and mall photography studios tend to use this very flat lighting to avoid shad-
ows if the face isn’t posed properly.)
Lower the Chin, Lose the Catchlights.
more attractive angle of the face, but also requires lowering the main light to
compensate. If you don’t, you’ll lose the catchlights—the single most important
aspect of a portrait (from a lighting standpoint). I suggest you elevate the main
light to a point where it is obviously too high (with no apparent catchlight) and
then slowly lower it until the proper lighting effect is achieved. This forces you
to adjust the light with each pose.
The Position of the Eyes.There are two ways to control the position of the
eyes in a portrait. First, you can change the pose of the eyes by turning the sub-
ject’s face. Second, you can have the subject change the direction of their eyes
to look higher, lower, or to one side of the camera.
Typically, the center of the eye is positioned toward the corner of the eye
opening. This enlarges the appearance of the eye and gives the eye more impact.
The center of the eye is positioned toward
the corner of the eye opening to enlarge its
appearance and give the eye more impact.