1940s. You need to be careful when using broad lighting on heavier subjects
or those with rounder faces.
Fashion Lighting. A popular and commonly seen variation on broad
lighting is called fashion lighting, which could be also be described as flat,
large light source, front lighting. Once you hear that description, it’s pretty
easy to envision how you might do it.
Use fashion lighting anytime you want to get a fashion-magazine or Vic-
toria’s Secret look in your images—but be sure to have the subject’s makeup
well done. In the portrait world, we get a three-dimensional quality in our
images by using light and shadow. In the fashion world, on the other hand,
light and makeup are what create the sense of depth. Therefore, if your client
wants this look, you should encourage her to use a more heavy, evening type
of makeup. One caution, if your client has complexion problems, overex-
pose by a stop or so to blow out the imperfections.
A simple variation on this look can be achieved using two small but dif-
fused lights illuminating the subject from the front. One should be placed a
foot or two above eye level, and the other can be positioned a foot or two
below it. For this type of lighting, I use a setup with two battery-operated,FLATTERING FACES AND FIGURES 39LEFT—Short lighting thins Bridget’s rounder
face to produce this gorgeous portrait. RIGHT—
Looking at this high-contrast portrait of Chan-
telle, you see how broad lighting can be really
attractive.