Single Light Portraiture Research

The morning of the 09/10, I took part in a Single Light Portraiture session in the studio, to learn the basics of the different types of lighting and how they compliment the model. Although I am photographing a product for my studio assignment, this session was extremely useful in learning more and extending my knowledge of studio lighting from what I already know!

Butterfly Lighting

Here, the light was positioned in front of the face, but angled down over the models head. This created a shadow under the models nose that resembled the shape of a butterfly in flight.

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Rembrandt

The light was positioned above and somewhat to the side of the model, but not enough to the side so that the whole side of the face was in complete shadow. This created a triangle of light on the left hand side of the face whilst the rest was shaded! The photograph I found on a photographers website (shown below) is a perfect example of how Rembrandt lighting is used and how the triangle is formed on the models face.

 louisdanielbothaphotography.wordpress.com

Side/Split

The light was positioned perpendicular to the model between the lens and the subject and at the same height as the head. Here, the left hand side of the face was not lit and looked sinister and scary! The photograph I sourced off the internet shows how side lighting can be used to create a sinister effect, however, I also used a reflector to lessen the shadows created by the lighting equipment.

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Hollywood

This is my favourite lighting method when a reflector is used, but not so strong when it is used on its own. The light was positioned to the side and slightly behind the models head. The front of the models cheeks were in shadow whereas part of the nose was still lit.

Broad and Short

Broad and short lighting is used when the model is looking slightly off to one side of the camera. This was my favourite type of lighting used overall!