Advanced Lighting Isn’t Always Complicated!
This image was part of a series of images taken during our ‘Advanced Studio Lighting’ workshop. Sometimes, the simplicity of an image belies the detail it takes to create it: it’s simple to place a light but it takes a bit of practice to place it well!
Katie was wearing a corset top with cargo pants and boots and looked brilliant so to kick off the workshop, I thought we’d start with the simplest of shots: a single Elinchrom FIVE with a 100cm x 100cm Rotalux softbox (without a grid). For this shot, there is no other kit involved except the walls of the studio, I suppose, as they (along with the ceiling) skip light back into the scene, reducing the contrast between the lit side and the shadow side of the subject.
The Lighting
Our light is on wheels, making it easy to float it around, adjusting the location, angle and height of the light to create a beautiful light on Katie’s face and figure. I was also adjusting the positioning to throw some light onto the white wall behind the subject. This is a useful trick if you have limited kit and / or limited space as you can create the entire image with just the one light.
There is a ‘feel’ for positioning the light – it’s something that comes with practice and depends on how you like to light your subjects. Much as that is the case, there are some simple guidelines that help:
- Look for the catchlights in the eyes! If you have nice bright eyes, your lighting is going in the right direction!
- Try to minimise any light / dark / light fluctuations in the face as these typically aren’t as flattering irrespective of your client’s look!
Camera Angle
It’s not talked about enough but the angle of the camera is as important as the angle of any lights or the pose of the subject (low angles create power in the pose, while high angles are flattering but the subject can look subordinate to the viewer.). For me, I nearly always have the camera completely horizontal – i.e. the height of the camera is at the vertical mid-point of the subject as they appear in the frame. This is very much a personal choice, it just seems to work for me and my clients!
Post-Production
The image was reasonably well-lit right from the start so all I needed was remove any marks in the background and any stray hairs (Katie’s makeup was almost flawless which is a real luxury for a photographer.)
The hardest part? The hardest part was determining what colour tone (or monochrome) would suit the image! In the end – even now I’m looking at it – I am not sure of the answer to that one! I am more than happy to hear your thoughts!
Lighting Diagrams
Camera Settings
Focal length: 130mm
Aperture: f/16
Shutter speed: 1/160 sec
ISO: 320