Focus On Lighting Photos Focus on the Fundamentals.pdf

Low key portraits can be quite
dramatic. To a large extent, it
depends on how much fill we
use. Shadows define the face
shape. In the photo above,
we have an absolutely lovely
older woman, again using the
off-camera flash behind some
diffusion material as our main
light with our in-camera flash
as fill with folded neutral density
material, because we wanted very
little fill at all. There is no white
board or reflector. Although this
style does accentuate wrinkles,
sometimes they are part of the
subject’s charm. How much you
accentuate them is determined by
placement of the main light and
how much fill you use. Because
the clothing and background are
dark, the viewer’s eye is drawn to
the light area, namely, the face.
By using very little fill light, we
created a compelling portrait of
someone who has lived a rich life.
Adding more fill light would have
filled in those shadows that in this
case we wanted to keep.
Generally we want to place
the main light so it skims across
the face and ends at the near
cheekbone. The placement will
vary from person to person based
on the subject’s bone structure.
We also want it at a height so we
get a good catchlight in the eyes.
If the light is too high and there
is no catchlight, the person tends
to look lifeless—not generally a
goal in portraiture.
Many photographers shy away from low key portraits
of older subjects fearing that the subject won’t like
seeing the wrinkles. Don’t be afraid of this technique.
You can create wonderful, charming images this way.
So, Where Do We Put This Light for Portraits? 121