Lighting tips 1 - don't trust your eyes ... (photographer tips)

Daily free tips - 24/01/2011 -


How to work with flash lights in studio?

• Personal experience, and problems -

Taken by: Penny Ngu
Studio: Padlock Studio (Perth)

I won't get into great details, as there are about 5,120 results from YouTube on Photography Lighting.
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=photography+lighting&aq=f


Instead, I am going to talk about the issues that I have come across that's helpful ...

Taken by: Penny Ngu
Studio: Padlock Studio (Perth)

Whenever you are shooting with flash lights, or a combination with multiple artificial lights; you should NOT rely on your 'naked' eyes anymore ...  simply because, flash lights fires somewhere around 1/125 of a sec; hence, always pre design your lighting on a floor plan prior the shoot; and then adjusting the setting accordingly by viewing from the display screen at the back of your digital camera ... if you are still old school enough to shoot 35mm film, then I strongly suggest to have a light 'reader' in hand. 


Important questions: Is the model male or female? Is it a hair/beauty shoot or full length? Are we focusing on the body(skin) or the clothing? 


Tips for photographers: 


Traditional 3 points lighting: (my favorite) - key light, fill light, & hair light (back light) 

• Key light - the 'hottest' light, normally pointing at the model's better side; or the focusing part. 

• Fill light - a 'softer' light on the opposing side of the key light, to reduce the shadow; normal at 2/3 power (unless you're trying to use shadow to create a 'film noir ' look, you can simply use a reflector instead) 

• Hair light - normally a spot light with 'honeycomb' shining direct at the model's hair, to separate her hair from the background. 

As showing in the behind the scene photos above, I normally use three 300W flash lights in the studio; usually, I'll place my key light with a medium/large beauty-dish on my right hand side; and a large soft-box flash light on my left hand side as fill light. 

'THREE POINTS' LIGHTING
Model: Anja Dragovic
Photographer: Luo Qi
Hair/Makeup: Penny Ngu
Styling Advice: Luo Qi @ fh.

Luo Qi © 2011

'FILM NOIR' LOOK
Photographer - LUO Qi @ Fashion Heir
Makeup Artist - Andjelka Matic
Model - Jordi Levin
Jewelery Designer - Katarina Louise

Fashion Heir © 2009

Easiest lighting/camera settings (digital SLR only):


1. Set your camera on M (manual), shutter speed -1/125 sec, iso -100, aperture 12-15 ...


2. Set your key light (300W flash) to full power, or 2/3 power for 500W flash light ... shining from 45 degree top angle, 30 degree left or right angle, 1.5 - 2M away from the model's face.


3. Set your fill light 2/3 power as to the key light, or 1/4 power to create 'film noir' shadow (giving the fact that the key light has a 'honeycomb' cover) ... preferably using a larger soft box or 'umbrella' shining from 45 degree top angle, 1.5 - 2M away from the model's face.


4. Set the hair(back) light 3/4 to the key light,  shining from 45 degree top angle, and directly opposite to the key lgiht, 2.5 - 3M away from the back of the model head; try avoiding cross-lighting on the model's cheek and shoulder. 


5. I always put an additional light that I call - legs light - 2/3 power as to the key light, 0.5M above the floor level, with a small soft-box or a small beauty-dish, shining directly to the model's lower legs (especially female model)

'THREE POINTS' LIGHTING
+ 'LEGS LIGHT'

Model: Joy Allen
Photographer: Luo Qi
Hair/Makeup: Penny Ngu
Styling Advice: Luo Qi @ fh.

Luo Qi © 2011

6. SYNC all lights, and fire a test shot!! 


7. Makes sure the model know his/her 'mark' and doesn't move around too much ...


8. Jump into the model's position and look around whether all lights are pointing at you!!  


What is a perfect balanced exposure? have a look at your display screen ... 

UNEDITED images - under exposure, perfect exposure, and over exposure

Model: Joy Allen
Photographer: Luo Qi
Hair/Makeup: Penny Ngu
Styling Advice: Luo Qi @ fh.

Luo Qi © 2011

Under exposure - it kinda gives you a feeling like that's your living room's light bulb is about to die, and it is a bit dim ...


Perfect exposure - the model's face should be slightly brighter than the rest of the picture, there should be NO 'wash-out' or 'white' part on the skin or the face, maybe only a bit 'hot spot' on the tip of the nose or shoulder bone and top of the hair...


Over exposure - the model's skin color is 'washing out', losing skin texture, feels like there's an 'interrogation' spot on just been switch on and pointing right at the model ...  


It struggles me when I see some shots from student/armature photographers posting photos online, when everything works perfectly in the shot, but the image is just slightly under or over exposed. 


A good photographer knows how to direct the audience's viewing point by using correct lighting ... basically, our eyes will be drawn to the 'brightest' part of the picture first and then move around. 






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