The Best of Wedding Photography.pdf - Free

Al Gordon created this lighting masterpiece on location. The scene is lit with mixed lighting, with a predominance of window light and tungsten
lighting from the candelabras. Al picked that spot for the bride because the window light was about a stop brighter—a result of that window
being larger than the rest. His assistant held a Monte Illuminator (a silver reflector) to camera left to kick in a little fill light and open up the
folds of the dress. Scenes like this require very careful metering and white balance settings. Ironically, he had a softbox on hand that he did not
use because the light was perfect.
In lighting of all types, from portraits made in the sunlight
to portraits made in the studio, the fill light is always
calculated as one unit of light because it strikes both the
highlight and shadow sides of the face. The amount of
light from the main light, which strikes only the highlight
side of the face, is added to that number. For example,
imagine you are photographing a small group of three and
the main light is one stop greater than the fill light. These
two lights are metered independently and separately. The
one unit of the fill (because it illuminates both the shadow
and highlight sides of the faces) is added to the two units
of the main light, thus producing a 3:1 ratio.
Lighting Ratios and Their Unique Personalities. A
2:1 ratio is the lowest lighting ratio you should employ. It
shows only minimal roundness in the face and is most desirable
for high key-effects. High-key portraits are those
with low lighting ratios, light tones, and usually a light
background.
In a 2:1 lighting ratio, the main and fill light sources are
the same intensity. One unit of light falls on the shadow
and highlight sides of the face from the fill light, while
an additional unit of light falls on the highlight side of
the face from the main light—1+1=2:1. A 2:1 ratio will
66 THE BEST OF WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY
widen a narrow face and provide a flat rendering that lacks
dimension.
A 3:1 lighting ratio is produced when the main light is
one stop greater in intensity than the fill light. One unit of
light falls on both sides of the face from the fill light, and
two additional units of light fall on the highlight side of the
face from the main light—2+1=3:1. This ratio is the most
preferred for color and black & white because it will yield
an exposure with excellent shadow and highlight detail. It
shows good roundness in the face and is ideal for rendering
average-shaped faces.
A 4:1 ratio (the main light is 1 1/2 stops greater in intensity
than the fill light—3+1=4:1) is used when a slimming
or dramatic effect is desired. In this ratio, the shadow side
of the face loses its slight glow and the accent of the portrait
becomes the highlights. Ratios of 4:1 and higher are
appropriate for low-key portraits, which are characterized
by dark tones and, usually, a dark background.
A 5:1 ratio (the main light is two stops greater than the
fill light—4+1=5:1) and higher is considered almost a
high-contrast rendition. It is ideal for creating a dramatic
effect and is often used in character studies. Shadow detail
is minimal at the higher ratios and as a result, they are not