Portrait Lighting for Digital Photographers The Basics and Beyond.pdf

PORTRAIT LIGHTING

for Digital Photographers

The Basics

and Beyond

Stephen Dantzig

Amherst Media ®

PUBLISHER OF PHOTOGRAPHY BOOKS

All photographs by the author unless otherwise noted.

Published by:

Amherst Media ®

P.O. Box 586

Buffalo, N.Y. 14226

Fax: 716-874-4508

www.AmherstMedia.com

Publisher: Craig Alesse

Senior Editor/Production Manager: Michelle Perkins

Assistant Editor: Barbara A. Lynch-Johnt

Editorial assistance provided by Sally Jarzab, John S. Loder, and Carey Maines.

ISBN-13: 978-1-58428-265-5

Library of Congress Control Number: 2009903892

Printed in Korea.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,

mechanical, photocopied, recorded or otherwise, without prior written consent from the publisher.

NoticeofDisclaimer:Theinformationcontainedinthisbookisbasedontheauthor’sexperienceandopinions.The

author and publisher will not be held liable for the use or misuse of the information in this book.

View the companion blog to this book at: http://portraitlightingfordigitalphoto.blogspot.com/

Check out Amherst Media’s other blogs at: http://portrait-photographer.blogspot.com/

http://weddingphotographer-amherstmedia.blogspot.com/

Contents

Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

The Relationship Between Distance and

Quality of Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

Beyond the Basics: The Inverse Square Law

and Depth of Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Key to Lighting Diagrams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

1. Exposure and Metering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

The Art and Science of Photography . . . . . . . . .13

Proper Exposure in the Digital Age . . . . . . . . . .14

I’ll Fix it in Photoshop! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

ISO Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Gettingthe CorrectExposure In-Camera . . . .17

2. Equipment and Lighting Styles . . . . . . . . .22

Positioning Your Main Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Side Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Rembrandt Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Loop Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Butterfly Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Beyond the Basics: Using Butterfly Lighting

to Create Single-Light Fashion Shots . . . . . .34

3. Quality of Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Bare Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Spotlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Beauty Dishes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Softboxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Small and Medium Stripdomes . . . . . . . . . . .41

Large Softboxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Halos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Extra-Large Softboxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Light Ratios: Altering Contrast by Moving

Your Reflector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

5. Multiple-Light Setups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70

The Additive Nature of Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70

Beyondthe Basics:Intermediate F-StopValues . .72

Light Ratios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

Adding Accent Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77

Lighting Backgrounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79

Expanding Your Options with Gels . . . . . . . .79

Maximizing Your Options with a

Starter Studio Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80

6. Working Outdoors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84

Using Strobes Outdoors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84

7. Postproduction Enhancements . . . . . . . . . .98

Basic Retouching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98

The Brushes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100

The Approach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100

Color Correction and Color Conversion . . . . .102

Beyond the Basics: Putting It All

Together toCreate a Corporate Headshot ..112

Explore Your Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117

Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118

Resolution and File Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118

ICC Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118

Color Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119

Sharpening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119

Ownership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119

Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119

Beyond the Basics: Behind the Scenes of a

Fun-Filled Fashion Shoot . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Picking Up the Pace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Color Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120

About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122

4. One-Light Setups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

Modifying Light with Reflectors . . . . . . . . . . . .60

Beyond the Basics: Making the Most Out of

One Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

4 Portrait Lighting for Digital Photographers

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