There are three basic types of lights used in portrait photography :
- The Main or Key Light-provides the brightest illumination and casts the shadows.
- The Fill Light-brightens the shadows. It can be a reflector or an actual light.
- The Separation Light-can be a background light (point towards the background), a hair light, a kicker, or a rim light. However it is positioned, it creates separation between the model and the background.
This is a 5 basic lighting styles. Each style is defined by how light falls on the face.
- Butterfly Light, Clamshell or beauty or glamour light-model is face forward, front light from above the model with reflection from below.
- Rembrandt Light-model is face forward, main light is at 45 degrees and casts a light on the opposite side of the face that forms a triangle on the cheek.
- Split Light-model is face forward, the main light is at 90 degrees to the camera and falls on one side of the face. The other side can have fill or not.
- Broad Light-model’s face in 3/4 view-light falls on the side of the face with the visible ear. Good for controlling the reflections on glasses
- Short Light-model’s face is in 3/4 view, the light falls on the side of the face with the features.
Mark Wallace explains six traditional lighting styles: broad, short, loop, closed loop, Rembrandt and butterfly lighting.
Gregory Heisler on creating a portrait of Danny DeVito with broad light.
Inspiration:
Michael Jordan Smith on photographing Tyra Banks
Dawoud Bey on Class Pictures:
Portrait Photographers:
