye towards him. The position Picasso is sat in on his chair, with him leaning forward, leaning on his arms and sat with his legs spread either side of the chair suggests that Picasso is not a very serious person and he has a sense of fun about him. However, Him leaning forward on his chair and leaning of his arms with him in the centre of the room suggests that he owns this room and is proud of everything in it. This photo has natural lighting coming from the side window, but also uses indoor lighting as the photo was taken indoors. This has low light sensitivity as the image is not grainy.
This is a famous photograph of Arnold Newman’s, which was published in The New York Times. This picture contains two people, who are Marylin Monroe and Carl Sandburg, who are pictured in their natural environment, and doing things, which are natural to them, like having an alcoholic drink.
This photo is in black and white, with lots of black and white tones like most of Arnold Newman’s photos. The layout of this photo is the two individuals in the centre of the photo, which then makes them the viewpoint of this photo. The background of this photo suggests that this is their living space or an environment that is natural to them, like a hotel, which they are in often. Marylin Monroe is a famous singer and Carl Sandburg is a famous poet, so him and Marylin tend to stay in hotels often, which is why this photo was set in a hotel room. Marylin Monroe and Carl Sandburg were in a relationship with each other, which makes this environment more natural to them as they are very often together. The photo was taken indoors, so we can interoperate that the lighting of the photo was not natural lighting and a flash was used, or indoor lighting.
The individual, who is the viewpoint in this photograph, is Alfried Krupp, who was an industrialist, who used slave labour. Arnold Newman at first refused to take his photo, as he did not agree with how he did things, but after some time Arnold Newman agreed to photograph him, because he saw this as an opportunity. Alfried Krupp hated this photo and wanted Arnold Newman to delete it, but he didn’t and instead used it as a way to share the unmoral things Alfried Krupp was doing.
The background of this image is Alfried Krupp’s industrial factory, so this environment was natural to him. This photo is one of the few portraits that Arnold Newman took, that wasn’t in black and white, but instead it has a green tint to it, which is caused by the lighting used, as this photo uses quite dim lighting. This makes the photo look more scary and sinister. The individual is posed leaning forward onto his hands, while glaring, which causes him to look really sinister. Arnold Newman used this pose to make Alfried Krupp look really sinister to the viewers, so they would know, that he was a sinister individual in every day life. This photo caused society to learn the real truth about Alfried Krupp and about his industrial business, and it was all because of how Arnold Newman positioned him, the lighting, the background and how he refused to delete the picture when Krupp wanted him to , but instead posted it in the New York Times.
What is an Environmental Portrait?
“An environmental portrait is a portrait executed in the subject’s usual environment, such as in their home or workplace, and typically illuminates the subject’s life and surroundings. The term is most frequently used of a genre of photography.”
Environmental portraits are normally people in their working environments or environments that they are associated with, like their homes.
Mind Map
Mood Board
These images can reveal somebodies life, like where they work, or what their home is like, or what they do at home. These portraits can be used to have an insight on another’s life, or to have an insight on a profession. These portraits can also be called historical, as they may show jobs, which are no longer professions, or show how homes used to look and what people would do in their homes. The images also shows people not in the present. These environmental portraits help feel a connection between the photographer and the person getting their picture taken, unlike how it would be on a phone.
Still-life
These are my top six final photographs after they have been taken in the studio and edited.
Mood Board
Conclusion
In conclusion, I think these images have come out well, as they have a good composition, lighting and are focussed. Next time, I would like to try new compositions of different objects, so I can experiment with my photographs and editing them.
Formalism
The pictures, which are highlighted green are the pictures I have chosen to edit, because they fit the seven themes of formalism the best and they have the best composition.
Lines
These two photos show lines in formalism. I edited the first one by increasing the contrast and shadows, while decreasing the highlights and blacks. I edited the second one, by increasing the shadows and whites, while decreasing highlights and blacks.
Shape
These two photos show shape in formalism. I edited the first one by increasing whites, while decreasing highlights, shadows and blacks. I edited the second one by increasing the shadows and the whites, while decreasing the blacks.
Form
This photo shows form and I edited this by decreasing the highlights, exposure and blacks.
Size
These two photos show size. I edited the first one by increasing the exposure, contrast, highlights and whites, while decreasing the blacks, texture, clarity and dehaze.
Colour
This photo shows colour and I edited it by increasing the contrast, shadows whites, texture and clarity, while decreasing the exposure, highlights and blacks.
Depth
These two photos show depth. I edited the first one by decreasing the highlights and blacks. I edited the second one by decreasing the exposure, highlights and blacks.
Texture
This photo shows texture and I edited it by decreasing the highlights, whites and blacks.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I think this photoshoot went well, because it helped me to experiment with the seven different areas of formalism in my photographs. It also helped me to further experiment on Lightroom and taking photos in the studio.
Photoshop
I made my still-life photo into an art gallery, by choosing a gallery of google and adding it to my documents. I then exported it onto photoshop.
I then went onto my documents and dragged my still-life edited photo onto my gallery and resized it. I then right clicked and chose perspective, so I could distort my image, it was on the correct angle.
Once I had gotten the correct size and angle, I right clicked and chose blending options, then drop shadow and edited my shadow until it was correct.
Artsteps
Firstly, I went onto artsteps and chose a free gallery template to use. Then, I imported my photos from my documents and dragged them to where I want them to be. Then I added black frames to each photo and previewed my gallery.
Conclusion
I chose my best still life edited photos and added them to two different types of virtual galleries, which really helped me experiment on photoshop and on ArtSteps. However, I prefer ArtSteps to photoshop, because I find it much easier and quicker to create my virtual gallery, especially with more still life photos.
Tools
The photos I have chosen to edit on light room are the photos, which are highlighted green. I chose these photos, because they have the best composition and the best colour. I also highlighted a selection of photos with one tool or two tools.
I edited the photo on the right to make it brighter and more colourful, compared to the dull photo on the left. I did this by increasing the contrast, shadows, whites, blacks, texture, clarity, vibrancy and saturation.
Aperture: f/16
Shutter speed: 1/200 secs
ISO: ISO-100
I focussed on making this picture brighter and enhancing the yellow colour. I did this, by increasing the texture, saturation and by decreasing the blacks.
Aperture: f/16
Shutter Speed: 1/200 secs
ISO: ISO-100
I edited these photos to make the tool more clear, by enhancing the yellow and red colours on the handle, so the yellow was less transparent. I did this by decreasing the highlights and increasing the whites, texture and the shadows.
Aperture: f/16
Shutter speed: 1/200 secs
ISO: ISO-100
I edited this picture by increasing the contrast, shadows and texture, so I could enhance the colours in this photo and to make it brighter.
Aperture: f/16
Shutter speed: 1/200 secs
ISO: ISO-100
Walker Evans- Single Tools Inspo
The photographs of the single tools which are highlighted green are the photographs I have chosen to edit, because they are the clearest photos and are more centred.
I edited this photo by decreasing the exposure, shadows, blacks and clarity, while increasing the contrast, highlights, whites, texture, dehaze, vibrancy and saturation. I did this to enhance the colours on the paintbrush and to make the image and colours much brighter.
Aperture: f/16
Shutter speed: 1/200 secs
ISO: ISO-100
I edited this photograph by decreasing the exposure, shadows and blacks, while increasing the contrast, highlights, whites, texture, vibrancy and saturation. I did this to make the single tool stand out more, by being brighter and appearing more rustic.
Aperture: f/16
Shutter speed: 1/200 secs
ISO: ISO-100
I edited this photo by increasing the contrast, whites, texture, clarity and vibrancy, while decreasing the highlights, shadows, blacks, clarity and dehaze. I did this to make the tool darker, so it could be more visible on the white background.
Aperture: f/16
Shutter speed: 1/200 secs
ISO: ISO-100
I edited this photo to make the colours more vibrant and the photo brighter. I did this by increasing the exposure, contrast, whites, texture, clarity, vibrancy and saturation, while also decreasing the highlights, shadows, blacks and dehaze.
Aperture: f/16
Shutter speed: 1/200 secs
ISO: ISO-100
I edited this photo to make the blacks and orange stand out more and to make the photo brighter. I did this by increasing the contrast, whites, texture, clarity, vibrancy and saturation, while decreasing the exposure, highlights, shadows, blacks and dehaze.
Aperture: f/16
Shutter speed: 1/200 secs
ISO: ISO-100
I edited this photo by increasing the whites, texture, clarity, dehaze, vibrancy and the saturation, while decreasing the highlights, shadows, whites, blacks and dehaze. I did this to enhance the yellow, blue and black colours on the tool, while also making the tool darker, so it is more clear and visible on the white background.
Aperture: f/16
Shutter speed: 1/200 secs
ISO: ISO-100
Conclusion
Overall, I think this photoshoot went very well, because I focussed on making all my images very clear and in focus, so they all came out well. I also had time to experiment with taking photos of single tools, like Walker Evans and taking photographs with two tools, like Darren Harvey-Regan. My editing also went well as I was able to make the photographs more colourful, bold, brighter and clearer.
Still-life
I chose to edit the photos, which are highlighted green, because they have the best composition and are the clearest photos, as some of the other photos I had taken were a bit blurry and out of focus.
I edited this photo to make the colour clearer and to give the photo more texture and lines. I did this by increasing the texture and clarity, while decreasing the contrast, highlights, blacks and whites.
Aperture: f/4.5
Shutter speed: 1/50sec
ISO: ISO-2000
I edited this photo to make it clearer and to have the words stand out more on the page, by giving the photo more texture. I did this by increasing the shadows and the whites, while also decreasing the highlights.
Aperture: f/4.5
Shutter speed: 1/50sec
ISO: ISO-2000
I edited this photo to make it more bright and bold, and giving it a lot more texture and shadows. I did this by increasing the contrast, whites, texture and contrast, while also decreasing the highli8ghts, blacks and shadows slightly.
Aperture: f/4.5
Shutter speed: 1/50sec
ISO: ISO-2000
I edited this photo to enhance the colour slightly and make it more clear. I did this by increasing the shadows slightly and decreasing the highlights and blacks slightly.
Aperture: f/4.5
Shutter speed: 1/50sec
ISO: ISO-2000
I edited this photo to enhance the whites in the photograph. I did this by increasing the shadows and whites, while decreasing the highlights and blacks.
Aperture: f/4.5
Shutter speed: 1/50sec
ISO: ISO-2000
I edited this photo by increasing the shadows and whites, while decreasing the highlights and blacks. I did this to brighten the photo and enhance the white.
Aperture: f/4.5
Shutter speed: 1/50sec
ISO: ISO-2000
Conclusion
Overall, I think my photoshoot went well, as I do like the photos I have chosen and edited. However, next time I would like to play around with my presentation for and experiment with different objects and compositions. I also need to practise keeping a steady hand and making sure the camera is in focus, so I can get clearer photographs. However, I think my editing went quite well, as I was able to give the photographs more contrast and make them clearer.