If you have ever wanted to know how to shoot beautiful portraits in a studio then you will not want to miss these tips and tricks.
A short time ago I did a photo session of a friend in the photographic studio. She wanted a simple portrait for her site. I used a few techniques and methods to not only pose her well, but light the photo in a pleasing way.
Studio light is very simple and can be understood with some practice. It's essential not to rush these things as you achieve an understanding of studio lighting. Studio portrait lighting techniques depend a great deal on how much light hits on the subject.
The majority of studio lighting is fitted with quite a lot of lights including softboxes. Softboxes are pretty straightforward to utilize. They are lights that have a nonstop mode to them, but fire with a wireless trigger. This means that the lights stay on until you connect a wireless remote trigger to them. This little device sits on your camera. Its counterpart attaches at the rear of the light. When you activate the shutter button that light shoots out a burst of light, similar to the direct flash.
This small tool sits on your camera. Its counterpart attaches at the back of the light. When you activate the shutter button that light shoots out a burst of light, comparable to the direct flash. The motivation for this is that we want to photograph a well lit portrait.
We cannot always do this with diffused light. The light has the softbox fastened to it so that you can light your portrait properly, yet still have the intense light you need. Its the same principle as using a huge white box to help you diffuse the light on top of your speedlite. Its ideal lighting for studio portraits.
You need exactly the right quantity of light on the persons face. not enough can create too many awful shadows under the nose, chin and darken the eyes. This is not the effect we want for standard studio portraits. Its crucial to fill out any potential shadow areas on the subject's face. We do this by ensuring the persons face has the right amount of light.
Next we must look at the angle of light. Typically studio portraiture depends on front on lighting. This is for exactly the same reason as the first example. If you have an individual light to the side of the subject's head you will create deep shadowed areas accross their face. This is most ideal for a dramatic effect but it is not going to work for a relaxed, family studio shot of your friend or family member.
You can light the person from the front with one light or two. If you use two lights they must be placed at like distances on either side of the subject's face. For example, you can position one light two meters away from the persons right side of the face. Next, you can place a light at exactly the same distance on the other side. That will give you an smooth lighting style across their face, getting rid of any shadows completely.
What about the background? You can keep the background simple if you want the major focus to be on the face. On the other hand you can bring in a few studio props. These might be belongings that the person loves, such as flowers, a push bike and even a favourite old chair.
Think about what you want to light and place the lights in that spot. I know it sounds a lot easier than it really is, but with some practice you will become good at the studio in no time.
A short time ago I did a photo session of a friend in the photographic studio. She wanted a simple portrait for her site. I used a few techniques and methods to not only pose her well, but light the photo in a pleasing way.
Studio light is very simple and can be understood with some practice. It's essential not to rush these things as you achieve an understanding of studio lighting. Studio portrait lighting techniques depend a great deal on how much light hits on the subject.
The majority of studio lighting is fitted with quite a lot of lights including softboxes. Softboxes are pretty straightforward to utilize. They are lights that have a nonstop mode to them, but fire with a wireless trigger. This means that the lights stay on until you connect a wireless remote trigger to them. This little device sits on your camera. Its counterpart attaches at the rear of the light. When you activate the shutter button that light shoots out a burst of light, similar to the direct flash.
This small tool sits on your camera. Its counterpart attaches at the back of the light. When you activate the shutter button that light shoots out a burst of light, comparable to the direct flash. The motivation for this is that we want to photograph a well lit portrait.
We cannot always do this with diffused light. The light has the softbox fastened to it so that you can light your portrait properly, yet still have the intense light you need. Its the same principle as using a huge white box to help you diffuse the light on top of your speedlite. Its ideal lighting for studio portraits.
You need exactly the right quantity of light on the persons face. not enough can create too many awful shadows under the nose, chin and darken the eyes. This is not the effect we want for standard studio portraits. Its crucial to fill out any potential shadow areas on the subject's face. We do this by ensuring the persons face has the right amount of light.
Next we must look at the angle of light. Typically studio portraiture depends on front on lighting. This is for exactly the same reason as the first example. If you have an individual light to the side of the subject's head you will create deep shadowed areas accross their face. This is most ideal for a dramatic effect but it is not going to work for a relaxed, family studio shot of your friend or family member.
You can light the person from the front with one light or two. If you use two lights they must be placed at like distances on either side of the subject's face. For example, you can position one light two meters away from the persons right side of the face. Next, you can place a light at exactly the same distance on the other side. That will give you an smooth lighting style across their face, getting rid of any shadows completely.
What about the background? You can keep the background simple if you want the major focus to be on the face. On the other hand you can bring in a few studio props. These might be belongings that the person loves, such as flowers, a push bike and even a favourite old chair.
Think about what you want to light and place the lights in that spot. I know it sounds a lot easier than it really is, but with some practice you will become good at the studio in no time.
About the Author:
Amy is a professional photographer who teaches enthusiasts how to take stunning photos quickly and easily. For more the best and most professional information on how to improve photography Sign up for her monthly photography ezine and watch your photography transform.
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