lighting for portrait and interview setups

Lighting for Portrait and Interview Setups

Ian Feinberg

Chattahoochee Technical College

(770) 509-6327

Ifeinberg@chattcollege.com

Key to Effective Lighting:Shadow

• Shadow gives images form, weight, texture, mood, depth. Also reveals spatial relationships.

3 considerations before lighting

• Key light placement – 180 degrees around subject

• Quality of light – hard or soft• Shadow treatment – low key or high key

Try to separate subject from background

3 results of light hitting object

Typical 3 point lighting diagram

3 Attributes of Key Light

• Primary source of illumination

• Primary factor of overall exposure

• Determines placement and quality of shadow

Floor plan of Portrait Key Light Possibilities

Quality of Light

• Refers to hard or soft quality of light

• “Pin” or undiffused sources create hard shadows that fall off sharply

• Soft light is created by using large sources of diffused light.

• Determined by two attributes– Large source– Relatively close to subject

Subject lit from 3:00 Position

Subject lit from 4:00 Position

Subject lit from 4:30 Position

Subject lit from 6:00 Position

Functions of Fill Light

• Fills shadows created by key light

• Does not create new shadow

Adding Fill for Portrait Lighting

Fill Light

Without Fill With Fill

Backlight Hard backlight Soft Backlight

Background

With Background Without Background

Hard vs. Soft Key Light

Hard Soft

Relative Distance of Soft Light Source

Close Far

Lighting Dark Skin with Large Sources of Light

Pin Light Source Large Diffused Source

One Light Setup Use available Light from existing window

One-Light Setup

Available Light One-Light Setup

One-Light Setup

Light directly in front Short Side of Face

Color Balance Color Temps Mixing Key light with color

correction

Warming the Scene Normal Color Balance Tricking Camera to

Produce Warmer Tones

Using Backlight as Key

Use Large sources for Specular Reflections

Backlight as Key Creates Form, Depth, Dynamic Images

Lighting for Portrait and Interview Setups

Ian Feinberg

Chattahoochee Technical College

(770) 509-6327

Ifeinberg@chattcollege.com