03/01/2008 by admin.

Many a photographer starting out would like to know what lighting combination would work the best. A new studio has the advantage of starting with a new slate. Mimicking current studio setups may not always have the best arrangement because they sometimes have to make do with what was inherited or added to through the years.

The main light should be at least three feet wide and in a soft box configuration. The reason for this is that a soft box places the surface of the light close to the subject without getting in the way of the camera or photographer. Another reason is that the light is kinder to skin surfaces and tends to wrap around the features without losing the modeling.

The fill light works best if an umbrella reflector is used. This type of light does reduce the intensity which is a good thing for a fill light. An umbrella (at least three feet in diameter) also works well further from the subject and out of the way of the photographer. The fill light should be placed as near the line of the camera as possible to avoid getting under eye shadows (bags) and in order to prevent double shadows from the nose and chin.

A hair light should be wide and shallow in order to spread the light horizontally but not shine into the lens. A built in shade can be used with this soft box for working close to the top of the head of the subject and not shine light into the lens. The soft box type of hair light allows working close to the head while still presenting a wide angle of light. A spot type hair light is much too narrow for showing the hair in it’s true colors and will too easily burn up lighter colored hair.

The back light can be a round regular reflector situated directly behind the subject or preferably off to one side but out of the picture. This latter type of back light should be snouted rather tightly for a narrow angle so as not to spill onto the subject unless for special effects (edge lighting with black background).

A kicker light on the other side of the room can be used for edge lighting, additional background light for high key effects or as a spot light on specific background props.

All lights should be calibrated for a specific ISO and balanced for equal intensity. The exception is the fill which should be from two the three and one half stops weaker than the main light. There are many other lighting setups that work for special effects. Among them are the single spot (use the back light) on the face (metered, of course), a single main light at a strong angle with all other lights bounced off the walls and ceiling for a strong but soft modeling effect. However, ninety per cent of the regular portraits will be well served with the five light setup detailed above. Photogenic lights have been a favorite in many studios. For digital work, three hundred watt seconds per light should be sufficient. With a Canon DSLR you can set the camera manually at F5.6 or F8 for plenty depth of field using a 150 mm focal length portrait lens. This foolproof lighting setup produces beautifully lit portraits of babies, children and families alike.

Retired portrait photographer of forty eight years.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kenneth_C._Hoffman

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03/01/2008 by admin.

Every face can show a multitude of personality and individual characteristics. It is up to the portrait photographer to bring out the subjects best features with interesting conversation and good lighting.

The photographer’s first task is to evaluate the facial features and decide which ones to emphasize and which ones to minimize. Long noses look best from a low angle for instance, and double chins respond well to a high camera angle, but this article will be aimed at the effects of lighting on the human face.

It is easier to guage the proper lighting by watching for key points. A flattering main light produces a definite shadow that extends from the crest of the nose to the cheek and includes all of the unphotogenic area next to the nose. The height of the main light is determined by the angle of the shelf under the eyebrow. Cavernous eyes are well served by a low main light and protruding eyes can benefit from a high main light. A second consideration is the appearance of a noticeable catch light on the eye since a too high main light will not show a catch light. The lower edge of the nose shadow should not touch or obscure the upper lip line. A proper shadow is the key to a flattering ‘loop’ light. This lighting shows most faces to good advantage, appearing both three dimensional and youthful.

If a face seems round or heavy, side or split lighting is called for. While a three to one lighting ratio is good for loop lighting, a softer two to one ratio is best for split lighting. Bring the light source close to the face at a

ninety degree angle from the camera. The short side of the face will show a shadow line that travels from the bridge of the nose down to the center of the chin, dividing the face into a well lit half and a shadowed half. The Fill light should be placed close to the lens and slightly above it in order to produce a clearly defined chin line and to minimize unsightly wrinkles. The key to watch for is the proper exposure in the highlights and enough light in the shadow areas to give a good skin tone.

Hair and shoulder lighting is important and sets the mood of the picture. All hair absorbs light disproportionately and must be adjusted in strength according to the tone of the hair. Black hair may require three times the amount of light that blonde or gray hair requires. Be careful not to allow the hair light to spill over on the nose for obvious reasons. A broad source is to be preferred over a spot source because the latter emphasizes the reflective qualities of the hair rather than the true color and tone.

If an edge light is used for a character portrait, make sure that the light is Well goboed and placed as close to being in the picture as possible without showing. Some photographers place their fill lights well above the lens for reasons of safety and convenience. But this placement produces undesireable neck lines, eye pouches and glaring foreheads. The fill light or lights work best at eye level or just below, filling in neck lines and almost eliminating pouches under the eyes.

So called Rembrandt lighting shadows the eyes completely, highlighting the upper cheeks with a triangular shape. Special care must be taken so as not to darken the eyes too much. While some studio photographers work with wrap around general lighting with a one to one and one half lighting ratio, no model- ing is present to enhance the features. The only benefit is that the studio will never get complaints of too dark shadows.

Background lights when set at the same power as the main light will produce a background color and density the same as it appears to the naked eye. The purpose of the background is to supply a pleasing distant contrast that does not compete with the subject, but enhances and separates the subject from the distance. A darkening of edges is a time-honored way of keeping the eye on the center of interest.

Lighting and its many variations is the most important tool in helping the portrait photographer reveal people at their best.

I am a retired portrait photographer of thirty years.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kenneth_C._Hoffman

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03/01/2008 by admin.

Digital portrait photography will produce superb results if you are able to see the person you are photographing, as one of your favorite people at that moment.

Digital portrait photography is for you if you care about people, are interested in what drives them, and how they came to be where they are. Good portrait photographers seem to get the best out of their subjects by being fundamentally interested in them, and being able to connect with them, even if it is just for the duration of the shooting session.

With digital portrait photography nothing has changed about the nature of this interaction! However, you will discover a number of creative - and financial! - advantages.

Whether your aim is professional digital portrait photography, or practicing it as a hobby, one of the best ways to go about it is to heed the written advice of experienced professional portrait photographers. Various aspects of this field have been covered in a number of informative books on the subject.

In ‘A Comprehensive Guide to Digital Portrait Photography’, Duncan Evans covers the different types of digital cameras available, including compact, single-lens reflex (SLR), and specialized models.

He also shows how to create a home studio, and explains the basics of portrait composition, texture, and mood. He includes topics such as color, computer manipulation, using duotones, tritones and sepia tones, and manipulating light and shadow.

A photographer who has published more than one book on digital portrait photography, is Jeff Smith. His books include ‘Professional Digital Portrait Photography’, where he walks you through the steep learning curve for digital portrait photographers. He shows you how to avoid commonly experienced problems, and he provides various techniques for shooting and editing.

Another of Jeff’s books is ‘Learn How To Make All Of Your Clients Look Their Very Best!’, where he gets very practical about photographing real people, and not just models.

He discusses how to be tactful with people about those aspects of their appearance that they don’t want to be highlighted in the portrait image.

His approach is to combine careful lighting, posing, and retouching to correct those flaws. The end-product is a portrait the client will love.

Is you main interest outdoor digital portrait photography? Jeff has also published ‘Outdoor and Location Portrait Photography’, in which he explains how to understand and control natural light, and how to select the best scene. He also includes tips for posing, selecting clothing, as well as marketing your portraits.

If you are keen to set up a digital studio, don’t miss ‘Master The Skills You Need To Build A Digital Portrait Photography Business’, by Lou Jacobs Jr. This book deals with topics such as the following: how to select your equipment; locating and outfitting a digital portrait photography studio; designing an efficient workflow; and presenting and marketing your work.

Know you camera, be interested in the people you deal with, and you will soon be a master of digital portrait photography.

For more information visit Best-Digital-Photography.com

Rika Susan of Article-Alert.com researches, writes, and publishes full-time on the Web. Copyright of this article: 2006 Rika Susan. This article may be reprinted if the resource box and hyperlinks are left intact.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rika_Susan

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03/01/2008 by admin.

Basically there are only three types of “people pictures”: Formal Portraits, Informal Portraits or Candid Portraits. Each of these areas could easily be considered a specialty in and of itself. There are literately thousands of books or articles already written about each of these. Keep in mind all the things you learned about the basic elements of photography. (Line, Texture, Light, Size, and Shape) Even though you may only have one subject, that subject may have facial features you may or may not want to emphasize. Light is a key factor, but not the only factor when it comes to taking a good portrait.

The Formal portrait (also called a flattering portrait) is usually (but not always) done in a traditional portrait studio. This is where lighting is highly controlled. Most shots are head and shoulder, with the body turned at a 45% angle. The point here is to flatter the subject. So in most cases you must accentuate the subject’s positive features and minimize the negative ones. It takes a well trained eye to spot the best features and emphasize that in a portrait; but it takes even more skill to know how to minimize a negative feature. The list below is only a partial listing of common problems to look out for:

Wrinkled Face
Use diffused lighting. Lower the main light. Use a 3/4’s pose instead of close-up.

Double Chin
Raise main light. Tilt chin upward. Use higher camera angle.

Long Nose
Use low camera angle. Use side lighting. Add makeup to tip of nose to eliminate shine.

Baldness
Use low camera angle. Little or no hair light. Blend head with background on purpose.

Large ears
Turn head so camera only sees one ear. Place exposed ear in the shadows, if at all possible.

Glasses
Tilt head downward slightly. Raise ear piece slightly to angle the lens down. The camera will flatten the overall image making it look more natural than it feels.

Over Weight
In group shots, place the largest subject in the middle or behind others to hide their size. By themselves; shoot head and shoulders (from an angle) or use props to distract viewer from subject’s size.

The old cliché that says: “smile and look at the camera” is not always the best way to do a portrait. Many informal or candid portraits don’t have the subject looking at the camera at all. The biggest difference between an informal portrait and a formal portrait is usually lighting and location. Informal portraits are usually shot outdoors with available lighting. Personally, I do like to use a fill flash outdoors, but that’s not quite the same as having: a background light, a main light, A fill light, a hair light, and a key light like many studios use.

Informal as the name implies usually means more relaxed. Clothes are more comfortable and often there are props or objects that have to do with the persons personality included in the shot. Although they can be planned, informal portraits usually give the feeling of being spontaneous. The biggest difference between an informal portrait and a candid shot is awareness of the subject. Whether or not the subject looks directly at the camera, they are aware of it when taking an informal portrait.

Candid Portraits (sometimes called Character Studies) are taken without the subject being aware of the photographer. The candid shot is a favorite of mine at weddings, because it tends to reveal more of the true personality of the subject. Candid shots document the moment. They can become a specialty in and of themselves. Think of candid shots like taking pictures at a sporting event. You follow the subject (the one holding the ball) with your camera and wait for that peak moment. The instant before the true love’s first kiss, the moment before baby’s first step (or first fall), that second when a senior throws his cap in the air at graduation; these are all good examples of a great candid shot. A good candid usually includes a good peak moment.

This Article Written By: Tedric A. Garrison Cedar City, Utah

Tedric Garrison has done photography for over 30 years. In college; Tedric was an Art Major, and firmly believes that “Creativity can be taught.” Today; as a writer and photographer he shares his wealth of knowledge with the world, at: http://www.betterphototips.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tedric_Garrison

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03/01/2008 by admin.

Whether you’re a photography newbie or you’ve been around the block a few times, it doesn’t take long to learn that properly lighting a portrait subject can make a huge difference in the quality of the finished portrait.

Thus begins the never ending torment.

First, we wonder what kind of lighting patterns there are.

We go to our local camera store and discover a book that discusses Rembrandt light. Then another guru says that narrow light is the way to go. But for each narrow light application, there’s another time when broad light will do the trick. They talk about split light, backlight, hair light, fill, ambient.

They use terms like main light, key light, fill, diffused, hot, continuous, strobe and so on…

It’s no wonder so many people throw up their hands in frustration. Then they light every subject the same tired old way.

So then, we start to question - why bother?

What difference does it make?

We soon learn that wide faces can be visually narrowed, narrow faces can be visually widened, noses can be shortened, cheekbones can be raised. Not to mention - blemishes can be minimized, wrinkles softened and weight reduced.

Then it finally hits. Lighting is important. We start to realize that being a photographer entails more than buying the latest digital gadget and spending countless hours in Photoshop.

By now we are in information overload. Which way to turn? How many hundreds of dollars do we need to spend - buying all the latest magazines and photo books?

There is an easier way.

It’s true that photo equipment is being improved all the time. Trying to keep up with all the most recent improvements in technology is impossibly difficult - but - peoples faces are pretty much the same now as they were 10 years ago, 50 years, 100.

The best lighting patterns haven’t changed. Rembrandt light is called that because Rembrandt used that lighting pattern! In the early 1600’s!

The point is, to learn the basic lighting patterns, old photo books work just as well as the new ones. You don’t have to spend a fortune at the local camera store, book store or on line. Go to the library. It’s free.

Find a book that shows a lighting pattern you want to learn, check it out and go home.

Now comes the expensive part.

You need some flashlights. I mean the kind you hold in your hand. The kind you keep in the kitchen junk drawer. (Yes, the one that always has dead batteries when you need it.) You will also need a notebook.

Now, for the fun part. Grab one of your kids, boyfriend, girlfriend, next door neighbor, next door neighbor’s kids…somebody! Bribe them. Tell them if they’ll help you learn about lighting, you’ll do a nice portrait of them!

Have them sit on a chair in a darkened room. (Leave your camera in the bag. We don’t need it.) Take out your flashlights and starting with one (add more as needed)- light up their face. Move it in and out, raise it, lower it, go to the sides and so on.

Watch what is happening! Learn how to exaggerate and minimize noses, bumps, acne, wrinkles. Learn where the light needs to be positioned to get the patterns in the book.

What happens when you put some tracing paper over the light? Bounce it off a nearby wall?

Then for each new discovery you make, write it down in your notebook. Use plenty of diagrams.

In a couple hours, you’ll know more about photographic lighting than 75% of all the photographers out there. Plus, you can have a great time!

Dan Eitreim has been a professional photographer in southern California for over 16 years. His data base exceeds 6000 past clients, and he says that selling YOUR photography is easy - if you only know a couple tried and true marketing strategies. He’s created a multimedia presentation that can teach ANYONE how to sell their own photography and generate freelance income in as little as two weeks. To learn more and enroll in a FREE photo marketing course, go to: http://www.PartTimePhotography.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Danny_Eitreim

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03/01/2008 by admin.

This is the first post on a new blog called Learn Portrait Lighting Techniques For Photography.

Over the coming weeks and months there will be a variety of new posts, articles and general tips on all aspects of portrait lighting techniques for photography.

I hope you enjoy it and feel free to leave comments.

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