Lighting plays an important role in any type of photography or any subject. Photography without lighting is like painting without colors! Understanding lighting is very important for a good attractive portrait. In portrait photography, light is cast on the subject's face in certain ways.
Content:
It is very useful for any portrait photographer or studio
photographer to know these specific patterns and types of portrait lighting.
There should be a specific proportion and pattern of both light and shade on
the subject's face. Usually we think that lighting up every part of the
subject's face is enough for a portrait, but it is not.
For a good portrait, it is not right to have the same
light on every part of the face. As an art form, such portrait photography
becomes unattractive and boring. Due to this, expressions and moods are not
able to come on the face.
Good lighting in a portrait is one that creates
attractive highlights as well as shadows on the face. By creating light and
shadow in a special way, the expression and mood on the face can be shown in
the right way.
Different positions of the light-source and face create
different angles of light falling on the face. With its help, different
patterns of light and shade can be created on the face from the bulges and
depressions of the nose, cheeks, chin, eye brows etc. Come, let us know about
these 6 classic light patterns used in photography.
Butterfly lighting is very important in fashion photography. In this the light source is placed directly in front of the subject's face above the face behind the camera. That is, the light should fall directly on the subject's face from above so that the shadow of the nose is just below the nose. Such a lighting arrangement would make the shadow just below the nose appear triangular like a butterfly with open wings. For this reason, this type of lighting used in portrait photography was named butterfly lighting. This pattern of lighting creates shade not only under the nose but also under the cheekbones, lips, eyes and forehead.
With
the help of such lighting in fashion or glamor photography, the wrinkles on the
face of aging people can also be reduced in the photo. Using lighting in this
way, even a normal face can be made more attractive and glamorous. Butterfly
lighting works especially well on slim faces and high cheekbones. Butterfly
lighting requires that the light source be placed behind the camera at a height
so that the light falls on the face from directly above the front.
In this type of lighting, there is more light on one part
of the face left or right and less light on the other part. Due to the division
of the face into two parts in terms of light and shadow, this patterned
lighting was named split lighting. In this, the light should fall on the face
in such a way that if the left side of the face is illuminated, then there
should be a shadow on the right side. This means that instead of uniform light
falling on the face, only one part of the face, right or left, should be
illuminated.
Obviously, in split lighting the light source is placed
on either the right or left side of the face. It is better to keep the light
source at an angle of 90 degrees. The position of the face should be adjusted
in such a way that only the eye of the shaded part of the face is able to see some
glow of light, then it is good to sleep! Plus, having a catchlight in at least
one eye makes portraits look more alive. The light coming from the window
cannot be used in butterfly lighting, but the light from the window can be used
very well in split lighting.
In loop lighting, the light should fall on the face from such an angle that the shadow of the nose falls on the side of the cheek area, leaning slightly downwards. For this, the light source should be slightly above the level of the right or left eye of the face. The shadow of the nose becomes very small. The light should fall in such a way that the shadow of the nose and the shadow of the cheek should be seen separately, they should not mix with each other. If the position of butterfly lighting is moved slightly from the front of the face to the side, then the position of loop lighting can be created.
Loop lighting is most commonly used in professional
portrait photography, as it is easy to create and is generally well received by
people.
As we saw in loop lighting, the shadow of the nose and cheeks should not mix. However, in Rembrandt lighting the situation is opposite. That is, the shadow of the nose and cheeks merge into each other. In Rembrandt lighting, a triangle of light is formed on one cheek of the subject, which is created by the meeting of the shadow of the nose and cheek. Rembrandt lighting is named after the Dutch artist Rembrandt VanRyn. Rembrandt used to show similar lighting on the subject's face in his paintings.
In
Rembrandt lighting, the main light source is placed slightly above the face at
45 degrees to the right or left of the face, slightly away from the subject.
Then, by adjusting the position of the light source and the face, create a
triangle of light on one cheek. Keep in mind, Rembrandt lighting doesn't work
on every face. A face with a long nose and protruding cheekbones is suitable
for this.
In split, loop or Rembrandt lighting, if the illuminated area of the face is larger than the shadowed area, this type of lighting style is called broad lighting. The lighted part of the face remains in front of the camera. Actually, broad lighting does not represent any pattern but it is a style within the above mentioned lighting patterns. In addition to Figure 5, Figure 1, 2, 3 and 4 are also examples of broad lighting.
Broad
lighting makes the face look bigger. Therefore, it's great to use this lighting
style for subjects with smaller, narrower faces. Whereas, it is not suitable
for big and wide faces, because it makes the face look bigger. Broad lighting
is also used for 'high-key' portraits, ie bright portraits.
Short
lighting makes the face look smaller. Therefore, people with large and wide
faces prefer to have their portraits in short lighting. Whereas, it is not
suitable for small and narrow face. This makes the face appear even smaller in
portraits. Short lighting is also used for 'low-key' portraits, ie dark
portraits, in which only a small part of the face is lit.
Friends,
these lighting patterns for portraits are classic methods of using lighting in
portrait photography. You can play the game of light and shadow in the portrait
by making new experiments on your behalf. If you want, you can take the help of
more than one light source and reflectors. But, the biggest thing is that you
should study the face profile of the subject properly and arrange the lighting
accordingly. It's a good idea to practice a few days with different lighting
patterns on a mannequin's bust before actual portrait photography.
FAQs
Q. What type of lighting do you use for portrait
photography?
A.
There are quite a few standard portrait photography lighting setups. But a
simple favorite is 45-45 lighting. Here, you simply position a light to the
side of your subject and above your subject (so that the light forms a
45-degree angle to the top and a 45-degree angle to the side).
Q.
How do you pick good portrait lights?
A. To
get the look, position your key light at a 90 degree angle to the right or left
side of the subject's face, around eye level. Ideally, for true split lighting,
you'll want to divide the face into two parts straight down the middle, without
a gradual transition from light to dark.
Q.
What is the best lighting for photography?
A. Natural
daylight is generally considered the best light source because it has the
widest spectrum. Rooms with large windows can be a great asset, but on the
other hand, if direct sunlight falls directly on your subject you may need to
find another spot in the room to shoot.
Q.
Where should a portrait light be placed?
A. Starting
at the beginning, position your light just above your model's eye level and
tilt it at a 45 degree angle. Since everyone's face structure and nose are
different, you'll need to play around with the angle of the lighting to get the
loop lighting you want.02-Oct-2020
Q.
What is the best lighting for a studio?
A. If
you work in a photo studio or an interior space then the monolight is the best
lighting option. On the other hand, Power-Pack systems are perfect for outdoor
locations because you don't need a power outlet.
Monolites are the most common, probably because they are also cheaper.
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