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studio lighting

Studio lighting is a popular choice for portrait photographers who want complete control over their lighting environment. In a studio setting, photographers can use a variety of lights, such as soft boxes, umbrellas, and beauty dishes, to create the perfect lighting setup for their subject.

Studio lighting in photography happens when a photographer uses an artificial light source to either add to the light that’s already there, or to completely light their photograph. Setups can range from using a single flash that you mount onto your camera, to multiple off-camera lights.

difference between 1-2-3 point lighting

point 1 – key light

usually the strongest point of light and most influence within the area, places to on side of camera or subject.

point 2 – fill light

if are to lights the more stronger one is your key light and the less one is your fill light, which is usually places the opposite side of the key light, which is used to full the shadows created by the key light. The fill will usually be softer and less bright than the key

point 3 – back light

the third light in your kit after setting up the key and fill will become the back light which is also known as the rimhair, or shoulder light.

The back light is normally placed behind the subject and lights it from the rear.

The back light 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. If 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.

additional lighting – 4 point light setup

If there is a fourth light available to you then it would become your background or environment light.

The background light is placed behind the subject. Unlike the other three lights, which illuminate foreground elements, it illuminates background elements, like walls or outdoor scenery. This technique can be used to eliminate shadows cast by foreground elements onto the background, or to draw more attention to the background.

This setup would then typically become known as a four point lighting setup.

Rembrandt lighting

is a classic photographic and cinematic technique that creates a dramatic yet natural look by using a single light source positioned at 45-degree angle to the subject and slightly above eye level. it is characterized by a distinct triangle of light on the shadowed cheek, under eye, formed by the interplay of light and shadow. this high contrast effect adds depth and dimension, emphasizing facial features. commonly used in portrait photography and dramatic scenes, Rembrandt lighting evokes a sense of mystery and intensity, making it a popular choice of creating moody, compelling visuals.

Butterfly lighting

is a portrait lighting technique characterized by a small, butterfly shaped shadow directly under the subjects nose. it is achieved by pacing a single light source above and directly in front of the subject, normally a a 30 – 45 decree angle. this setup highlights the cheek bones and creates a smooth, flattering look, making it popular for beauty, glamor and headshot photography.

Butterfly Lighting

Chiaroscuro

is an artistic technique that uses a strong contrasts between light and shadow to create sense of depth, volume and drama. originating in the renaissance it was formally used by artists like Caravaggio and Rembrandt to emphasize three dimensional forms and evoke mood. in visual arts, chiaroscuro highlights specific areas of a subject while leaving others in shadow, gilding the viewers focus and enhancing the emotional intensity of the sense. this technique is also widely applied in photography and cinematography for dramatic lighting effects.

fill lighting

A fill light is a the style of lighting which is often used in theatre and film as well as in photography. Often used as part of a three point lighting set up, fill lighting is utilised in order to light up the shadowed parts of your setting – this creates less contrast where you do not want it.

raw photos

best raw photos –

yellow shows chiaroscuro and red is Rembrandt and green shows butterfly

Rembrandt –

in this photo its shows the light technique of Rembrandt lighting, and with in this photo a reflector is used to the shadows don’t completely block out half of the face. Also even with the glasses u can see the triangle and how it dose not effect the lighting.

same for this one but its more obvious that’s its Rembrandt lighting, as can see the triangle more so. And the light was moved more so closer to the camera, like half way between the model and camera.

more Rembrandt raw photos

chiaroscuro –

for this photo you can see that its lighting represents more so like Chiaroscuro, this is shown by that half of the face is lit up and the other half is shadow but u can still see the shadow side cause a reflector has been used.

similar for this photos that it represents chiaroscuro, this is achieved by the light to be beside the model, so that the light on the face is only on one side. and again the reflector is used so that the shadow side of the face is still visible.

more chiaroscuro raw photos

butterfly –

within this photo you can kinder see the shadow under the nose and the lighting is focused above the subject to give this effect.

Editing –

chiaroscuro –

other experiments –

on this photo i edited it into black and white and made the brightness on one side quite bright and on the other side the shadows so that it blends into the background.

Rembrandt –

all edited main photos close up –

tried different experiments –

with this photo I cropped it to seem closer and focused more on the features of the subject.

for this photo I cropped it so was more background and to make photo seem more ominous and makes subject seem really small.

for this photo I tried to see what it would look like in black and white.

Butterfly –

for this I cropped the photo so was made to seem like the subject is really small

with this photo I edited the background so it get rid of the texture and focused on only the subject, made it to a low exposure.

with this photo I edited it in black and white, which made the butterfly effect more obvious.

with in this photo its similar to the last but some of the texture has been taken away.

colour gel experiments

raw photos –

edited experiment’s –

final photos –

i chose these photos because

visual gallery –

using this virtual gallery made me realize that I could change from horizontal to vertical, which vertical shows the top photos to be hiding her emotion’s and the top one showing her screaming out what’s been hiding inside. from doing this improves the took of the display of the photos in the gallery.

Studio Portraiture

Contact Sheet

Image Selection

Above you can see above I used P and X to flag my images to filter out my worst ones from the ok and good ones, next I rated these images 4 or 5 stars as 4 being ok ones and 5 being good ones, finally I gave them the colour yellow or green, green being the best and yellow being good.

Image Editing

This is one example of Rembrandt lighting due to a triangle present under the left cheek, Which resembles Rembrandt lighting. In this photo there is an intense shadow. On the right of the image you can see all I have done is makes some slight adjustments to the texture and contrast and many other things like that.

This is the same image cropped due to lots of negative space on the left side, which will create an unbalanced photo and I decided to crop the image to centre the subject a bit more.

This is the same photo that has been cropped and slightly edited to enhance the Rembrandt lighting more. By being edited the image looks much more clearer.

Contact Sheet

This is my contact sheet for Rembrandt lighting.

Image Selection

Above you can see above I used P and X to flag my images to filter out my worst ones from the ok and good ones, next I rated these images 4 or 5 stars as 4 being ok ones and 5 being good ones, finally I gave them the colour yellow or green, green being the best and yellow being good.

Original Image

This is one example of Rembrandt lighting due to a triangle present under the left cheek, Which resembles Rembrandt lighting. In this photo there is an intense shadow. On the right of the image you can see all I have done is makes some slight adjustments to the texture and other things like that.

Black and White Image

This is the same image cropped due to lots of negative space on the left side, which will create an unbalanced photo and Next you can see I decided to crop the image to centre the subject a bit more.

This is the final black and white image. This is the same photo that has been cropped and slightly edited to enhance the Rembrandt lighting slightly more. By being edited the image looks much more clearer and concise .

Butterfly Lighting

Contact Sheet

Image Selection

Above you can see above I used P and X to flag my images to filter out my worst ones from the ok and good ones, next I rated these images 4 or 5 stars as 4 being ok ones and 5 being good ones, finally I gave them the colour yellow or green, green being the best and yellow being good.

Image Editing

I have done some slight editing to enhance the contrast, texture ,whites and black.

Next ,I’ve decide to crop the image to decrease the negative space on either side , so the photo can looked balanced . I have also cropped the image make the subject more centred.

Final Outcome

Black and White

This is the same image cropped due to lots of negative space on the left side, which will create an unbalanced photo. Next you can see I decided to crop the image to centre the subject a bit more.

Final Photo with an Evaluation

This is the final black and white image. This is the same photo that has been cropped and slightly edited to enhance the butterfly lighting slightly more. The butterfly lighting is present under the frame of her glasses . By being edited the image looks much more clearer and concise .

Spilt Lighting

Image Editing

In this photo, I have some slight editing. I have edited the texture, highlights, black and the shadows.

I have cropped the image due to there being to much negative space on the left side .I have done this because it might ruin the photo and the photo will be unbalanced. I also cropped it to ,make the subject much more centred.

Exploring Lighting

Studio Lighting

Rembrandt lighting is a technique utilizing one light and one reflector or two separate lights.
Butterfly lighting is used in portrait photography where the key light is placed above and at an angle above the subject’s face.
Chiaroscuro is the use of strong contrasts 
between light and dark tones.

Studio Photos

Lighting Set Up
Chiaroscuro
Rembrandt

Butterfly Lighting Photos

Edited Photographs

Colour Gel Experiments

Library of Identity Photographers

Cindy Sherman:

  • Portrayal of gender in media
  • montage

Claude Cahun:

  • Adopting various identities

Clare Rae

  • Figurative environment

 The Human Sculpture/Performance Selfie

Rather than taking a straightforward self-portrait, some artists have experimented with transforming themselves (and others) into sculptures. 

Erwin Wurm – One Minute Sculpture

Francesca Woodman

  • Long exposure
  • Movement
  • Memories

Photograph moving subjects to create blurred, painterly forms, as in these examples by Mirjam Appelhof:

  • Long exposure
  • Movement
  • Memories
  • Transience

Other examples of slow shutter speed

Morath & Saul Steinberg – the ‘Mask’ series

  • Disguise

Designer Francesca Lombardi created these enigmatic origami animal masks for photographer Giacomo Favilla’s series called “One Of Us.”

Ralph Eugene Meetyard

The Mask Selfie

rwin Blumenfeld – Self-Portrait with mask, New York, ca 1958

Student Mask response:

Nikita Pirogov

  • Juxtaposition – using a second photography to communicate something about the person in the portrait

Alicja Brodowicz

  • Juxtaposition
  • Body / Natural Forms

 Gianfranco Meloni:  

 Alban Grosdidier

  • Under Water
  • Convey feelings of drowning under pressure

Wes Naman – distortion, challenging beauty norms

Unknown photographer / Noor+

Capture the same scene at different times, as in this photography series by Clarisse d’Arcimoles:

Create a complex ‘unrealistic’ setting and photograph it, as in this composition by Cerise Doucède:

Monty Milburn

Theo Acwroth

Danny Evans – Project on skaters from Jersey

Pete Thompson

Rob Hammer- Basketball culture

Backlighting

Interesting shadows / lighting

Combine multiple exposures to create the illusion of repeated objects, like these creative compositions by Lera:

Digitally draw over photographs, as in these portraits by May Xiong:

Cut through photographs to expose other layers of photographs below, as in these images by Lucas Simões:

Create layered handmade collages, like these works by Damien Blottière:

Photograph scenes through small gaps or holes, as in these photographs by Reina Takahashi:

Maurizio Anzeri

‘Fragments’ – Link to photographer website

David Hockney

  • Distort

Christoffer Relander

  • Double exposure
  • Express emotion

Sakir Yildirim

Studio Lighting and creative portraiture

What is studio lighting?

Studio lighting is the use of artificial lighting in order to create a mood or atmosphere by adding to the light that’s already there.

Studio Photography 101 with B&H Photo | Virtual FieldTrips |  CreativeMornings

Different lighting techniques

REMBRANDT LIGHTING

Who was Rembrandt?

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn otherwise just known as Rembrandt was a dutch painter born in July 15, 1606, Leiden, Netherlands , he was known to be an incredible visual artist and is recognised for his work in regards to lighting

Definition + what you will need

  • achieved using one light and a reflector
  • characterised by an area of the face that is illuminated to appear as though it is an upside down triangle under the eye

How to achieve

‘Normally, the key light is placed high and to one side at the front, and the fill light or a reflector is placed half-height and on the other side at the front, set to about half the power of the key light, with the subject, if facing at an angle to the camera, with the key light illuminating the far side of the face. The key in Rembrandt lighting is creating the triangle or diamond shape of light underneath the eye. One side of the face is lit well from the main light source while the other side of the face uses the interaction of shadows and light, also known as chiaroscuro, to create this geometric form on the face. The triangle should be no longer than the nose and no wider than the eye. This technique may be achieved subtly or very dramatically by altering the distance between subject and lights and relative strengths of main and fill lights’

– Wikipedia

Example

BUTTERFLY LIGHTING

Definition

‘Butterfly lighting is a lighting pattern where the light source is placed slightly above and centre on the face of the subject. You may also see this technique referred to as paramount lighting. When discussing butterfly lighting, we often focus on the tell-tale sign: The shadow under the nose with a butterfly shape.’

You will need:

  • A key light
  • Flashes and triggers
  • Modifiers
  • Reflector

How to achieve

Butterfly lighting setups are simple. In its purest form, it’s a single source (key light) directly in line with the subject’s face and the camera. If the shadows are a little too deep, a reflector can be placed below the subject to bounce light back up into the face. 

– Wikipedia

Example

CHIAROSCURO

Definition

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.

Example

Photo shoot plan

In order to get the most effective lighting and the best photos, i planned to use a studio that had access to different back drops (one white one black) and a plethora of lights , flash lights ,ring lights and more.

I planned to capture split lighting and different coloured lighting and possibly explore rebrand lighting

inspiration

Raw images

Editing and photo selection

Here is my selection of images from a total of three photoshoots , in each photoshoot i used different models to experiment with how light hits different structures and features on each face

I then took my preferred images and edited them to intensify the lighting

Results analysis

With this image , i cropped the photo to make the subject more central and eye catching , i changed the image to black and white and altered the exposure , contrast , shadows etc. Then i created a ‘mask’ over the eye and increased exposure and contrast to make the iris stand out giving the image a better focus point.

before and after comparison

Once again i cropped the image to centralise the subject , i created a mask over the eyes and eyebrows to make them more distinct and then increased exposure and contrast , i decided not to overly edit this image as i didn’t want to take away from the natural context of the contrasting skin

I wanted to keep this image uncropped to explore the idea of negative space , i left the background dark to leave the subject undefined i then adjusted the saturation and exposure

before and after comparison

For this image i tried to capture contrasting subjects in the same image without using much editing so i positioned two lights facing two people to make it appear as though its two different environments , i then enhanced the colours in editing and cropped the image

OTHER FINAL IMAGES

Exploring Lighting

Studio lighting refers to how a light source (typically artificial), illuminates the subject that is being photographed in a studio environment. It is often used to change aspects of the photograph such as clarity, tone and saturation to create an accurate rendition of the scene.

1-Point Lighting

If you only have one light available to you then this will become your key light. This is the principal (and most important) light in the setup, as it illuminates the subject within your shot.

It is usually the strongest and has the most influence on the look of the scene. It is placed to one side of the camera/subject so that this side is well lit and the other side has some shadow.

Setting up 1-point lighting

2-Point Lighting

If you have two lights in your kit then the second light after setting up your key light will be your fill light.

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 (up to half the intensity/brightness of the key). To achieve this, you could move the light further away or use the intensity settings on your lights if you have some.

Setting up 2-point lighting

3-Point Lighting

The third light after setting up the key and fill will become the back light which is placed behind the subject and lights them from the rear.

Rather than providing direct lighting (like the key and fill), its purpose is to provide definition and subtle highlights around the subject’s outlines. If setup correctly there should be a subtle rim of light around the subject. This helps separate the subject from the background and provide a three-dimensional look.

Setting up 3-point lighting

Rembrandt Lighting

Rembrandt lighting results in one half of the subject’s face is fully illuminated, while the other half is in partial shadow (similar to chiarascuro/split). What differs when comparing this to other methods of lighting is the presence of a small inverted triangle of light below the subject’s eye, usually along the cheek, which is a result of the lighting setup. For perfect execution of this type of lighting, the triangle of light shadow must be no wider than the length of the eye, and no longer than the subject’s nose.

The Rembrandt lighting technique results in a moody and dramatic effect. This type of lighting technique often features a dark or black background behind the subject, putting the subject front and centre.

Butterfly Lighting

Butterfly lighting is a basic and popular lighting technique in which the main light is above and in light with the subject’s face and the camera.

A clear sign of butterfly lighting being used is the shadow under the nose with a butterfly shape that is created as a result of the lighting.

In some images, the butterfly shape created is more subtle (like the second image above) but in others the position and intensity of the lighting can be altered to make it more noticeable and this is used to highlight cheekbones and create shadows under them as well as under the neck – which makes the model look thinner. 

Chiarascuro/Split Lighting

Chiarascuro literally translates to “light/dark”, and refers to a technique where a light source is shone onto a side of the subject’s face, juxtaposing light and dark tones due to half of their face being illuminated and the other half being darker and more coated in shadow. It shares many similarities with Rembrandt lighting, but without the triangle cast on the subject’s cheek.

Images captured using chiarascuro lighting typically aim to create visually intriguing pictures with a strong sense of depth and mood. A soft second light can be shone on the darker side of the face to alter how dark the shadows are which can be used to strengthen/weaken the contrast between light and dark tones.

Photoshoot Plan + Contact Sheet

After researching different types of lighting in a studio environment, I then decided to try and capture a wide variety of portraits (e.g. head shots, full body etc) showcasing these lighting techniques and my understanding of them.

After the first two sessions in the studio, I imported my photos into Lightroom and colour coded them as well as star rated them to go through them and see which ones I found most effective – these were typically the ones where I managed to make better use of chiarascuro or Rembrandt lighting which added a gloomy feel to the images.

My Best Chiarascuro/Split Images

I first tried experimenting with trying to achieve a chiarascuro effect by adjusting the position of my main light to see how it would affect the light and shadows created on Finn’s face.

In the images above, I experimented with different positions and strengths of light to see how it would affect the amount of shadow on the side of Finn’s face and manipulated this to create some images I find effective. Although some are extremely underexposed, I can later adjust brightness and contrast in editing to fix this.

I then tried adding a fill light and adjusting its strengths to decrease the amounts of shadow present as well as trying different poses standing/sitting to see what I liked most.

My Best Rembrandt Images

I then tried replicating Rembrandt lighting by trying first setting up lighting to achieve a chiarascuro effect and then moving the position of the light and trying different angles to achieve the triangle under the subject’s eye.

The images above are some where I nearly managed to achieve this effect, but the position of the subject and/or the positioning of the studio lights wasn’t optimal for this so I instead ended up with streaks of light in the darker side of Finn’s face just under the eye, but not in a triangular form.

After lots of experimenting with different positions and strengths of lights I was able to come closer to achieving the triangle under the eye. Although I wasn’t able to perfectly replicate a triangle, the light is much more visible and creates a focal point amidst the shadow covering his face.

This was my best result from all my experimenting with Rembrandt, clearly showing streaks of light under Finn’s eye on the darker half of their face although the light isn’t a perfect triangle.

My Best Butterfly Images

To try and achieve the butterfly lighting effect, I positioned the light directly in front of my subject high up pointing down so there would be a slight shadow cost under the nose.

I first tried using this technique with a half body composition, and in both photos the shadow under the nose is clearly visible although in the second one Finn’s head being leaned forward created more shadow around the eye area as well.

I then tried using this technique with a head and shoulders shot so it’s more zoomed in on the face, and this worked very effectively since you can now more clearly see the shadow under the nose as well as the softer shadows around and below the eyes.

Image Manipulation/Experimentation

After experimenting in the studio I took some of my best photos and made minor tweaks to them in Lightroom such as cropping them to improve composition and changing the brightness to explore how it affects the lighting and shadows as well as the intention behind the image.

I really liked how these images turned out since after adjusting brightness and contrast it still clearly displays different lighting techniques without being too underexposed or overexposed, and by experimenting with altering the composition via cropping I was able to drastically change some of my images whilst still keeping them interesting and dramatic (such as the bottom right image, which was originally a full body shot that has been zoomed in to turn it into more of a head shot).

I then experimented with making the images black and white, and found that it really adds to the moody atmosphere initially created with chiarascuro and Rembrandt lighting which helps to build further on the intention behind my photos.

Final Photos

After experimenting with image editing, I decided to keep all the images black and white since I like the dramatic and moody atmosphere it creates when combined with the shadows from the lighting techniques. I also like how the photos are laid out since the top 3 shows a half body butterfly shot in between two head shots, and the bottom three showing different poses and movements as well as having the Rembrandt clearly present in the middle.

Presentation in Artsteps

Studio Portraits

What is it?

Studio photography, at its core, takes place indoors in a controlled environment where the photographer can manage every aspect of the photo shoot. This type of photography can capture a diverse range of subjects, from people and animals to various products like cars and jewellery. Typically, a photography studio begins as an empty room. The photographer then creates backdrops and makes choices about what to add or leave out, including outfits for models and different props.

Examples

25 Studio Photography Tips & Ideas for Amateurs
Venture Photography Studios - Professional Family Photoshoots UK wide
Studio Portrait Photography | Paul Wilkinson Photography
Studio Sessions - Tracy Main Photography
Tips for Working with a Model in a Studio
Naples Photography Studio Model | Ben - Zee Anna Photography

Different Types of Studio Lighting

Rembrandt Lighting

Rembrandt lighting is a common technique in studio portrait photography and filmmaking. It can be used alongside butterfly lighting for different effects. You can create this look with just one light and a reflector, or with two lights. It’s favoured because it can produce natural and striking images without needing a lot of gear. The key feature of Rembrandt lighting is a lit triangle, known as the “Rembrandt patch,” that appears under the eye on the darker side of the subject’s face. This style is named after the Dutch artist Rembrandt, who commonly used this lighting in his work.

Rembrandt Lighting: What it is and Why You Should Use it

Butterfly Lighting

Butterfly lighting is a technique where the light is positioned just above and in front of the person’s face. Sometimes, this style is also called paramount lighting. When we talk about butterfly lighting, one of the key features to look for is the shadow that forms under the nose, which resembles a butterfly.

3 Reasons to Learn (and rock!) Butterfly Lighting

Chiaroscuro Lighting

Chiaroscuro refers to the dramatic differences between light and dark in art, creating striking contrasts that impact the entire piece. Artists and art historians use this term to describe how these light contrasts help give depth and shape to three-dimensional objects and figures. This technique is also seen in movies, as well as in black and white and low-key photography, where it’s still referred to as chiaroscuro.

Andrea Verenini on How to Master Chiaroscuro Photography | Rangefinder

Lighting Diagrams

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This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is high_key_vs_low_key.jpg

Artist Analysis

Nadav Kander

Industry Insights with LE BOOK: Nadav Kander remembers his tentative first  steps in photography - 1854 Photography

Nadav Kander, who was born in 1961, is a photographer, artist, and director based in London. He is famous for his stunning portraits and landscapes. Kander has created several books and has showcased his work in many exhibitions. In 2015, he was honoured with an Honorary Fellowship from the Royal Photographic Society and also won the prestigious Prix Pictet award.

Photos by him

Jung, Rothko, Tanning, Duchamp: Inside the mind of Nadav Kander - 1854  Photography
Nadav Kander- The Meeting — Dossier Magazine
Nadav Kander | HRH Prince Charles I (2013) | Available for Sale | Artsy
What's on: Nadav Kander: Selected Portraits, 1999 – 2011 | Lancashire  Telegraph
Nadav Kander | The Independent Photographer
Nadav Kander: 30 years of portraiture – in pictures | Art and design | The  Guardian
Nadav Kander | HRH Prince Charles I (2013) | Available for Sale | Artsy
Nadav Kander | HRH Prince Charles I (2013) | Available for Sale | Artsy
Artist of the day: Artist of the Day, July 23, 2021: Nadav Kander, a  London-based photographer (#1337)

Image Analysis

Portrait Studio Lighting: A One-Day Workshop with F. Scott Schafer  (In-Person Learning - One Session) - The Los Angeles Center of Photography
Photo by Nadav Kander

Visual – This is a photo of Ex president Barack Obama. In this photo there is a large amount of blue, in the background and his suit, these two blues complement each other really well. The background is soft with little texture or shape, furthermore there is no pattern in the background, this makes the viewer fully focus on the subject with little attention to the background. Obama is centre frame with his head in the upper centre of the frame, this creates an equal rule of thirds.

Technical – The lighting in this photo is cold with little warmth and is from the front of his face, you can see this because his face is in the light and the back / side of his head is left in the dark. I think that the type of lighting is moist probably artificial or studio lighting. The aperture in this photo is large with a shallow depth of field, probably shot at f/1.4 or f/1.8, something really low, I can tell this because the background is completely blurred and the subject is fully in focus. Moreover I think the shutter speed would have been fast, something like 1/500 or 1/300, this is because there is already plenty of light already and the subject has no blur and is fully in focus. The ISO is probably something like 100, this is because there is no need to let in more light due to the bright studio lights, I can also tell this due to the lack of grain in the image.

Contextual – Right before Barack Obama started his presidency, photographer Nadav Kander was asked to capture portraits of the important people in his team. Like the secretary of state, the outcome was an intriguing glimpse of a group of individuals about to make history. The exhibition, Obama’s People, will be showcased at the Flowers East Gallery in London starting September 11.

Conceptual – The concept behind this photo and why this photo is so important is because Barack Obama was the first black president in history. I think this photo represents hope, this is because he isn’t looking directly at the camera and more off to the side, he looks like he is gazing out over his people and land with almost a smile and ambition.

Photoshoot Plan

I plan to use the studio to take photos of my friend. Furthermore I plan to use different lighting angles and techniques to experiment and find out which one looks the best.

Our studio Set up

Contact Sheet

Selection Process

My Example of Rembrandt Lighting

This photo shows a good example of Rembrandt lighting, this is because there is a triangle of light on the right of the nose which perfectly brings out the colour in the right eye.

My Example of Butterfly Lighting

This photo shows good Butterfly lighting. This is due to the butterfly shaped shadow underneath the nose.

My Example of Split Lighting

This photo is a good example of Split lighting. This is because half the face is illuminated and the other half is left completely in the dark.

Final Photos

Editing

Final Photos

Final Photos Black and White

Cropping

Final Cropped Photos

Evaluation

My photos turned out exactly how I intended them to. Further more I managed to effectively experiment with the different types of lighting. My photos follow Kanders photos to some extent but then I took my own turn by including more of the body or by including hands.

Compositions

Final Composition

I chose this composition because it incorporates the cropped and un-cropped versions of the photo and its almost like a before and after style photo.

Artsteps

Colour Gels

Colour Gels– Colour gels are used in photography to add colour to the light source, which can help create a specific mood or atmosphere in the image. The coloured light can also highlight certain elements in the photo, such as the subject’s hair or clothing.

These are some examples of colour gels i found of the internet.

These are some photos I took using colour gels.

This is the raw image without me editing it.

This is after I edited it.

I edited my photo using adobe Lightroom classic and on the right side of this snip you can see some of the changes I made as I adjusted the highlights to be more red tinted and the shadows to be more blue. I also lowered the texture on her skin to make it a smoother photo.

This is another photo I edited and it side by side with the original making a comparison.

These are all the photos I took.

Rembrandt lighting

“Rembrandt lighting” is a lighting technique used alongside “Butterfly lighting” it is distinct by an illuminated triangle and can be achieved by using one or two lights alongside a reflector.

I ended up going to the studio again and took some more Rembrandt photos in different styles of lighting.

Rembrandt was a Dutch painter

He was known for his amazing ability to show human feelings in his art. He used light and shadow in a unique way that made his paintings look real and full of life.

Born in the Netherlands, Rembrandt started drawing and painting at a young age. He later moved to Amsterdam, where he became a popular artist, painting portraits for wealthy people. But unlike other artists, Rembrandt showed people as they really were, not just how they wanted to be seen.

He also painted himself many times, showing how he changed as he got older — from a young, confident man to an older, wiser person who had faced hard times. These self-portraits are still seen as some of the most honest in art history.

Even when he went through struggles with money and personal loss, Rembrandt never stopped creating. His later works are seen as some of his best, showing deep understanding and emotion. Today, he is remembered as one of the greatest artists of all time, known for capturing the true human experience.

Portrait of an old man

Portrait of an Old Man is a famous painting by Rembrandt, made around 1654. It shows an old man with a calm, thoughtful look. He has a long white beard, wrinkled skin, and wears a simple robe and cap, making him look wise and peaceful.

Rembrandt used light and shadow to make the man’s face stand out. Soft light shines on his face, showing every wrinkle and detail, while the background stays dark. This makes the man feel real and present, almost like he’s sitting right in front of you.

No one knows for sure who the man is. Some people think he wasn’t a real person but just someone Rembrandt painted to show age and wisdom.

Today, this painting is seen as one of Rembrandt’s best. People love how he captured the man’s age, experience, and quiet strength, making it a powerful example of how art can show the beauty of being human.

My photos

I ended up going to the studio to attempt Rembrandt lighting myself

Here are all my raw photos

I then edited some of my best photos in Lightroom and photoshop.