Correctly exposed light in a photo studio is one of the main components of successful photography. It can be difficult for beginner photographers to figure out how many light sources should be in a room, and what they are. In addition, a lot comes with experience, because every photographer prefers to shoot in his own way. However, there are basic light placement techniques that can help beginners.
Necessary
- - soft box;
- - strip box;
- - light panel;
- - spotlight;
- - attachments for point light.
Instructions
Step 1
The painting light source sets the overall mood of the photo. By the nature of the lighting, it can be either soft or hard. Hard light has a number of disadvantages: it highlights the texture of the skin, displacement of the model by a couple of centimeters can lead to the appearance of unwanted shadows, it is difficult to adjust other light sources for it. A beginner photographer should choose a soft light source (soft boxes, strip boxes). It should sit slightly above the subject's head.
Step 2
If you don't have a suitable soft light source, you can modify the hard one. To do this, place a transparent object between the light source and the model: a white sheet, a curtain. Position the model so that only softened light falls on it.
Step 3
Install fill light. Its purpose is to soften shadows, make them less deep. The object should be illuminated evenly, without sudden changes. For these purposes, a soft box or light panel is suitable. You can install the fill light from the front or next to the camera. Avoid double shadows when adjusting the light. The only situations in which you don't need fill light are when shooting a high-shadow male portrait and a dramatic female portrait.
Step 4
You can stop there if you like, however you can go further and adjust the background light. The purpose of this light is to separate the model from the background, to give the photo volume and depth. It is not necessary to make the background light too strong. The brightness of the background should be just one to two stops higher than the brightness of the main subject. As a source of background light, spotlights and lamps with tube attachments, a bucket, simple reflectors, curtains are suitable.
Step 5
If you want to emphasize any details in the model: hair, clothes, you need to install an accent light. As in the case of background light, you need to achieve a point light spot, therefore tube nozzles, reflectors with curtains are suitable for lighting fixtures. The accent light is usually set in the posterior diagonal plane.
