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NATURAL LIGHTING
Everyone can manage this set up.
USING STUDIO LIGHTING
Paramount Lighting, sometimes called Butterfly or Hollywood Lighting
for the shape of the shadow it forms under the nose, is a female glamour lighting style. It works best for women with strong cheek bones and good skin. This lighting is not typically used with male subjects.
The key light is placed high with the fill light directly under it. Keeping the light close to the subject, watch for the butterfly shaped shadow to form under the nose. Be careful not to place their eyes in shadow.
The fill light is placed at roughly head height and can be accompanied or replaced by a reflector under the face to lighten the shadows under the chin and lower cheek.
Short Lighting - Studio Lighting Setup
Main light is off from the camera axis
Light falls mainly on the side of the face that is farthest from the camera
Good for subjects with more round face
Popular for dramatic look
Move light farther away to produce Rembrandt lighting - creating a triangle of light on the camera side upper cheek
Broad Lighting - Studio Lighting Setup
Main light is close to camera axis
Light falls mainly on the side of the face that is closest to the camera
Good for subjects with more narrow face
Back Lighting - Studio Lighting Setup
Back Lighting is a flattering dramatic lighting style. It can be effective for covering skin blemishes due to the generally soft portraits it can produce. Since the light is coming from behind the subject, lens flare is typical, but accepted.
The main light should be a large light source or a smaller one aimed at a white background (effectively using the background as the source). The portrait can be taken with a reflector providing fill light or without a reflector for a silhouette effect.
Homemade Backdrops for Portrait Photography
A backdrop is one of the simplest ways to change the feel of your portrait photography. Changing from a classic painter's drop cloth to bright colored velvet will quickly change the atmosphere from classic to trendy. For this reason, making your own backgrounds is a great way to experiment and find new styles.
Homemade backdrops can be as simple as purchasing a large remnant from a fabric store or as elaborate as sponge-painting your own muslin. The level of complexity depends on the goal of the photo shoot.
In this guide, we will give some hints to consider when purchasing material for backdrops and also provide hints for those that want to try to apply their own paint to create multi-color drops.
A quick and easy backdrop that most folks have access to is a standard bed sheet. If you want something a little more rugged, you can use muslin or canvas from an art or theatrical supply shop. Another material some folks have found useful is painter's drop cloths. You will have to iron these materials before using them in a shoot. For more of a rough look, you might want to store them in a bag or a box so they get wrinkled. Do not fold them for storage or you will need to iron them each time you use them. Also watch out for seams when you purchase sheets or drop cloths.
A trip to the local fabric store may turn up some very exciting remnants or material types. Often you can find wide rolls of crushed velvet or cotton swatches that are perfect for use as a backdrop. Check the fabric stores often as inventory and remnant bins change frequently.
There are several ways to create your own hand painted mottled backdrop. For some, painting with sponges and flat enamel paint is easiest. You can get the mottled look by using a large paint brush or a board covered with cloth to apply the paint.
Others have found success by using dye with cotton fabrics. To dye a background, roll it up and soak it in dye for 10 minutes or so, rinse it and re-soak. Continue until you have the color and shade you want.
To store your backgrounds, consider rolling them onto carpet tubing or PVC pipe and mounting the roll on a background stand or wall mounted dowel rod.
Aluminum Foil Reflectors
Reflectors are extremely useful for studio photography. There are many companies that have built wonderful reflectors in many shapes and sizes. You may find it fun to build your own reflectors in order to experiment before you take the leap into professional gear.
The simplest form of homemade reflector can be built with foam core, aluminum foil and tape. To mimic the effects of professional studio reflectors, simply:
Use a razor to cut the foam core to the proper size (smaller reflectors for tight light control or larger reflectors for full-length portraits or large subjects).
Roll out enough aluminum foil to cover the length of foam core and overhang the edges by several inches. Multiple passes of foil may be required to cover the entire sheet of foam core. If this occurs, be sure to overlap the strips of foil at least an inch.
Crinkle the foil lightly to give it random texture. Flat foil will be too directional and cause harsh light to shine on your subject.
Use tape to connect the foil to adjacent strips and to the foam core backing.
These reflectors are light and inexpensive making them easy to bring on location shoots or simply lay them around the studio for use in a pinch. Foam core reflectors can be mounted to light stands or nearby walls with clamps or tape. Possibilities are only limited by
your imagination!
For variations, try spray painting the foil surface with gold or white spray paint to affect the feel of your photo.
For those without studio lighting try the next one, or a variation
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