| When you are new to studio portrait photography, | | | | subject, directly out in front of the set. It is elevated |
| studio lighting can seem difficult, mysterious, and | | | | to a height of about ten to eleven feet above the |
| perhaps even ominous at times. You may read ten | | | | floor, so we are able to shoot from directly |
| different books on lighting by the | | | | underneath the fill light if necessary. The fill light is |
| “experts”, and quite likely you will get | | | | diffused by a large soft box, and oriented (angled) to |
| ten totally different opinions about what constitutes | | | | directly face the subject. It is typically metered |
| proper lighting. Maybe this is because | | | | (independently) to f5.6, by adjusting the power to |
| “proper” lighting for studio portraits is | | | | the strobe. This gives a light ratio on your subject of |
| just that; a matter of opinion. Yes, there are classic | | | | about 1:4. |
| styles of lighting such as: open loop, closed loop, | | | | The third strobe in our studio light setup serves as |
| butterfly or Paramount, broad lighting, short lighting, | | | | the background light. The background light may be |
| and so forth. But, ninety nine times out of a hundred, | | | | mounted on a short stand positioned directly behind |
| clients who come into your studio do not care about | | | | the subject, and angled upward to illuminate the |
| the technical aspects of lighting, or even the classical | | | | backdrop and eliminate any shadows behind the |
| styles of lighting. They simply want to look great in | | | | subject. Positioning the subject at least six feet from |
| their portraits, and it’s your job as a | | | | the background also helps to eliminate shadows on |
| professional portrait photographer to help them do | | | | the background. For a vignette effect on a low key |
| just that. The system of lighting used in my portrait | | | | back ground use a small parabolic reflector and |
| studio is simple to understand, easy to work with, | | | | possibly a grid spot or barn doors to direct and focus |
| and it helps our clients look their best. | | | | the light where you want it. For a more evenly lit mid |
| Our typical lighting scheme consists of three strobe | | | | key backdrop substitute a soft box strip mounted on |
| lights with a forth strobe “hair light” used | | | | a boom stand, high and angled downward and |
| as needed. First, the key light is the main light source | | | | toward the back drop. Typically for low key to mid |
| in the lighting scheme and is used to contour the face | | | | key portraits we meter the background light to f5.6 |
| and add depth and interest to the subject. The key | | | | or f8. This is a matter of preference depending on |
| light is what enables the three dimensional subject to | | | | the desired effect. You can easily create elegant low |
| be rendered in a two dimensional plane, yet | | | | to mid key portraits [ using this setup. |
| perceived as a three dimensional image. The key light | | | | For super hi key shots, to get the snow white |
| in our studio’s light setup is mounted on a | | | | seamless background look, you must overexpose the |
| Studio Titan Side Kick stand. The beauty of this | | | | background relative to the subject by two stops. For |
| stand is that it is very stable, has lockable casters so | | | | example [ if you meter your key to f8 you should |
| it is easily repositioned, and the height of the key | | | | meter the background to f16 to achieve the desired |
| light is very easily adjustable with the “single | | | | effect. The trick is to get your subject far enough |
| touch” adjustable arm. The key light is usually | | | | out from the background so they don’t pick |
| the only strobe in our setup that is repositioned | | | | up too much reflected light and you are able to blow |
| during the course of a photo shoot. | | | | out the background while maintaining proper |
| The key light is modified using a parabolic reflector, a | | | | exposure on your subject. The fill is still metered one |
| shoot through umbrella or a reflecting umbrella, a soft | | | | or two stops below the key to maintain a nice |
| box (several sizes may be used), or by other means, | | | | contrast ratio on your subject. Super hi key portraits |
| thereby achieving in each portrait the desired effect. | | | | may best be accomplished using two background |
| A guideline to remember is: at a given distance | | | | lights, angled in on each side of the background. This |
| between light source and subject, the smaller the | | | | gives a more evenly distributed background light. |
| light source, the harsher the incident light and the | | | | The forth strobe often used in our studio light setup, |
| sharper (more contrast) the shadows. Choose the | | | | is the hair light. It is used to separate the subject |
| modifier accordingly to achieve the desired effect for | | | | from the background and to accentuate the |
| your portrait (i.e. light modifiers in order of decreasing | | | | subject’s hair and shoulders. The hair light may |
| contrast: 6” parabolic reflector, 16” | | | | be positioned low or high behind the subject |
| parabolic reflector, 40” reflecting umbrella, | | | | depending on the desired effect, and modifiers such |
| 40” shoot through umbrella, 3’x4’ | | | | as a snoot or a grid spot may be used to direct and |
| softbox, 4’x6’ softbox). The key light is | | | | focus the light as desired. Whether or not the hair |
| then metered (independently) to f11. This may be | | | | light is used depends on the subject’s hair |
| accomplished by adjusting the power to the strobe, | | | | color relative to the backdrop and on the desired |
| and/or the distance between key light and subject. | | | | effect for the portrait (e.g. dark hair disappears on a |
| During the photo shoot, the illumination of the subject | | | | dark backdrop and requires the hair light as a |
| will remain constant when you reposition the key | | | | separator) |
| light, as long as the distance between the key light | | | | Beyond posing your subject in a flattering way, |
| and the subject remains constant. This simple fact is | | | | lighting your subject is the single greatest skill you |
| useful to keep in mind for one reason. It enables you | | | | must master in order to create exceptional |
| to quickly relocate your key light for different desired | | | | portraiture. Your lighting scheme does not have to be |
| effects without re-metering everything. Visualize your | | | | overly complex, and your equipment need not be the |
| subject being at the hub of a wheel, the radius of | | | | latest and greatest. However, you must develop a |
| the wheel being equal to the distance (between the | | | | basic understanding of light contrast ratio and how to |
| key light and your subject) that gave you f11. The | | | | control the light, in order to masterfully create |
| key light may be relocated to any position around | | | | elegant and beautiful portraits. The lighting setup |
| the perimeter of the imaginary wheel, with the | | | | described above may be a good starting point. It is |
| illumination on your subject remaining a constant f11. | | | | very simple to understand and easy to use, generally, |
| Second, the fill light serves as contrast control by | | | | only the key light is repositioned during the course of |
| filling in the “sockets and pockets” of | | | | a photo shoot. From there, experiment and practice |
| your subject. The fill light in our light set up is | | | | to achieve the results that you imagine. As always, |
| permanently positioned about 15 feet from the | | | | good day and happy clicking. |