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AUTHOR A BOOK WITH AMHERST MEDIA! Are you an accomplished photographer with devoted fans? Consider authoring a book with us and share your quality images and wisdom with your fans. It's a great way to build your business and brand through a high-quality, full-color printed book sold worldwide. Our experienced team makes it easy and rewarding for each book sold—no cost to you. E-mail [email protected] today!

Copyright © 2017 by Tony Corbell. All rights reserved. All photographs by the author unless otherwise noted. Published by: Amherst Media, Inc., PO Box 538, Buffalo, NY 14213 www.AmherstMedia.com Publisher: Craig Alesse Senior Editor/Production Manager: Michelle Perkins Editors: Barbara A. Lynch-Johnt, Beth Alesse Acquisitions Editor: Harvey Goldstein Associate Publisher: Kate Neaverth Editorial Assistance from: Carey A. Miller, Sally Jarzab, John S. Loder, Roy Bakos Business Manager: Adam Richards ISBN-13: 978-1-6820-3143-8 Library of Congress Control Number: 201645435 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopied, recorded or otherwise, without prior written consent from the publisher. Notice of Disclaimer: The information contained in this book is based on the author’s experience and opinions. The author and publisher will not be held liable for the use or misuse of the information in this book.

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Contents About the Author

Introduction 1. Equipment for Lighting in the Studio Studio Strobe Basics Power Pack Lights (or Generator Lights) Monolights (or Self-Contained Lights) Recycle Time Flash Duration Color Balance in the Studio Methods of Firing Studio Strobes Continuous Light

2. Light Shaping Tools in the Studio The Basics You Don’t Need Everything Standard and Parabolic Reflectors Umbrellas Softboxes Beauty Dishes Octabanks/Octaboxes Honeycomb Grids and Egg Crate Grids

Collapsible Reflectors Ring Flashes

3. Backdrops and Props in the Studio Backgrounds Lighting the Background Draping Types of Backgrounds Props

4. Light Control in the Studio The Theory of Lighting Relativity

The Shadow Edge The Highlight The Relationship Between Light and Shadow In Conclusion

5. Metering and Exposure Controls in the Studio

Light Meters Shutter Speed

6. Creating Traditional Portraits in the Studio Posing the Traditional Portrait Lighting the Traditional Portrait Depth in the Traditional Portrait Enhancing the Depth with Accent Lights

7. Creating Contemporary Portraits in the Studio Lifestyle Images Background Selection Lighting the Contemporary Portrait The Main Light Fill Light Additional Depth Hair Light

8. One Light, Two Lights, Red Lights, Blue Lights The One-Light Portrait Adding a Scrim The Two-Light Portrait The Control of Color Gels

9. Practical Examples Thr Traditional Two Light Tony’s Twins Big Wall of Light Three Points of Light The Scrim Light The Glamour Light Profile Light The One-Light Portrait

10. Homework Assignments Assignment 1: Variations in Contrast

Assignment 2: The Eyes Have It Assignment 3: Tradition Assignment 4: The Contemporary Assignment 5: Black & White Assignment 6: The One-Light Portrait Assignment 7: The One-Light Still Life Assignment 8: Add Colored Gels

APPENDIX Working with Clients Building a Lifelong Relationship

A Heartfelt Gesture A Thank-You Snapshot Don’t Get Caught Up in the Technical Stuff Show That You Are Invested in Success Make Small Changes, Watch the Details Index

About the Author For more than twenty years, Tony Corbell has educated and inspired photographers throughout the world. His sold-out lectures and workshops have been seen in twenty-four countries and forty-nine U.S. states. His articles on lighting controls and theory have been regularly published in textbooks, magazines, and trade publications. He is also the author of several books. Today, after thirty-five years as a working professional, Tony remains an active member of the photographic community, serving as Lighting Evangelist and continuing to teach and lecture throughout the world. He is also the author of Light and Shadow: Dynamic Lighting Design for Location Portrait Photography (Amherst Media®), the companion volume to this book.

Introduction is a special area where magic can take place—and often does. It is where men, women, Theandstudio children go every day to have their portraits taken. Some want a family portrait, others need a business headshot, and still others are looking to document an anniversary or birthday. In the studio, there are school portraits taken daily, as well as images of brides and grooms—all for the sole purpose of preserving memories. Making people look and feel their best is the primary goal of the studio photographer. Posing is important in achieving this. But the lighting of the portrait subject can either make or break the image —and understanding the numerous controls, tools, and creative possibilities of lighting contributes greatly to the success of any studio photographer’s work. Portrait photographers in big cities and small towns have been actively documenting lives in their communities for more than a hundred years. In a new digital world, with billions of cell phone images being taken annually, there is still something special about the ability of professional studio photography to reveal a deeper essence of someone’s personality—or to tell a story centered around a desired quality, style, or mood. As a young teenager, I vividly recall my mother’s excitement as we all got dressed and prepared for our family portrait sessions. Those portraits, from more than forty years ago, are some of my most prized possessions. I keep them in a labeled box that will be the first thing I grab in the event of a fire, earthquake, or other disaster. I have been teaching about lighting for a while now, and it is my hope that this book will help you with lighting techniques and teach you how to control the outcome from each of your sessions. I want to help you create something truly meaningful. Most importantly, I hope that the lessons and examples in this book will reinforce for you the importance of creating exceptional work when you take on the role and responsibility of producing lasting images and family heirlooms.

1. Equipment for Lighting in the Studio we begin to tackle the topic of studio lighting, we have to start with the single most elementary Asaspect of this kind of work: the equipment. Working in the studio requires very specific tools designed to perform the necessary functions needed in portrait photography. As with anything else, there are choices—choices in quality, features, and brands. Before you begin working in the studio you’ll have to make some decisions about what kind of equipment you will likely use. This may be influenced by your photographic training, your mentors, or perhaps other photographers in your area. At the same time, you must also factor in the type of work you plan to produce, which may have special requirements.

Figure 1-1. Most photographers choose to use strobes in their daily work.

Figure 1-2. Shooting with strobe helps to eliminate any subject movement and keep your images looking sharp.

Studio Strobe Basics Advantages. Most studio portrait photographers choose to use studio strobes ( figure 1-1 ) in their daily work; there are a number of reasons for this. First, working with strobes makes it much easier to freeze your subjects. The near-instantaneous burst of light from a flash helps to eliminate any movement that could make the image appear a bit soft or slightly out of focus ( figure 1-2 ). For example, if you are taking a family portrait and there is a small child in the photo, he might be a little anxious about being in the studio and could be swaying left or right or possibly wiggling a foot as he sits on his parent’s lap. That subtle movement would appear as blurred motion—if you were not using strobe lights. Studio strobes will also allow you to work at a wider variety of apertures for increasing or decreasing the depth of field, depending upon your specific need for the image and subject. Power Output. Most brands of studio strobe lighting are available in different power output

levels, measured in watt/seconds or joules. This refers to the amount of flash output from the unit; a rating of 400–500ws per individual lighting head seems about average for most portrait studio applications. Certainly, lights are available with more or less power, and each unit is adjustable from full power down to ½, ¼, ⅛, and even power. Some photographers who work in smaller, more confined studio spaces can work with less power—say 200ws. Even speedlights work in some studio situations, but there are trade-offs: the maximum output can be less than needed and, without a modeling lamp, it can be harder to focus and to predict the results you will get when using light shaping tools. Price and Value. I have always found that the price you pay for a specific piece of photographic lighting equipment is a good predictor of the value of the equipment. In other words, if you spend a little less you will probably receive fewer features and a bit of a lesser product in terms of durability. If you spend a bit more, you will usually find more features, a more durable light, and a more consistent color temperature. It is all about a fair exchange of value—and only you know what types of features you need, how the equipment might be used (whether daily or weekly), and the travel conditions your work might entail. Also, you are the only one who knows your budget to spend on lighting. If you are working in a small home studio you can spend less than if you need equipment that might be used for heavy travel, large output, and more professional needs.

The price you pay for a specific piece of photographic lighting equipment is a good predictor of the value. The brand that I have had the most consistent and long-term relationship with is Profoto ( figure 1-3 ). They continually create well-made, professional products. While some might consider them a bit expensive, I have always found that they hold up extremely well to the rigors of daily use in professional applications. They are durable, made of the highest quality materials, and employ cutting-edge technology in their electronics. I have also used—and, at different times of my career, been connected to—Bowens (UK) as well as Elinchrom and Broncolor (Switzerland). These are all quality brands with a great series of accessories and long-term respect throughout the world. Also, they each began as a family business.

Figure 1-3. Quality lighting equipment can be a significant investment but it offers great long-term value. Image courtesy of Profoto . A Quick Burst of Light . Most studio strobes are designed to produce a daylight-balanced burst of light at a high-speed flash duration that is hard to beat for general portrait work. The amount of time that it takes the flash to peak at full strength then dip down to dark again is quite fast. This can range from second flash duration all the way up to second. This comes in handy for taking photos of dancers in motion or when you need to freeze the motion of a falling drop of milk for a commercial advertisement image. The Flash Tube . Studio strobes are equipped with two separate lights within each individual lighting fixture or light head. First is the flash tube, which is designed to create the exposure. This is a glass tube filled with xenon gas in a vacuum and includes a small wire filament ( figure 1-4 ). When a sync cord or remote sync completes or closes the circuit, the wire filament receives an electrical charge and the gas is fired. This triggers a quick, controlled mini-combustion. The control of brightness or output is achieved by dialing the power up or down on the flash head, depending upon the type of picture you are taking and at what lens aperture you need to work.

Figure 1-4. Studio strobes contain two light source. The first is the flash tube.

The Modeling Lamp . A second lamp within the lighting fixture is the modeling light ( figure 1-5 ). This is designed simply to aid in focusing and approximating what the image will look like when the actual exposure is made. Modeling lamps can be tungsten, halogen, or quartz bulbs. While modeling lamps are not often bright enough to aid in making the actual exposure, the image cannot be made effectively without one—at least in a darkened studio. Focus is a critically important step in studio portrait work and the modeling lamp makes it possible. In chapter 2 we’ll take a look at lightshaping devices, but for now it’s important to note that what they do with the light and shadow can only be previewed on our subjects thanks to the modeling lamp. I have had students ask what the color balance (or Kelvin temperature) of the modeling lamp is. That really does not come into play unless you are using it as the light source for your actual exposure—or in instances when you’re using a very slow shutter speed that could cause it to affect the exposure. Keep in mind that the exposure settings when shooting with flash are based on the strobe or flash tube, not the modeling light.

Figure 1-5. The second light source in a studio strobe is the modeling lamp.

Power Pack Lights (or Generator Lights) This type of strobe system consists of a power pack (generator) and multiple heads (lamps) that are connected to it via cables. The electronics, capacitors, and controls are all located in the generator ( figures 1-6 and 1-7 ). This means that the heads only need to house the modeling lamp and a flash tube, so they can be quite small and lightweight. (Usually, these heads have an on/off switch for the modeling lamp, but not much else in terms of functionality.) Once the heads are plugged into the power pack, the power is distributed to each light based on power-pack setting that allows for control of the output level and symmetrical vs. asymmetrical output.

Figures 1-6 and 1-7. The power pack contains the electronics, capacitors, and controls for this type

of light. This generator-style strobe is capable of great power output, which makes it a good choice for many photographers. Commercial photographers and many portrait photographers also like that the lightweight heads are easy to position. Another benefit to shooting with this kind of light is that it needs only one A/C power cord to plug into the wall outlet. Each head ( figure 1-8 ) is connected to the power pack, which is then plugged into the wall.

Figure 1-8. The heads are connected to the power pack, which is plugged into the wall. Some of the higher quality power pack lighting equipment is designed to offer the photographer variable color temperature settings. This feature may have been more important in the days of film (especially with transparency/slide film) than it is in today’s world of digital editing capabilities. But it is a feature, nonetheless, that some photographers find useful. Also, some models feature extremely short flash durations designed to freeze moving subjects—even with high-output settings. Again, this can be extremely helpful (and versatile) for advertising work, when photographing pours and splashes, freezing dancers in motion, and in some forensic photography as well.

Monolights (or Self-Contained Lights) Just as the name implies, monolights can stand on their own. They are designed to include all of the electronics and controls within each individual strobe head. This gives the photographer tremendous control over the output of each head since they are not dependent upon the power pack to distribute power. This has made them very popular—and, in fact, the number-one choice in studio lighting for portrait and people photography. However, there is a trade-off for this kind of control: the heads are heavy. These heads have to perform all of the same functions found in the entire power pack lighting system—but in each individual head. Also, each individual head requires its own A/C power cord. This means that if you have four monolights on a photo shoot, there will be four power cords that will each need to plug into wall outlets or power strips. The upside? You gain the precise control, down to stop, on each separate head.

Figures 1-9 and 1-10. In a monolight system, each head has its own electronics, capacitors, and controls.

Figure 1-11. Each monolight has its own controls and power cord, making it easy to position and

control. I have been using monolights exclusively for almost twenty-five years ( figure 1-11 ). For me, they are the most effective means of controlling light quickly and efficiently in the studio and I have learned to work around the heavier weight issue. And having stop control on each individual head on the set means having total control over my picture.

Recycle Time Each time the strobes fire, there is an inherent delay in getting the capacitors built back up to the preset output power level. This delay is called the recycle time and it will vary based on the power level. Obviously, the higher the output, the longer the recycle time will be. In today’s world of higher quality camera sensors and fast ISOs (with little to no degradation of quality), it is entirely possible to set your strobe to a lower output than in the past and increase the ISO setting. This yields two positive results: much faster recycle times and (when using battery powered lighting units) much longer battery life.

Flash Duration Flash duration is the actual amount of time it takes the flash to fire—from the time the flash pops and reaches its maximum output until it goes off. In most cases, in portrait work, this is insignificant. Again, there are times when a very fast flash duration can be quite helpful. For example, it can be very useful when you need to freeze the action of a jumping dancer. In ambient light photography, this is something you would control for by using your camera’s shutter speed. When shooting with flash in the studio, however, the shutter speed cannot exceed the camera’s flash sync speed, which is typically in the to second range. That will not properly freeze a fast moving subject ( figure 1-12 ). In these cases, the flash duration takes over and can help tremendously. Some flash units have flash durations as short as second. If this is something you are in need of or interested in exploring, get online and read all of the lighting manufacturers’ specs on their products. You’ll find many that offer very fast flash durations.

Color Balance in the Studio In digital photography, we are responsible for making sure that the color balance in our work is true and accurate. In most portrait circumstances, our job is to present a “complimentary likeness”—and part of that is great skin tones and true clothing colors. In the previous film generation, our color outcome rested firmly in the hands of the professional color labs that both processed and printed our negatives. But that area of responsibility now rests with us.

We are responsible for making sure that the color balance in our work is true and accurate. Happily, one of the great things about studio strobes is that (for the most part) they all have the same color balance. They have all been manufactured to give a daylight color balance when the flash tube is fired. While some brands might be a little biased towards warmer or cooler tones, they are very close to the same color from brand to brand. Using the small “sun” icon as your camera’s white balance setting will render true color in most cases. One important aspect to color that has to be discussed here, however, is the quality of your lighting equipment. The color output of some brands might drift as the output setting shifts from full power to ½, ¼, or even ⅛ power. The stability, consistency, and accuracy of the color balance can be a major selling feature for products in the more expensive range—and it can also be a determining factor in your choice of lighting equipment.

Figure 1-12. The short duration of flash makes it ideal for working with moving subjects like dancers.

For absolute color fidelity and instances where the garments or props must meet rigid standards of color accuracy, it is common practice for professional photographers to create a custom white balance. This can be accomplished by shooting a color checker chart in the scene. In post-processing, the color can be precisely balanced to match the color picker. That same set of adjustments can then be applied to all of the other images taken with the identical lighting setup. There are many ways to create perfect color. In fact, there are entire books on the topic, so I won’t dig much deeper here. Suffice to say that creating color that simply makes people look like they look is really important and yet not as difficult as you may have been led to believe.

Methods of Firing Studio Strobes In order for your lights to actually flash when you take a picture there has to be communication between the camera and the lights. There are several different methods for generating the electrical charge to close the loop on the circuit and make the flash units fire. Flash-Sync Cords. The sync cord supplied by virtually all lighting manufacturers is the simplest and least expensive way to synchronize the firing of your flash. This cord plugs into the camera on one end and into one of the lighting units (or, in the case of power pack lights, directly into the power pack) at the other end. The financial benefits are terrific, especially if you are first starting out and will just be working a few sessions a year (maybe even out of your home). The one major drawback is that the camera is now physically connected to the lights by a long cord, and this can limit your camera movement. At times, it can also create a bit of a danger—especially if there are small children on your set or in your studio. They can easily trip over the cord in a dark room, hurting themselves and/or damaging your equipment. This is a big issue that has caused trouble for numerous photographers (including myself, early on).

The one major drawback is that the camera is now physically connected to the lights by a long cord . . . Flash-Activated Trigger. Many strobes and flashes have a built-in cell that is used to detect another flash firing and trigger the light. This is terrific if you have a small light on or near the camera that can be fired by the camera and be “seen” by the other lights without adversely affecting the exposure or the integrity of the image you are creating at the time. Radio Remote Trigger. Finally, the most popular among professional photographers is the radio remote trigger. Radio remote controls are highly accurate and, since they operate on radio signals, they can “see” through walls, around corners, and accurately fire with reliability. This allows the photographer to place lights in areas that are more distant than a cord would allow or out of the direct line of sight required when using a flash-activated trigger. There are numerous popular brands such as PocketWizard, RadioPopper, and the newest entry into the arena, Phottix. They each have their own sets of different features, but suffice to say these are

terrific tools that just about all pros use every day in their work. For many years, I used PocketWizard triggers and have many of them on hand, but I recently began using the more dedicated remotes designed to work with my specific brand of lighting ( figure 1-13 ). There are great features offered by staying “within” the brand. I personally like the Profoto AirRemote for all of the remote features as well as accurate TTL control for my Canon cameras.

Figure 1-13. The Profoto Air Remote TTL.

Continuous Light For many years, long before we had electronic studio strobes and portable flash/speedlight units, photographers worked with the light from continuous sources. Window light is obviously a great choice for available or continuous light images, but it can be quite limiting in terms of portability and output.

Figure 1-14. Fluorescent light fixtures for photography have become popular in recent years. However, many photographers working today find there is a distinct advantage to using a continuous light source for some specific needs. This might include photography that needs to provide visual motion (as opposed to freezing it with strobe), to help with subjects who blink (often the case with animals and children, plus many adults), and more. Also, new photographers who don’t want to invest in strobes may find these units offer an affordable entry point into studio lighting. Is there a right choice? Not really. In portrait photography, the issue of strobes vs. continuous light sources is something you’ll hear discussed at all the photo events these days. Some people swear by their continuous lights sources; others will never work without their studio strobes. There is one major advantage to using continuous light. With strobe lighting, the modeling lamp will approximate what you see when the strobes fire and the image is captured. But when using continuous light sources, what you see is exactly what you get; there’s no guesswork and no wondering.

Figure 1-15. LED light panels are a popular choice for today’s studio photographers.

Figure 1-16. Tungsten light is a classic choice for photography and continues to be popular.

When using continuous light sources, what you see is what you get; there’s no guesswork and no wondering. Fluorescent ( figure 1-14 ) and LED ( figure 1-15 ) light sources have really taken off as the most popular continuous light sources in recent years. There are numerous brands, of course, and many different sizes and shapes. They are all really helpful and easy to use. The ease of use is the big benefit, coupled with the small size and light weight. Tungsten lighting ( figure 1-16 ) was used for many years as a choice in continuous lighting— mostly because it is bright, easy to use, and fairly common to find. The color temperature (or Kelvin temperature) is an almost consistent 3200 degrees.

2. Light Shaping Tools in the Studio often project their own personal style into a portrait session. The more successful Photographers ones will also ensure that the images reflect the style and personality of their clients/subjects. I recommend spending quite a bit of time with your client discussing what the portrait should be about, determining what it will be used for, and—more importantly—who they are as individuals. It is only with this in mind that you can effectively begin the task of deciding how you will approach lighting the subject. This discussion should guide how you use the equipment we just discussed in chapter 1 and how you might best create the image that both you and your client want.

Only with this in mind can you effectively begin deciding how you will approach lighting the subject. The Basics Light shaping tools are aptly named as their function is simply to change the size and shape of the light source. This, in turn, changes the light quality (how hard or soft the light is) and can help determine the mood and feel of a portrait. For example, a large light modifier produces soft light and a more gentle feel. A small light produces harder light with sharp shadows that might offer an edgier, more focused style.

You Don’t Need Everything Every lighting product has a right to exist. However, not every photographer needs every tool. For example, a commercial food photographer might need a specific spotlight that would have no real role in the work of a portrait photographer. Likewise, wedding photographers need portable equipment but may not have as much use for a 4×6-foot softbox.

Figure 2-1. Large light shaping tools produce soft lighting and can help establish a gentle mood. Let’s take a look at a number of different lighting tools and identify some of their best attributes.

Standard and Parabolic Reflectors A small reflector head ( figure 2-2 ) is supplied with nearly all lights, regardless of brand. They usually are from 6 to 8 inches in size and are often used as a general tool to light up a large area. However, in a portrait situation they might be a little harsh.

Figure 2-2. Standard reflector. They also create a very broad swath of light when they are not controlled in some way; they tend to light up the floor, walls, background, and even the ceiling. This makes them good for some things (like large areas that need to be lit). A rigid grid ( figure 2-3 ) is often available as an accessory and is helpful for constraining how much spill there is from the light (also known as the area of light coverage). However, the controlled light needed for quality portraits is still not their strength—at least as a main light source.

Figure 2-3. Rigid grid. For some brands of lights, the standard reflector is used for another purpose: to harness the light enough to bounce it into an umbrella. This will eliminate any problems with light spilling outside of the edge of the umbrella. The parabolic reflector ( figure 2-3 ) was used for many years as a traditional portrait lighting tool of choice. The most popular was a 16-inch unit from Photogenic. When placed in the hands of a master, this became a great tool to craft beautiful lighting for faces. It allows nice space for highlights and depth for shadows to help tell the story. The parabolic was so popular that literally everyone in my friend/peer group used this at one time or another on their portrait lighting journey. The idea was to use this great product with a pair of barn doors, which were used to limit where the light could

spill. Basically, you could use the barn doors to “gobo” the light off of the background or create a nice falloff effect in the lower area of the portrait, helping draw the viewer’s attention to the face of your primary subject.

Figure 2-4. Parabolic reflector. Many photographers have a misconception that the “great master” painters/artists they pattern themselves after used large, soft window light all of the time in their work. The fact is, they used more directional, harder-edged light to achieve more of a “sculpted” effect in their work. You can see this in many artists’ paintings from the Italian Renaissance—as well as from the well-respected Dutch painters. The parabolic reflector is a terrific tool to replicate this kind of look.

Umbrellas One of the most misunderstood lighting tools is the umbrella figure 2-5 . I think the reputation they have for not being very important might be because they are generally inexpensive and often come free as part of a lighting set or kit. However, umbrellas serve a few really wonderful purposes that other lighting tools simply can’t. Admittedly, umbrellas are a challenge at times in the studio because they have a tendency to send light everywhere. They are not easy to control if you are working to confine the light to a specific area of your photograph, such as the background. This is especially true if you are in a small studio. If the angle to the camera from an umbrella is too extreme it can also cause lens flare that can be a big problem. The very clever Profoto SpillKill ( figure 2-6 ) is one accessory that can help to eliminate any issues of flare when using their D1 strobe head. Nothing compares to an umbrella for lighting a large group of people or a large area. When shooting studio portraits of a large family, using umbrellas produces an even lighting and exposure

level that simply cannot be accomplished as efficiently with another modifier. There are a lot of location photographers, certainly interior and architectural folks, who cannot work without a few umbrellas in their arsenal of equipment. Recently, I have been working with the entire family of really large umbrellas ( figure 2-7 ) because they offer the great benefit of a large light source but with the added feature of very large areas of coverage—something I cannot get from a large softbox, for example.

Figure 2-5 . Umbrella.

Figure 2-6. Profoto SpillKill.

Figure 2-7. Really large umbrellas are powerful lighting tools. Figures 2-8 through 2-11 are several examples of umbrellas doing what they do best.

Figures 2-8, 2-9, 2-10, and 2-11 . Portraits created in the studio using umbrellas.

Figures 2-12 and 2-13. There are different sizes and shapes of softboxes (above) to suit different portrait lighting styles (left).

Softboxes There aren’t any lighting tools that have become more important to working portrait photographers than the softbox. This versatile and almost standard piece of equipment is ideally suited to work with portrait subjects because a softbox can almost always make a face look great. Softboxes are available in a variety of sizes and shapes for all kinds of different tasks ( figures 2-12 and 2-13 ). The 3×4-foot softbox (often called “medium”) is one of the most widely used for many portraits as it provides light that is both soft and directional, based on its position. There are many successful studios that only use softboxes. They are reliable, easy to control, and consistent—all things that combine to make it a great choice in lighting the portrait. However, while softbox lighting can be quite forgiving, understanding the role of adjusting its distance and angle relative to the subject remains important for producing quality results.

Figures 2-14 and 2-15. Softboxes are extremely versatile light modifiers for studio portraiture.

Figure 2-16. The gentle light from a softbox can make skin look so nice that little or no postproduction is required. When used at a 45 degree angle to the camera, a softbox yields really pretty results on the face. It can be aimed directly at your subject or “feathered” slightly toward the background, which can add a subtle brightness to the background. Or it can be slightly turned away from the background to minimize any light on the background.

Figures 2-17 and 18. A softbox can be masked to function as a strip light. Most of the images used in this section, as examples of portraits that were taken with a softbox, were not retouched to correct any lighting or skin issues. Most were directly out of the camera—just as you see them here. With proper exposure, color balance, and quality lighting control, a large majority of your work can be shown and often delivered to the client with no further postproduction needed, other than a little basic cleanup. Can you even imagine how much time that could save you in a single session—never mind over the course of a year? Standard shapes of rectangular and square softboxes are the most often used in portrait work. There are also strip boxes, which (as you can imagine) are ideal for long, slender accents and for lighting narrow beams of all kinds. Square boxes can also be masked to produce the same effect ( figures 2-17 and 2-18 ). Adding an accessory soft egg-crate grid helps to offer the ultimate control over portrait lighting ( figure 2-19 ).

Figure 2-19. Egg crate on a softbox.

Figures 2-20 and 2-21. Beauty dishes.

Beauty Dishes Of all the different types of light shapers available to photographers, the beauty dish is by far the most unique. What I mean by that is that it is a wonderful light source when used properly. When not used properly? Not so great.

Of all the different types of light shapers available to photographers, the beauty dish is by far the most unique.

The beauty dish ( figures 2-20 and 2-21 ) looks as if it is a large parabolic reflector that has been flattened out to a more shallow depth. Often, these modifiers come equipped with a small reflective cover in the center. This deflector covers the flash tube and bounces the light back into the “bowl” of the dish. This creates a light that is still concentrated but not quite as hard and sharp as a smaller or more direct light source. While the placement of most light shapers in a portrait situation doesn’t have to be extremely precise, the beauty dish is different. It is the only light source that I use by watching the face of my subject very closely while moving the beauty dish up and down and in and out until the exact “mask” of the face seems to almost glow. If you watch the face while you place the beauty dish you will see there is some light position where the face really does seem to come to life and look its very best ( figure 2-22 ). Stick with positions that are approximately 3 to 4 feet from the face. If you place the beauty dish any farther away from the subject, it becomes another just light source.

Figure 2-22. A portrait shot with a beauty dish. However, I must give a brief word of caution here. A beauty dish is designed to make a really great face look even greater. If your subject’s face has wrinkles or imperfections they’d prefer to see minimized, they won’t likely benefit from the beauty dish. I once heard a photography speaker say the

beauty dish is truly great for a beautiful face. I think he was right.

Octabanks/Octaboxes I am now in my thirty-fifth year as a photographer, and I can say without hesitation that this has easily become my favorite light source. I avoided the octabank for almost twenty years before finally deciding that my problem with an octagonal shaped catchlight in the eyes was really not a big deal or detrimental to the image at all. For me, the quality of the light far outweighs anything that could be thought of as a shortcoming. This light source does a great job on the face and, in fact, lighting more than one person and more than just a face. Full-length portraits are beautiful with an octabank, which provides soft yet directional lighting ( figure 2-23 ).

This has easily become my favorite light source. The octabank can be used as a contemporary portrait light for one person and does a beautiful job. But it is also quite a nice light source for four, five, or even six people. Due to the nature of its size, there is an inherent softness as long as it is used close to the subject. As with any source, if you move it back a long distance from the subject, the quality of the highlights and shadows start to diminish.

There is an inherent softness as long as it is used close to the subject.

Figure 2-23. Portrait created with an octabox.

Figure 2-24. Octabox. Octaboxes ( figure 2-24 ) generally come in three sizes, regardless of the brand: small, medium, and large. There is also a very large version of the octabank specific to some brands, such as Elinchrom, Broncolor, and Profoto. These ultra-sized giant light sources are often used in sophisticated fashion shoots and editorial location work. While they are easy to use, they require a lot of ceiling height and a larger studio or shooting area.

Honeycomb Grids and Egg Crate Grids Designed as tools to restrict the spread of light, honeycomb grids are hard, metallic accessories that fit onto the head of smaller reflectors and beauty dishes. They come in different degrees of restriction, rated in degrees; 20, 30, 40, and even 50 degrees of coverage angle are the standard types. These tools are in almost every photographer’s bag of tricks because they are very helpful in maintaining control over the areas that are being illuminated by a light source. A related light modifier accessory is the larger, soft, egg crate grid that is often used with large softboxes for the same purpose as the smaller grids. Typically, these devices attach to the front of a softbox with Velcro fasteners. They are the best tools possible to help channel the light from a large source, giving it direction and controlling it without diminishing its size. These tools are essential for

minimizing light spill onto backgrounds and are chiefly used when lighting with accent lights from behind the subject. Lights in this position are usually aimed forward to light the hair and shoulders, separating the subject from the background. Adding an egg crate grid to these lights helps minimize the risk of lens flare, but it also requires that you use more exact light placement. When placed properly, gridded lights like this can add a great degree of dimension to your portraits.

When placed properly, gridded lights like this can add a great degree of dimension to your portraits. Collapsible Reflectors These widely used reflectors are often sold in a package with white, silver, black, and gold fabric. They also are occasionally sold with a translucent or diffusion material as well. Portability is the name of the game here, as you can easily use these collapsible reflectors on location and they pack down into small bags or cases. Every photographer I know uses these little beauties. They save time, offer subtle or more dramatic change, and can really make a difference in an image. I am one of the few still photographers who utilizes the black fabric reflector a lot in my work ( figure 2-25 ). I tend to feel strongly about what some call “negative fill” (or “subtractive lighting”) which means eliminating light on the shadow side of the subject to offer a more dramatically lit image. The black fabric is also great for minimizing overhead light. The standard white reflector ( figure 2-26 ) is probably the single most used lighting tool in photography of all kinds—from portraits and weddings, to fashion and commercial work, all the way to macro and still life imaging. This is one very useful product and one that most photographers can’t do without.

Figure 2-25. Collapsible reflector used for subtractive lighting.

Figure 2-26. Collapsible reflector used for additive lighting.

When placed properly, gridded lights like this can add a great degree of dimension to your portraits. Its cousin, lined with highly reflective silver, is very similar and is also used for many of the same things as the white reflector. Silver does tend to produce a little more shine on the skin than white fabric, but it is also much easier to redirect or reflect lower light levels. Gold fabric is also very popular and adds a nice bit of warmth—but it comes at the risk of adding a lot of shine. The gold is never flat or dull but always metallic and shiny, just like the silver fabric. Again there are many instances where this can be highly useful if used correctly and at the right time. For example, I love to add a touch of warmth to my subject’s hair when working outdoors. A gold reflector is ideally suited for this and is quite helpful when used to eliminate the cool blue look in an outdoor portrait lit by the open, blue sky. Finally, the translucent or diffused fabric is tremendously helpful for softening any small, bright source like the sun, a small strobe head in the studio, or a speedlight. They usually have a density in the 1- to 1.5-stop range. This is really a helpful product and one that has many different uses.

Ring Flashes As the name implies, a ring flash is a circular flash accessory. The photographer places the camera’s lens through the ring when shooting. The effect is highly contemporary, giving very bright, clear, and circular catchlights in the eyes. Since it is in direct line with the lens, it also eliminates any shadows on the face. This modifier has gained tremendously in popularity over the past ten years or so. When using a ring flash, the portrait subject’s skin takes on an almost luminous look as each pore is filled with light—since there is no defined light direction ( figure 2-27 ). Another very fun result of

the ring flash is that, if you are within a few feet of a background, you will see a small, well-defined shadow outlining the subject. Fashion and glamour photographers often use this light-shaping tool to draw attention to the eyes of the subject.

Fashion photographers often use this light-shaping tool to draw attention to the eyes of the subject.

Figure 2-27. Ring light.

3. Backgrounds and Props in the Studio are so many different choices of styles and techniques portrait photographers can use when There creating portraits in the studio ( figure 3-1 ). Some photographers love to create traditional portraits that reflect the style and grace of artists of the past—artists like the great Dutch painters or the masters of the Italian Renaissance, like Michelangelo, DaVinci, and Raphael. Other photographers prefer styles that are more contemporary to their own time. They tend to look to today’s magazines and movies for inspiration on style, clothing, and lighting. Still others are photographers working in middle America who simply want to capture whatever look is requested by their clients ( figures 3-2 and 3-3 ). While clothing and posing will often help to establish the “look,” it is often the backgrounds and props that represent the primary difference. A dramatic background or a specific prop will do more to help set the tone for the portrait being presented by the photographer than just about any other portrait elements.

There are so many different choices of styles and techniques portrait photographers can use.

Figure 3-1. Any style you can imagine can be created in the studio.

Figures 3-2 and 3-3. For many photographers, the determining factor is the style that their client

desires.

Backgrounds There are many comparisons made between photography and music. Many of my photography friends have music in their personal history and so, for me, it seems natural to think of the background of a portrait like the foundation or score of a piece of music ( figure 3-4 ). The tone is instantly set, even though it may be secondary to the primary focal point. The background should serve to support the subject in your portrait; it should not compete for the viewer’s attention.

Figure 3-4. A painterly background helped set the mood for this graceful dancer.

Figures 3-5, 3-6, and 3-7. Even backgrounds that make a fairly impactful visual statement will fall into a secondary role when all of the other elements of the portrait are well conceived and executed. Relying on a powerful background to “make” your image would be too easy and would, in fact, only serve to take away from the primary objective of the portrait: the person whose image you are creating. Clearly, the background is an element of your portrait that should be discussed with the client. As the photographer, however, you should try to be persuasive about how the portrait look they want can be most effectively designed. Strive to make good choices for the subject and create a truly complimentary likeness.

Lighting the Background When lighting backgrounds, the first and possibly most important thing to keep in mind is the brightness or exposure. If you select a background out of a catalog, it will be presented as it truly appears under normal daylight conditions. However, by adding more or less light to a specific background, based on how you expose for the primary subject, you can entirely change the way the background will record in your image. I have a few backgrounds that I prefer when they are underexposed by 1 or 2 stops; there’s another one that I especially like when overexposed by 2 stops. It does require some experimentation on your part and some practice time to figure out how best to work with your backgrounds. For variety, I will sometimes move a background light very close to the background to create a more focused or spotlight appearance. One great rule of thumb to keep in mind is that the closer the light source to the background, the more rapid the falloff of light will be. I often like to create a gradient splash of light on my backgrounds. This can easily be accomplished by lighting from one side only; adjust the size of source and its distance until the desired look is achieved. You can also

create a couple of bursts of light on a smooth surface. That yields a nice look.

Draping Draping the background fabric can also add an element of depth and help to direct the viewer’s attention. Simply roll up the background on one side next to the background stand and clamp it to the stand. The resulting folds in the fabric can be lit with a small source for harder shadows or a larger source to reveal softer shadows. This is a quick and easy way to add interest.

Figures 3-8 and 3-9. A graduated splash of light can spice up a simple background.

Figure 3-10. Draping the background creates texture and added interest.

Figure 3-11. Backgrounds can be made of muslin, canvas, or other fabrics.

Types of Backgrounds Backgrounds can be made from muslin fabrics, canvas material, or even a blended wrinkle-free fabric. I have several from White House Custom Colour that I use because they always look fresh and crisp without wrinkles. You can paint your own backgrounds, splatter a piece of plywood with wild colors of paint, or use a set of mini-blinds. There are so many opportunities out there! One of my photo buddies likes to follow a painter’s truck until they stop for lunch (or to work) and will offer to buy their old drop cloths used to cover floors and furniture during house painting. This is a great idea, since the colors are fantastic and they can be picked up for very little money ( figure 3-11 ).

The colors are fantastic and they can be picked up for very little money. Several of my favorite backgrounds are 8×10-foot wrinkle-free polyester fabrics from White

House Custom Colour. If the backdrop is suspended on a cross bar then raised to be just off the floor, you can create the look and feel of a living room or bedroom by using a piece of painted trim from the hardware store to create a trim at the bottom of what can look like a wall ( figure 3-12 ). To set this trim in place, I use a couple of clamps and a small L-bracket. Then, I add a small weight of some type to hold the L-bracket in place and keep it from tipping over. One fast and easy solution for the weight is to cover a small bag of rice with gaffer’s tape; the gaffer’s tape makes it look much more professional. A great tip to keep in mind is that this illusion will be even more effective if there is a great looking floor meeting the edge of the trim. The flooring should look like it belongs in the same “room” you are creating.

Figure 3-12. A cleanly hung polyester background was paired with a baseboard to create the look of being in a home, rather than a studio.

Figures 3-13 and 3-14. Positioning a baseboard at the bottom of a backdrop.

Figures 3-15 and 3-16. The A-clamp secures the backdrop, baseboard, and an L-bracket. A weight

on the L-bracket helps keep the baseboard in place.

Figures 3-17 and 3-18. Covering a bag of rice with gaffer’s tape to make a quick weight. Another fun way to create a fast and variable background, based on the subject and their clothing, is with poster boards. I have multiple colored poster boards that can easily be arranged behind my subjects. Bright or subtle colors and geometric shapes can be added—as long as you are careful with your framing or cropping. This is has the added advantage of not requiring too much planning; you can set it up and refine it quite quickly.

Bright or subtle colors and geometric shapes can be added . . . Color gels also add a lot in terms of giving you a variety you might otherwise not have available. Back in chapter 2 , we already saw a photo from one of my favorite recent commercial shoots—with Nicholas, the coolest model of the year. I used Hollywood glamour lighting on the subject, then added green-gelled light to create bold color and interesting shadows on the seamless background. As you can see, this normal warm-tone background was totally transformed when a bright green gel was used ( figures 3-19 and 3-20 ).

Figures 3-19 and 3-20. A golden-brown background was gelled bright green for an eye-popping effect. Figures 3-21 through 3-24 show some different background styles. First, this fun background from White House Custom Colour is made to look like a steel door and bricks ( figure 3-21 ). The next ones ( figures 3-22 through 3-24 ) show some more unusual options from Backgrounds by Maheu.

Figure 3-21. This backdrop from White House Custom Colour presents a realistic-looking steel door and bricks for an “urban grunge” look.

Figures 3-22 and 3-23. These images by Dave Junion for Backgrounds by Maheu show some really interesting background options.

Props Support props and materials have always been used as far back as portraits and portrait art have been recorded. Chairs, tables, the edge of a stairway handrail, window ledges, and more have graced the background and foreground areas in countless works of art. These props are intended to help set the stage for the portrait and support everything it stands for. If you decide to integrate props, ensure that they remain exactly what they should be: support material. Use great care not to “over prop” any portrait, whether traditional or contemporary. Using subtle and well-controlled lighting can help to add interest with props without drawing too much attention. In low key photography (meaning darker tones in the background and subject’s clothing choice), darker more moody props add a tremendous amount of interest. Portrait photographers who enjoy higher key work (white backgrounds and lighter toned clothing) often use white or light-colored props. Again, the props should be selected simply to support the primary subject. They will be best received by the viewer when the attention on them is secondary.

Figure 3-24. This image by Dave Junion for Backgrounds by Maheu shows another interesting background option. Notice, too, the nice use of the chair as a prop to help create this engaging pose. It adds interest without distracting from the subject.

4. Light Control in the Studio been teaching light control workshops for many years and, as such, have been forever linked to Ihave lighting education and light theory. When I am asked why I have chosen to stay focused on light, I respond that lighting education is one of the most overlooked and yet most important aspects of gaining a well-rounded knowledge of photography. There are factors that are present in lighting that can be subtle, artistic nuance—but there are others that are pure science and physics. Personally, I enjoy trying to find ways to master both. There are many who describe the practice of photographic lighting as engaging two sides of the brain: the left side of for analytical thought processes and the right side more for creative thinking. It is a great exercise to try to use both effectively.

Bright or subtle colors and geometric shapes can be added . . . The Theory of Lighting Relativity Dean Collins, one of my greatest friends and mentors, used to teach that almost everything in photography is based on relativity. Everything is relative to the next thing. With this in mind, think about the size of just about any given light source. Its physical size is obviously a fixed value, but its effective size actually varies relative to its distance from the subject. As a light source gets closer to a subject, it becomes larger relative to the subject. This seems pretty simple and makes sense, right? But what is important is how that change in distance affects the way the light looks on the subject. There are three primary changes that occur whenever the relative size of the light changes. For the sake of this discussion, let’s assume we are using a standard medium-size softbox. As you move the softbox closer to the subject ( figures 4-1 through 4-3 ), three things happen:

Figure 4-1. A medium softbox placed far from the ball is small relative to the subject and creates a small, well-defined shadow.

Figure 4-2. The same medium softbox is moved closer. It becomes larger relative to the subject and creates a larger, slightly softer shadow.

Figure 4-3. The same medium softbox is moved even closer. It becomes still larger relative to the subject and creates a big, relatively soft shadow. 1. The edge of the shadow becomes softer 2. The size of the actual highlight increases 3. The brightness of the actual highlight diminishes Here’s the thing to consider with the above three actions. Physics plays such a big role in this area of control that it is fairly easy to understand once you know what is taking place. The good news is that

it does exactly the same thing and reacts the same way each and every time you repeat an action. If there is something you want or need to do for a specific picture, this means it should be fairly easy to figure out what you need to do to achieve that look. You can also start with a specific look and then alter the shadow or the highlight with predictable results. In order to produce depth in your work, remember that both shadows and highlights must be present. In his writings, Leonardo DaVinci expressed that “the artist who avoids the shadows may be said to avoid the glory in art.” So, let’s first take a look at the shadow side of the equation.

It should be fairly easy to figure out what you need to do to achieve that look. The Shadow Edge The only way you can effectively change the sharpness of the edge of a shadow is to change the effective size of the light source—either by selecting a physically larger/smaller source or by adjusting the distance of the light source relative to the subject. The light gets softer as the physical size increases or as the light gets closer to the subject. The shadow gets sharper and more crisplooking when you diminish the physical size of the light source or move it further away from the subject. Think about the shadow from the direct sun on a clear day. Even though the sun in physically very large, its vast distance from a subject here on earth results in shadows that are extremely sharp and almost cutting. However, if a cloud makes its way in front of the sun, the shadow edge becomes instantly softer. The cloud is actually physically smaller than the sun, but it’s also much closer , so its effective size is much larger. Hard, cutting-edge shadows look great with portrait subjects who have really smooth skin (when concealing blemishes or wrinkles is not a concern). Conversely, hard shadows can really make a fabulous look for an elderly person in terms of a character study portrait. Accentuating the skin texture can, in this case, help illustrate the long miles the person has traveled in their life. Understanding how to refine this look by making changes in the distance/size of your light source is a great tool to have at your disposal. Shadows have dictated the subtleties of portrait lighting patterns on the face for many years. Most portrait photographers have been taught the four primary light patterns, which are all directly related to the shadow formed by the subject’s nose on their cheek or lip. In fact, their names are literally descriptions of the shape of that shadow.

Shadows have dictated the subtleties of portrait lighting patterns on the face for many years. In split lighting, the face is literally lit on one side and not on the other. So half of the face is in shadow and the other is lit for a true exposure of the skin tone ( figure 4-4 ).

Figure 4-4. Split lighting.

Figure 4-5. Loop lighting. In loop lighting, the shadow from the nose makes a small loop of shadow from the nose onto the cheek, illustrating good depth ( figure 4-5 ). The Rembrandt lighting pattern (also known as modified loop lighting) occurs when the shadow from the nose in the loop position is moved until it touches the shadow area on the cheek. This creates a small triangle of light on the cheek, surrounded by shadow ( figure 4-6 ). In butterfly lighting (also known as Paramount lighting), the shadow from the nose is directly below the nose and the shadow on the lip has the shape of butterfly wings ( figure 4-7 ). It is helpful to understand each of these four basic light patterns. Just keep in mind that they are based on shadows. When photographing a subject with a darker complexion, the shadows may be less obvious. Instead, you may want to conceptualize your lighting based on the highlights; these tend to be more useful sculpting elements when you are lighting to show the contours of a subject with darker skin tones.

Figure 4-6. Rembrandt lighting.

Figure 4-7. Butterfly lighting.

The Highlight In portrait and commercial photography, the highlight can become an integral part of the image, illustrated as almost a design element. In a portrait, the catchlights in the eyes reflect the highlight created by the light source. As the light source gets larger or closer, the highlight becomes larger. Oddly, as the highlight becomes larger it also becomes less bright at the same rate that the size increased. See if this makes sense. If (without changing the light’s physical size or output setting) you make the highlight it produces four times larger, the brightness of the highlight will also diminish to ¼ the original brightness. This is because the output of the light is the same, but now it is spread over a larger area. This is one of the single, most important lessons I learned about photography. It has made me better and more respected—and it has saved more pictures than I can remember! Try this and you will see how important the role of the relative size of the light is in the look of the highlights. In fact, at the end of this book you will be given a little homework to practice this.

Figures 4-8 and 4-9. On dark and/or shiny subjects, the highlights become an integral part of the image. Imagine you are shooting a portrait and the subject is holding a glass of red wine. Now, the reflective value of the glass adds another element to the portrait and must be controlled ( figures 4-8 and 4-9 ). The size and shape of the softbox will now play a significant role in the lighting on the face but it will be especially obvious in the highlights on the glass. Paying great attention to details like this will improve your photography more than just about anything else you can do (with the exception of improving your client interaction).

This will improve your photography more than just about anything else you can do.

The Relationship Between Light and Shadow The relationship between light and shadow is one of the most personal and subjective controls you have available. The brightness of the highlight side of the face, or the darkness of the shadow side, can be anything you want if it helps to tell the portrait story. There are instances where you will want more or less shadow depending on the client, the clothing, and how the image might be used ( figures 4-10 through 4-14 ). As you can see in these examples, lighting ratios that range from 1:2 (a 1-stop difference between the shadows and highlights) to 1:4 (2-stop difference) or even 1:8 (3-stop difference) are all good choices—but there will usually be one ratio that is just the right one in each portrait session.

Figures 4-10 and 4-11. What is the right balance between the shadows and the highlights? It depends

on the story you are trying to tell in your image.

Figures 4-12, 4-13, and 4-14. What is the right balance between the shadows and the highlights? It depends on the story you are trying to tell in your image. More on these images in chapter 6 . Now, let’s look at two pairs of images, figures 4-15 /4-16 and figures 4-17 /4-18 . In each of these examples, I used a simple white reflector to add a bit of fill light into the shadow side of the face. One thing to be very careful about is the placement of the reflector. Most photographers place the reflector much too far back. To optimize it, move the reflector forward. This will produce a much more flattering look on the face, especially along the bridge of the nose and in the eye on the shadow side of the face.

Figures 4-15/4-16 and 4-17/4-18. In the images on the left, you see the effect of the main light only. To reduce the shadow, I added a simple white reflector. This produced the effects seen on the right.

Figures 4-19 and 4-20. Don’t put the reflector too far back (top). Moving it forward (bottom) will produce a more flattering look.

In Conclusion

As we finish up this chapter please again notice how the size of the light source makes all of the difference in shadow edge, highlights in the eyes and the overall lower contrast look and feel of the image ( figures 4-21 and 4-22 ). Also, keep in mind that the success of an image is often not determined only by the contrast of your light; the direction of light will also play an important role. For example, for figure 4-23 the light was very high and almost behind the subject, aimed forward.

Figures 4-21 and 4-22. A relatively small light source (top) produces a very different look than one that is large relative to the subject (bottom).

Figure 4-23. The direction of the light also plays an important role in the look of an image.

5. Metering and Exposure Controls in the Studio all of my workshops, and in every article or book in which I have been involved, there are three Inprimary areas of discussion that I try to focus on. Those are: 1. Light quality 2. Light quantity 3. Light direction We also have to possess an understanding of light quality as described in chapter 4 in order to excel at our craft. Part of that includes light direction, which we will discuss in detail in a later chapter. For now, however, we need to have a clear and detailed discussion of light quantity and how to make sure that what we capture needs no additional time in post-production in order to repair a incorrect exposure. My personal goal during a shoot is to make my exposures in such a way as to eliminate any need for “global” adjustments in the image editing process. Editing an image to enhance a good image is not only okay but I feel a desired aspect of the work. On the other hand, editing an image to fix an exposure error made at the time of capture is a waste of time and has to be a tiring proposition for any photographer, especially a professional. If you get the most you can out of your knowledge of exposure and metering every time you make an image, you can minimize those efforts. This will serve to give you more time later to spend experimenting on your images.

Editing an image to fix an exposure error made at the time of capture is a waste of time.

Figure 5-1. A good image starts with an accurate exposure that suits your vision and helps tell the story.

Light Meters I believe that light meters, specifically those that will read flash as well as ambient light, are critical to the success of a studio photographer. There are some photographers who feel that meters are no longer necessary with today’s digital cameras. For those people, that is fine. However, I am most interested in getting accurate exposure information from my meter before I make the exposure— without trying to target-correct the exposures after taking the picture. This has some important advantages. First, you are making your client wait while you fool around trying to get the correct exposure by shooting, making an adjustment, shooting, making another adjustment, shooting, and making another adjustment, etc. Second, there is an inherent confidence you will personally gain in your work—and a confidence the client will sense in your abilities—when the session moves along without hesitation because something needs to be adjusted each time you change the position of a light.

All hand-held incident light meters, regardless of brand, have a spherical dome to gather light. The light passes through this in order to register a value of brightness. Basically, you set the ISO you will use in your camera, then set the shutter speed to one that will sync with your particular camera. I always use second in the studio because it is slow enough (on all of my cameras) to sync with the flash, but still fast enough to help minimize any concerns I might have with ambient light.

Editing an image to fix an exposure error made at the time of capture is a waste of time.

Figures 5-2 and 5-3. Handheld light meters by Sekonic offer unique approaches for metering flash or strobe as well as ambient and mixed lighting.

Figure 5-4. I always use the incident meter with the dome or sphere aimed directly toward the primary source of illumination. My light meter of choice is the Sekonic L758DR. It takes extremely accurate light readings with ambient light and flash in the incident mode and also takes 1-degree reflective spot readings with ambient and flash. It is the single most complete meter I know, and one that is consistently accurate and true in its readings. I know that a lot of photographers choose not to use light meters at all. Certainly, in photojournalism work or any work that is fast-moving you really do not have time to measure the light for each frame you take. But when you are in a controlled situation such as the studio, in an executive’s office, or shooting something like a room interior, you do have that luxury. Take the time to measure the light and you will save yourself many hours in postproduction. I’ve always found the best exposures when using flash in the studio are when I point the dome of the meter (sphere) directly at the main or key light and do exactly what is says. My meter is properly calibrated and I have tested my camera, my lights, the histogram in my camera and in Lightroom, and it is all accurate and true. The target histogram yields a small gap on the right side of the histogram window which represents the highlight side, and a small gap on the left, representing the shadow side. The gaps on each side assure me of a full tonal-range image with detail throughout.

Figures 5-4 and 5-6. The histogram has small gaps at either end, indicating I’ve captured a full range of tones. Aiming the dome of the meter at the primary light source assures me that one thing is certain. My exposure will be based on the amount of light that falls on the subject. This is precisely the definition of an incident meter—and knowing this reading is all I need it to provide. There are other photographers who prefer to aim the dome of the meter directly at the camera; this will also work fine if the main light on your subject is less than 45 degrees from the camera. If your light is more than 45 degrees off-axis, it will not hit the whole dome if you aim the meter at the camera. That will lead to an overexposure. Turning the dome and aiming it at the main light will result in the most accurate and consistent exposures. Once you have accurately dialed in your camera and metering system and everything is exposure managed, you can’t miss. In fact, I’d be willing to state that if you do what your meter tells you to do you won’t miss an exposure again. You just have to pay attention.

Figures 5-7 and 5-8. The histogram has small gaps at either end, indicating I’ve captured a full range of tones.

Shutter Speed To further clarify the process of exposing in the studio, there is keep one important piece of information in mind. The shutter speed with which you work in the studio has no real bearing on the strobe exposure. The proper/correct exposure, as given to you by taking the flash meter readings, is based almost entirely on the aperture—unless there is a high level of ambient light. In that case, the shutter speed could be bumped up higher to minimize any influence (do not, however, exceed your camera’s maximum flash sync speed). For the bulk of your studio work, shutter speed is not a factor; only the ISO and aperture need to be adjusted.

6. Creating Traditional Portraits in the Studio back at the great old master portraits, there is quite a distinct flavor and an almost regal Iffeelyouinlook their styling. While contemporary portrait photography sells well all over the world, there is still something about the traditional portrait ( figures 6-1 through 6-5 ). It is usually posed brilliantly, lit perfectly, and propped just right. Clothing selection is greatly important in order to produce a likeness that will direct the viewer’s attention to the face while, at the same time, be wholly in keeping with the mood. Likewise, the background helps set the stage for an image that will have “staying power.” It is generally harmonious with the theme of the clothing or feel/mood of the session. Like the clothing, it is selected as a way to support the portrait without overpowering it ( figure 6-6 ). Usually, a darker, more low-key approach is used in traditional portrait photography—but this in no way should be thought of as a rule. There are those who are drawn to lighter tones, as I am from time to time. The client gets to choose what they like and our job as professional photographers is to give them what they want.

Figures 6-1 and 6-2. Traditional portraits have a refined, almost regal look.

Figures 6-3, 6-4, and 6-5. Traditional portraits focus your attention on the subject’s face.

Figure 6-6. Harmony between the clothing and background help keep the emphasis on the subject. One thing that most traditional portraits have in common is that the arrangement of tones and colors immediately directs your eye to the subject’s face ( figure 6-7 ). Our gaze is drawn to the brightest area in an overall darker image or to the darkest area in an overall light image. One of my mentors taught that it was a good idea to squint your eyes until almost closed and look at your print. This helps you check just the tones, without considering other detail. Does your attention go to the thing you want to emphasize or is it distracted by something—say, the white collar on the subject’s

shirt? Managing all these elements (including the clothing selection, in consultation with the client) it is especially important for a traditional portrait.

Posing the Traditional Portrait Traditional portraits are meticulously crafted ( figure 6-8 ) with careful attention paid to refining the hand, body, and head positions, getting just the right facial expression, and choosing the right subject placement in the frame. The biggest area where I feel many of today’s photographers could improve is in posing. Paying attention to posing detail is one of the things that separates the accomplished professionals from the newer folks in the field.

Figure 6-7. Our eyes instantly seek contrast in the frame. Here, the subject’s face is the only light area in an otherwise relatively dark frame—so it’s the first thing we see.

Figure 6-8. Graceful hand posing and a nice expression make this portrait a winner. There are so many inspiring photographers teaching workshops and the opportunities to learn are literally in every city and town in the country coupled with hundreds of thousands of on-line learning opportunities. However, solid fundamental posing is an area without a lot of how-to information. Fortunately, more than thirty books to instruct on posing are available in the “posing” search area at www.amherstmedia.com . Many of the top portrait folks in the country are authors under this publisher and they have done a masterful job of covering all genres in portrait photography in terms of posing. Specifically, Michelle Perkins has a series of books called 500 Poses; check out the specific titles for areas of work you are interested in and you’ll find a lot of posing help. It can really improve your portrait photography. And don’t forget that primary or even secondary props can help inspire a good pose and help to tell a story about the subject ( figure 6-10 ). Arthur Rainville, a good friend and Master Photographer, once said, “A photograph is of someone but a portrait is about someone.” The portrait, and particularly the traditional portrait, can best be used to illustrate who someone is. These images often become family heirlooms. Many people list their photographs among the things they would first try to save in the event of a fire. They are the most treasured things most of us have in our homes. Their importance cannot be overstated.

Figure 6-9. Refined posing is one of the things that sets seasoned pros apart from newer photographers.

Figure 6-10. Adding a prop like a violin can also suggest natural poses.

Figure 6-11. Portrait with a 2:1 ratio.

Figure 6-12. Portrait with a 4:1 ratio.

Figure 6-13. Portrait with an 8:1 ratio.

Lighting the Traditional Portrait In terms of lighting, most traditional portraiture is centered around the use of directional light in order to produce depth, shape, and form. Traditional portrait artists tend to work with Rembrandt or loop lighting patterns, as seen in the work of the great painters. Often, this directional light is misunderstood. If the contrast from highlight to shadow is strong, it can make for a dramatic result. However, sometimes the more gentle look of a lower contrast setup (without creating an image that is flat or lacking depth) is needed to tell the right story. The key is to have just the right amount of highlight and shadow based on the subject, the setting, and the desired effect. Let’s take a look at a series of ratios and put a number on these variations of contrast to best determine the feel or “look” we most like for portraits: The first example ( figure 6-11 ) reveals a ratio that is 2:1; the highlight is twice as bright as the shadow (a 1-stop difference between the two sides of the face). The second example ( figure 6-12 ) shows s a 4:1 ratio, meaning the highlight is four times brighter. There is a 2-stop difference between the two sides of the face. The third example ( figure 6-13 ) has an 8:1, which means the highlight is eight times brighter than the shadow. There is a difference of 3 stops between the two sides of the face. If these numbers don’t make a lot of sense to you it might be helpful to remember that everything in photography progresses exponentially, meaning that each value is doubled (i.e ., 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32), as opposed to arithmetically adding one to each previous number (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, etc.). The falloff or building up of light can be measured on a logarithmic curve. The Inverse Square Law describes how light falls off in inverse proportion to the square of the distance. For example, if I move a light from a position 5 feet from the subject to a position 10 feet from the subject, I am doubling the distance. However, the amount of light on the subject would be reduced to 1/4 of its previous intensity. Likewise, look back at my descriptions of light ratios at the start of this section and remember that each +1-stop difference in the light actually means that it has been doubled (likewise, each –1-stop change would mean it had been halved). In the portrait with a 2:1 ratio, the light on the highlight side is twice as bright as the light on the shadow side; it is doubled once (1 to 2), so there is a 1-stop difference. In the 4:1 portrait, the light has been doubled twice (1 to 2; 2 to 4), so there is a 2-stop

difference. In the 8:1 portrait, the light has been doubled three times (1 to 2; 2 to 4; 4 to 8), so there is a 3-stop difference. The same math applies when using a filter for your camera lens; a filter factor of eight means there is a 3-stop reduction in the amount of light entering the lens. Traditional portrait photographers tend to work at light ratios between 3:1 and 4:1 in order to help produce directional lighting yet maintain full detail in the highlights and shadows. As illustrated in the 8:1 example ( figure 6-13 ), shadows will tend to block up at a 3-stop difference. While this is not always a bad thing, it is something to keep in mind.

Traditional portrait photographers tend to work at light ratios between 3:1 and 4:1. Depth in the Traditional Portrait Creating dimension and depth in a portrait can be as simple as creating and controlling the lighting direction ( figure 6-14 ). Directional light will also enhance the appearance of texture as the light skims across skin, fabrics, and other textured surfaces. This means you have to pay attention to any scars, acne, or wrinkles that your subject would prefer not to have emphasized in their portrait. With lighter complexions, wrinkles will appear as shadows; on darker skin tones, they can appear as highlights. Either way, you can control how these small shadows or highlights appear by using your understanding of the relative size of light source (as we discussed in chapter 4 ), as well as through the light direction and ratio control. With well-planned lighting, you can soften or almost erase these problematic textures, saving you lots of time in postproduction.

Figure 6-14. In old-style Hollywood glamour looks, the shadow is as important as the main highlight —and perhaps even more important!

Figure 6-15. Dimension comes from a mix of shadow, highlight, and true tonality areas.

Figure 6-16. Creating dimension is impossible without shadows. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the great photographer Dean Collins taught the importance of understanding three-dimensional contrast. As Collins taught, the form and texture of a subject are revealed by three elements (the highlights, the shadows, and the true tonality of the subject) and the transitions between these zones. The better you understand these controls, the more quickly your work will progress. The true tonality of your subject is its realistic color and lightness/darkness as perceived by our eyes. Once you accurately determine that exposure level, the highlights (areas lighter than the true tonality) and shadows (areas darker than the true tonality) help to reveal the textures and actual shape of the subject. They also help to convey drama, personality, and mood. A highlight, specifically a specular highlight, is essentially a mirrored image of the light source that created it. If you light a shiny, highly reflective object you will see a reflection of the light source, the device creating the highlight (refer back to chapter 4 for more on this). When photographing people, this specular can usually be seen clearly in the eyes of the subject and is commonly known as the catchlight. The catchlight will always tell you how a subject was lit—the position, size, and shape of the light are perfectly reflected. Highlights from the light source can also be seen as subtle reflections on the tip of the nose, the cheekbones, forehead, and on the brighter side of the face.

Figure 6-17. The true tonality (also known as the diffused highlight), the specular highlight, and the edge of the shadows, where the highlight transfers into shadow. This transfer edge can be soft or hard.

Enhancing the Depth with Accent Lights Once the lighting is properly adjusted for the face, creating depth and dimension based on the highlight and shadow, I like to add one or more accent or “kicker” lights. These lights come from behind the subject (on one or both sides) and are directed toward the subject to add highlights on their hair, shoulders, arms, waist, or legs. These lights also help to separate the subject from the background. This subtle gesture is another example of a small act that can pay big dividends in terms of the image quality; it can help set you apart from the rest of the pack ( figure 6-18 ).

This subtle gesture is another example of a small act that can pay big dividends . . . The exposure of any accent lighting is critical. It can easily be overdone and made too bright. Don Blair, one of my great friends, used to describe his accent light as a “garlic light.” He said when garlic is just right, it adds so much taste to food; if it overdone, no one enjoys it. Accent lighting can be the same way. We have discussed metering and exposure in chapter 5 , but let’s talk specifically about how to place the brightness of the accent. First, set your exposure as previously discussed by aiming the sphere of the light meter at your main light. Then, position the accent light where you want it to appear. From the back of the subject, aim the meter directly at the light source. You want it to read at least 1 to 2 stops below whatever the

reading is for the main light in order to have detail ( figure 6-19 ). As the angle of the light coming forward, toward the subject, it will be too bright if you set it equal in output to the main light—and you will see that your histogram information is pushed against the right edge, indicating loss of highlight detail.

Figure 6-18. Accent lights added shine on her hair and enhanced the sense of depth in this image.

Figure 6-19. Set the kicker 1 to 2 stops below the main light level to add accents while retaining highlight detail. I do want to add that there are no rules, but I consider this a good place to start for traditional portraits. More contemporary photographers sometimes like their highlights from the accent lighting to be very bright and will often go 1 stop above whatever the main light reads on the subject. Some say a bright accent edge light can make it easier to make a subject selection in Photoshop when you want to swap in a different background. I will agree—there are times when this does come in handy. It’s all a matter of personal taste.

7. Creating Contemporary Portraits in the Studio photographers love contemporary people photography for its excitement, creativity, energy, M any color, drama, and more. There are classes at most schools and universities about contemporary portrait photography and there are many, many talented photographers working today who exemplify this type of work. Portrait clients often want this kind of look because it is what they see in magazines, on television, or in the movies. Young portrait photographers especially are connecting with their own age groups and bringing them exactly the portrait styles they are requesting.

Portrait clients often want this kind of look because it is what they see in magazines . . . As with all other kinds of photography, there are opinions about what is or is not contemporary. Everyone has the right to their own opinions of what looks good to them and what they like or dislike. The great news is that everyone is correct. Photography is subjective; people like what they like. This can be based on personal experience, a specific style you favor aesthetically, or a particular lighting tool you like to work with.

Lifestyle Images Lifestyle images, usually light and airy with big smiles, are often part of this type of portraiture, especially when working on location. In the studio, we can create the same flavors but kick it up a notch by taking our lead from advertising, commercial, and fashion photography. This gives us much more to capture than just high energy on white backgrounds!

Figure 7-1. Contemporary portraits often have more even lighting on the background than traditional ones.

Background Selection If backgrounds play an important role in traditional portrait photography it is doubly important in photography with a more contemporary look. Colors, patterns, light/dark tones, fabric textures and drapes—each element can add emphasis for a more contemporary look. In this kind of work, the background is typically given rather flat lighting ( figure 7-1 ). To do this, put a 6- or 8-inch reflector on a strobe head and position it on a small stand directly behind the subject. If you keep it a distance of 6 to 8 feet from the background, you can usually get even light. Moving it closer will create a light area with darker corners and give you a bit of a vignette effect. A gradient can also be a nice touch and is accomplished by lighting the background from one side. I started using a large softbox for this a few years ago and really liked the results. One word of warning though: seamless background paper has a bit of a texture. You will never see these with little peaks and valleys when the paper is flat lit or viewed straight on—especially when you first roll it

out. But when you send light skimming across the surface at a sharp angle, you will immediately see the texture pop out as highlights and shadows. Larger lights will minimize the imperfections and smaller lights will maximize these peaks and valleys, making them more pronounced. The effect you choose is up to you.

Figures 7-2 and 7-3. Gradient backgrounds are simple to light and create another contemporary look.

Figures 7-4 and 7-5. The “double burst” background lighting effect. Another interesting background look to try is the “double burst” effect ( figures 7-4 and 7-5 ). I stumbled onto this and really like the effect for some images. For the effect to work, there cannot be any light hitting the background from your main or fill lights. The light from the twin background lights in different positions is most effective when they are the only significant light striking the background.

Lighting the Contemporary Portrait While flat or even lighting can be desirable on backgrounds, this should not be confused for a need for overall flat lighting in contemporary portraits—especially when it comes to lighting the subject. There is much to talk about here and so many different ideas, options, and techniques ( figures 7-6 , 7-7 , and 7-8 ). Lighting for this particular style of work can be as tricky or as simple as you like. I know a lot of

people who make a decent living working with their lights in almost in the same position—day in and day out. Are they wrong to do this? Not at all. Whatever works for them is great with me. As long as it really does work and they are happy with the results.

The Main Light A lot of photographers use octaboxes for their primary light source these days; they are a good lighting choice for one, two, or more people. I always like the look octaboxes produce, especially when used close to the subject. But in this area of work, smaller, harder shadows can also be a good thing. I encourage you to back up the light and watch the shadow edges get sharper as the light becomes smaller relative to the subject. This very user-friendly light can also help to light the background if placed correctly and angled a little.

In this area of work, smaller, harder shadows can also be a good thing.

Figures 7-6, 7-7, and 7-8. What makes a portrait “contemporary” is a matter of opinion—but the only two opinions that really matter are the client’s and your own.

Figures 7-9 and 7-10. A beauty dish is a great choice for contemporary portraits of subjects with smooth skin. Depending on the desired effect, a beauty dish can be another good choice—but only if your subject has fairly smooth skin and the light is within 3 to 4 feet ( figures 7-9 and 7-10 ). A traditional softbox will always be a good choice. I often use a 3×4-foot softbox for all-around portrait work. They are not too expensive and can be useful with small product work, as well. Also, since I have two softboxes in this size, I sometimes position them side-by-side to make a sort of customized 4×6-foot softbox.

Fill Light Low contrast light on the face tends to be the norm with this kind of work. These lower ratios can be produced by placing a fill light at the camera position or on-axis with the subject’s nose. This produces an overall level of brightness—a foundation of light. Then, you can sculpt the face and create more dimension by adding the key light, set 1 stop higher than the fill light. The fill light can be as large as you want, but don’t make it too small or you might find an objection to the small, bright highlights it will sometimes produce. These highlights can be seen on the tip of the nose, between the eyes, on the center of the chin, and (in some cases) on both cheeks. Subjects with dark complexions are more susceptible to these negative impacts of smaller highlights.

Additional Depth As we discussed earlier, accent lighting can enhance the depth and boost the perceived quality of an image. Certainly, it offers a more contemporary look if the accent is clean and bright—and perhaps not as subtle as in traditional portraiture ( figure 7-11 ). I am seeing a lot of contemporary sports portraits these days that have really great highlights around the edges of the hair, cheeks, shoulders, and arms. As in traditional portraiture, getting just the right exposure or brightness is the key.

Hair Light A hair light is a kind of accent light that can add a really nice touch. In fact, until just a few years ago you never saw a portrait without a hair light. As long as there is decent separation from the background, I feel that the hair light has done its job. One challenge with setting the hair light is that most people have low ceilings—or at least ceilings that don’t allow them to put a large softbox over the subject’s head very easily. As a result, many photographers resort to using smaller lights. However, there is an inherent problem when you decrease the size of any light, especially when the light is coming from slightly behind the subject. It will tend to get very bright and actually lose detail, creating a “clipped” highlight in your histogram. If you have the space, a small or medium softbox works very well for a hair light in most situations and it does not really matter if the hair color is blonde, brunette, or black. Just remember that the darker the hair the more prominent the highlights and the lighter the hair, the more prominent the shadows. We live in a world of contrast in every photograph we take. And what some photographers have not yet figured out is that we control how much or little contrast we add to our work. A few years ago I stumbled upon another workable solution for the problem of low ceiling height. I placed a 4×8-foot sheet of white foam core on the ceiling and aimed a smaller light source up at the foam core from behind the subject (between them and the background), creating a larger bounced light. It worked really well. As you position the light higher and lower and light more or less of the foam core you will also change the effective size, making it sharper or softer. This technique is something I use with reflectors, too. Often I will add a light to the side of a set in order to brighten a white wall or a large white foam core used in the background. Again, moving the light closer to or further from the bounce surface will change the effective size, thus changing the look of the lighting.

Figure 7-11. Accent lighting from camera left added nice separation on her arm and picked up the texture of her hair.

8. One Light, Two Lights, Red Lights, Blue Lights The One-Light Portrait Whether taken on by necessity (you only have one light) or by choice, one-light portraiture can be some of the most beautiful work you will ever produce. The simplicity of spending quality time with your subject, capturing the perfect expression in an almost quiet manner, will always find a way to speak to those who view the portrait. A well-placed medium or large softbox will often be the best choice in one-light work.

One-light portraiture can be some of the most beautiful work you will ever produce.

Figures 8-1 and 8-2. Examples of one-light portraits.

Figures 8-3, 8-4, 8-5, and 8-6. Examples of one-light portraits. If you want to try something different or maybe more dramatic, classic Hollywood lighting can be accomplished with a smaller light source with a grid spot on the face. The hard-edged shadows from the eyelashes will really draw the viewer in and the spotlight effect can be stunning.

Classic Hollywood lighting can be accomplished with a smaller light source with a grid spot on the face. I was always a big fan of master photographer Irving Penn. He was a terrific fine-art photographer but he is probably most remembered for his fashion work in the 1960s and his product photography for Clinique cosmetics. As illustrated in his beautiful book Passage (Alfred A. Knopf, 1991), Penn also did some truly beautiful portrait work with only one light. Often posing a subject in a corner, he would create beautiful images that were simply about the people and the expression. He did not allow complex lighting to get in the way of telling the story. Contemporary photographers like Chicago’s own Marc Hauser like this trick, too. If you want to

try it, a “fake” corner is easy to achieve by painting and texturing two sheets of foam core then taping them together on one side, creating a hinge. Place the subject inside the V-shaped unit and start to experiment with light placement and poses. You can also create one-light portraits against a flat background. By varying the distance from the subject to the background, you can control how much (or how little) of the main light’s output spills past them onto the background. The brightness, or “key,” of the background will also help to determine its brightness, of course. You can also “feather” the light slightly to one side in order to either lighten the background (by turning the light toward it) or darken it (by turning the light away).

Adding a Scrim It can be quite useful to add a scrim or diffuser panel to your one-light setup. I can place a light behind a scrim and allow most of the light to go through the diffused fabric. But I can also swivel the strobe head slightly toward the background to control the brightness of the background based on how much or little light I send past the edge of the diffuser. Effectively, I am letting soft light come through the diffuser onto the subject sending direct, less diffused light onto the background.

It can be quite useful to add a scrim or diffuser panel to your one-light setup. This opens up some opportunities because it makes one light function basically like two different sources. For example, you could allow undiffused light to go past the top of the scrim, then use a reflector to re-direct this light back down onto the hair, shoulders, or the edge of the face. This basically makes the main light do double-duty as an accent light. It’s a clever trick—and one that can actually be quite useful at times.

Figures 8-7 and 8-8. Examples of two-light portraiture with umbrellas.

The Two-Light Portrait Adding a second light to your setup increases your options dramatically ( figures 8-7 and 8-9 ). Virtually every lighting company I know offers a two-head lighting kit in their product offerings. Most kits come with free umbrellas, either silver or white. Instead of thinking these must not be very useful because they were free, let’s find things they are designed to do well. Silver and white reflective umbrellas have proven to be very similar in my testing, with the silver being slightly more specular and about ½ stop brighter in terms of exposure. As we’ve already discussed, specular highlights are mirrored images of the light source. In most portrait photography, the only true specular highlights are in the eyes (the catchlights). This means we can get away with using just about any size or shape of light source. However, you would have a very difficult time getting away with using umbrellas if your subject happened to be holding a glass of red wine. The highlight would be a huge, distracting reflection on that dark, shiny surface.

Figure 8-9. Portrait with two umbrellas. Umbrellas are the right choice for a lot of work that other sources cannot do very well. For example, umbrellas are perfect for large groups, because the spread light over a large area. They are not very good if you’re trying to control the light in a small studio; they just spread too much light.

Umbrellas are the right choice for a lot of work that other sources cannot do very well. For the main light in portrait photography, an umbrella will work fairly well ( figure 8-9 ). Remember: the closer you place it to your subject, the softer it will be. Of course, some people worry that it will “blow out” the subject—but we are talking about light quality here. Metering the light quantity will prevent exposure problems. Placing the second umbrella slightly behind the subject and aimed forward as an accent light is one way to add depth. The side of the subject where you choose to place it will make a big difference. If you put the second light on the same side of the subject as the main light, they will

almost take on the appearance of a single light source, especially if the highlights overlap. If you place the second on the opposite side of the main light and slightly behind the subject it will be seen very clearly as a secondary source on the shadow side.

The side of the subject where you choose to place it will make a big difference. Working with two lights can also be interesting if you have two softboxes that you can place side by side ( figure 8-10 ). I call it creating a “wall of light.” One of the great music and record producers of the 1960s created what was known as the “wall of sound,” and in many ways it changed the way in which music was recorded. For me, light is the same type of thing; we can create a beautiful, large and soft light quality that is still directional. You have the option of keeping the output brightness of these two lights perfectly even, or you can vary them slightly. If one is less bright, it will function as more of a fill light ( figure 8-11 ). Either way, it makes a beautiful source and is quite easy to do. As my mentor once told me, “It not always the tools that matter, but the knowledge and use of the tools that matter.”

Figure 8-10. A “wall of light” portrait.

Figure 8-11. Portrait with two softboxes.

I have recently been using twin umbrellas behind my portrait subjects. I also stumbled upon another new technique (well, new to me, at least!) when working with a model this year. I have recently been using twin umbrellas behind my portrait subjects, halfway between my subject and the background ( figure 8-12 ). When the two umbrellas are placed on opposite sides of the set, I can literally aim them directly at each other. They will both light half of the background (essentially lighting the entire background) and they give great highlights on the subject’s hair, arms, and shoulders. It has proven to be a very helpful discovery and one that I often use with a third light on the subject’s face. Typically, I will adjust the power output of the umbrellas so that it is slightly less than the main light on the subject. This is also a great way in which to light a white seamless roll of paper as the lighting basically becomes non-directional and even.

They give great highlights on the subject’s hair, arms, and shoulders.

Figure 8-12. Portrait with two umbrellas.

Figures 8-13, 8-14, and 8-15. Portraits with colored gels.

The Control of Color Gels Photographers and cinematographers have used color theatrical gels for many years ( figures 8-13 through 8-15 ). They are made by many different companies, such as Lee Filters and Roscoe, and can offer both creative solutions and color correction options. You can also use gels to direct attention to a subject or to divert the viewer’s attention away from a subject. Some are made with a thicker base density and offer heat resistance for working with “hot” lights; others are thin and ideal for using with strobes.

You can also use gels to direct attention to a subject . . . An almost universal issue occurs when trying to re-create the true color of a gel. Often, the color looks darker or brighter and there is a pastel or low contrast look. Let me start by saying that this problem is not caused by too little light going through the gel; rather, there is just too much light hitting the background from other sources. No matter what kind of background you are using, paper or fabric, if you can make the surface appear as black before you turn on the background light with the gel, you will easily be able to control the resulting color. With the background light turned off (and the main and all of the other lights turned on), I make sure there are 3 stops less light on the background than the main light on the subject; then, the background will appear as black. Once the background is black, you can then turn on the background light(s) with the gel and add the color. You will see nothing but pure, rich, true color ( figures 8-16 through 8-18 ). If the aperture setting from the

main light on your subject (with an incident flash meter reading) is the same as you get on the background (with a reflective flash meter reading with the gel in place), then the color on the background will exactly match the original color of the gel. Remember that the background tonality can vary from white to gray or even black; using a reflective reading compensates for this and gives you predictable results regardless of the surface color. With my first shot I can always perfectly match the color of the gel.

I make sure there are 3 stops less light on the background than the main light on the subject . . .

Figures 8-16, 8-17, and 8-18. Start with the background underexposed by 3 stops, then add the gelled background light for bold, accurate color. If you are in a small or bright studio, it will be harder to bring the background to black before adding the color. You can try switching to a darker background, moving the main light and the subject further from the background, using a egg crate grid on the main light, and even angling it to one side

away from the background to prevent it from hitting the background surface.

Figures 8-19 and 8-20. Examples of portraits with colored gels. Back in the eighties, Dean Collins taught a technique he called “Chromazones.” This involved making a “swatch book” of gel colors, like the paint color swatches at the hardware store. You tested the gelled background results and got the exact color, then made it brighter or darker until you could create a book of colors from which client could select. This is a great tool when used properly.

9. Practical Examples In this chapter, I have included a number of diagrams and the resulting image in order to illustrate a few new and unique ways of using lighting. I find that those who are new to photography (or not currently working with studio lighting) can often benefit from seeing the graphic and the resulting image together.

The Traditional Two Light

Tony’s Twins

Big Wall of Light

Three Points of Light

The Scrim Light

The Glamour Light

Profile Light

The One-Light Portrait

10. Homework Assignments Assignment 1: Variations in Contrast Assignment Goal: Learn to adjust shadow density with the aid of a properly placed reflector (white or silver) to result in a variety of looks or moods. Assignment Details: Create a series of three pictures that are identical in their lighting and posing— with one exception. Without changing the exposure settings, adjust the amount of shadow on the side of the subject’s face opposite the main light by moving a reflector close to the face, then a little further away, then a little further away again.

Assignment 2: The Eyes Have It Assignment Goal: Create three different portraits that showcase the eyes of your subject/model. Assignment Details: Using the techniques you learned in earlier chapters, utilize a variety of light shaping tools, light directions, and light qualities to create a series of images designed specifically to produce unique or interesting catchlights in your subject’s eyes—catchlights that draw the viewer in. This might include small, bright sources for intense catchlights; large, soft sources for larger, more subdued catchlights; a silver reflector for highlights in the bottom parts of the eyes, etc. Be creative and think in terms of reflective eyes. Anything you place in front of the subject will indeed be reflected in the eyes so be creative and test, test, test something new. (How about including a small silhouette of yourself in front of a very large light source?)

Assignment 3: Tradition Assignment Goal: Create two formal portraits suitable for framing and hanging in the finest of homes. These should tell a story about your subject. Assignment Details: Work to produce two images (one full-length and one three-quarter-length) that harken back to the work of the great portrait artists of the past. To inspire your lighting, posing, and overall style, you can use painters from the Italian Renaissance period, the Dutch Masters, or even the more current photographers working in a traditional manner (William Branson III, Greg Daniel, or Tim Kelly, to name a few). Rather than something trendy, make these images worthy of being passed down through generations.

Assignment 4: The Contemporary Assignment Goal: Create two images of the same subject dressed in clothing and accessories that reflect the current styles. Assignment Details: From the background, to the lighting, to the posing, create a couple of different images that would be appropriate to use in an advertisement for either the clothing or the accessories (hat, purse, shoes, etc.). When planning for this series, make sure to choose a subject that fits your “assignment” in terms of his/her looks, hair style, personality, mood, etc.

Assignment 5: Black & White Assignment Goal: Create an image of your subject dressed all in white on a white background. Then, edit the shot to make it black & white. Assignment Details: This assignment is designed to help you understand that, with lighting, you can control tonal contrast in an image where there is no color contrast. Working on a white background with white clothing and in black & white is a great exercise in overall control and lighting management.

Assignment 6: The One-Light Portrait Assignment Goal: Create two portraits using only one light. Assignment Details: Work to produce two images designed to illustrate your command of both lighting quality and your communication with the client. Use eye contact, facial angles, and overall mood to enhance the feel and result of the images. Give yourself plenty of time on this one and don’t think that one light is fast and easy to use. A successful one-light portrait requires finesse and proper light placement. Consider the one-light portraits of photographers Mark Seliger, Irving Penn, and Marc Hauser.

Assignment 7: The One-Light Still Life Assignment Goal: Create one image designed to explore the simplicity of fine art or commercial table-top photography. Assignment Details: Working with one light overhead and slightly behind your subject, explore approaches to controlling the highlights and shadows using the single source and also by introducing a reflector at the front of the set.

Explore approaches to controlling the highlights and shadows using the single source . . . Assignment 8: Add Colored Gels Assignment Goal: Create two images featuring the use of color gels on the accent light(s) or background light(s). Assignment Details: Work to understand the relationship between the gelled lights and the nongelled lighting. The incident and reflective meters each play a significant role in achieving success with this type of image.

APPENDIX

Working with Clients

you are already engaged in the work of studio portrait photography, then you have a good Ifunderstanding of the importance of getting to know your client—and, more importantly, making them feel good about being in the studio with you. It’s not overstating it to say that the experience of the overall portrait process (from planning, to shooting, to ordering) can be nearly as important as the images themselves. Of course, I do not recommend offering less than top-quality work as a business plan, but as the quality of your work improves so should the quality of your relationships.

Building a Lifelong Relationship There are so many photographers, in cities all over the world, who are the family photographer for their communities. Many clients have long-running relationships with photographers—ones that have been developed over years or even decades. They wouldn’t dare call anyone but “their photographer” when a new child arrives, a teen is ready for senior portraits, the family portrait needs updating, etc. There is a trust factor that is very difficult to break. This is when the relationships you create in the studio truly pay off.

A Heartfelt Gesture Consider the small things you can do that mean a lot to the client but don’t cost you much in financial terms. For example, I once had a client who was a well-known author. In addition to the planned images, I was able to capture a quiet moment between him and his little daughter—one where they were looking at each other and he was consoling her because she was sad. After I got home, I went through the files, found the image, made a print, had it matted and framed as a nice 5×7. I sent it to him with a handwritten note that said, “From one dad to another.” That gesture helped get me more business than any single bit of marketing I could have done. Their family told everyone about me and what it meant to them to have me as their photographer. Going out of your way for them matters, and so does making a genuine connection. They’ll get it.

Consider the small things you can do that mean a lot to the client . . .

A Thank-You Snapshot Here’s another small thing I feel is a great idea. When you are finished with a portrait session and your client is leaving the studio, consider taking a quick cell phone image of you with them. The snapshot can then be posted (by them, or you, or both) right away. It doesn’t matter whose phone is used, just text it to each other and post it to everyone’s social media—and be sure to add a note of appreciation and say how much you enjoyed working with them. It goes such a long way when they do the same and tell all of their friends and contacts how much they enjoyed the session.

Don’t Get Caught Up in the Technical Stuff Once you are in the studio with your client, do not allow yourself to get caught up in all the technical aspects of your craft. The time for that has passed. When you have a client in front of you, that social interaction should get every bit of your attention. Don’t take the time to look at the back of your camera after each frame, spend too much time moving and adjusting lights, or checking on your exposures. That should be mostly set before they arrive. Give them the most friendly, interesting, and most efficient experience they have ever had from any photographer and you will create a client for life.

When you have a client in front of you, that social interaction should get every bit of your attention. Show That You Are Invested in Success As you talk to your client and direct them on posing, pay close attention to being present . What I mean by that is to be sure they know you are interested only in them and making them look great. I heard a cinematographer once say that the objective of photographing and lighting people is to “create an environment in which our subjects can be stellar.” Reassure them that they are doing a great job. Get the smiles that most people think look best, but also strive to elicit the small, subtle expressions and smile that light up the subject’s eyes. Eye contact is important, but it’s not always the most important thing. Managing the overall expression is the key—and if you are communicating and interacting with your clients in the best way possible, you’ll get the best expressions possible.

Make Small Changes, Watch the Details As you direct the client, ask them to make just small, specific moves to refine their hand positions, adjust the tilt of their face, relax their shoulders, etc. Through quiet conversation and eliminating distractions, you can help to relax your clients and get better images. Also, pay close attention to the

dad if it is a family portrait. Usually, he is the last one who wants to be there; if you can help him to enjoy the experience, his wife will appreciate the effort (and, after all, she is probably the one who will be making the spending decisions . . . ).

You can help to relax your clients and get better images.

Index

A Accent lights, 82–84 , 92 Angle, light to subject, 31 , 38 , 53–63 , 79–81 Aperture, 69 Assignments, 118–21

B Background lighting, 44–45 , 86–88 , 90 , 105–9 Backgrounds, 39–51 , 73 , 86–88 , 102 , 105–9 Baseboards, 48 Beauty dishes, 32–34 , 90 Bowens, 11 Broncolor, 11 Butterfly lighting, 57

C Catchlights, 34 , 38 , 58 , 81–82 , 99 , 118 Ceiling height, 92 Clients, working with, 122–24 Clothing selection, 70–73 Collins, Dean, 53 , 81 , 109 Color balance, 12 , 16–18 , 21 Contemporary portraits, 85–93 Continuous light, 12 , 20–21 Contrast. See Lighting ratios

D Depth, enhancing sense of, 79–84 , 92 , 101 Diffuser, 37 , 98

Direction. See Angle, light to subject Distance, light to subject, 32 , 35 , 37–38 , 53–63 78–79 Double burst effect, 88

E Edge light, 82–84 , 92 Egg crate grids, 31 , 35–36 Elinchrom, 11 Exposure, 64–69 , 82–84 , 100 Expression, 75–76 , 98 , 124

F Feathering the light, 31 , 98 Fill light, 91–92 . See also Lighting ratios Flash duration, 16 Flash tube, 11–12

G Gels, color, 49 , 105–9 Gradient effect, 87 Grids, 31 , 35–36 Grid spot, 96

H Hair light, 82–84 , 92 Hauser, Marc, 98 High key portraits, 52 , 98 Highlights, 58–62 , 78–79 , 81–84 , 91–92 Histogram, 68 Hollywood lighting, 49 , 80 , 96 Honeycomb grids, 31 , 35–36

I ISO setting, 15 , 69

J Junion, Dave, 51 , 52

K Kicker lights, 82–84 , 92

L Lifelong relationships, 122 Lifestyle images, 85–86 Lighting ratios, 59–62 , 78–79 , 91–92 Lighting relativity, 53–54 , 59–62 , 78–82 Light meters, 64–68 Light modifiers, 22–38 Loop lighting, 56–57 , 78 Low key portraits, 52 , 73 , 98

M Maheu, Dave, 50–52 Metering, 64–68 , 82–84 , 100 Modeling lamp, 12 , 20 Monolights, 14–15 Motion, freezing, 9 , 11 , 16

O Octabanks, 34–35 , 89 One-light portraits, 94–98

P Parabolic reflectors, 24–25 Penn, Irving, 96–98 PocketWizard, 19 Posing, 74–78 , 123–24 Power output, strobe, 10 Power pack strobes, 12–14 Profoto, 11 , 13 , 15 , 19 , 20 , 24 , 25 , 28 , 31 , 32 , 35 Props, 52

R RadioPopper, 19 Rainville, Arthur, 76–78 Ratios, lighting. See Lighting ratios Recycle time, strobe, 15 Refining your portraits, 124 Reflectors, 36–37 , 61–62 , 92 Rembrandt lighting, 57 , 78 Remote triggering, flash, 12 , 18–20 Ring flashes, 37–38

S Scrims, 37 , 98 Separation, 82–84 Shadows, 55–58 , 59–62 , 78–79 , 81 , 90 Shutter speed, 9 , 11 , 16 , 69 Skin texture, 34 , 79 , 90 Skin tone, 57 , 92 Softboxes, 28–31 , 90 Specular highlight, 81–82 , 99 . See also Catchlights Split lighting, 56 Standard reflectors, 24–25 Strip lights, 31 Strobes, studio, 9–20 Subtractive lighting, 36–37 Sync, flash, 12 , 18–20 , 69

T Traditional portraits, 70–84 True tonality, 81 Two-light portraits, 99–103

U Umbrellas, 25–27 , 99–101 , 102–3

V Vignette, 87

W Wall of light technique, 101–2 White balance. See Color balance White House Custom Color, 46 , 47 , 50 , 51

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