Basic terms and concepts Photography is … Inverse Square Law Color Temperature –Mixing light sources –Filters (in camera, light mounted, window mounted) Needs of camera / mood of shot / invisible 3 point lighting (background, kicker) –Flat lighting, 2-point?, bounce? Typical equipment –Spot or flood –Quartz, HSF or LED –Grid or light stands

Key to Effective Lighting: Shadow Shadow gives images form, weight, texture, mood, depth. Also reveals spatial relationships.

3 considerations before lighting Key light placement – 180 degrees around subject Quality of light – hard or soft Shadow treatment – low key or high key

Try to separate subject from background

3 results of light hitting object

Typical 3 point lighting diagram

3 Attributes of Key Light Primary source of illumination Primary factor of overall exposure Determines placement and quality of shadow

Quality of Light Refers to hard or soft quality of light “Pin” or undiffused sources create hard shadows that fall off sharply (fresnel) Soft light is created by using large sources of diffused light. Determined by two attributes –Large source –Relatively close to subject

Floor plan of Portrait Key Light Possibilities

Subject lit from 3:00 Position

Subject lit from 4:00 Position

Subject lit from 5:00 Position

Subject lit from 6:00 Position

Diffused Lighting

See textbook example Catch lights to show proper placement Broadlighting: when the key light shines of the side of the face closest to the camera Short lighting: when the key light is on the side of the face opposite the camera; the camera is on the fill or shadow side

Short lighting Side of face toward camera is shadow

Broad lighting – side of face toward camera is lit

Functions of Fill Light Fills shadows created by key light Does not create new shadow

Adding Fill for Portrait Lighting

Fill Light Without Fill With Fill

Backlight Hard backlight Soft Backlight

Background With Background Without Background

Hard vs. Soft Key Light Hard Soft

Relative Distance of Soft Light Source Close Far

Lighting Dark Skin with Large Sources of Light Pin Light Source Large Diffused Source

One Light Setup Use available Light from existing window

One-Light Setup Available Light One-Light Setup

One-Light Setup Light directly in front Short Side of Face

Color Balance Color Temps Mixing Key light with color correction

Warming the Scene Normal Color Balance Tricking Camera to Produce Warmer Tones

Using Backlight as Key

Use Large sources for Specular Reflections

Backlight as Key Creates Form, Depth, Dynamic Images

Camera Indoor, outdoor, automatic Manual vs. automatic (of anything) Size of chip Camera to subject distance Light to subject distance

Lighting effects Silhouette – back lit

Lighting effects Cameo: spot on subject, dark background

Lighting effects Limbo: softly lit (white) background