unpredictability of creating an image like this—notice the shadows that were
created by the cellophane blowing across the model’s face.
Fluorescent Lighting.
The fluorescent lights used in non-photographic applications have a greenish
cast that makes them less than ideal for photography. If you need to work
with them—to shoot at a store, restaurant, or some other commercial venue,
for instance—you must be aware of the color effects and compensate for
them. Unfortunately, the fluorescent lighting in public areas tends to exhibit
a wide range of color temperatures, which makes it difficult to achieve a per-
fect white balance (although creating a custom white balance will improve
things considerably).
Currently, some companies are making fluorescent bulbs/tubes with ex-
acting color temperatures to balance with tungsten (3200K) or daylight
(5600K). They are being used with great success in the video market. As
noted in the section on tungsten lighting, Westcott offers a photographic
lightingsystemthatwillaccommodatedaylight-balancedtungstentubes,flash
tubes, and fluorescents. The ease for changing the lighting sources depend-
ing upon your photographic requirements with one system is something be-
ginners and professionals should research. I use my Spiderlites mainly for
video with the fluorescent tubes. When I want a tungsten light source, I can
also use the Spiderlites for still photographs.
Themainadvantageofthefluorescentlightingovertungstenlightingisthe
lack of heat. Additionally, fluorescent lighting is very even, which can make
itagoodchoiceforsmoothingtextures.Thedisadvantageofthefluorescents,
at this time at least, is that the output is nowhere near as bright as tungsten—
or flash, for that matter.
Electronic Flash.
Electronicflashunitsareportable,inexpensive,daylight-balanced,andeasyto
use. Because of their small size, however, flash units create light that is too
harsh and flat to be flattering. As a result, straight on-camera flash should
usually be avoided when photographing models—unless it is used as a fill-
light source. If you need to make greater use of electronic flash, consider in-
vesting in one of the many portable light modifiers that are available. These
are designed to diffuse, soften, and redirect the small light source. Most can
even be used with your flash in auto or TTL mode, making exposure calcu-
lation effortless.
Practical Example: Fill Flash.Images4-13and4-14show the effect of
using electronic flash as an auxiliary light source to fill in the shadow side of
the model’s face, making it more pleasing. Be careful, however, not to let the
flash overpower the sunlight (or other main light source). If it does, you will
64 LIGHTING TECHNIQUES FOR PHOTOGRAPHING MODEL PORTFOLIOS
Consider investing in
one of the many
portable light modifiers
that are available.