Light can be intense or soft, harsh or flattering. It can emphasize form and shape, hide or exaggerate texture and draw attention to or away from something. Along with these attributes it has direction. It’s our one essential tool. The goal of using light is to give depth and dimension to the subject; to make it appear three dimensional in a two dimensional medium.
Direct sunlight or direct flash is a pinpoint source and that makes it harsh with bright highlights and deep shadows. Without some help from a reflector or fill flash the shadows will go dark and highlights will “block up”.
Note that the model is placed such that the sun is 45 degrees high and 45 degrees to her left leaving a triangular highlight on her right cheek. This is classic Rembrandt lighting and is ideal for the average face shape. It maximizes modeling and brings out depth in facial features. It’s a little too harsh for this young woman, particularly with this much contrast, who has a slightly narrow and angular face. The lighting ratio is about 6:1 or 3.5 stops brighter in the highlights than the shadows. Anything over 3:1 (1.5 stops brighter) is usually too harsh to be attractive.
Shade is a much softer light; highlights are softer and shadows are open revealing full detail. Shade is described as open, as in open to the sky, or deep as in under obstruction. Open shade tends to provide more directional light with pronounced modeling while deep shade has a more omni-directional or “flat” quality.
The model is under a tree to her left with open sky to the right. The right side of her face is evenly lit with the left in soft shadow. This is split lighting and most flattering to people with round faces as it slenderizes. Note also that the light has a green/blue tint from the sky and foliage. It was fixed in post processing. Light ratio is about 2:1, one stop brighter in the highlights. A higher light ratio would deepen shadows and maximize the slenderizing effect.
Here the model is under a roof with the light coming from open sky directly in front of her. There is almost no modeling as the light is directly in front of her and above. If there were enough modeling to cast a shadow of her nose it would fall on her top lip. This is called butterfly lighting because when done right the highlights on both cheeks divided by the eyes and nose resemble a butterfly and is most flattering to long or angular faces. In this case the lighting is almost too flat at 1.5:1 or half a stop between highlight and shadow.
The other take-away from this series is that when you’re 18 EVERYTHING looks good on you.
All the rules that apply to portraiture apply to other subjects; architecture, still life and even sweeping landscapes. After all, what are we doing if not making a portrait of (insert subject here).
Shot on a heavily overcast day. There were no shadows cast anywhere. I moved the table under a tree to block skylight from behind me, providing a direction to the light and giving shape to the sculpted wood handle and engraving. This would be butterfly lighting. Shot at the hunting property 20 miles from the nearest electrical outlet and 40 from replacement beer.
A final note on light and shiny objects. You cannot take a picture of a reflective surface; you can only photograph what it reflects into your lens. If you want to take a picture of a mirror don’t light the mirror, light the room around it.
In this instance the light was directed to a 20x24 inch posterboard leaned at an angle above the knife. The white board is reflected in the surface of the knife and provides soft modeling to the rice and lace. To add some dimension to the knife I put black tape in strategic places on the reflector.
I hope some of this has been instructive.
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