STUDIO LIGHTING
Alongwith thehuge numberoflighting accessoriesand
attachmentsthere arealso manytriedandtestedlighting
techniquesthatareroutinelyusedbyportraitphotographers
in thestudios, toflatter andshape their clients;each of
these will be demonstrated and discussed, with clear
explanationsofthegeneralrulesandthingstobeawareof.
The first two most commonly used techniques that the
photographer must grasp initially arehigh- and low-key
lighting.
High-Key Lighting
High-keylightingisatermusedwhenthestudiospaceis
setupwithlightingthatilluminatesthestudioinaneven
anduniformway.Thisstyleoflightingismostcommonly
foundwhenshootingagainstawhitebackdropandhasan
air ofbrightness, fun and vibrancy.
Withthelightsinaratio,thebackgroundislittoaneven
white,normally halfastoptoastophigherthanthekey
light(mainlight),andtheforegroundlitevenlywithakey
light (main light) and a fill light.
Withthisvery lowcontrastratiotherewillbevery little
differencefoundbetweenthehighlightsontheimagetothe
shadows.Ifthebackgroundislittoahigherlevelthanone
stopthephotographerwillstarttofindthelightwillbounce
back(sometimes called spill)from background onto the
client,anddetailand definitioncanbe lost,especiallyif
youhaveaclientwearingwhiteorwithblondehair,asany
fine details will be ‘blown out’.