Saturday, September 11, 2010

Here’s a Quick Way to Setup a Basic Studio Portrait Lighting

studio2-1.jpg
Studio photography by seanyeo


For studio photography, the equipment plays a key role. The lightings and setup can determine the effects or styles of the final product.

One of the easiest way to setup a basic studio lighting is to use a single light source placed at 45 degrees to the subject and pointing at a 45 degrees angle to the subject.














Front view
















Side view






The white translucent umbrella will disperse the light to give a soft look. A popular alternative is to use a soft box, which will produce very nice diffused light too.

If you prefer a harsher light to give a more dramatic look, you can use the black umbrella with silver coating inside:




















The pictures will show a nice gradient on the models' faces :)













































If you will like a more balanced look, you may use another light source on the other side e.g. window light to reduce the gradient. Alternatively, a reflector can be used too. The 2nd light source should be set to about half the power of the key light, facing at an angle to create a geometric effect for the face!

The equipment used is from elinchrom.

No comments:

Post a Comment