Lighting Tutorial

Lighting Basics

Soft Lighting - This is when the light source is large in comparison to the subject, making the subject very well lit, much more natural looking. I.e. a person being the subject and the sun being the light source.

Hard Lighting - This is when the light source is much smaller than the subject, giving a harsh shadowed effect. I.e. candle light or torch lighting a person would give this effect.

Low Key Lighting - This kind of lighting has a high contrast between light and dark. It only uses a 1 point light source, unlike normal lighting which would usually consist of 3 point lighting (as in light come from three points around the subject.)


Studio Lighting Techniques - Portrait Lighting

There are 3 main kinds of portrait lighting;

Rembrandt - This technique comes from the work of painter, Rembrandt. In his paintings he always lit his subjects faces with a small triangle of light beneath the eye on the shadow side of the face.
To achieve this form (and all other forms) of lighting, we must consider the angle the light is positioned, the height of the light and the degree angle the light is pointed with regard to its subject.
The subject must be placed in front of the camera, but faced at about a 20 degree angle away it, with the main light source at around 45degrees from the camera onto the subject. During our test, we always tried out using the reflector, at about 45degrees again, but the opposite side of the camera to the main light source.

Butterfly - This technique is very much a classical Hollywood technique. Used often in the 1950s for film stars. This lighting highlights above and below the eyes, while the eyes stay in shadow. Again, we must consider the 3 points mentioned previously. For this particular technique, the subject is again, placed in front of the camera, this time looking directly into it. The light source is then placed behind the camera, at around 2-3ft above the subject with a 70-80degree angle towards the ground.

Edge - This technique is quite a cinematic technique and is often used to create sinister/dramatic effects. The subject is placed, similarly to the Rembrandt technique, in front of the camera but facing around 2odregrees off centre. The light source this time, should be placed at a 90degree angle from camera and eye level with the subject.