Focus On
Lighting Photos
The Focus On Series
Photography is all about the end result—your photo. The Focus On series offers books
with essential information so you can get the best photos without spending thousands
of hours learning techniques or software skills. Each book focuses on a specific area
of knowledge within photography, cutting through the often confusing waffle of
photographic jargon to focus solely on showing you what you need to do to capture
beautiful and dynamic shots every time you pick up your camera.
Titles in the Focus On series:
Focus On
Lighting Photos
Fil Hunter and Robin Reid
AMSTERDAM • BOSTON • HEIDELBERG • LONDON • NEW YORK • OXFORD • PARIS
SAN DIEGO • SAN FRANCISCO • SINGAPORE • SYDNEY • TOKYO
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Notices
Knowledge and best practice in this field are constantly changing. As new research and experience broaden our understanding,
changes in research methods, professional practices, or medical treatment may become necessary.
Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and knowledge in evaluating and using any information,
methods, compounds, or experiments described herein. In using such information or methods they should be mindful of their own
safety and the safety of others, including parties for whom they have a professional responsibility.
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products, instructions, or ideas contained in the material herein.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Hunter, Fil.
Focus on lighting photos : focus on the fundamentals / Fil Hunter, Robin Reid.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-240-81711-8 (pbk.)
1. Photography—Lighting. I. Reid, Robin, 1949– II. Title.
TR590.H839 2011
778.7’2—dc22
2011009663
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN: 978-0-240-81711-8
For information on all Focal Press publications
visit our website at www.elsevierdirect.com
Printed in China
11 12 13 14 15 5 4 3 2 1
Typeset by: diacriTech, Chennai, India
Dedication
To Polly Frye, who tirelessly organized and educated generations of
photographers who wanted to learn.
And, to Polly Frye, who said to Fil and Robin 30 years ago, “I think you two
need to get to know each other better.” We took her advice.
Thank you, Polly.
v
Contents
v Dedication 61 Chapter 3: The Color of Light
ix Acknowledgments 73 Using gels for dramatic color
xiii Introduction: Lighting? Why
Bother? 79 Chapter 4: Light and Shadow
83 Texture
3 Chapter 1: There’s More Than
86 Why does the same light look so
One Way to Get Things Done
different on another subject?
5 Built-in flash
7 Modifier 1: A mirror 91 Chapter 5: Sunlight
9 Modifier 2: A big white reflector 92 Found light
11 Other modifiers: Fill light, 97 Amending or mixing light
hair light 103 Distance and haze
13 Same principle: We can control 104 Architecture
the size of the light in many ways
16 Adding another light 107 Chapter 6: So, Where Do We
Put This Light for Portraits?
23 Chapter 2: Tools: Now We 109 Split lighting
Have Light, but How Do We
111 Short lighting
Get It under Control?
112 Broad lighting
25 Off-camera flash
113 Hair light
27 How to trigger flash
115 Background light
32 The size of the light
116 Rim lighting/kicker
35 But what if we don’t have a wall
or a ceiling to use for bounce? 118 Butterfly/Beauty lighting
59 Now, get to work! 120 Low key versus high key lighting
Contents
127 The wrinkle 165 Chapter 9: Motion
128 Eyeglasses and lighting: Can 165 A bit of motion
they get along? 167 Lots of motion
131 Groups 171 Freezing motion
135 Pets
175 Chapter 10: The Future Is
141 Chapter 7: So, Where Do We Now?
Put This Light for Metal? 175 New light sources
144 Flat metal 176 Postproduction
147 Round metal 177 High dynamic range imaging
151 Chapter 8: So, Where Do We 183 Conclusion
Put This Light for Glass?
152 Dark-field lighting 184 Glossary
154 Bright-field lighting
196 Index
157 A glass half full
158 Glass and paper
160 Bottles and more
Acknowledgments
Our thanks tO the contributors staying in the studio, I’m trying photographic journey in 2006
who generously made images to get out more and see what is and found that the challenges
available for us to use in this around me. Page 166, fireworks. of photography fit well with my
inquisitive personality, my love of
book. As you’ll see, some are Alesa Dam: Born in 1971,
nature, and my need for artistic
professionals, but others are Belgium, I have been intrigued by
expression. Through photography,
novices or hobbyists. It doesn’t photography since my childhood.
I have been able to experience
As a child I owned a Kodak
really matter which is which. Disc film camera. My father was
and explore the world in new
Both of the authors, Robin and and wonderful ways, finding and
interested in photography himself
Fil, made some fairly decent photographing details in nature
and had some books about the
that most people overlook. From
images as amateurs and then subject on the bookshelf. Love,
the grand landscape to the tiniest
went on to make a (hopefully study, and my first job got in
insect, I have found that the world
very) few terrible ones as pro- the way of this hobby in my late
is full of beauty when you take
teens and twenties. I regained
fessionals. We are all still learn- interest in photography when
the time to notice. Contact me at
ing. We must help each other. joel@joeldeyoungphotography
we switched from disposable
.com. Page 96, boy’s head shot.
Thanks, too, to Wein and film cameras to our first, and
PocketWizard, for allowing the only, digital point-and-shoot John Hartman: John Hartman
use of images of their products, back in 2001. My first DSLR, is a professional photographer
and to our various models: bought secondhand in 2009, who has done fine art and
Mandeep, Karina, Joshua, Nancy, opened up a new world full of commercial work for more
Maggie, San, Cathie, Maggie, creativity. Being more involved in than 25 years. He works from
Wendell, Stephanie, Katie, photography for only 2 years, I’m a studio in Alexandria, Virginia,
Joanne, Jan, Jason, and Robert. not really clear yet what direction and produces assignment and
it’s taking me, but it seems my stock imagery that is published
A bit about our photographic preferred subjects include long- in magazines every month. John
contributors: exposure night photography, is the son of Henry Hartman, a
Chris Brearley: I have no abstracts, and studio portraiture. nationally known illustrator and
biography. I’m just a QA test Page 174, LEDs. fine artist. His long-standing
engineer who enjoys taking interest in nautical subjects has
Joel DeYoung: Based in
photos. Although I tend to prefer led to collaborations with various
Holland, Michigan, I began my
Acknowledgments ix
boating publications including Erik Heitfield: Erik Heitfield is www.LapeerPhotography.com,
Chesapeake Bay magazine, an amateur photographer living in includes a representation of
where he has been a part of the Washington, D.C. He has enjoyed his work. His primary focus is
creative team for 13 years. John’s photography all his life, but he commercial photography and
approach to photography is one only recently began experimenting portraiture. His 25-year journey
of discovery, and he describes with the use of off-camera flash into photography has been
his personal creative process as and do-it-yourself light modifiers. largely self-taught, as he knew no
“visual exploration.” On land He credits his knowledge of one with any knowledge about
he sees himself as a “street photographic lighting to the book photography in the beginning.
photographer” at heart. Through Light—Science & Magic, to David So he read books and magazines,
a busy shooting schedule, he Hobby’s strobist.com blog, and asked a lot of questions,
produces an average of 30,000 to his many friends on Flickr. You experimented, and tried new
images annually. His prints can view Erik’s other work on things. His nature photography
have received “Best of Show” Flickr.com under the screen name is the opportunity to get back to
recognition in juried gallery “EriksWeeklyPhoto.” Page 13, girl what was his first photographic
competitions, and his magazine with hat; page 14, DIY softbox. love, nature and landscapes.
work has won several publishing Because he is comfortable
Paul Hodgson: I run a successful
awards. Eastman Kodak has used with lighting and flash in the
wedding and portrait business
his imagery in its advertising. John studio and on location, he
in the UK along with my wife,
has taught photography at the often uses similar, yet modified,
Nikki Hodgson. While located
Art League School in Alexandria, techniques in the field. Page 102,
in the north of the UK, it’s not
Virginia, for 10 years, and he mushrooms and outdoor setup.
uncommon for us to travel outside
served 6 years on the Art League’s
of the UK for commissions. In my Fil Hunter: Professional
board of directors. He is a
spare time I still take photographs photographer from the age
member of the American Society
and have an equal interest in of 17. While achieving a double
of Media Photographers (ASMP),
capture and postproduction. major in psychology and
Nikon Professional Service (NPS),
PP doesn’t mean oodles of pixel religion, served as principal
the Stock Artists Alliance (SAA),
destruction, just sharpening in all photographer experimenting with
and the Society for Photographic
the right places and correcting any the predistortion of images so that
Education (SPE). In addition, John
exposure errors. Surely not! We they would appear undistorted on
offers fine art prints including
can be found at www.bof.uk.com, a planetarium dome. Lead author
abstracts, water- and sea-related
which stands for Box of Frogs. of Light—Science & Magic, the
subjects, and musicians in concert.
Page 67, both church images. first book to establish universal
Visit both of his sites to see more
principles of lighting.
at www.johnhartman.com and David House Sr.: David
www.hartmanfinearts.com. House Sr. is a photographer in David Kittos: I’m a UK-based,
Page 92, boat. Lapeer, Michigan. His web page, amateur photographer currently
x Focus On Lighting Photos
living in Surrey. My first magazine (uwpmag.com), DSLR the light ripples across the water
photography experience was a User, What Digital Camera (Flash or the perfection of a little detail.
rather unsuccessful attempt at Supplement), and Olympus User. Whatever it is, it is that which I
underwater photography during Page 87, night lights; page 90, connect to, that I become a part
a scuba diving holiday in the dusty road; pages 164, 171, of. This I try to capture the essence
Red Sea in 2005. Just like a strawberry; page 173, set-up; of, that feeling, that moment.
bad workman who blames his page 182, baboon. Knowing that I will always be
tools, I still blame the camera a student in this amazing craft,
Anton Lenke: Anton Lenke
I used at the time for my lack I continually try to learn how to
remains enigmatic. Some say
of success! It was a cheap and capture and present this beautiful
he has shot Czech supermodels
nasty $10 box that I bought in a world at its best. I want to be
while hanging out of an airplane.
local scuba shop. At some point able to connect the viewers of my
Others claim he can build a
I upgraded to a real camera, this work with the beauty, uniqueness,
camera with a shoebox, a dart,
time an Olympus SP350 with an and poetry of this world through
and the chain from a 1957 Harley
underwater housing and a very my eyes, my photography.
Davidson. The superhuman stories
expensive underwater flashgun. They tell me a person can get
continue to grow, but the proof
Things moved quickly from a lot by asking, so if you’re
is in the portfolio. For more, visit
there. Photography proved way looking for a photographer,
Antonlenke.com or contact him
too much fun to do only during I would love to have the
at antonlenke@gmail.com. No
my diving holidays, so I bought opportunity to bring my vision
capes. Page 50, grid background.
an Olympus DSLR, a copy of to your commercial or editorial
Light—Science & Magic, and Ryan McGehee: When I was 18 project. Contact me at ryan@
2 years later I’m still learning I graduated from the New York fleetingmomentsphoto.com or visit
new stuff and have built up a Institute of Photography (having www.fleetingmomentsphoto.com.
diverse portfolio. My interests enrolled when I was 16). This Page 63, mountain lake; page 65,
include glassware photography, helped start me on my journey of girl at dock; page 66, water
off-camera flash (speed lights photography. Now, many years ripples; page 99, man with hat.
and studio work), high-speed later, my passion for this art has
Jeremy Millar: Jeremy Millar is
photography, and working with continued to increase. I enjoy
a Sydney-based photographer.
alternative models. I’m also capturing the beautiful moments
Working with portable lighting,
an occasional contributor to in this world. Photography allows
Jeremy likes to experiment with
photography magazines, and me to create works that I can
simple lighting setups for portraits
my work (pictures and articles) share with others, that which I see
and dance photography. You
has been published in various and feel. It may be an entire valley
can see more of his work at
UK and web publications such below me or the way the shadows
www.ensofoto.com. Page 101,
as Underwater Photography web fall on the snow. It may be the way
ballerina; page 166, male dancer.
Acknowledgments xi
Robin Reid: Trained as a accepts requests for photo shoots PhotoNews magazine, several
classical pianist, loves Motown via his Flickr mail. Page 74, commercial websites, and this
and the Rolling Stones anyway. smoker; page 116, woman. fine instructional book by Fil
Degree in international politics, Hunter and Robin Reid. Contact
Adam Sewell: I am 37 years
danced professionally for him at ivan.sorensen@hotmail
old and have lived in and around
15 years. Still works as a portrait .com or visit www.flickr.com/
South East England all my life.
and commercial photographer photos/pics_by_ivan. Page 60,
I first started photography to
and graphic designer, with a morning lake; page 3, grapes.
document the growth of my
particular penchant for book
family, preferring the power of the Tony Traub: I am totally self-
design. Teaches regularly for the
still image as a medium; it is an taught and have been shooting
Alexandria Art League.
ongoing and wonderful project. I since I was a teenager. I started
Rishi Saikia: Rishi is an up and also venture into still life as a way with a Minolta xg1, I believe, and
coming photographer from India, of exploring shape and form and have used various film cameras
specializing in portraiture. He has have taken on some commercial over time. My favorite types of
a distinctive minimalist style of work, although my family project photos back then were mostly
lighting that helps preserve, and remains my passion. Contact me about my camping trips with
at times create, a signature mood at asimaging@btinternet.com. friends and the scenery around our
in his images. Rishi embarked on Page 64, mountain snow; different campsites. I got into digital
his photographic journey about page 105, clock tower. about 3 to 4 years back. My first
7 years back when he happened digital camera was a Nikon d50,
Ivan Sorenson: Ivan Sorensen
to come across Fil Hunter and Paul which I still own. I now use a
is from Hamilton, Ontario,
Fuqua’s amazing book Light— Nikon d300, which is an excellent
Canada, and has been involved
Science & Magic: An Introduction body. I still use my d50 though and
in photography since the mid-
to Photographic Lighting. He is think it’s also an excellent camera
1970s, shooting weddings and
self-taught but considers the online as well. I also have a Nikon n80
developing and printing from a
photographic community at Flickr for when I like to play with film.
home darkroom. Although he
as a major source of learning and I hope to get into medium format
has not been a full-time hobby
inspiration. Rishi’s latest images photography some day and start
photographer for many years
can be found on his Flickr stream to learn landscape photography.
because of the vagaries of career
(Rishi S). He also maintains a As of now, I mostly shoot still life/
and family, he has returned to
blog (www.rollon.in) where he tabletop photography because
the world of digital imaging,
documents his photographic I like the total control you have
specializing in fine art landscape
journey, detailing every photo over lighting and setup. Page 75,
prints and the odd portrait thrown
shoot—the entire process of whisks.
in for balance. Ivan’s work has
conceptualizing, executing, and
been included in several galleries, All unattributed images and
postprocessing his images. He
such as the summer issue of diagrams are by Robin and Fil.
xii Focus On Lighting Photos
Introduction: Lighting? Why Bother?
Modern digital cameras can do as much light as most people It’s easy these days. The smart
everything for us, right? They need. Still not enough light? camera and the smart flash do
focus accurately. They get a Don’t have a built-in flash? Just the hard thinking for us; all we
good exposure almost every put one of those smart dedicated need to do is to concentrate on
time. We’ve got the sun, and flashes on the hot shoe, the ones our art.
our built-in flash, and maybe an that intelligently measure their
But you’re not buying any of
additional more powerful flash, own reflected light and know
this misinformation are you?
as well as all their manuals, so when the light is enough and turn
Or at least not all of it. That’s
why do we need to learn about themselves off. We can even set
why you bought (or borrowed
light? them to communicate with the
or stole) this book in the first
camera so that the camera sees
If we need more light, we can place. There has to be more,
both the flash and the ambient
just use that built-in or popup but what is it? More equipment?
light and adjusts intelligently
camera flash, what we’ll refer Sometimes, but not usually.
between the two.
to as built-in flash, and we get Better pictures mostly require
simply understanding how to use
whatever light we have.
not
There is more. It’s not difficult
rms you do heck to learn, and you have the
Any te and here? C e guidebook in your hands right
t h
unders lossary at t
now. The key is learning how
g n
in the his book. I ght
light works and how to get it
t li
end of controlling
where you want it and with
may
the quality of light you need,
f
fact, i o you, you and that means turning off all
t
is new at least smart settings for now. If you
o
want t e glossary
h
skim t w.
right n
o more!
The re IS
Introduction: Lighting? Why Bother? xiii
learn to work with simple, dumb face is sunlit entirely from the Learn engineering! Horrors!
lighting—where you do the back. Sometimes this will make No, not horrors at all, for two
thinking—you’ll get great images quite a beautiful picture, but reasons. First, the engineering we
with simple equipment. If you’ve often not so beautiful. There’s no need is mostly stuff we already
got one of those dedicated magic in when it happens right learned when we started to
flashes already and learn to and when it happens wrong, use our eyes as babies, but it’s
work with it in manual mode first, though (unless it’s the magic of sitting in the unconscious back
you’ll actually make better use our own brains). The difference of our brains. There’s nothing
of its sophisticated capabilities between the good and the bad new to learn; we simply need
afterward. For our purposes depends on whether we learn to to move what we already know
here, we want the camera and see the difference and whether from the back to the intelligent
any flash we have to be set to we have time to fix the problems. front of our brains to become
manual, so we’re making all the Balancing the relative brightness aware of what we already know.
decisions. of the flash and the ambient The second good news is that
light makes a huge difference, the engineering can be cheap.
Sometimes we find the light;
and doing that requires time for All of us want an amount of
everything is perfect—shoot
us to think. Timing and learning photographic equipment with a
now, don’t wait! But to do that,
relate, though. If we learn better, value approximately equal to our
we have to learn to see that the
we can work faster. That gives us national debt (in whatever nation
light is perfect. We also need to
more time. we live). At the same time, we
see when the light is wrong and
can often do as much with pieces
decide what to do about that Finally, there will be many, many
of cardboard and aluminum foil.
“wrong” light. Often we can fix times when putting the flash on
problems; sometimes we don’t the camera is the worst thing to In our cover photograph, the
bother. If it’s our best friend’s do. Still, what if the only flash important light source was the
wedding, we hope that milestone we have is the one built into built-in flash. It was the only flash
is not ever going to happen the camera? We certainly can’t used. Most people’s reaction
again and we take the picture disassemble our cameras to when they learn this is to say,
anyway. We don’t get another put the flash somewhere else. “No way!” This little flash is not
chance on that one. That’s a job for engineers, most known for creating such beautiful
(not all) of whom have put so light. Its light always comes
There will be other times when
much effort into learning their from the front of the camera,
the light is bad, but we can at
craft that they haven’t had time which doesn’t seem to be what is
least help it very quickly: pop
to learn photography as art. At happening in this portrait. If you
up that built-in flash (or turn on
the same time, we need to learn have a white wall (or white paper
the flash we’ve already attached
some engineering to be good taped to a colored wall), some
to the camera, just in case we
photographers. cardboard, and silver foil, you
needed it) to fill shadows if a
xiv Focus On Lighting Photos
can do this picture, too. We’ll talk information. Share what Professional equipment is great—
you through it in Chapter 1. equipment is available. If each it’s made to hold up for a career.
of you can afford to buy only But it tends to be expensive. Resist
Our goal here is to give you
one cheap light, together you the urge to run out and buy stuff.
enough knowledge of lighting—
can outclass many professional Rather like exercise equipment,
whatever the source—that you
studios. We’ll also show you how for all too many photographers
can take great photos without a
to make all sorts of tools, which (professional and amateur),
ton of gear or expensive strobes.
photographers need on occasion. these tools just gather dust all too
We also want you to understand
The camera and the little built- often. Until you’re ready for the
the lighting before you make
in flash or an off-camera flash investment, make your own tools
any more significant equipment
often are not enough. Sometimes or rent them or borrow them. In
investment. If you decide you
we need to make a little light the long run, you’ll end up with
must have one more light, not
bigger. Sometimes we need to equipment you actually use and
attached to the camera, get the
restrict the spread of a light. not waste money and stuff your
least intelligent, least expensive
There are tools to do this. Most basement with cool gear you
you can find. It will always be
can be homemade. Experiment. don’t use.
useful in the future when you
Make a homemade softbox,
need one more light in a complex Photography has always been
snoot, grid, and gobo. There
arrangement. exciting. Today, we don’t have to
are samples of all in the book,
wait for the film to be processed
Later, if you need a more as well as excellent photos using
to know if we got the shot. With
expensive flash, or a whole studio them. Tape a white sheet to a
digital, we know immediately.
filled with strobes, you will know colored wall before investing in
It’s an ever-changing field.
better what works, spend your seamless paper. Learn what you
New technology. New software.
money more wisely, and get a lot like to work with—what helps
Boy, it’s fun. However, with
more from your investment. you get the photos you want.
more knowledge and a few
In the meantime, learn about If you find yourself wearing out
tools, you’re more likely to get
light. Join a camera club, where your homemade versions, then
the image you want and get
there is enthusiasm plus a it’s time to upgrade. But while
it faster.
great willingness to exchange you’re learning, save your money.
Introduction: Lighting? Why Bother? xv
Chapter 1: There’s More Than One
Way to Get Things Done
We’ll start With profile lighting. It’s fairly easy for the subject. “Just sit there, and
easy. This is not lighting we’ll often use, I’ll do the rest.”
because it works only with one head
Second, because we don’t have to
position. Okay, two positions: camera-
direct the subject very much, we can
left and camera-right, essentially the
concentrate just on the lighting. Later,
same thing done from each direction.
when we’re sure we know the lighting so
Still, the subject doesn’t have to “pose”
well that we don’t have to think about it
for the picture. Well, the person does
much, we can then concentrate instead
pose, but because the subject doesn’t
on directing the subject to look as good
have to face the camera, he or she
as possible.
doesn’t have to interact with the camera.
The subject need not be friendly, Because we don’t have to worry much
dignified, warm, assertive; any emotion about posing and emotion, we’ll
or no emotion will work. This gives us concentrate mostly on the simple
two advantages. mechanics of how the light behaves.
This light will behave in exactly the same
First, we don’t need a professional
ways with other poses, but let’s learn
model, performer, or actor. Nor do we
about that behavior with an easy pose.
need to try to turn a “real person” into a
professional subject. This makes things
There’s More Than One Way to Get Things Done 3
-right”
“ camera
s this
What’ s?
s
busine
ted in
ter m inven at least
It’s a and dance right”
theater . “ tage
S
ars ago of the
500 ye he right side sees
t dience
means the au f what the
s
stage a pposite o s
o s make
it, the er sees. Thi because,
m y
perfor photograph
in
sense the ego of
e
despite tographer, th e,
o c
the ph s the audien
i
camera performer.
e
not th
4 Focus On Lighting Photos
Built-in flash
Shot with built-in
flash.
Built-in flash.
There’s More Than One Way to Get Things Done 5
Light
g!
modifiers
Bo ooorin Whether we use the simple
light built into the camera,
studio strobes costing several
thousands of dollars each,
or (most likely) something in
We made the portrait on page 5 The cover shot was done with the between these extremes, we
with the camera’s built-in flash. same on-camera flash and no often find that our lights will
not do what we want without
It’s an okay picture: the compo- additional lights. The difference is
modifiers. There are dozens of
sition is acceptable, the posing in the use of light modifiers. The light modifiers. We’ll buy some
is good, and the exposure is box describes the modifiers we and make more, but there are
perfect. Still, it’s not a picture used for this picture. four general types we need to
this man is eager to hang on the know about. For now, we’ll talk
wall. We must improve it, and about the ones that make this
we can. picture work, but you’ll find a
more complete catalog of light
modifiers in Chapter 2.
6 Focus On Lighting Photos
Modifier 1: A mirror
Having the flash built into Silver reflector
the camera certainly doesn’t
mean we have to keep it there.
Even if the flash is built into
the camera, we can move its
effective location, and we can Silver reflector
do that ourselves without a team
of electronic and mechanical
engineers. Here’s how.
We need a mirror to move the
light to where we want it to be.
We angle a mirror in front of the White reflector Black background
camera flash so the light bounces
from this mirror to where we
point it. This allows us to put the
light almost anywhere we want
it. (In fact, we could put the light
different names where you live.) light stand. Or you can attach
absolutely anywhere we want it,
Compared to other photographic it directly to your camera with
but that would require a series
equipment, it’s cheaper than dirt; a glob of what we call “blue
of mirrors, light bouncing from
buy a little more than you need. glue,” which won’t damage
one to another. After reflecting
You’ll use it again. your camera. (Blue glue,
from all of those mirrors, the
originally designed to seal
light would be about as bright Now glue some of the Mylar to
refrigerator gaskets, has been
as a candle in a coal mine! We a thin, stiff board and cut it to
since marketed under many
wouldn’t try that.) approximately the area the flash
brand names as a way for
will illuminate. At such a close
What sort of mirror do we use? parents to temporarily put
distance, this will certainly be less
Anything we have handy, but up their children’s art without
than 3 by 5 inches and may be
here’s a good way to make damaging the wall.) “Blue glue”
much smaller than that.
a simple, lightweight, safe, is photographer slang for a
unbreakable one. First, get a Position the reflector in front product available under several
sheet of silver Mylar film. (Mylar of your flash. How do you brand names in many hardware
is a DuPont brand name and the hold it there? You can hold it and crafts-supply stores; your
product may be available under in your hand or clamp it to a store clerk may have never
There’s More Than One Way to Get Things Done 7
heard the term, so you may
have to describe it or show the
picture in this book to find it.
So now we’ve redirected our flash
off into space. Our subject now
gets no light at all. How do we
get that light back?
Blue Glue
8 Focus On Lighting Photos
Modifier 2: A big white
reflector
In portraiture, there is almost
always a main or key light (same
thing, different words). So far, we
don’t have one. Now it’s time to
establish one. (When more than
one light is used, the one the
camera sees as brightest is the
main light.)
In this case, our main light will be
a big white board. That big white
reflecting board could be the wall
Usually not
of your apartment. You may have
that readily available, but you
can’t take it with you wherever
you go. Another alternative is the
biggest piece of foam board you
can carry. (This is often called
Fome-Cor, the original manufac-
turer’s name; the specific brand
does not matter.)
What’s the biggest we can carry?
Of course, that depends on our
vehicle, but whatever that limita-
tion is, we can carry a sheet
double that size. Score the board
with a razor blade, and then fold
it in half. (Note that the scored
board will last longer if we cover
the other side with Mylar to
make one side silver. We won’t Usually so
use the silver side yet, but it will
certainly be useful in the future.)
There’s More Than One Way to Get Things Done 9
Why use a white reflector? Why
not another silver one, like the
haped
s are s an be
one we are using for the flash?
e
n flash ram, it c
Silver would be brighter, and
moder ag flectio
n
Most es. In a di
we could use a lower ISO or a
x w the re
like bo t to see ho lly, their
smaller aperture.
l na the
difficu . Still, inter ly resemble
All true, but a silver reflector will
s e
happen rs very clos flector.
reflect the light like a mirror.
o e
reflect parabolic r
It will look similar to whatever
the original light source is. That
e
old-tim of the
means that a big silver reflector
the shape m doesn’t behaves exactly like a small one,
So if diagra
in the s, don’t
and we don’t want that. We want
flash e your
a fairly large light source because
k ing is
look li the same th
it is softer. We’ll talk more about
worry; g.
what that means in the next
in
chapter, but for now all we need
happen to know is that softer light is
generally better for portraiture
and that the bigger the light is,
the softer it is.
SO?
Wh at is I tandar
ds
ti onal S n ways of
nterna o
The I tion agrees hings,
cia
Asso ng all sort s of t osure.
p
ri hic ex e
measu g photograp to which w
i n
includ her the ISO f the
ig o
The h camera (or s light
e s
set th buy) the le ISO
e r
film w . Still, lowe ty.
ed quali
requir higher
s
gives u
10 Focus On Lighting Photos
Other modifiers: Fill Hair light may sound like a silly an important “little.” We think the
term for a portrait of a Sikh who definition of the back of the head
light, hair light
always covers his hair in public, matters a lot, but that’s a judg-
Now we may be done with but that’s what photographers ment call. You may decide that
the picture. We’ve proven our usually call it. We almost never having the back of the head dis-
points about the importance of use it for bald people, but we appear into darkness is just fine.
the placement of the light and frequently use it for everyone We didn’t think that would be just
the size of the light. Still, if we else. A kicker is almost the same fine, because we were determined
want to do more, we can. When thing, except it’s moved a little to to do complete portrait lighting
working with only the one tiny the side usually to light a tiny bit with only one little light built into
little light built into the camera, of the face. a cheap camera. With big blond
additional enhancements make hair or with a second light, the
We did use a hair light for this
little difference, but working with hair light can be wonderful.
picture to try to get a little light
a more powerful external light
onto the back of the black turban So here we are with a on-camera
can make these enhancements
to separate it from the black flash used as an off-camera main
important. Depending on the
background. However, we didn’t
specific picture and on personal
use an additional flash. We used
taste, these may be things you
another silver reflector.
will always do or things you will Fill light brightens the
never do. Either way, you should Our hair light accomplished very shadows. We liked the shadow
always consider them. little in this case, but we think it’s in this picture and left it as
it was. Still, a different head
position could have made a
big difference in the lighting.
Silver reflector As long as the man is facing
the light, no fill is necessary.
Had he faced the camera,
though, too much of his face
might have been in shadow.
Silver reflector In that case, we would have
moved the main light (the
big white card) closer to the
camera to light more from
the front. We also might have
added a second white card as
a fill. We’ll talk more about fill
White reflector Black background in the next photo. For this one,
we’re happy with the shadows.
There’s More Than One Way to Get Things Done 11
Greenland may have to wait
months for the light to be right!)
m
or foa
Mylar foil to a bit
Controlling the size of the sun,
have
Don’t Tape silver r. Use
however, requires luck. On a
?
board board for a mirro ite cloudless day, the sun is a small,
d e a wh
of car wall or tap rtain) to
hard light. On a very cloudy day,
the sun is a huge soft source.
e u
a whit r shower c d of foam Usually, we want something
(o a
sheet l inste
ed wal uch all
between those extremes: just a
r
a colo retty m
little cloud cover, right between us
P
board. ave at least
and the sun to soften the light a
h
bit, and the rest of the sky mostly
of us se at home clear blue, maybe with a cloud
e
one th here or there just for decoration.
alread y. We can’t control this, and we
need to see it quickly and shoot
quickly when it happens. Clouds
move, and the best light may be
of multiple-light pictures. The
light, a hair light, and a hint that there for only a few seconds.
main light is the sun; the fill light
we’re going to add a fill light in This means that the easiest way
is the open sky.
the next chapter. Is this truly a to learn lighting is in the studio.
one-light portrait? Yes. And no. So we need to learn only three It doesn’t matter if your “studio”
All of this light comes from the things: where to put the light, happens to be your living room,
tiny cheap flash built into the what size should it be, and how your garage, or a temporarily
camera. That sort of makes it a to make a fill. vacant office in the building
one-light picture. The rest comes where you work. The whole
Where to put the sun is easy. We
from inexpensive reflectors we put advantage is to have your space
simply need to choose the right
in place because we knew what where you can make mistakes,
time of day when the sun comes
to put where, and that sort of and then go back to identical
from whatever direction we want.
makes it a multiple-light portrait. conditions, make a few adjust-
(Those living in the 48 contiguous
The fact is that almost no pictures U.S. states or Hawaii have an ments, and get the picture right.
are truly lit by a single light. easier job of this than do those We learn about lighting lot faster
Even architecture and landscape who live in Alaska, where sun- if all the mistakes and successes
photography, where even the rise and sunset may happen are our mistakes and successes
biggest, most powerful flashes very early or inconveniently instead of the random acts of
are useless—is usually made up late. Photographers in northern weather.
12 Focus On Lighting Photos
Same principle: We can
control the size of the
light in many ways
This photo of a little girl is also a
one-flash setup. In this case, the
photographer used an off-camera
flash. The flash was set off by a
wireless flash trigger. The photog-
rapher made his own softbox using
cardboard box with tracing paper
taped over an 8-by-10-inch square
hole cut in a cardboard box. A
second hole was cut into the back
side, just big enough to put the
flash in. To make the catchlights
in the eyes look like they came
from a four-pane window, he put
two strips of black tape across the
tracing paper in a cross pattern.
In this case, a white foam board
reflector was positioned at camera
left to bounce a bit of light back
into the shadows. The decision of
when to add fill is an individual
one—there is no one right answer.
So look at your camera’s image
display and make decisions as you
shoot. No reflector was used as a
hair light because the light-colored
hat retained enough detail. The
softbox was about a foot away
actual window light. The only light, whereas both clouded sun
from the subject.
problem with a real window is and open sky make soft lights.
Haven’t got a softbox and that we don’t have immediate The best time for the light may be
don’t feel like making one? We control over the light coming in. the worst time for our schedule of
can get the same effect using Unclouded sun makes a hard other things we have to do.
There’s More Than One Way to Get Things Done 13
Homemade softbox.
Haven’t got white foam board? least some), quite often there are is mostly dark or lightening
Tape white copy paper to some workarounds that you already the edges when the image is
cardboard! Use a white wall! Don’t have in your possession. mostly light. It helps direct the
have a wireless flash trigger? Use eye to the subject and makes
The photographer also did
a small plain piece of cardboard the edge of the image sort of
some postproduction work in
in front of the built-in flash, angled fade away instead of just cut-
the previous picture of the girl
so that none of its light strikes ting off. The edge darkening
with the teddy bear to add a
the subject but the off-camera may be obvious, or it may be
bit of sepia tone and create a
flash is triggered by the built-in so subtle no one notices. (Ansel
vignette. The color judgments
flash (which has a slave and will Adams believed that practically
are personal, but many portrait
trigger when it sees another flash all pictures needed a very slight
photographers vignette images
go off). Although all the tools we “burn” on the edges to center
regularly. This means darken-
are mentioning are great to have the eye on the principal subject.)
ing the edges of a portrait that
(and at some point you’ll get at
14 Focus On Lighting Photos
how many pictures shouLd i shoot?
Good question, but not quite the right question. The better question
is how many pictures should you submit? The answer depends on for
whom you are working.
We are no longer limited by the cost of film and processing (especially
because hardly anyone shoots expensive 8-by-10-inch film anymore).
Buying extra gigabytes of flash RAM is getting cheaper daily. We shoot
as many pictures as we think we need, and then we submit as few as
possible. (Keep in mind, too, that downloading and editing takes time.
So although we don’t have the cost of film and processing, our time
counts, too.)
Consider these examples. Portrait photographers shoot as many
pictures as the patience of the subject allows, and then they submit
only the best for customer consideration. Notice that showing more
pictures does not always increase sales. Instead, only show pictures
with different moods and expression. If they are all good, people are
more likely to buy one of each.
Journalistic photographers shoot as many frames as time allows, and
then they submit most of the pictures to the picture editor. We don’t In any shoot,
know the final text yet and never know when our worst submission may
turn out to fit the text best vertically or horizontally. Mediocre pictures
try to save a
sometimes win Pulitzer prizes if they appear in the right article. few shots for
Commercial photographers shoot an assignment until they get one experimentation.
Push yourself.
good picture. If they shoot more, the client just may pick the bad one.
Don’t give the client that chance.
Developing photographers don’t yet know what they do well and It will keep
you fresh,
should shoot everything they can. Submit your best to as many forums
as possible: your school, local camera clubs, websites, neighborhood
art shows. Spread yourself around as much as possible; your local
school or camera club guru may be great, but not the guru for you. If
and often you
you haven’t yet found your direction, your main job is to keep looking will surprise
yourself!
for it. Your own guru may be right down the hall in your school or may
be running a website 8,000 miles away. Good luck!
There’s More Than One Way to Get Things Done 15
Adding another light
In the photo at right, we’re sort
of doing the same thing we did
in the photo at the beginning
of this chapter on page 2, but
there are some big differences.
Mainly, we have a second light,
and we’re assuming that it will be
a brighter light than the one built
into the camera. What should
that light be? Whatever you want,
whatever you have. Light is light,
and we think the simpler, the
better for learners. If you have
an intelligent flash, good! It will
pay you back in the long run.
But both your intelligent flash
and your intelligent camera have
already learned all they will ever
unto itself, and each model of every automatic feature you
know. Eventually, learn to use
flash requires still another book. can, both on your flash and on
their particular features, but for
your camera. (The only frequent
now, try not to depend on their “Sufficient unto each day the evils
exception is autofocus. When the
intelligence. thereof.” We’re here to learn
camera is thinking properly, it
lighting, not equipment opera-
You have a better computer right can focus even a poor lens better
tion. Those are two different
inside your head. It’s been built than we can focus with those two
issues. Even if we have fully mas-
on thousands of years of research even poorer lenses we have built
tered a particular sophisticated
and development. Learn to use into our heads.)
flash, one of the fist steps in
it. Furthermore, if we are just
learning lighting is to simplify the With the most sophisticated
beginning to learn lighting, we
situation so that we can tell the camera-flash combinations, a
will actually find a simple light
difference between what we are monkey can shoot 800 pictures
much easier to learn to use than
thinking and what the camera- and get at least one good one.
a complex one. We have enough
flash system is thinking. Turning off the automation, we
to deal with to just learn how the
can shoot five or six pictures and
light behaves. Learning the vari- The most important concept here
get at least one good one. Don’t
ous program modes of the most is to think about the lighting.
be a monkey.
sophisticated flash is a whole book If you want to learn, turn off
16 Focus On Lighting Photos
Later, turn on all the automa- cover. Photographers like all of whatever lens we can afford, the
tion you please. It’s good stuff these advantages, and that’s why next step is buying whatever flash
for efficient working, even if it’s many pictures use sunlight as the we can afford.
not good for efficient learning. main light.
Which flash do we want? This is
Some of the best photographers
Still, we don’t have good control the hardest decision we have to
in the world use the most highly
over the sun. What if we need to make! In the long run, buying a
automated systems, but most first
shoot exactly now and the sun is dedicated flash built to work with
learned with dumb equipment.
not in the right place? What if we our camera is probably the best
But enough philosophy already. want a softer light, but there is no decision. But right now, while we
cloud cover? What if we live in are still learning, that could be
In the Sikh’s picture, we needed
a climate where there is almost the worst decision. Why? First
to put the white reflector in a
never any cloud cover? of all, it’s likely to be an expen-
specific spot to get the result we
sive decision. When we buy the
wanted. After all, if we put it in One way or another, experienced
dedicated flash, we’re paying for
the wrong spot, it wouldn’t have photographers often overcome
the work of a lot of very smart
reflected the light from the built- these problems, but if we’re
engineers who made that flash
in flash in the camera. By getting not already experienced, these
to work with our camera. That’s
the main light off the camera, we difficulties will hinder our learn-
okay; they earned it. But those
can put it absolutely anywhere we ing. It will take us a lot longer
same shamefully prideful engi-
want. In the photo on page 16, to become the experienced
neers sometimes build equipment
our main light is at camera right, photographers who can deal with
that makes it impossible to oper-
and that’s a big advantage. the problems. In fact, the compli-
ate in a fully manual mode, and
cations may prevent us from ever
What do we need to use as the we want full control!
gaining that experience at all.
main light? We certainly get the
So look carefully at the options
biggest bang for the buck if we So that’s the problem. What’s
available for the camera’s
use the sun. It’s free, it’s pow- the solution? Life is short, and
dedicated flash. If it, along with
erful, and it’s available for at we want to learn as quickly as
least a few hours a day almost possible. After buying whatever
anywhere in the world. We even camera we can afford, with
have a certain amount of control
Having
af ford.” re
e can ers mo
over it. Want it to come from a
different direction? Choose
ever w ipment matt
“ hat t equ .
W ipment
igh st equ
a different time of day or use
the r g the
be
n havin
a silver reflector to change its
direction. Want it to be softer? tha
Choose a day with some cloud
There’s More Than One Way to Get Things Done 17
the camera, offers fully manual
control, we want it, and we’ll
be wise to spend the extra cash
for the little brain in the flash.
We’d like to use those automatic
options later. But if we can’t
totally control the flash with our
own hands and brains, we don’t
want it right now. Instead, we’ll
buy a dumb flash, probably with
a lot more power for a lot less
money. Maybe later we’ll buy
the intelligent flash and save
ourselves some work, or maybe
we’ll stay with the dumb flash but
buy more of them. Either way, it
needs to be our decision and not
the decision of engineers.
Right now, we’ll use a small light.
of the most beautiful women
We could skip the expense and
we’ve ever seen and turned her
en and
do the same thing with the sun,
d wom e
into a hag. Pretty women have
Ol
but for now we want to talk about
n ar
smooth skin, but look at the skin
old me l, too!
your light source. First, we’ll
texture in this picture. It’s rough
fu
beauti t to
assume you’ve bought a small
and wrinkled, even though she’s
light to increase control. If you
ge
We’ll on.
very young. That’s not her fault;
haven’t done that, you can still
o
that s
it’s ours. What did we do wrong?
use the sun.
The whole problem is the size of
Let’s look at the photo on page 16
our light. Small lights make hard
again. We already know it’s a
shadows; big lights make soft
good photo. How did we get
shadows. It’s as simple as that.
there?
Neither is inherently better than flash, we already have a small
The photo at right is essentially the other, but we have to think light. So getting the hard shadow
the same photo, but it sure about which we want and make is easy. Now we have to turn that
doesn’t look the same. Why not? that decision again for each small light into a big one. Once
Well, for a start, we’ve taken one picture. If we’ve bought a small we learn how to obtain both, we
18 Focus On Lighting Photos
can also get anything in between:
a medium-size light of whatever
t?
sparen
size we want.
ucent ? Tran ce? Both
Transl the differen rial that
To get from the harsh, unflatter-
s e
What’ escribe mat d many
ing image on page 18 to the
improved light in the photo on
d an
page 16, we put a large sheet of words t through, rchangeably.
gh e
translucent white diffusion mate-
lets li se them int things,
u
people an different phers
rial between our subject and the
e ra
They m and photog have to get
flash. Voilà! What is diffusion
, er
material? Many things: cloudy
sky, thin white paper or plastic, though o each oth
t
foggy or smoky air. All of these
talking s right. to
rm image
the te
can turn a small light into a big-
o ws an or’s
ncy all
ger one. The distance between
hb
the light source and the diffusion
Tra nspare gh. Our neig ugh
hrou thro
pass t s like a cat . But if
also affects the effective size of the
ok
cat lo glass window s or ices
light: the farther away, the bigger
the light. Notice that this is exactly
og
the opposite of the effect of a clear e window f
m ,
the sa of weather
moving an undiffused light farther
e
becaus see light
away! Moving an undiffused light
ll no
we sti through but s
farther away makes it a smaller
t’
light: think of the unclouded sun,
93 million miles away. Moving coming ble cat. Tha
a
a small light far enough away
identifi ency.
c
translu
to fully light a large diffusion
material evenly makes it softer.
Try putting your small flash directly
against a white shower curtain.
(We’ll talk about white shower from the curtain as possible, and difference the effective size of the
curtains a few times, because then shoot another picture of the light makes, you will see it here
it’s the largest piece of diffusion same subject without moving the and never forget.
material many people have where camera. (You may or may not
A large light is the kindest light
they live.) Take a picture of almost need to adjust exposure.) If you
for faces. We also added some
anything, move the light as far don’t already understand the
There’s More Than One Way to Get Things Done 19
neutral density filter in front of not always want the kindest light stack them together in layers if
the built-in flash because its if the subject is an oppressive we need either more diffusion or
lowest power setting was too dictator or a vicious criminal. Even more dimming of the built-in flash.
much. By diffusing our lights (thus good-hearted people may not
So we’ve got one basic profile
enlarging them), we still got an want the most flattering portrait
done three different ways. If
image with the drama provided if they happen to be avant-garde
we find ourselves with great
by shadows, but we’ve eliminated artists or suffering saints.
window light, use it. If not, with
the ugliness of harsh lighting (the
Diffusion and neutral density these simple tools, we’ve still got
bane of small lights).
material comes in a variety of options.
All that said, we may not always densities. We don’t need them all.
Now let’s look at the simple tools
want the kindest light. If we shoot Get a lighter and medium density
that make this possible.
for a newspaper, the paper may of each to start. We can always
20 Focus On Lighting Photos
This page intentionally left blank
Chapter 2: Tools: Now We Have Light,
but How Do We Get It Under Control?
a gOOd Online photographic store something that you can’t make yourself,
will have several thousand tools, and try renting or borrowing it first. All too
these sources aren’t the only choice. many photographers have bought
Theatrical supply stores have even more. something blindly, only to have it gather
Still, we’ve already proved that we can dust. Experiment with homemade or
make a good portrait with only one borrowed tools first.
tiny light and some homemade tools.
Know that these tools are available.
Nevertheless, we need to at least put
Over the long term, having a selection
forth a list of equipment and tools that
will enable you to work more efficiently
each photographer should be aware
and easily. (And the faster we work, the
of. As your experience grows, you can
more we can charge!) Throughout we’ll
pick and choose from these additional
mention options for making many of
items. We’re not suggesting that you
these tools yourself for pennies (such
run out and buy everything described
as the softbox and mirror described in
in this book. In fact, we recommend
Chapter 1).
you stay minimalist at this point. If you
find yourself thinking you’ve got to have
Tools: Now We Have Light, but How Do We Get It under Control? 23
be
Don’t y
ated b
intimid . Learn
t
the lis available,
what’s pick
en
and th ose.
o
and ch
ways
are various in
There hings done
t ools
to get aphy. The t
gr s.
photo option
ive us nd when
here g imply a e
Start
s memad
le w ith ho ade to
possib . Only upgr s when
s n
version tured versio
ac
manuf urself
you find yo ake an
to rem ause
having c
ten be
it em of it so much.
se
you u
24 Focus On Lighting Photos
Off-camera flash So we want you to get one more an extra two seconds figuring
light beyond what your camera out the right exposure with fully
We’ve proved that we can make offers. What sort of light? Almost manual equipment, it may be too
a good portrait with only one anything, as long as it’s your light late to get any picture at all.
tiny light on the camera. If that’s and you can control it with your
all we have, keep that light and If you like still life, though, a bowl
own hands, eyes, and brain. A
keep working. Still, working with of fruit or a glass of wine will
60-watt desk lamp will be fine for
so little is difficult, and we’d like sit for a pretty long time without
many subjects. An “intelligent”
to have at least one more light. changing appearance. (Some of
flash is better, but a “dumb” flash
Edward Weston’s pepper photo-
The easiest way to get another is perfectly adequate.
graphs, without flash, required
light is to use the sun. Let that Money always matters, no matter up to 12 hours of exposure time.)
be your main light and use your what we can afford. A photog- People who want to do this sort of
on-camera flash as fill. For us, rapher who can only buy a $50 thing can buy a dumb flash with
though, that’s not the easiest flash inevitably wants a $100 way more power for a lot lower
way to teach lighting. The sun flash. Another who can afford price.
is too difficult to control. It may $20,000 worth of studio strobes
be extremely “hard” for one If you are a novice photographer,
always wants to have $40,000
reader, but with enough cloud you may not yet know what you
worth of lights. We all do what
cover, it may be extremely “soft” most want to do. In that case,
we can with whatever we have.
for another reader in a different buy the least expensive intelligent
place in the world on the same Think seriously about whether flash you can. Experiment. Save
day. We can depend on the sun you want an intelligent or a your major investment for later.
for energy for a bazillion years dumb flash. You’ll base that deci-
Whatever light we use, it’s impor-
to come, but we can’t depend on sion mostly on what you want
tant that we be able to fully con-
it for photographic lighting from to photograph. If you’re one
trol the camera and the light on
one minute to the next. With so of the paparazzi and need to
the camera. All cameras can be
many random things happening shoot quickly before the celebrity
set to a “Manual” (read “dumb”)
with sunlight, a novice photog- disappears into a building where
mode, and that’s good. However,
rapher has no idea what lighting you’re not allowed, you definitely
many of them will still revert to
changes he or she has made want the intelligent flash. You
some sort of automatic (read
versus what changes the weather don’t have time to think about
“really stupid”) mode when we
has made. Ignorance is guaran- flash power settings unless you
use the popup flash along with a
teed; both of your co-authors, are very experienced. The flash,
second external flash. That takes
Fil and Robin, have been there, along with your intelligent cam-
control out of our hands, and we
done that. era, will sometimes get the expo-
don’t want that.
sure wrong. But if you spend even
Tools: Now We Have Light, but How Do We Get It under Control? 25
We all want the most intelligent but it has more power and it’s a 3. We are shooting small-scale
camera and flash combination bit bigger than the built-in flash. scientific and medical pho-
we can get but that can be set to This can be a good thing to do, tography. (But then we often
fully manual operation when we in specific situations: want the light to be a ring light
need it. around the lens instead of a
1. We are shooting a quick-
light on top of the camera.)
Although there is plenty we can moving event—news,
do with just the sun and the built- weddings, locker-room sports 4. The light on the camera is a
in flash, the benefit of an off- celebrations—where there is fill light to illuminate shadows
camera flash is its mobility. We simply no time to put the light cast by the main light. How do
can place it anywhere we want. someplace else. we combine these two?
In some cases, we will just put 2. We are using “beauty lighting” For people learning lighting,
this additional flash right on the for as little shadow as possi- number 4 is the important one to
camera’s hot shoe. It’s pretty ble. (But in this case we would most of us. We don’t always need
much where the built-in flash is, still like to use a bigger light.) a fill light. This book’s cover
was done without one. Still, in
most cases most photographers
will want one. Fortunately, the
fill light is usually there already:
the flash built into our camera.
Along with that, we almost
Off-camera flash always have a second light. It
on a light stand.
may be free sunlight provided by
nature, it may be a studio strobe
You don’t need worth more than the mortgage
on our house, or, most likely, it
the newest flash may be something in between.
on the market. It makes good sense to put that
light to work doing something
Consider buying beyond what our built-in flash
used equipment
can do with ease.
to start.
26 Focus On Lighting Photos
How to trigger flash
If the flash is not mounted on the
camera, we need a way to trigger
it remotely. Other than the hit-or-
miss method of having an assis-
tant fire the flash as we shoot,
there are several good ways to
do this. The best way depends on
what we are shooting and where
and, always, budget. Ideally,
balancing real need and real
money, we each decide what’s
best for us.
Synch cord
This is certainly the least expen-
sive and often the most reliable
tool for the job. In most cases,
there’s an electrical connector
on the camera and another one
on the flash intended for this use.
Exactly how those connectors are
shaped varies, though, and we
have to get the right cord to mate
with the camera and the flash at
each end.
short synch cord where one end used synch cords at least much
Long synch cords may be expen- matches the camera and the of the time. They have two big
sive. If we want the flash to be a other fits an ordinary household disadvantages, though:
greater distance from the cam- extension cord. At the other Disadvantage 1. We can
era, one of the more “expensive” end, we have another synch safely use a synch cord to
synch methods may actually cord that mates the household trigger only one remote flash.
cost less than the “cheap” synch cord to the flash. This gives us Mechanical cameras had
cord. Still, we don’t always longer-distance triggering for very lightweight electrical
need a synch cord to cover the fairly low cost. Until very recent switches, able to survive only
whole distance. We can use a times, almost all photographers very low electrical current, for
Tools: Now We Have Light, but How Do We Get It under Control? 27
the sake of rapid, accurate between the smart flash and Light-sensitive trigger
movement; today’s cameras the smart camera. That’s fine
We plug one of these into the
follow similar standards. for now, because we want
remote flash. It sees the light
Plugging together a make- you to do as much of the
from an on-camera flash and
shift arrangement of cables thinking as possible. Later,
nearly instantly triggers the
to trigger multiple flash units though, you will probably want
flash it’s plugged into. Some
can burn the electrical circuits to make use of some or all of
of these actually cost less than
in the best-built camera! If we your equipment’s intelligence,
many synch cords, and we can
want more than one remote and synch cords that can trans-
plug them into literally any
flash, we have to trigger them mit the extra data tend to be
number of flashes without any
without wires. short and expensive. Because
risk of damaging our camera
the whole point of using the
Disadvantage 2. A simple electronics. Many studio strobes
synch cord is to save money,
synch cord only triggers have these already built in, and
we may undo its sole advan-
the flash. There can be no we have nothing extra to buy.
tage this way.
intelligent communication
can be
This trigger o ways,
in tw
plugged reversing its
ly
possib and negative
e
positiv al terminals.
c
electri ed it at a
t
We tes where it
e t
distanc arely work a
b a
would ainted
en we p rigger
all. Th on the t
t rk
red do flash to ma
e
and th ition
s
An inexpensive trigger. the po works
it
where
best.
28 Focus On Lighting Photos
A more sensitive (and more costly)
trigger.
Sounds like a good solution, in bright sunlight, the trigger
rigger
This t rk at a
and it can be! Still, we need may not see the camera flash
to know about disadvantages, and may do nothing. We
o
here, too. can easily solve this problem will w distance,
by buying more sensitive
greater right
b
Disadvantage 1. Lack of
even in .
triggers, but the increased
sensitivity. This may not be
t
sunligh
cost may undo any economic
a disadvantage at all if we
advantage over other triggers.
work indoors at fairly small
A good compromise, used in
distances. However, if we
the past by both Robin and Fil,
photograph a large group
Tools: Now We Have Light, but How Do We Get It under Control? 29
can be to buy one expensive chance at the shot, but this camera and the flash to measure
trigger for the most distant compromise is not ideal for the scene, think about what each
light and a handful of cheap anyone and can result in sees from its viewpoint, and
triggers for the lights closer to complete disaster for everyone agree with each other about what
the camera. when competitors refuse to the camera is going to do and
cooperate. what the light is going to do.
Disadvantage 2. These
These are expensive, but some
respond to any flash they Infrared trigger of the cost is reduced by not
see. Any other photogra-
Technically, we could simply having to buy a separate device.
pher present may trigger
consider these to be a special The system may be ideal for (1)
our flash. Our flash may be
type of light-sensitive trigger, absolute novice photographers
in the middle of a recycle
as infrared is simply another who want as much automa-
exactly when we need it most.
frequency of light that happens tion as possible so they don’t
Most photographers tend
to be invisible to humans. The have to spend a lot of study
to cooperate in this situa-
similarity ends there, though: time and (2) highly experienced
tion and time their shooting
most infrared triggers are highly photographers who want the
to give the other guy a
intelligent. They allow both the system to take over a lot of the
trigger
frared
The in flash
on this triggers
ly
not on h, but it
s
the fla municate
m
can co tly
en
intellig e camera
h
with t ote
m
for re
power ent.
m
adjust
30 Focus On Lighting Photos
routine thinking, but know when
to override the automation to
get a better picture. The fact that
you are taking the time to read
this book probably means that
you fit neither of these categories.
Disadvantage 1. These triggers
tend to be brand specific. If we
want one maker’s camera and
another maker’s flash, they
may speak different languages.
The extra cost is wasted.
Disadvantage 2. These often
provide only short-range
communication. Sometimes the
best of the dumb visible light
s
ggers i
triggers will work over greater
ese tri and
range.
h
e of t ra
Radio trigger W hen on o the came ou will
ed t h, y k
attach to the flas l. They wor
er ro
These triggers require a transmit-
anoth nt e
um co , and w
maxim frequencies we want
ter on the camera and another
gain
erent uency
on the light. They allow remote
on diff ct the freq different
control of a specific brand
le o r
can se ce to use, s don’t trigge
of flash by another maker’s
vi ts
the de aphers’ ligh arch,
camera. Some models of this
r e rese
equipment also allow remote
g
control not only of lights but photo her. Do som
one a not
find a
also of a second camera!
Depending on the brand, they
thou gh, and at fewer
ncy th
freque aphers are
often allow remote control over
gr
much greater distance than other
synch systems. photo
Disadvantage. Cost. using.
Tools: Now We Have Light, but How Do We Get It under Control? 31
The size of the light
The size of the light may be the
most important decision we make.
More often than not, we’ll want a
large one. The easiest way to get
a bigger light is simply to buy a
bigger light. We could close our
case right there, except this is not
practical for most people. Begin-
ning photographers don’t want to
pay the cost. Experienced photog-
raphers generally want the flex-
ibility of taking the light to another
location with as few assistants as
possible. So we usually want to
make a small light behave as if
it were a bigger one. There are
several basic ways to do this, and
we’ll want to use them all.
Bounce is our principal tool.
Instead of aiming the light
unced
directly at our subject, we aim it
igh t is bo ceiling.
This l e white
at a bigger white surface and let
that surface be our main light.
h
What might that surface be? from t ld just as
u m a
Anything big and (usually) white.
We co ounce it fro e
easily
b a whit
If we have a white wall or ceil-
w all or
white et taped
ing handy, we’re in fat city. Little
e
work, good lighting.
bed sh all.
w
to the
We can bounce the light from
anything handy. What’s handy?
The following two situations are
most common:
Wall bounce. If we are using
only the light built into the
32 Focus On Lighting Photos
camera, we can use a silver dramatically different. We’ll ceiling bounce is our only light,
reflector to direct it to a nearby talk more about this later. we may get very dark shadows
wall. Better lights, attached under the eyes, especially if we
Ceiling bounce. Most ceilings
to the camera, often allow are very close to the subject.
are white. Bouncing a flash off
swiveling to point them in (American photographers often
the ceiling generally gives us
another direction. Still, we can’t call this “raccoon eyes.”)
pretty accurate color. Still, if the
use just any wall that happens
to be handy; the wall needs
to be close to white. What is
“close to white”? That depends
on how good your camera is
at automatic color adjustment
or on how carefully you adjust
the color balance. Automatic
color balance is amazingly
good right now and is likely to
be even better in the cameras
available by the time you read
this book. Manual balance can
compensate for a very wide
range of degrees Kelvin.
This only works, however, if
the wall is “nearly white.” It
also only works with a single
light. If we use a second light
bouncing from a beige wall,
plus the camera’s built-in light
for fill, there’s no way to adjust
for both colors at once.
The same is true if the sun is
our main light. Our on-camera
t
s”—mos
oon eye d this
flash approximates the same
color as midday sunlight, but
“ acc
R
on’t fin
people d
if we shoot near dawn, at
g.
flatterin
dusk, or on a cloudy day, the
colors of the two lights can be
Tools: Now We Have Light, but How Do We Get It under Control? 33
We need to know about this bounce external light plus, in this experienced photographers use
defect to keep it from happen- case, a white fill card. to meet a deadline.
ing. The good news is that it
This is not exciting lighting. It In fact, wall and ceiling bounce
is easy to deal with. The flash
won’t win us any awards unless works so well that some photog-
we bounce off the ceiling is
the subject is an interesting raphers can stop reading this
almost always an external light.
person and the background is chapter right now. Skip on to the
We still have that built-in flash
enticing. Still, it’s a good, basic next chapter. You may already
on our camera to illuminate
arrangement that allows a novice know all you need here. Most
those shadows, or we can use
photographer to get a compe- photographers who buy books,
a fill card. The next picture is
tent picture. It’s also a quick though, want to do more. So
the more likely event: a ceiling
lighting style that plenty of highly keep reading.
Wall Bounce
34 Focus On Lighting Photos
But what if we don’t reflector. By far, most photogra- it’s foam board: plastic foam
phers choose the umbrella. Still, sandwiched between two sheets
have a wall or a ceiling
we’ll talk about the bounce card of paper. Most makers sell two
to use for bounce? first, partly because it resembles different degrees of hardness.
Maybe we’re outdoors and there the walls and ceilings we’ve The harder version is better for
is no wall or ceiling. Maybe we’re already discussed, but mostly purposes like building trade-
photographing the designer of a because it is the cheapest. show signage, but the less
newly successful microprocessor expensive softer version is good
The big bounce card enough for a photographic
in the newly built manufacturing
facility where the ceiling is 14 feet We want the biggest card we can reflector.
high (and maybe painted black) carry. What “biggest” means to For the second material,
and the nearest wall is 30 feet you will depend on whether you we recommend silver Mylar
away. Don’t discount this possibil- drive a truck, ride the subway, (a DuPont name). Cover one
ity, even if you are the mailroom or do something in between. side of the foam core board
clerk. If you are a good amateur We’ll talk about a 4-by-8-foot with this mirror plastic. We
photographer, your employer card. Scale it up if you can carry can buy it in two versions: with
may say, “Why bring in a $2,000 it; scale it down to whatever and without an adhesive back.
professional when we have Sally size you can accommodate. The adhesive back version
right here?” Also consider what you want to costs more, but the ease of
photograph. application is well worth the
This happens. In those cases we
have to bring our own bounce For the first material, overwhelm- price. Whatever version you
reflector. There are many ways ingly, we recommend Fome-Cor. find, practice attaching a small
to do this, but the three common That’s the original name, but piece smoothly to a board
ones are a big bounce card, an other manufacturers sell it under before you assemble the
umbrella, and a collapsible ring different names. Generically, big one.
Tools: Now We Have Light, but How Do We Get It under Control? 35
We can lean foam
board against
something (a chair,
a wall, a ladder, a
book) and clamp it
to an angle iron or
light stand in order
to place it where we
want it. By scoring
it, it folds for easier
transport. With Mylar
on one side, we get
two reflectors in one.
ools,
l the t f
Of al one o
this is apest and
e
the ch edibly
r
it’s inc
l.
usefu
36 Focus On Lighting Photos
Having the foam board white on We don’t think anyone knows umbrella, the light, and a light
one side and silver on the other which photographer first thought stand together. Today we have
allows us to switch it back and of this idea. Almost certainly several umbrella designs made
forth. Sometimes we want the he used an ordinary white specifically for photography.
silver side, sometimes the white umbrella designed to keep rain A well-equipped professional
side. As we mentioned earlier, off peoples’ heads, plus some photographer will have at least
that’s not the only advantage of sort of jerry-rigged arrangement one of each design, possibly in
the Mylar, though. The Mylar is of clamps and tape to hold the several sizes. A serious amateur
extremely tough stuff. Score the
board with a razor blade or a
sharp knife on the white side.
Make the score exactly in the
center and use a metal straight-
edge to guide the cut. Then bend
the board in half.
Now we can store the reflec-
tor in half the space and carry
it in a vehicle half as big. The
silver Mylar that holds the board
together will bend and unbend
essentially forever. We suspect
that archeologists unearthing our
civilization centuries from now
will find photographers’ bounce
cards, dirty but intact.
The umbrella
The big bounce card, along with
a few smaller ones, is the most
useful and cheapest reflector a
photographer can have, but it
certainly is not always the most
practical to store or to carry.
If we can spend a little more
money, we certainly also want an
umbrella.
Tools: Now We Have Light, but How Do We Get It under Control? 37
needs to consider buying one bounce card, but with one ugly reflection in a portrait: the
of whatever design seems most important exception. If we are highlight in the eyes. But those
often useful. shooting a portrait, the reflec- reflections are so small that
tion from human skin will be usually no one notices.)
A white umbrella is the least
identical whether we use a
expensive and also most versatile A silver umbrella reflects more
bounce card or an umbrella.
version, because we can use it light than a white one. It also
However, if we photograph a
two ways. We can use it as either provides less diffusion, so we
mirror-like subject—glass or
a reflector or a diffuser. We’ll talk may need to buy a bigger one to
bright metal—the shape of
about diffusion later, so for now get the same effect. (Remember,
the light will be apparent in
we’ll look at the umbrella simply the bigger the light, the softer
the reflection. In those cases
as a reflector. the shadow.) Still, buying a bigger
an umbrella-shaped reflection
umbrella is less expensive than
As a reflector, the umbrella can be quite ugly and we don’t
buying a brighter light.
behaves exactly like our big want it. (We do get the same
38 Focus On Lighting Photos
A black-backed umbrella is it is also the most expensive. and then folded to half its
sometimes useful when we Few amateurs will find it worth original diameter. This reflector
work in tight spaces. These the cost. Still, it’s good to know also comes with a carrying case.
umbrellas may be white or silver about, because we can improvise So what’s its advantage over
on the inside, but the outside the same effect with a piece of the silver foam-core reflector we
is covered by a second layer of black cloth paper clipped to the already know how to make and
black cloth. This keeps light from back of our white umbrella. much less expensively?
going through the umbrella and
The circular reflector The advantage is more stability
reflecting from walls and other
in wind. Cloth allows some air
surfaces. The black cloth is easily The circular reflector has a piece to blow through it: paper and
removable if we want those of silvered cloth stretched over a plastic blow over to the ground
additional reflections. This is plastic frame. The plastic frame more easily.
the best umbrella to have, but can be twisted into a figure-8
Folded circular reflector.
Tools: Now We Have Light, but How Do We Get It under Control? 39
Softbox
Softboxes are boxes with diffu-
sion material in front and attach
to a light source. Sometimes
there is additional diffusion
material (baffle) inside. They
create beautiful soft light. They
come in a wide range of sizes.
Most professional softboxes dis-
assemble for easy transport from
location to location. Their costs
vary by manufacturer and size,
but we saw in Chapter 1 that we
can make one ourselves out of a
cardboard box, cutting holes for
the flash to fit in and a hole on
the front to which we can tape
tracing paper.
There are also a variety of small
diffusers that attach with Velcro
to a flash; these act like soft-
boxes but are very portable.
Regardless of which type you
use, the larger the diffuser, the
larger the light.
Medium manufactured softbox.
40 Focus On Lighting Photos
Small manufactured softbox. A small diffuser on a
flash that bounces light.
Tools: Now We Have Light, but How Do We Get It under Control? 41
Diffusion So what do we use for diffusion of transparent colors in addition
material? A white shower cur- to the white diffusion material.
The other way to make a light
tain bought at a discount store It’s best if you can buy this item
bigger is to use diffusion. This
works just fine. We can cut it into from a brick-and-mortar store,
means putting the light through
smaller pieces, and we can buy because with the wide variety of
a big piece of translucent mate-
another one whenever we need densities available, you’ll want to
rial. How big? Well, pretty small
it. But what do we do if we need look at them before you buy. You
if we’re photographing a flower
it on a day when the discount may also be able to get a sample
or insect specimen. But makers
store is only selling flower- booklet of any manufacturer’s
of major motion pictures with big
patterned shower curtains? complete selection of filters, but
budgets sometimes hang huge
retailers are generally willing to
diffusion material from the top of A better solution is diffusion
give them only to their bigger
one building to another, diffusing material made specifically for
and more regular customers. Try
the light over a whole block, to photography. They’re called
asking for a gel sample pack at
get the picture. We’ll assume that gels, because they used to be
the same time you are buying a
you cannot spend thousands of made of gelatin, and they are
particularly expensive item.
dollars to make a photograph. available in a very wide range
Roscoe sample pack
opened to diffusion
material.
42 Focus On Lighting Photos
Many photographers use these an improvement, to be able to products) also includes multiple
“samples” as working filters on buy something we used to get for copies of each of the colors
small lights, never buying the free? Absolutely! Now everyone, photographers are most likely to
larger gels at all! Roscoe has not just the big spenders, can use, so that we can put the same
wised up to the fact that they have a sample pack for a very gel on multiple flashes or replace
were giving away free usable affordable price. By the time you a dirty one on a single flash. The
merchandise and started sell- read this, we hope other makers only trouble is that these fit only
ing the Strobist sample pack. beside Roscoe see the wisdom of small flashes; still, they allow us
It only contains a few colors, selling their gels this way. to see how each gel works and
including translucent white, but it we can always buy bigger sheets
Unlike standard sample packs,
includes the colors most photog- and often big rolls of the single
the Strobist pack (and presumably
raphers are likely to use. Is this colors we find most useful.
some future non-Roscoe
Roscolux colored gels.
Handy for changing or
intensifying the color
of backgrounds or
subjects in a photo.
Tools: Now We Have Light, but How Do We Get It under Control? 43
For this book, the translucent
white filter is the one we’ll prob- Become a stroBist there’s tape and then there’s
ably discuss the most, but having gaffer tape
Speaking of Strobist, that’s
some neutral density filters on David Hobby’s brand name Duct tape, available from
hand is also a good idea. They for his philosophy of light- hardware stores, is strong and
come in a variety of densities. ing, and anyone reading this will hold a diffuser in place for
They are useful when one of your book should look up Strobist years. However, we want to
lights is too strong and you either online. Using a combination take that diffuser down after
can’t or don’t want to move it far- of a free website, personal a shoot, and duct tape often
seminars for a fee, and a video damages the surface. Masking
ther away. The joy of these filters
series for people who cannot tape, with a weaker hold, is
is that their impact on the color is attend the seminars, David much less likely to damage.
minimal. For many of the images may be the most influential
in this book, the popup flash was lighting teacher in the world. Gaffer tape offers good hold
too strong, so we put a neutral Some people learn better with much less possibility of
density filter in front of it. If we’ve from books, some online, and damage and is available from
only got the weakest density of some in classrooms, but most good photographic suppli-
people learn better with all of ers. Gaffer tapes differ. If you
this filter, we can always fold it
these. David has promised not don’t like the first one you buy,
up as many times as our piece try another brand. We have
will allow and still cover the flash, to write a book, so he doesn’t
compete with us, and we are attached things to historically
until we get the amount of light important walls while cura-
happy to recommend him!
we want. tors gasped in horror and then
removed the tape without
So now we have some sort of
damage.
diffusion material. How do we tape it to a doorway and put the
put it in front of the light? Obvi- light outside the room. We can Gaffer tape is more expensive
ously we can just tape it to the also tape it to a window and let than other tapes, so keep duct
light, but that’s often not good the sun be our main light. Both tape and masking tape in your
enough: we still have just a small of these are good ideas, and if kit, and use those when it’s
flash and the whole point is to safe to do so.
you are a hobbyist, you should
get a bigger light. We need to certainly try them; they may be all
get the diffusion a significant you ever need.
the diffusion material a distance
distance out in front of the flash
So how do we hold the diffusion from the light, or we can buy
so that the bigger diffusion mate-
material a few inches or a few other equipment to hold the dif-
rial becomes the effective light
feet away from the light? That fuser. (All too often, people with
source.
depends on whether we have more money also have more
If we have a big enough piece more friends or more money. We friends, but that’s a social issue
of diffusion material, we can can simply ask a friend to hold we’ll avoid in a technical book!)
44 Focus On Lighting Photos
Don’t overlook the possibility of cases, buying or making some of the size and shape we want.
human hands holding the dif- more equipment makes sense. We can buy these, but they
fuser, especially if you’ve joined a The extra equipment is also more require almost no skill to make,
local camera club where mem- reliable: it stays where we want it; and doing it ourselves makes
bers are eager to help each other humans move around. good sense. Screwing together a
to make good pictures. Still we’ll few pieces of wood and taping
assume the worst-case (or some- Framed diffusers on a piece of diffusion mate-
times the best-case) scenario Sometimes we find ourselves rial is something almost anyone
in which you either don’t have using the same size and shape can do.
friends to help or you’re a profes- diffusion over and over again. In A diffuser scatters so much light
sional photographer who needs this case, it might make sense to in so many different directions
to pay assistants. In those two already have a framed diffuser that we almost always also want a
Tools: Now We Have Light, but How Do We Get It under Control? 45
gobo to block some of that light. diffusion panel after we get to the carry our diffusion material in a
(A gobo isn’t a diffuser, so we location. One good way to do this roll and tape it to the frame.
won’t talk about it much here, but is with inexpensive plastic plumb-
we’ll say more later.) If we work ing pipe. We cut it in advance to The umbrella
mostly in our own space and the lengths we think we need and But wait! We’ve already talked
usually don’t have to worry about put it together on the scene with about this, haven’t we? Yes, but
transporting bulky things, it makes plastic elbows made of the same not enough. The umbrella can
sense to permanently attach a material. Plumbers have to glue either be a reflector or a diffuser.
black card to the framed diffuser those joints together for a water- So far, we’ve only used it as a
with inexpensive hinges. That’s tight seal, but we don’t have to reflector. Now we’ll use it as a
what we’ve done in the diagram worry about that. The frame will diffuser. If you like this technique,
at right. On a tabletop, the gobo hold together just fine with no the good news is that only the
also serves as the support for the adhesive and come apart easily cheapest plain white umbrellas
diffusion. Without a table, the when we are ready to leave. We work well this way.
whole assembly can be clamped
to a light stand. Inexpensive light
stands work fine: if the thing falls
over, we’re not damaging an
expensive light. Cheap hardware
Umbrella shaft
store spring clamps also work; we
don’t need photographic specialty Thin white umbrella
clamps.
Things get a lot more difficult
when we leave the studio, though.
Just one of these framed diffusers Limit of camera view
can be pretty bulky to carry. On
location we’d usually rather have
a collapsible umbrella. Umbrellas
don’t work well, though, if the
subject is highly reflective—metal,
glass, glossy plastic. The shape
of the umbrella reflection in the
subject is so pronounced that it
distracts from the subject itself. In
those cases, we need to make the
46 Focus On Lighting Photos
Why would we want to do this,
when the umbrella works so
t
are no
lights st lights!
well as a reflector instead of
a diffuser? The reason is that
Large the be
y
always we have onl n
the closer the light is to the
f ar
Still, i light but le
subject, the bigger it effectively
l
a smal turn it
becomes. We can’t move the
reflective umbrella as close to
o
the subject, because the camera how t ig one,
b
into a can do
begins to see the shaft of the
en we
umbrella. If we move it even
th
g!
anythin
closer, the camera can see the
flash itself. And after all this,
our primary light source—which
is the umbrella, not the flash—
may still not be close enough
to our subject. Remember that news is that most of the time we control, we may be able to set the
the closer the light is to the will be happy to have this addi- flash for a long lens (narrow angle
subject, the bigger it effectively tional fill, accept the picture as of coverage) and then actually use
becomes. We can use the dif- is, and shoot it with no further a much shorter lens. This gives the
fusion umbrella much closer to modification. flash a slight spotlight effect.
our subject. We can use smaller
equipment, carry it more easily, Light blockers The gobo
and spend less money more Almost everything we’ve talked The gobo is a black card that
effectively if we use the shoot- about so far tends to spread goes between the light and any-
through technique. the light around. That’s not thing else we don’t want to light.
The bad news is that if the light- always good; some things and We can use gobos with any level
ing assembly is in a small space, some areas need to be kept of sophistication we want. Lone
the shoot-through technique is dark. The most practical way to photographers often handhold a
going to cause a lot of additional do this is with black paper and gobo in front of their light as far
reflection from nearby walls. If we cardboard. as their arms can reach. Holly-
don’t want this additional reflec- wood directors of lighting (DLs or
Adjustable flash coverage LDs), with bigger budgets, attach
tion, we have to drape the entire
backside of the lighting assembly Many of us already have a flash the gobo to a separate stand (and
with something black to avoid the that adjusts to the angle the lens use a half-dozen names for dif-
additional reflection. The better sees. If we have full manual ferent sizes and shapes of gobos).
Tools: Now We Have Light, but How Do We Get It under Control? 47
Black card gobo.
bo
f a go
t hink o g the
Don’t lockin .
as just b the subject
rom can
light f e black card bo
l o
A simp used as a g t
e
also b unwanted l . igh
p ns
to kee tting our le isely
i c
from h we can pre
se
Becau e gobo
,
ion th ore
posit ch m
u
it’s m e than a
iv
effect s hood!
en
fixed l
48 Focus On Lighting Photos
More sophisticated gobos with cardboard version, but you can because the background was lit
holes can create moody light- make something similar yourself with a continuous tungsten light
ing. With a little patience and a and spend your extra money on source. This light isn’t very bright,
sharp knife, you can make your other photographic equipment. so a long exposure was needed.
own. Gobos with holes are called (How long an exposure? This one
The photo at right on page 50
cookies (short for cucoloris, with was 2 seconds. But the determina-
shows a slatted homemade card-
several spelling variations). The tion comes from how strong the
board gobo in use. Depending on
photo below shows a homemade continuous light source is and how
the angle and the intensity of the
gobo, which makes the light from bright we want the background
light passing through the gobo, it
the flash appear to be sunlight to be.) A flash was positioned
can look like light coming through
streaming through window blinds. slightly off-axis camera right in a
a window with blinds or can sim-
The photo on the next page medium-sized softbox. The flash
ply create an interesting pattern
at left is a commercially made was used to light the man. Even
on a background. In this case, the
wooden gobo to simulate, say, though this was a long exposure,
gobo was clamped in place on a
light passing through tree leaves. the man is sharp because he was
stand. The studio was darkened
Certainly it’s sturdier than the lit only by the flash.
Homemade cardboard
cookie. This would
create the effect of
light coming through
window blinds.
Tools: Now We Have Light, but How Do We Get It under Control? 49
A commercially produced wooden
cookie. We can easily make this
with cardboard as well.
50 Focus On Lighting Photos
Barn doors
A barn door is a special type of
gobo that attaches directly to
the light; we need no additional
stands or hands to support these
devices. Barn doors swing open
and closed to control the spread
of the beam. This sounds like a
good idea until we realize that
there’s no way to move a barn
door closer or farther from the
light, and that’s a big loss of con-
trol. Sometimes, though, we don’t
need precise control. Then we
prefer the barn door because
it is the simplest and least
cumbersome way to block light.
We can make a barn door simply
by taping a black card to the
flash and bending it as much
as we need to restrict the beam.
If we find ourselves using barn
doors frequently, then we buy a
commercially manufactured barn
door that has better durability
In this case, we just have one door, but
and precision. Usually, one barn there are times when we will have four.
door is enough, but for uses such
as background lights, we may put
who wants more dramatic light- grid and probably an auxiliary fan
them on all four sides of the flash.
ing. As with the barn door, we for studio strobes to avoid over-
Snoots and grids can make snoots and grids for heating.) The photo on the follow-
pennies. Only if you find yourself ing page shows the basic supplies
Snoots and grids go over lights using them over and over might we used, which not everyone
with the purpose of restricting you consider buying one. (Also, will have on hand: cardboard,
the light’s spread. Using these know that we must have a straws, and tape. We’ll also need
can be a huge step for a novice commercially manufactured metal scissors, a ruler, and pretty much
Tools: Now We Have Light, but How Do We Get It under Control? 51
any glue—all of which we already edge of the cardboard. Keep Velcro so it can attach to your
have. We can measure each side going until the space is filled and flash (especially if you already
of the flash or we can wrap a you can then fold the top down have Velcro on the flash to hold
piece of paper around the flash, and seal the box by gluing the barn doors).
pressing so that we can see where flap and wrapping it over. Then
The grid seems to focus the light,
the edges are. spray everything, inside and out,
but it really doesn’t. It simply
with flat black paint. For added
Making a grid blocks light going in directions
sturdiness, wrap the sides of
we don’t want. Depending on the
Cut a piece of cardboard to the grid with black gaffer tape.
area we want to light, we may
go around your flash, adding It should fit snugly enough as is,
have to buy a more powerful
about 3⁄8 inch to create a flap, but if you like, you could make
flash to compensate.
which you’ll eventually use to the box a little deeper and affix
seal the ends together. It should
be about 31⁄4 inches deep,
enough to hold a handful of
short soda straws plus an empty
section to slip over the flash.
Score the cardboard lightly to
help it bend around a rectan-
gular flash. Cut the straws into
1
⁄2- to 3⁄4-inch lengths. This
doesn’t mean the straws should
be different lengths—they should
all be the same—but you may
decide to make a deeper or
shallower grid later for a wider
or narrower spot effect. Bend
the scored cardboard so that the
widest part is on the table and
you’ve got the ends sticking up. If
you put a book on either side, it
will free your hands and keep the
sides vertical. Then start gluing
the straws to that widest portion
of the cardboard. You want the
straws to line up at the outer Supplies for a homemade grid.
52 Focus On Lighting Photos
Homemade grid.
Homemade grid on a flash.
Tools: Now We Have Light, but How Do We Get It under Control? 53
grid
the es,
use s
e can purpo n
W many mmo
e
for one co ight th ut
but is to l . Witho , the
use ground d light
k n
bac ckgrou this
a
a b hat in ins to
dark ure beg
pict pear.
p
disa
54 Focus On Lighting Photos
light is a
If the main
w, we could
sunlit windo
other light
use our one
und light.
as a backgro
case, the
But in this
o uniformly
picture is to no
eye
bright. The
directly
longer goes
ct.
to the subje
also
(Lighting is
!)
composition
Image made with a
flash, but no grid.
Depending on the setting
of the flash, we can
brighten the background
substantially, but it’s a
flat background.
Tools: Now We Have Light, but How Do We Get It under Control? 55
e
ves th
A g rid sol e have
m: W
proble background
e
enough separate th
o
light t from the
t
subjec und, but
o l
backgr kground stil
c a
the ba ugh dark are
o
has en our
p
to kee n on the
io
attent .
t
subjec
Image made with a
background flash with a
grid. By adding the grid,
we get a background
with a brighter spot,
which then falls off at
the edges.
56 Focus On Lighting Photos
Making a snoot always have black paper handy. light. In Chapter 3, we have an
A snoot does exactly the same It is so often useful for needs image made using a homemade
job as a grid. It’s much less effec- we might not have anticipated.) snoot constructed from a cereal
tive than a grid, but we can make Basically it is a small opening box. Isn’t creativity great?
one in a few seconds with black through which light will pass,
paper and tape. (We should try to thereby restricting the spread of
what’s
Learn . Try a utiful
le
availab de version s ee bea der why
a People and won
homem se it a s
photo n’t get the s n
ame
U
first. en consider a
they c ith their o t
w
h
lot? T ional w
result Often it’s
no
s
profes . . It’s
camera era’s fault. ol or
s
version m
the ca we need a ht.
to
e ig
becaus amend the l those
d
two to need to fin
ch
We ea rk best for
o
that w don’t need
e
shoot us. W g!
Don’t hin
Study everyt
madly. ages
m
your i oting.
wh ile sho
hat
Ask, “W ake this
m
would
?”
better
Tools: Now We Have Light, but How Do We Get It under Control? 57
Lens filters beneath the surface (no surface
glare interference). Either can
s has
Most lens filters change the color
al Pres
make a good picture. Depend-
Foc
of the scene, many of them dra-
books
ing on its rotation, a polarizing
other cuss
matically so. In a black-and-white
filter can block either of these
is
picture, a yellow, orange, or red
that d adjust
reflections. Do we want the fish
filter could dramatically darken a
o
how t
or the water? We don’t know
e
in mor
too-bright sky; a green one could
nnels
which you want, but we’d like
cha
greatly increase detail in leaves.
for you to have the choice.
detail.
Today these “strong” filters have
little use. We usually shoot color, UV or haze filter. Ultraviolet
and if we do want black-and- is a color human eyes cannot
white, we can usually get the see or can barely see. Our
effect of colored filters by dis- cameras see it though, and as more, we’d like to have one
carding some or all of any two of it reflects from air molecules filter to fit our largest lens and
our red, green, or blue channels and dust over a great distance, then buy step-down rings to
with photographic software after it dulls the visible color and make the same filter fit the
the picture has been shot. can turn our colorful autumn- other lenses. This is usually the
leaved mountain into a dingy most economical tactic, but
Still, there are two lens filters we beige photograph. This filter
all need to consider: still, it’s not always affordable.
blocks UV to increase color Fil’s largest lens polarizing
Polarizing filter. Putting this saturation. Whether we like filter cost more than many very
as simply as possible, light this is another judgment call; good cameras do. It paid back
vibrates in two directions—up if we have enough foreground handsomely however, because
and down and side to side. color, the haze may emphasize of the type of work he was
Depending on the angle of the distance and size of the doing at the time. Judge your
the light, one of those vibra- mountain in a way that we like. own situation carefully. The
tions may convey all of the There is another advantage, “best” is not always the best
color while the other conveys even if we are not interested for you.
nothing but glare (or, in Light— in landscapes: a UV filter at
Science & Magic,“polarized close distances has essentially
direct reflection”). Do we want no effect on the color, but this
better color or more glare? relatively cheap piece of glass
The answer first seems to be can protect an expensive lens
color, but glare can be good, from damage.
too. Think of seeing the ripples Filter size. If we have more
in the water (glare) or the fish than one lens or expect to buy
58 Focus On Lighting Photos
Support: Stands, clamps, pulleys attached to the ceiling bottles of water, bags of sand,
friends, and family can support a big softbox as or cinder blocks can also work.
well as a ceiling track system Just beware of the water bottle
Somehow we have to hold all of costing thousands of dollars, if you need to plug anything
this stuff together, and the ways although it will be slower to into an electrical outlet.
to do that could make a whole use. Buy the track system when
book. Many of those ways can Get help. If your next-door
you have enough photographic
be pretty expensive, and if you neighbor can hold a light or a
income to justify it.
are just beginning to learn this reflector for you, he may not
business you would much rather Take a tour of your hardware reliably position it exactly as
invest in lights, cameras, and store. There are a lot of expen- you want it, but at least he’s
lenses. Here are a few hints to sive photographic clamps not likely to drop it. Better
make things easier: that do their job only slightly still, join a local camera club.
better than inexpensive spring People with at least minimal
Buy one good stand. We can clamps, C-clamps, and bar photographic experience can
get by with a lot of cheap clamps. If you still need to buy take turns helping one another
equipment, but if our most an expensive photographic more effectively than the
expensive light blows over in clamp to hold a boom, that completely untrained.
the wind and hits a concrete doesn’t necessarily mean you
sidewalk, that stand was not also have to buy an expensive
a bargain. We can support
reflectors and gobos any way
photographic boom: some- Now, get to work!
times a simple wooden dowel
we please, but we want to will work just as well. On some A basic understanding of our
protect our electronic equip- surfaces, duct tape works bet- tools is essential. This includes
ment as well as possible. ter than gaffer tape. tools we don’t have and don’t
Improvise. Photographers intend to buy right away, but
Gain weight. Less expensive we do need to know when it
who don’t travel much have stands become much more reli-
made a very heavy, but very becomes important to have them.
able if we attach extra weight Still, the tools themselves do us
reliable light stand by sticking to their base. There are clamp-
a wooden pole into a bucket no good until we learn to use
on photographic weights to do them. That’s what the rest of this
of wet concrete and letting just this, but tying on plastic
it harden. A few ropes and book is about.
Tools: Now We Have Light, but How Do We Get It under Control? 59
Chapter 3: The Color of Light
in Our daily lives, we go through various ready before the sun actually started
types of light, probably without thinking to rise, and was prepared to work
about it. We wake up in the morning quickly because light at this time of
and turn on a lamp; go to our office, day will rapidly change. We can see
which is probably lit with fluorescent just a hint of pink in the sky. As the sun
tubes; walk outside into the daylight for rises, the pink will spread and become
lunch; and then go back home at dusk. warmer.
All of these environments bathe us in
The color temperature of a light source
different colors of light, but we generally
determines what color the light is.
don’t register the color shifts because
We use the Kelvin temperature scale
our brains adapt so well. Walk from a
as a rating, so, for example, daylight
sunlit bedroom into the closet where
(midday, when the sky is clear and
you’ve got the overhead light on. It’s
cloudless) is generally between 5000°
probably dimmer than the bright bed-
and 5500°K; whereas tungsten is
room and the color you see is actually a
generally 3200°K. Happily, we don’t
different color, but our brains and eyes
need to know a lot about the exact
quickly compensate, and the stuff in the
numbers for the most part. We just have
closet appears to be the right color and
to be aware of what our light source is
the room doesn’t seem so dark. Our
and set the camera appropriately or use
white shirt pretty much always looks
some color-correcting filters or gels. If
white to us, wherever we are. In reality,
absolute accuracy is needed, there are
it is a different white depending on the
color meters to help us out, but most
light source in which we find ourselves.
photographers can get by without one
To get this lake image, the photographer just fine.
had to wake up really early, had to be
The Color of Light 61
us to actually enter the Kelvin
what are “degrees KeLvin”? number we want.
lways
It’s a o
Kelvin is a temperature scale, When we want the image to be
t
better lor
like Fahrenheit, Centigrade, or
as close to the way we perceive
Celsius, but Kelvin also mea-
o
make c ents
sures color. If we heat anything
the scene, we’ll want to be sure
m
adjust amera
enough, it will glow. The more to set the camera to match our
light source. If we don’t, we’ll
c
in the han later
we heat it, the bluer its color.
Of course, if we heat anything get a photo that doesn’t look like
t
too much, it’s likely to burn.
rather ftware! what we anticipate. We can mix
o
with s
and match if we want to have fun
So we heat things in a vacuum.
or create a mood, but if we’re
Without air, the thing we heat
can’t burn. That’s why our old
looking for “reality,” then we
tungsten lightbulbs are made have to learn to recognize our
with as little air inside as possi- Pretty much every digital cam- light sources.
ble. That allows us to heat the era today comes with settings We generally consider midday
tungsten up to about 2800°K for Sunny, Shade, Incandescent light on a clear day to be
without immediate burnout.
(Tungsten) modes, and some “normal” lighting. Most flashes
The Kelvin scale is counterintu- even accommodate various are set to approximate this color
itive to most people. The colors fluorescent light sources. (These of light. However, daylight actually
that artists call “cool”—blues terms may vary from brand to changes based on the time of day,
and greens—have a higher brand.) They also usually have whether the subject is in shade
(hotter) Kelvin temperature, an Auto Balance (Auto White and whether there is cloud cover.
whereas the colors we call Balance) setting where the It can be very blue, red, or orange.
“warm”—red, yellow, orange—
camera automatically takes the
have a lower (cooler) Kelvin So now we know sunlight
amount of light and its color
temperature. changes color during the day.
information and provides a
For a simple explanation, natural white balance (not always When the sun strikes the subject
ignore fluorescent lights. They reliably). Many cameras also directly, we see warmer light.
are also measured in degrees allow us to create Custom White When the day is bright but the
Kelvin, but there is more going Balance (handy if we are using sun doesn’t strike directly, the
on there than Dr. Kelvin’s old
old softboxes or diffusion materi- color is cooler. Why? Think of
heat principle. a white building in an open
als that have yellowed with age).
Some cameras will also allow
62 Focus On Lighting Photos
Early afternoon light.
The sun is nearly
directly overhead,
hence the short
shadows. This is the
type of light we mean
when we talk about
daylight. A polarizer
was used to make the
sky bluer, which we’ll
explain at the end
of the chapter.
The colors of sunrise and sunset can
provide spectacular images. Just be
prepared to work quickly because the light
won’t stay the same very long.
The Color of Light 63
Early morning. This image, shot at
around 7 a.m., was obviously taken
in a different place from the one
on the preceding page, but that’s okay.
The sun works the same everywhere.
The warm tones are caused by
refraction (bending) of the light
entering the air at a shallow angle.
(On a much smaller scale, we see the
same effect from a diamond, a crystal
chandelier, or a glass optical prism.)
t
unligh
olo r of s o day
The c rom day t
f cover
varies g on cloud s
in d type
depend numbers an the
e
and th cles in
t parti on also
of dus polluti
f the
air. Air the color o truly
s e
affect ant th
f we w ,
light. I colors
t
brillian ve better
a
we’ll h areas with
luck in lluted air.
o
less p
64 Focus On Lighting Photos
Early evening. The sun is lower in the sky and the colors are
warm. The soft lighting comes from the diffusion the clouds
cause. The light reflected off the water also helped fill the
shadows on the model’s face. No fill flash was needed.
The Color of Light 65
Sunset. There’s no sky here, but we know it is a brilliant
orange because it is reflected in the water. The photographer
noticed fish surfacing and waited to get a shot with the
resultant ripples. A ripple in the right place adds a point of
focus. The shape, material, and texture of the subject can have
as much effect on the lighting as the light itself.
66 Focus On Lighting Photos
space. The sunlit side will be both house, but it is light reflected from open shade beneath a large tree
brighter and warmer (yellower) the open blue sky and the white will likely be greenish, instead of
than the opposite side. Light wall on that side of the building bluish, because the light is filtered
still falls on the other side of the will be dimmer and bluer. The through the green leaves.
This church is mostly lit This same photo with the camera
with tungsten bulbs. With set to daylight white balance. The
the camera set to tungsten, camera thinks that the light in
it is compensating for the the photo is daylight, but it is
yellow light, giving us a actually tungsten. The image is
neutral-toned photo. therefore golden. Which is right?
That’s your call.
The Color of Light 67
Other light sources are available tungsten.) Candles sort of fit into camera to tungsten; the camera
to us besides the sun. What are this category, but their light is red- will compensate for the yellow
they and what color is their light? der. If we leave our camera set and we will get a neutral image
Tungsten lights produce yellow/ to daylight but our light source is with no yellow cast. (Under U.S.
orange light. These can be actually yellow, we get a yellow/ law, classic, energy-inefficient
tungsten house lamps or quartz- orange image. If we want colors tungsten lights will become illegal
halogen lights. (Quartz-halogen as we see them (that is, neutral- to sell in 2014, but we predict
refers to the type of glass and colored with our brain adjusting they will be replaced by other
the gas inside; the filament is still for the yellow), then we set the lights of the same color.)
The only light source here is
a household lamp with a big
white shade. The telephone
is just below it. With the
camera set to tungsten, we
get a pretty neutral image.
The only change we made
here was to set the camera
to its daylight setting. The
image is very warm. Both
approaches can lead to good
pictures. We just have to
decide what we want.
68 Focus On Lighting Photos
s
n page
ph otos o s were
warm amera
I n the both c nce. Why
68,
67 and aylight bala he other?
d t
set to armer than rm with
w a
is one old bulbs w lighting
h e
House a result, th ’s
but it rs
age . A s
es p retty, raphe
metim rate. Photog en
is so accu
tungst
seldom d accurate always use
ee )
who n budget video
-
(lower ier quartz-
ic
the pr version with
n or
haloge onstant col
c
nearly out the life
h
throug amp.
l
of the
What happens when we go in the realistic image of the black-and- that yellow into gray. However,
opposite direction, use daylight, white painted wooden cat. But it’s our light isn’t yellow, so the cam-
but set the camera to tungsten? a crazy cat. To emphasize that, era “corrects” the image to blue.
We get blue pictures. In the photo we set the camera to its tungsten Generally this is not what we
on the left on page 70, we set the setting. The camera is expecting want, but it’s still worth playing
camera to daylight and we get a yellow light. It plans to neutralize with occasionally.
The Color of Light 69
We have choices, too, when the midday sun, we get a bluish experiment with your camera and
it comes to cloudy or overcast image. If you want it warmer, try see which setting you prefer. For
lighting. The images of the chess changing to Auto White Balance or the photo on the right (page 71),
pieces were taken on a drab gray Shade. All cameras in the Shade we set our camera to Shade and it
day. The chess board photo at left mode will warm the image made warmed the image nicely. Is either
on page 71 was taken with the in open shade or overcast set- one the right one? No. It’s the
camera on the daylight setting. tings, some more than others and photographer’s artistic decision.
Because the light on this par- sometimes more than we’d like. The only time more people will
ticular afternoon was bluer than This is a case where you need to almost always prefer the Shade
70 Focus On Lighting Photos
setting in this open shade light- Fluorescent lights come in four figure it out. Depending on the
ing is when there are people in color spectra: daylight, warm type of fluorescent tube, we’re
the photograph. Few people want white, cool white, and forget- most likely to get an image with
their skin to be blue or green. (For about-the-color-just-make-light, green light, although sometimes
practical purposes, we’ll ignore but most of us can’t tell which just it will be magenta.
the 50 BC British warriors, who by looking. However, if we do a A few fluorescent lights have
painted themselves blue.) test shot with no flash, we can very accurate color: those used
The Color of Light 71
in photographic light tables lights are generally used as we’re in. If we shoot with the
and viewing booths, plus a few ceiling lighting for large spaces. camera on the correct fluorescent
workbenches used for assem- Even though we can correct setting but don’t gel the flash,
bling small parts. There are also for the green or magenta hues (if the flash will make everyone look
photographic softboxes with the lights are all the same color), fairly orange. If we leave the
fluorescent tubes approximating the people may still look awful camera on daylight and gel the
daylight color. All of these are too because most light is coming flash, the color of the fluorescents
expensive for most general room from directly above and we get will be evident in the shot. So if
illumination, however. horrible shadows (remember the you are going to be shooting a
raccoon eyes). The only way to lot in this type of light, carry a
To make matters worse, many
fix this is first to set our camera couple of gels specifically for the
building maintenance people
to the correct fluorescent white green and magenta fluorescent
don’t care what color fluorescent
balance and then use a flash (in light types. They weigh almost
they use. Many work areas have
camera or off camera) to fill in nothing and they just need to be
a mix of tubes that add together
those ugly shadows with a gel big enough to cover your flash
to conform to no standard color.
on the flash to make it match head. (The Strobist gel collection
Although few photographers like the color setting in the camera. includes a couple of gels of each
fluorescent lighting, we are still Which gel we use will depend on color we are most likely to need,
forced to deal with them. These the type of fluorescent lighting including fluorescent correction.)
72 Focus On Lighting Photos
Using gels for dramatic
cto
color
CTO means “convert to orange.” A full CTO converts the color of
In the previous chapter, we men- daylight to the color of tungsten light—good to have on our flash if we
tioned colored gels only briefly, are using a mix of our daylight-colored flash with old-time tungsten
as we won’t use them often in bulbs and we want the color of the lights to match. If we don’t want the
this book. However, for the photo colors to quite match, we can get half, quarter, and eighth CTOs to put
below we wanted to warm our on our flash.
daylight-balanced light. We could These theatrical gels have neither the color precision nor the optical
have set the camera to its Shade quality of filters intended for use on lenses. This reduces cost. If we like
setting to warm the photo, but existing tungsten light in a room, we may be able to tape a huge CTO
that limits our control. We pre- sheet outside the window, making the outdoor sunlight approximate
ferred to use a full CTO warming the color of the indoor light.
filter instead. CTO comes in a
variety of strengths, so we could
pick the one we wanted.
The Color of Light 73
ourse
Yes , of c so gels
are al
there ert tungsten
v
to con ht: CTB
lig
to day lue).
rt to b e
(conve to us
W e tend , though.
ess
them l light, A CTO gel was used here with
im the hey
Gels d ly if t a homemade snoot made from
al
especi gels. If
e a cereal box. This allowed the
are blu a few dim
e
we hav n lights photographer to control the area
e
tungst ng with the of illumination so that there is
ti
compe ’d usually just enough light on the face and
e
sun, w o dim the
prefer h
t a little spillover onto the hands.
it
sun w rather The CTO, with the camera set
,
orange e other to daylight balance, replicates the
than th
und. illumination from the cigarette
w ay aro
lighter but allows a much faster
shutter speed or a much smaller
aperture than the lighter alone.
74 Focus On Lighting Photos
The photo above was done by izer was used to blue up the sky. page 64, a gradient neutral
placing whisks on a horizontal (Please don’t tell other photog- density filter was used to gently
piece of black acrylic plastic with raphers about how you “blew darken the sky without affecting
a vertical sheet of white foam up the sky” while you’re going the foreground.
board a couple of feet directly through airport security. Similarly,
A gradient neutral density filter
behind the setup. A flash was one of your co-authors, Robin,
does exactly what the name
positioned on each side just out- absolutely must not tell guards
implies: it darkens part of the
side the frame and aimed toward she’s come to “shoot” several
image while exposing the rest
the foam board. The left flash federal court judges!) The pho-
of the image through clear
was gelled red and angled about tographer rotated the polarizing
high-quality optical glass. Bright
45 degrees to the left. The right filter to reduce atmospheric glare
areas get reduced exposure,
flash was gelled blue and angled and increase the saturation in the
whereas dark areas get increased
to the right. sky color.
exposure. Good idea? Absolutely,
In the mountain lake photo on Still, even with the polarizing if the transition of the gradient
page 63 (a midday color of light filter, sometimes the sky is too happens to fit the scene. Getting
image), a screw-on lens polar- bright. In the snow photo on the picture right in the camera
The Color of Light 75
almost always surpasses the as good as what we might do The color of light can be gratify-
quality of fixing it later. with a controlled alpha channel ing to play with and offers a fun
in image editing software, where way to start thinking about light.
But what if the neutral gradient
we can put the transition exactly Still, often we can ignore it and
doesn’t transition exactly where
where we want it and make that take whatever color we get. As
we want it? What if we want the
transition as gradual or as abrupt long as the daylight, the flash, or
darkness to go a little farther
as we want. the tungsten is reasonably close
or a little less into the scene?
to “normal,” we may not even
Suppose we have to point the But that’s a topic for another
notice the color.
camera higher or lower to get book. In a basic lighting book,
that transition where we want it? we will not overburden you with What we must always consider,
Suppose we want a more abrupt technical detail. Still, we abso- though, is highlight and shadow.
or more gradual transition than lutely must point you in the direc- Let’s explore that subject next.
the filter offers? The result can tion you need to be facing when
still be pretty good, but seldom you are ready to go there.
ry
uy eve
D on’t b . Just
gel
filter/ ey’re
th
know . Buy as
le
availab
.
needed
76 Focus On Lighting Photos
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Chapter 4: Light and Shadow
thrOughOut this bOOk, we are going to subject. You may even make the
work exclusively with the sun, the built- opposite decision for the same subject
in flash, and the off-camera flash— when you look at it tomorrow! The most
all small lights. The sun, small? Yes. important thing is to make that decision.
Although the sun is physically huge, it’s
Good pictures don’t just happen by
also very far away, and thus it becomes
magic. (Well, sometimes they do, but
a small light source.
that “magic” usually comes from a
Photographers call a shadow hard or photographer’s well-thought decision,
soft, depending on how sharp its edge is. not luck.) So how do we make that
Nobody fails to notice the shadow in the decision? That’s art, and we’ll leave that
photo to the left. Its edge is so sharply to you. What we will do here is to talk
defined that it becomes an essential part about how to turn that decision into a
of the picture. This is not simply a picture photograph.
of a gourd: it is a picture of a gourd
In this photo, we used a small off-
and its shadow. This hard shadow is an
camera flash behind and slightly to
essential part of the composition.
the right. We could have done exactly
Does the hard shadow make a better the same picture with sunlight, waiting
picture or a worse one? You decide. for the right day and hour, if we were
Whatever you decide, you may make hobbyists instead of professional
the opposite decision for a different photographers with a contract deadline.
Hard-edged shadows from a small light
source with little shadow detail.
Light and Shadow 79
o
rtant t
ls o impo hardness of
It’s a hat the to do
no tice t has nothing dow
ow sha
a shad w dark the
o ss of
with h the sharpne we
ly
is. On matters. If era
e m
its edg up an on-ca adow
h
popped r fill, the s
fo
flash e muc
h
c ould b till, the
. S
lighter ge makes it
ed
sharp
hard.
Small lights make hard shad- we want, but certainly not always. text carved into an ancient
ows. Furthermore, distant lights Hard shadows are so noticeable Egyptian stone; it’s bad, though,
(unclouded sun) always behave that they become part of the if we photograph our middle-
as small lights, regardless of their picture subject; then they can aged aunt who wants people to
physical size. compete with what we want our see her still youthfully smooth
main subject to be. skin. We have to learn to make
Because we are using the
hard shadows, soft shadows, and
small light alone, we get the Hard shadows can emphasize
anything in between to make the
expected hard-edged shadows. texture. That can be good if we
light suit the subject.
Sometimes, that’s exactly what want to show the worn engraved
80 Focus On Lighting Photos
Soft-edged shadows
from large light
source with good
shadow detail.
dows?
dg ed sha on or
hard-e iffusi
Want hout d arther away
wit
Work e flash f
h light
move t it a smaller cloudless
g a
(makin . Shoot on nt soft-
e) a
sourc igh noon. W he
h t
day at s? Do pe
hadow ive sha
edged s Shadows g
. e
reverse subjects. W
to our always want
almost adow. How
sh
some You decide.
much?
Light and Shadow 81
Compare the gourd on page 81 So when we want soft-edged and clumsiest way to do the job,
with the one at the beginning shadows, we need a big light. but it is often the best in terms
of this chapter. The only change Many flash units come with of both controlling the light and
here is we’ve hung a large sheet diffusers that snap onto the front learning the light. It’s also the
of diffusion material between the of the flash; if we don’t get one cheapest.
flash and the subject. Because with the flash, we can usually buy
Photographers have to use the
the diffusion material makes a one to fit whatever flash we have.
play of light and shadow to
bigger light, we get a soft-edged These are simply translucent
create depth. It is how the viewer
shadow. Within reasonable limits, plastic. They look professional,
gets a sense of scale, shape,
the farther away the flash is from but if professional appearance
and texture. The keys to excel-
the diffusion material, the larger doesn’t matter, we can just as
lent photography are good
the light becomes, because it well cut a piece of a translucent
composition, correct exposure,
begins to light the whole sheet carryout container to fit the flash
and good light. There are plenty
and, in effect, becomes a bigger and tape it on. (Or just tape the
of other books to give us tips
light. We don’t absolutely have whole thing over the flash, which
on the first two. We’re here to
to have a big sheet of diffusion will make it a little bit bigger.)
discuss light—its qualities, how
material here. Other methods The effect is the same. These
it works, and how to amend it
from Chapter 2 work just fine. indeed are helpful and certainly
if what we’ve got isn’t what we
Still, it’s pretty difficult to put a mobile, but they’re still pretty
want or need. We want to be
big umbrella behind the sun. small. The whole point of diffu-
able to control the light. The
sion is to get a bigger light. To
Also, the closer the diffusion artistic decisions should be ours.
get a significantly bigger light,
material is to the subject, the larger If we want hard- or soft-edged
we have to use some of the tools
the light becomes. Remember shadows, that’s our call. But we
in Chapter 2: diffusion material
that we said the huge sun want to know how to get what-
(including both softboxes and
becomes a small light because ever we want.
shoot-through umbrellas) and
of its distance? We can apply
bounce (including walls, ceilings, Let’s look at some specific
the same principle in reverse:
white cards, and, once again, examples.
the closer we move the diffusion
umbrellas). For now, we’ll use dif-
material to our subject, the softer
fusion sheets. This is the bulkiest
the light becomes.
82 Focus On Lighting Photos
Texture
Subjects don’t just cast shadows
on backgrounds. There are also
shadows within the subject itself
that reveal shape and texture.
Putting the right light in the right
place makes this happen. The
“right place” for that light is almost
never on top of the camera.
This photo to the right shows the
problem. The light on the cam-
era certainly casts shadow, but
the shadow is mostly under the
subject. The camera cannot see
much of the shadow, so there is
not much texture.
Understanding this problem
makes the solution easy: get the
light off the camera. Sunlight
works well if the sun happens put the light exactly where we one is easy. It simply saves us the
to be where we want it when we want it, and it’s bright enough extra step of putting up diffu-
want it. Household lamps also and fast enough to handle most sion material or getting out an
can work. Unlike the sun, we movement. umbrella.
can move them to wherever we The photo on the following page The light needs to be much
want. Household lights would was made with a small flash at farther from the subject. At first,
work just fine with this piece of a low angle to the side of the this is a little less obvious, but it’s
Belgian lace. Still, if the subject same lace. The improvement is still easy to explain. As we move
were moving—think of swarming dramatic. the light to the side, the part of
ants or pouring flour—household
If we simply tell you to move your the subject closer to the light
lights might not be bright enough
light to the side we’re still not will be much brighter than the
to stop the motion. Ideally, we
telling you enough. more distant part of the subject.
would like to do this with a
If the light is too close, it will be
flash that is not attached to the The light needs to be small. Small impossible to get good exposure
camera, because that’s the most lights make hard shadows, and through the whole picture.
controllable solution. We can that emphasizes texture. This
Light and Shadow 83
e light
Mo ving th ay
r aw
farthe kes
a
also m ller
a
it a sm his, too,
T
light! zes
si
empha
e.
textur
We could solve the exposure feet wide and we put our flash So far, so good. We have a good
problem by simply putting one foot to the right, the near picture of the lace. But we’re not
another light on the opposite edge of the subject gets pretty out of trouble yet. Let’s try the
side, and for some subjects, such bright. A good exposure for the same technique with a different
as reproductions of paintings, near edge means huge under- subject.
that’s a good idea. But we want exposure for the far edge. Now,
think another half-minute about The next picture is a black-
to emphasize texture here, and covered book with an embossed
using another light on the oppo- what happens when we move the
light, say, 12 feet away. The near title. Like the lace, there’s no
site side simply fills in the shadow difference in color between the
we most need to do that. edge of the surface gets pretty
close to the same exposure as the book title and the surface it’s
By moving the light as far from far edge. In fact, the whole thing on. So we have to use texture to
the subject as possible, we get is lit evenly enough that we prob- make the title visible. Sounds like
more even illumination of the flat ably need no subsequent digital we could use the same approach
surface. Think about that for a manipulation to get it right. we used for the lace, right? Let’s
half-minute. If the subject is two try that.
84 Focus On Lighting Photos
a
his is
Gru mp! T ure. But
e pict
terribl sed exactly
u
we’ve hnique
me tec o well
the sa rked s
o
that w e lace. Why
h
with t working
isn’t it
now?
direct vs. diffuse refLection
Diffuse reflection happens at any angle. Direct reflection is mirror-like. It
happens at only one angle. Black subjects by definition emit little diffuse
reflection. So, if we want to emphasize their detail, we have to look to
direct reflection.
Light and Shadow 85
Why does the same angles. It stays white, no matter move as you turn this thing. We
what angle. If the angle doesn’t are looking at direct reflection
light look so different on
affect brightness, we’re looking here. Our telephone changes
another subject? at diffuse reflection. brightness as we turn it.
Same light. Similar texture. One Next, pick up a black thing So we have two types of
picture is good, the other bad. (maybe your telephone). Look reflections, and they work in
Why? at it while you turn it to different totally different ways. With black
So far, we’ve been looking at angles. Whatever light you have subjects, learn to capitalize on
diffuse reflection. Where the light in your room, the highlights will direct reflection, not diffuse.
comes from obviously makes a big
difference in where the shadows
fall, but the subject is about the
same brightness, regardless of the
direction of the light. With simple
diffuse reflection, white things are
always white and black things are
always black. Plain and simple.
But that beautiful new black car
our neighbor just bought is not
black. It seems to gleam brighter
in the sunlight than our own
white car! How can this happen?
Not all reflection is diffuse. Some
of it is direct, and a whole dif-
ferent set of rules apply here.
Diffuse reflection can come from
a light at any angle. Direct reflec-
tion comes from only one angle,
and if we are not at the angle to
see it, it is invisible.
Right now, pick up a white thing
in the room where you are
(maybe this page in this book,
if you are reading it on paper).
Turn it and look at it at different
86 Focus On Lighting Photos
More megapixels. The least
noise expensive digital cameras
Noise is the worst problem any digital photographer has to deal with, already resolve everything
so let’s get to it right now, early in the book. Noise is a result of how the lens can see. Why would
our cameras handle the light. It is exaggerated whenever our camera anyone ever pay the price for
needs to amplify low light levels to get an adequate exposure. But what a camera that produces more
is noise? pixels than the lens can resolve
Noise is any random electronic impulse that has nothing to do with the or the eye can ever see? But
picture. It can come from cosmic rays, a passing car or motorcycle, or that’s just the whole point of
the camera itself. Wherever it comes from, it degrades our pictures, the argument: get the pixels
and we want to get rid of it. It is especially noticeable in areas of small enough and the eye can’t
smooth or solid color. see the noise. The bad part is
that this solution leads to huge-
ly increased file sizes, slower
computer processing, and a
waste of all of our resources.
Nighttime photo in mixed light.
Camera was set to Auto White
Balance. Because of the high
ISO, there was a lot of noise.
In this case, Lightroom was used
to reduce the noise. So how do
we reduce noise? Three ways,
and you’re not going to like any
of them: buy a more expensive
camera, increase exposure, or get
software like Adobe’s Lightroom.
Let’s talk about them.
Light and Shadow 87
We had to shoot the cover This is a similar portion of
shot of the Sikh twice. the headshot, but this one
We started out with a was done with a camera that
cheaper camera. This section has more megapixels. No
shows that the noise was noise problem!
unacceptable.
Increase exposure. This
that point. The problem with that we keep detail in both the
totally eliminates the noise
increased exposure is that it highlights and the shadows.
problem, and it works with
destroys highlight detail. Light
a cheap camera. Increasing Software. There are various
grays all become white. Dif-
exposure brings the whole software packages that come
ferent light colors all become
picture up to the level of an with noise reduction/correc-
the same color. Still, one of
orchestra playing a great tion capability. Their success
the main reasons we learn
symphony at its loudest varies—both because of their
lighting is to keep the high-
moment. No one notices a capabilities and because of the
lights and shadows within a
cough in the audience at amount of noise in the image.
small enough dynamic range
88 Focus On Lighting Photos
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Chapter 5: Sunlight
sunlight is great, and not just because all. The most serious downside is that
it is free. It can be our main light, a fill the weather is unpredictable. The other
light, or a hair light. Depending on the disadvantage is that we can’t move the
time of day and the weather, it can be sun to whatever spot we want: the sun
a big or small light source. Sometimes dictates the schedule.
it’s perfect without our use of flash at
n
know i
n always e in the
We ca anywher
e, n will
advanc here the su ime
w t
world, e sky at any l
h va
be in t he U.S. Na that
. T
of day tory provides on its
a
Observ ion for free site is
at e
inform . Because th ment,
e p
websit uous develo c
tin ifi
in con t give a spec k and
’ e
we can ress, but se
d
web ad l find. For
il ,
you w over, though
c
cloud guess
we have to weather
ocal
from l ts.
s
foreca
Sunlight 91
Found light The image below is an example open to possibilities, sitting and
of not being put off by “bad” waiting, and getting the expo-
Sometimes we simply get lucky weather. The distance from the sure right.
and find ourselves with some- camera to the ship meant that
thing great to photograph when The courtyard photo on the next
even the best flash in the world
the light is perfect as is. These page also uses existing light, but
wouldn’t have the power to light
times are gifts. (And “perfect” what a different quality of light it
the ship. In this case, more light
doesn’t always mean sunny with is! And that’s not just because it
would have ruined the image.
a bit of cloud cover!) wasn’t foggy. The image almost
Here it was a matter of staying
92 Focus On Lighting Photos
Dappled light filtering
looks like a painting. We were through the grapes. Nothing
too far away and the subject area
was too big for most photogra- more needed than to get
phers to have any realistic chance
of amending the light. (Yes, there
the exposure right and, of
are photographers who have course, to learn to stop,
look around, and see the
enough equipment to handle a
scene of this size, but not many.)
It was taken shortly after noon, so possibilities.
you’d expect hard shadows. But
Sunlight 93
because the light was bounced get good detail in the butterfly Open shade can also work well,
off the lighter colored walls, but without the distraction of the although we need to be aware
everything was gently lit. shadow. If we had really needed of the color of the light. In the
the same butterfly, we would shade of a building, the color
So no one kind of light makes
have had to stick around longer. will be affected by the wall’s
for the perfect photo—gray
Patience, if we can afford the color. Under a tree, the light will
days, noontime, a mix can all
time, is always helpful. Ansel likely be green. In the photo on
work. Sometimes the light can
Adams went back to some of the page 96, the boy was playing in
be right but the subject is just in
same sites for years before he the open shade of a large tree.
the wrong place. The butterfly in
got some of his classic images. Since the photographer chose to
the photo on the left on page 95
landed on the pavement at our
feet. Although the light is just fine
a
graph
for the butterfly itself, the noon
sun casts a long shadow. The
o photo d we
need t an
If we oded animal a few
shadow is hard, for two reasons:
lo
cold-b h one, just erator
one, unclouded sunlight is always
tc ig
hard, and, two, the butterfly is so
close to the “background” (the can ca in the refr en we
s h
pavement). Regardless of the minute w it down. T want
o e
will sl it where w ough
size of the light, a background
t n
can pu ill sit long e
shadow is harder if the subject is
w . This
closer to the background.
and it icture ne (very
r p
for ou only be do
Butterflies don’t stay put very
iles or
hould !) with rept ow can
long—certainly not long enough
s
lly kn
for us to put a reflector in place
(which would probably scare it carefu ns that we well.
ia r
away anyway). So we waited for
amphib cold weathe
survive robably no
it to move to a bunch of flowers
P
Cruel? an sending
and hoped it would alight on a
h
more t ldren to
tallish flower. Okay, the same
butterfly didn’t cooperate. But a
i a
different one did. In the second our ch school on
o
walk t ay.
butterfly image on the next page
d
winter
the height of the flower meant
that the shadow wasn’t cast on
anything close by; therefore, we
94 Focus On Lighting Photos
convert the image to black and
white, the green light no longer
mattered. However, had he not
done that, he probably would
have had to either put his camera
in Shade mode or do some color
correction in postproduction.
Lighting children doesn’t differ
from lighting adults. They present
a different challenge in terms
of language skills, hyperactivity,
shyness, or crankiness (probably
because the sitting was scheduled
at nap time). One of the hardest
issues to face is the cheesy, fake
smile all kids seem to develop at
some point. You can deal with
this challenge by developing your
people skills, but the solution has
nothing to do with changing your
lighting approach to these small
subjects.
Sunlight 95
why does aperture matter?
Aperture refers to the lens
opening. A wide-open lens
(say f/2) lets in a lot of light.
However, there is a trade-off.
With the lens wide open, we
get shallow depth of field,
the area of acceptable sharp-
ness. If we want everything to
be sharp, we have to go to a
smaller f-stop (say f/32). This
means increasing the power on
our light sources, if possible, or
changing to a higher ISO.
The image above was taken in open
shade under a tree. Opening up to a
large aperture allowed the background
to go out of focus and draws us to
the subject’s face. Always look for
a variety of expressions. We have no
smile, but we do have a compelling
portrait.
96 Focus On Lighting Photos
Amending or mixing
light
So what do we do if the light isn’t
just the way we want it? In the
photo of the boy on the previous
page, no help was needed to get
a nice shot, even though it was a
shaded area. But how can we fix
the lighting when we are outside
and the light isn’t what we want?
In the upper photo here the
flower was in the shade. We
sense the delicacy of the flower,
but it’s all rather drab. We tried
the in-camera flash (bottom
photo), but because the light
came from directly in front of the
flower (and therefore fills those
informative shadows), we lose the
texture of the petals. In the sub-
sequent photo on the next page,
we held a reflector angled so it
reflected back the sunlight onto
the flower. (Now we either need
a friend to hold the reflector or,
if we’re by ourselves, we need to
mount the camera on a tripod.)
We retain the delicacy but add a
little brightness to the flower.
We can apply this same technique
when shooting photographs of
people in open shade. We could
certainly use a reflector (bigger
than the one we would use for
shooting a small flower), use the
Sunlight 97
built-in flash for fill (maybe with
some neutral density material),
or just switch to the Shade mode.
With a little experimentation,
all photographers will find what
works best for them.
Sometimes the light is almost
just right, but we need a little kiss
of additional light. The photo on
page 99 is actually a self-portrait
of the photographer facing away
from the camera. The sky was
a bit gray, so the photographer
added a screw-on polarizer,
which held onto the cloud detail.
The exposure was set so that the
sky and clouds looked right. The
photographer could have stopped
there, but the lower body was
blending into the background come from the sun but rather from He placed the off-camera flash
shadows. Adding one flash was a flash on a low light stand and where he thought it should go.
the way to provide some defini- angled so it mimicked the sun’s He used the camera’s self-timer
tion. The light on the lower left lighting—just enough to provide to take the picture and had a
arm in this photograph did not separation from the background. wireless radio control attached
to the camera to fire the flash.
To get the focus for the photo,
Wireless radio controls are neat
the photographer put the tripod
gizmos that allow us to trigger
where he eventually planned
erent
a flash without the flash being
ry diff gles
to stand. He noted where the
T an tripod was so he could eventu-
connected to the camera. They’re
camera hts. The
nice because no cables are
ally stand in that spot. He then
ig
and he cement
needed. If they’re good, they
stood back and framed the photo
la
also don’t need a line of sight to
first p be the
in the camera. He focused on
the flash and the sunlight won’t
t
may no e.
the tripod. He then brought the
confuse them. (Think about your
n tripod back to where the camera
right o
home radio. It gets its signal right
was, put the camera on the
through the walls that light can’t
tripod, and reframed the shot.
98 Focus On Lighting Photos
this case, because getting the right
expression or movement wasn’t
critical, the self-timer was just fine.
So now, we can both take the
photograph and watch the
sunset—all at the same time.
Taken at a different time of
day, the sun would act more
like a hair light. In this photo, a
silhouette is all that is needed.
No fill flash is necessary. More
frequently, we do want some
more information. Using the
same approach but earlier in
the day, we’d be inclined to use
this backlighting more as a hair
light. With the subjects facing
the camera, we’re more likely
to want to get some additional
light into the faces so we can
actually see who they are.
Using the in-camera flash as a
fill light outside may be the most
important value of this little light.
It works very well. However, with
lens
Use a
penetrate.) But what if we don’t built-in flash to the off-camera
y
peciall
od, es oors.
have a wireless radio control to flash like we did at the beginning
ho
outd
fire the flash? After all, these can of the book.
be pretty expensive. We could use when
ps to
It hel re.
If we wanted more control over
a synch cord attached to both
when the picture would be taken,
a
avoid fl
the flash and the camera. Don’t
we could have used a long cable
have a synch cord? Go back and
release instead of the self-timer. In
use that little mirror to direct the
Sunlight 99
a little more work, we can make
the image more interesting.
Again, by using a light directly
in front of the subject, we get flat
lighting. Works fine in a pinch,
but for a more refined image,
we’d prefer to add an off-camera
flash and possibly a reflector.
In the top photo, we have an
example of the sun creating
backlighting. It just doesn’t
happen to be outdoors. The
light came from two windows,
both behind and to the left of
the cat. These windows were on
two sides of the corner of the
room. With the help of the white
bedspread we got some fill light
going on, but the face was still a
little darker than we’d like. This
particular cat wasn’t crazy about
the flash, so for the bottom
photo we opted for a simple
white fill card merely leaned
against the dresser. Note the
increased light in the face and
the additional brightness in the
eyes. The cat was not stressed
and we were happy.
The photo on the following
page is an example of shooting
a beautiful subject in a beauti-
ful place. The only problem was
that the light actually was bit flat.
So how might one remedy this
problem?
100 Focus On Lighting Photos
flash to warm the light so it would
look like warm afternoon sunlight.
The sand acted as a reflector to fill
the shadows that occurred and no
additional lighting was needed.
For those who are particularly
interested in close-up photography
of flowers, here’s an approach
that works well. We’ll need a lens
that can handle close-up focus-
ing, or we can add extension rings
(assuming the camera accepts
different lenses). It means carry-
ing a bit of lightweight equipment,
but with it you can create beautiful
soft light. To handle harsh midday
sun or deep shadows in a forested
area, this photographer uses a
combination of diffusion and flash.
He bends a 6-foot round diffuser
into a “U” shape to form a little
tent (held in place usually with stick
placed into the ground at an angle
to hold the diffuser in place—no
holes in the diffuser, please!).
Sometimes this is the only adjust-
ment you’ll need. In the photo
of the mushrooms on the next
page, however, the photographer
needed an accent light. He used
The sky was gray. In this case, the gray day, the light wasn’t direc- an off-camera flash as seen in the
photographer put a polarizer on tional. To add the feeling of more bottom photo, which shows the
his camera to bring out what blue sunlight, the photographer put setup. An alternate approach is to
there was in the sky. (Note that an off-camera flash in a softbox lean the diffuser against a tree and
polarizers may not work on gray at camera left and positioned it put the flash behind it, in effect
days—try it and see what hap- fairly high, angled downward. A creating a softbox.
pens.) As might be expected on a full CTO gel was placed over the
Sunlight 101
Mushrooms
growing on the
side of a log in
dense forest with
little light. Using
a diffuser with a
flash gave the added
light needed to make
the color of these
unusual little
mushrooms pop.
Setup for outdoor
photography
using flash and a
diffuser.
102 Focus On Lighting Photos
Distance and haze Look back at the first picture in this Use a UV filter. If ultraviolet is the
chapter. The haze both enhances cause of the haze, a UV filter can
Haze happens for two principal the feeling of distance and empha- make a big improvement.
reasons: dirty air and ultraviolet sizes the foreground subject.
light. Whatever the cause, we Shoot early in the day. In many
see more of it in distant subjects Still, if the background were our locations, there is less smoke and
simply because there is more air primary subject, we probably dust in the air earlier in the day
between us and the subject. wouldn’t be too happy with the before vehicles get on the road.
photo. In that case, either or both In other locations, morning dew
Haze degrades the image, but of two remedies might work: dampens the dust and keeps
that’s not always a bad thing. much of it out of the air.
Sunlight 103
Architecture in the morning when the air is buildings here is to some extent
likely to be cleaner, but we have a single building with much more
Usually we want the sun coming to shoot later in the afternoon, than a century of expansion;
from the front of the building depending on where the building what appears to be the front
and low enough in the sky to faces. entrance is actually a rarely used
put light into overhangs. This doorway. Still, it looks like a front
means almost never shooting The “front” of the building is
entrance, so we used it as such
at noon when the sun is directly sometimes a judgment call.
when we picked the time for the
overhead. We’d prefer to shoot What seems to be at least three
right sun and camera position.
104 Focus On Lighting Photos
The photo above was taken in effect. Still, if we decide it’s bad, not want a very sharp picture,
early evening and converted to we can usually remedy it. sometimes a piece of metal (not
black and white. This photogra- plastic) window screen over the
When the effect is bad, it usually
pher used a 30-second exposure lens can get the same star effect,
appears as flare coming from
to allow for some movement plus a bit of diffusion.
a too-bright light just outside of
in the clouds. The star effect
the camera view. We can block But enough of this outdoor
is a natural result of the light
that with a black card (gobo) or photography! As we write it’s
reflecting from the lens aperture
even with a hand or hat. When starting to get cold outside, so
blades. We don’t have a lot of
we want the effect, but don’t see let’s move on to something we
control over when this happens
it, we can add a cross-screen or can more often do indoors:
or whether it’s a “good” or “bad”
star filter to the lens. Or if we do portraiture.
Sunlight 105
Chapter 6: So, Where Do We Put This
Light for Portraits?
there are a lot of things happening in this hope you sometimes have a third light.
picture of Civil War reenactors, but none The third light doesn’t need to be an
of those things is very difficult or compli- expensive electronic device: a large
cated. Two lights and a couple of gels. silver or white reflector indoors, the sun
We’ll start, however, by talking about a coming from just the right direction to
few of the simplest parts, and then we’ll do something good along with your
go on from there. external flash.
Learning to control the light is what Portraiture, while challenging, can
this book is all about, and that control be wonderfully rewarding. There are
works with glass, metal, flowers, various lighting styles to choose from.
mountains, oceans, donkeys, and most We need to learn them all, but not
other things. Still, we’ll stick with the all at once. Learn one, master it, and
studio portrait for now. That’s because move on to the next. The style we use
most of us can find a subject willing depends on whom we are shooting
to cooperate. (The sunlight over the for: ourselves, an art director, or the
mountain may not cooperate and your subject? The approach that is right for
pet donkey certainly will not.) Also, the one may not be right for another. Art
portrait is a fairly simple subject that directors may want the subject to look
we can deal with in a fairly small space angry, silly, or meaner than all get-out.
with our own light. People looking for a portrait to give to
their mother usually want to look pretty
We’re going to assume you have one
or handsome and sweet. A professional
big light, maybe a window, maybe an
athlete may want to look as tough and
external flash, plus a fill light: the little
nasty as possible.
light built into your camera. We’ll also
So, Where Do We Put This Light for Portraits? 107
Regardless of which lighting style We can light a portrait any way good, and it’s a matter of taste
we are working with, we’ll gener- we want. Still, there are a few as to which we use and when, as
ally need to adapt our setup a bit classic styles to start with, such well as what the end purpose of
for each subject, based on bone as split, Rembrandt, butterfly, the portrait is.
structure and skin tone. beauty, and rim/kicker. All are
e can
tri pod. W l
Use a ick smal
u ting
make q ents to ligh
m e
adjust and not tak
e en
or pos reframe wh
o
time t back to
we get era.
m
the ca
108 Focus On Lighting Photos
Split lighting from our in-camera flash to our side dark. In this case, we hung
large white board. The difference black velvet very close to the
Split or hatchet lighting involves here is that the subject is facing subject on the opposite side of
lighting from the side of the the camera directly. We wanted the board to limit the light being
subject only. In the photo below, as little light to hit the shadow bounced back from elsewhere
we did the same lighting setup side as possible. If we are shoot- in the room. If shooting in a
as we did for the Sikh in profile ing in a really large room or smaller room with light walls,
in Chapter 1, using just our little a room with black walls, it will we’ll get automatic fill from those
silver reflector to bounce the light be easier to keep the shadow walls and we might have to do
So, Where Do We Put This Light for Portraits? 109
postproduction work to deepen into account when using this like window light) and placed it a
the shadow side. This type of lighting style. tiny bit in front of the subject so
light brings out the texture of the we got just a bit of light onto the
In this head shot, we placed the
sculpture, which is fine for the shadow side of the face and can
off-camera flash into a softbox
sculpture. It will do this for skin see a bit of the second eye.
so we could get a rectangular
as well, and this should be taken
catchlight in the eye (so it looks
grayscaLe (BLacK-and-white)
images
There is no need to light
differently for images intended
to be grayscale (black and
white) or color. We do need to
be concerned that in grayscale
some grays may blend together.
Photographers once fixed this
problem with colored filters to
turn different colors into differ-
ent grays. Usually there is no
need for that any more: shoot
RGB color. If we want the effect
of a red or green filter, we just
delete the other color channels.
Same effect.
110 Focus On Lighting Photos
Short lighting cheek. It is named after the mas- up our sheet of neutral density
ter painter who used this style of material several times because
Short lighting is where the lighting frequently in his works. we wanted just a little bit of fill
shadow side of the face is closest light. If we wanted less contrast
to the camera. The play of light In the photo below, we used
between the two lights, we could
and shadow brings out the shape our off-camera flash as our
have just used less of our neutral
of a face. Many photographers main light. It was placed to the
density material. There isn’t a
refer to this as Rembrandt light- camera’s right side and slightly
right or wrong here, just a matter
ing, but in reality Rembrandt in front of our subject with a
of taste. Always experiment—
lighting is a specific form of short large sheet of diffusion material
different faces handle the same
lighting defined by the placement hung from a seamless stand. We
lighting setup differently. What we
of the shadow so that there is a used the in-camera flash as our
like for one, we may not like for
triangle of light on the shadowed fill light. In this case, we folded
another.
So, Where Do We Put This Light for Portraits? 111
Broad lighting going to be times when we either In the photo below, our main
just need a different look or a light, the off-camera flash, was
Broad lighting is pretty much the face isn’t working well with short placed on the opposite side,
opposite of short lighting. It is lighting. while the sitter is still in the same
when the light side of the face is basic pose. As a result, the part
closest to the camera. This tends Sometimes these names can
of the face closest to the camera
to leave the face fairly flat with be confusing, but it helps to
is now the more brightly lit. Our
little bone definition. It is good think that broad lighting uses a
sitter has great cheekbones, and
for thin, angular faces. Generally “broad” swath of light to cross
we still get a hint of them even
it is avoided for round faces, the face. Short lighting, on
with this lighting, but the face
as it makes the face look even the other hand, makes use of
appears broader with this type of
broader. However, this approach shadow and has just a little or
lighting.
is worth knowing and practic- “short” amount of light hitting
ing because there are always the face.
112 Focus On Lighting Photos
Hair light Regardless of hair color, a hair photo could be done if we used
light is a nice addition. the sun coming through a large
In the photo below, a hair light window as our main light. If the
is used to bring out the texture For the photo on the following
sunlight is particularly bright,
and sheen of the sitter’s hair and page, we used the same lighting
we’d like to use a sheer curtain to
to separate the subject from the setup as we had for the Rem-
soften the light. If we don’t have
background. Our subject has brandt lighting technique. We
the big window, then it’s time to
dark hair and we’ve got black used less neutral density material
borrow a flash from a friend!
velvet for a background. In all of on the in-camera flash, so we
the preceding images, some part had gentler lighting. We used an In our photo here, we used this
of the hair blends into the back- additional off-camera flash for flash with a silver umbrella, but
ground. Had she been blond, the hair light. Even if we don’t you could also opt for a snoot
this wouldn’t have happened. have two off-camera flashes, this or a grid. Most photographers
So, Where Do We Put This Light for Portraits? 113
like to place it so that it lights the Between the added fill light
shadow side of the hair (on the and the hair light, we now
Don’t
side opposite where the main retain more detail in the hair,
tically
utoma
light is placed). The hair light in and where the hair light falls,
a
he
this case is placed behind and we get a nice sheen to the
to the sitter’s right (camera left) hair. It also adds depth to print t ge as
a
high enough and at an angle to the image.
full im ropping
C
shot. en
broadly light the hair.
t
can of en an
th
streng
image.
tand
m light s o place
A boo t easier t
i ut it
makes light, b Don’t
ir
the ha ssential.
e h a
is not air light wit e
h h
use a ackground. T
b s
white appear
h air dis ound.
shiny backgr
int o the use a
n’t
And do t on bald
h
hair lig s.
t
subjec
114 Focus On Lighting Photos
Background light and background are too close, background (with four barn doors
we can get shadows on the to restrict the spread of the light).
Different backgrounds have an background cast by the sitter. This technique is doable with
impact on the final style of the Although this can work on occa- three lights and the sun, but it is
portrait. While most photogra- sion, we generally don’t want this still more than the simple lighting
phers stock various shades of effect. We can sometimes elimi- (two lights) we are mostly con-
seamless paper, they may only nate these distracting shadows cerned with in this book. Some-
have one or two painted canvas by raising our main light so that thing for future consideration.
backgrounds as they are consid- the shadows will be cast at an
erably more expensive. Regard- angle where they hopefully will
less of the background, by using fall behind the sitter unseen by feminine versus mascuLine
a backlight, we can effectively the camera. In the photos on pages 111,
control how dark or light a 112, and 113, our model is
background is. An easier way is to use a back-
in the male pose. The body
ground light. Place a flash on is turned toward the main
Up to this point, we’ve used a short light stand (or on some light. The head is turned back
either black seamless or black boxes) behind the sitter and point to the camera and is in line
velvet. For the photo to the left, it at the background. Use a silver with the spine. In the photo
we changed to a painted can- reflector and barn doors for more on page 114, our model is in
vas background. A great many control. The reflector will make the female pose. The body is
styles are available, or you can our little light bigger, and the turned away from the main
paint your own. This one had barn doors will restrict the light light. The head is turned back
fairly dark tones. We wanted so it falls off at the edges of our toward the main light and
a more midtone background. image. If we place them cor- tilted a little bit, creating sort
There are two ways to brighten a of an S-shape. Women can
rectly, we will see the background
background. The first is to move do both male and female
lighter behind the sitter and then poses. Men should stick with
the background closer to the darker at the edges. the male pose. Men tend to
subject. Immediately, the lights
In the image on the previous look somewhat silly when
we are using for the subject will their heads are tilted as in the
also brighten the background page, we’ve got four lights at
female pose.
because it is closer. If subject work: main (key), fill, hair, and
So, Where Do We Put This Light for Portraits? 115
Rim lighting/kicker split lighting as we described presents a stronger version of
earlier, but because the light kicker lighting than is commonly
Rim lighting is used to separate was bigger and there were light used. We wanted a sense of
the subject from the background. walls, the contrast is less than as light coming from a bonfire and
Unlike a back (or background) shown earlier. The second flash thus used a large softbox to the
light, where the light is pointed at was placed slightly behind the camera-left side of our subjects
the background, in rim lighting sitter and acts as a rim light; it (their right) with a full CTO gel in
the light is pointed at the subject. provides the separation needed front of it. We had a second light
It is placed so just a bit of light for the shoulder and hair from in a small softbox just to the right
outlines the subject. the background. of the camera with a dark blue
The portrait below uses two gel over it, quite high up and
Kicker lighting is what we used
off-camera flashes. The angled a bit downward toward
in the photo at the beginning of
first was placed in a softbox the subjects. The photo on the
the chapter with the Civil War
at camera left and about next page shows the image as
reenactors. Basically, a kicker is
45 degrees above the subject. shot. We had planned to use our
a light that comes from the side,
Because of its placement to smoke machine for this image,
often to give a bit of extra bright-
the side of the subject, we get but it unexpectedly would not
ness or definition. This example
work. Without time to have it
repaired, we let our models go
home after getting the basic shot;
then we photographed cigarette
smoke separately and put it into
the image with postproduction
work in Photoshop. This situa-
tion offers a good lesson—one
way or the other, the photogra-
pher has to get the job done!
Two lights, two gels, and a little
software magic was all that we
needed. Although we used two
off-camera flashes in softboxes,
it could have been done with a
single off-camera flash with dif-
fusion material and a CTO gel at
the side and then blue gel over
the built-in flash. The blue light
would not be positioned as high
116 Focus On Lighting Photos
as we liked, but the setup would below with the image at the small amount of vignetting. The
have worked. beginning of this chapter, which additional work in postproduction
combines three photographs makes a world of difference. In
Postproduction work is an integral
of smoke, adds some selective Chapter 10, we’ll discuss post-
part of a photographer’s work
softening, and incorporates a production more.
these days. Compare the photo
So, Where Do We Put This Light for Portraits? 117
Butterfly/Beauty lighting reflector was placed just out of the flashes. If we had used a second
camera’s view, angled to reflect flash, we would have used it with
Butterfly lighting is where there is the flash above. We could have either a softbox or an umbrella.
one light placed directly in front used a second flash below, but for You can see the difference the fill
of and a bit above the subject most of this book, we’re assuming card makes by comparing it with
at an angle to create a shadow you don’t have two off-camera the image on the left.
under the nose that is shaped
like a butterfly. Depending on the
facial structure, we often want
a bit of fill, which could be the
built-in flash, but a bit of foam
board offers more choices as to
what gets filled. In the photo at
right, we used a flash with an
umbrella as the sole light source.
(We added the dark vignette in
postproduction.)
Beauty lighting uses a larger light
and a reflector or second light is
placed below. The goal in beauty
lighting is to make most of the
shadows disappear.
Beauty lighting is frequently used
in, guess what, ads showing
flawless skin for beauty products.
The light is such that shadows are
pretty much filled with light, leav-
ing almost no wrinkles! On the
following page, for the image on
the right, we used an off-camera
flash in a softbox placed above the
camera facing the sitter. A silver
118 Focus On Lighting Photos
Without fill card With fill card
So, Where Do We Put This Light for Portraits? 119
Low key versus high key (assuming it is a very long way
away from the subject, so that vary the camera and Lights
lighting
it receives little if any light and Be sure to try different camera
Both low key and high key light- therefore will photograph dark heights for portraiture. The
ing create lovely portraits. One gray or black). Low key portraits same pose from a slightly
isn’t better than the other. Low also tend to have less or even no higher or lower camera angle
key lighting tends to have a fill light to take advantage of the can have a dramatically dif-
classy feel to it; high key lighting play of light and shadow. ferent effect. Of course, as
you raise or lower the camera,
tends to be more contemporary.
If the subject is wearing white or you may have to do the same
The trick with either is to shoot a pastel-colored clothing (again with the face’s angle. Watch
portrait so that the face is the part preferably a solid color), then what happens to the shadows.
the viewer looks at first. How do opt for a white background You may also have to raise or
we achieve this? When the cloth- and high key lighting. This can lower your main light! Some-
be white seamless or a white times out of one pose we can
ing and the background are simi-
get multiple images that feel
lar, the face becomes the different wall, or even black seamless
completely different.
part and therefore the viewer’s with lots of light on it. High key
eye will go to the face, which is portraits tend to use flatter light-
exactly what we want in a portrait. ing than low key portraits have,
The background and the clothing and therefore they have less
don’t have to match exactly, but shadowing.
s and
Stripe
they should be approximately the
The use of similar density cloth-
ns
same brightness.
patter
ing and background and the
t from
distrac ject’s
If the subject is wearing dark amount of shadowing determine
b
the su ve the
clothing (preferably a solid color), whether a photograph is deemed
then opt for a dark background to be low or high key. These are
a
and low key lighting. The back- not hard-and-fast rules but rather face. H ear
w
sitter lors!
ground can be a solid color guidelines. It’s certainly possible to
o
solid c
(seamless paper), a painted get lovely portraits and not follow
canvas background (with a bit of these suggestions, but these guide-
light on it), or even a white wall lines are a good place to start.
120 Focus On Lighting Photos
style does accentuate wrinkles,
sometimes they are part of the
subject’s charm. How much you
accentuate them is determined by
placement of the main light and
how much fill you use. Because
the clothing and background are
dark, the viewer’s eye is drawn to
the light area, namely, the face.
By using very little fill light, we
created a compelling portrait of
someone who has lived a rich life.
Adding more fill light would have
filled in those shadows that in this
case we wanted to keep.
Generally we want to place
the main light so it skims across
the face and ends at the near
cheekbone. The placement will
vary from person to person based
on the subject’s bone structure.
We also want it at a height so we
Low key portraits can be quite off-camera flash behind some
get a good catchlight in the eyes.
dramatic. To a large extent, it diffusion material as our main
If the light is too high and there
depends on how much fill we light with our in-camera flash
is no catchlight, the person tends
use. Shadows define the face as fill with folded neutral density
to look lifeless—not generally a
shape. In the photo above, material, because we wanted very
goal in portraiture.
we have an absolutely lovely little fill at all. There is no white
older woman, again using the board or reflector. Although this
Many photographers shy away from low key portraits
of older subjects fearing that the subject won’t like
seeing the wrinkles. Don’t be afraid of this technique.
You can create wonderful, charming images this way.
So, Where Do We Put This Light for Portraits? 121
High key portraits tend to use clothing. Again, this will draw the
more even lighting than low key. viewer to the different part of the
The effect is meant to be light image, namely, the face.
and airy. They use a white or
In the following three photos, we
light-colored background (often
show how to transition from hard
We blocked the seamless paper or muslin or a
white wall or sheet). The sitter
lighting to the softer lighting we
popup flash so wears white or pastel-colored
want for high key images.
none of its light
strikes the subject.
It was used solely
to trigger the off-
camera flash. We
started with the
off-camera flash
placed close to the
diffusion material
and almost directly
to the side of
the sitter. It’s
essentially split
lighting. Our eyes
bounce back and
forth between the
light and dark areas.
The wrinkles are
pronounced.
122 Focus On Lighting Photos
We put the off-
camera flash farther
away from the dif-
fusion material and
moved it so that it
was at more of a
45-degree angle from
the sitter. This
allowed the light to
wrap around more
of the face. We
also used the built-
in flash with some
neutral density
material in front of
it. The wrinkles
immediately are less
pronounced, we get
better detail on the
shadow side of the
face, and we get a
catchlight in both
eyes instead of
just one.
So, Where Do We Put This Light for Portraits? 123
Here we simply
took away the
neutral density
material in front of
the popup, thus
brightening the fill
light.
with
C lothing es also
leev
long s rect the
di
helps he face.
t
eye to
124 Focus On Lighting Photos
For high key images, we almost and shoulders, we will often In the photo below, we indeed
always use a background light in need more than one background used four lights on the back-
order to keep that background light if we want more of the ground (two on each side, one
truly white. Without the back- background to stay evenly lit. fairly low and one higher up).
ground light, we would have Frequently, we can’t put a light Because the boy is small, we
to keep the background really directly behind the subject, but were photographing him play-
close to the subject in order we would rather position one ing. He was running around
to keep the background truly or two lights on each side of and jumping, so we needed a
white, but this increases the the background and meter the broad expanse of evenly lit white
likelihood of shadows falling on lights so we get even illumina- background. We also shot from
the background. By raising our tion across the background. A somewhat farther back than nor-
lights, we can often make the general rule of thumb is to have mal to allow us to capture him
shadow disappear behind the one to one-and-a-half stops wherever he was without taking
subject, but this entails having all more light on the background the time to move the camera. In
of our lights be off the camera. than on the subject. Depend- this particular image, the parent
Because in this series of photos ing on the placement of these wanted us to crop in tight. How-
we are working with the built-in lights, sometimes we will need ever, the image works better with
flash, which cannot be reposi- to use gobos or barn doors to the additional room around him.
tioned, we either have to use a prevent the illumination from We sense the space into which
background light or settle for a these background lights from he is about to launch himself
gray background. also lighting our subject, which and we remember that he’s just a
we don’t want. little kid.
When shooting images that
encompass more than just head
s
option
Li ghting nd
s a
for kid re the
a
adults ow we
H
same. xpression
e
entice er.
ff
will di
So, Where Do We Put This Light for Portraits? 125
Light meters
Do we need light meters?
When set in Auto mode, With high key, watch out for flare, which
is where the edges of the subject start
today’s cameras do a great
job of figuring out exposure.
However, as we start to use to soften. This comes from the subject
multiple-flash techniques, a
meter is really helpful. As in
being too close to the background, the
the portraits with the white light on the background being too intense,
background, we could just or the background light spilling onto the
point the flash at the back-
ground and then do a bunch
subject. If the latter is the cause, gobos
of test shots until the lighting can help.
ratio is what we want. It is bet-
ter, however, to use a meter to
determine how much light is
falling on the subject and then
how much is on the back-
ground. This method is much
more efficient.
No matter which style you go for, vary the
contrast between your lights. No two faces
react the same way. Customize for each.
126 Focus On Lighting Photos
The wrinkle A bit of clear plastic that you can eyeball and draw over the
hold directly in front of the lens eyelashes to sharpen up these
Some people are proud of their can work. Experiment with dif- portions of the image. If the eyes
time-earned wrinkles; others ferent types of plastic. Some will appear sharp, the viewer sees the
aren’t. With both high and low soften more than others. Just be photo as sharp, even if every-
key, the placement of the main aware that they diffuse the entire thing else is a bit soft. Today, with
light and the power of the fill light image. the focus on digital prints, we can
in relation to the main will affect still sharpen images by using left-
how the skin texture appears. The These soft focus filters work by
over ink in our inkjet cartridges
more even the two lights are, the diffusing or scattering strong
instead of photographic dyes. In
more the shadows of the wrinkles light, causing the edges to
truth, however, most of us today
are filled in and thus appear flat- become soft. In other words,
opt for using Photoshop’s consid-
ter and less noticeable. these filters affect how your
erable capabilities to selectively
lighting is recorded. The effect of
Sometimes we want more dra- sharpen and blur. This gives us
your lighting is changed as it is
matic lighting, but we still want to the best of both worlds.
recorded by the camera. It is a
minimize the wrinkles. Soft focus matter of taste as to how much However, keep in mind that the
filters are an option. There are diffusion is used. These filters can sitter may be taken aback when
various commercially made filters create wonderful moody images. looking at really sharp images.
to choose from. Some will screw For many photographers in this The photographer choosing not
directly onto the lens, others slip digital age, however, the fact that to use a soft focus filter on older
into a lens hood. Some diffuse they diffuse the entire image is a subjects will need good com-
so slightly that it is nearly impos- drawback. munication skills when using
sible to tell that any softening has this approach and should have
occurred. Some are so strong In the old days of film, portrait
samples showing before and
that it almost looks like the photo photographers would often use a
after retouching before present-
is out of focus. If we are on a tiny, tiny brush and photographic
ing unretouched images to the
budget, we can make our own. dyes to delicately outline the
subject.
So, Where Do We Put This Light for Portraits? 127
Eyeglasses and lighting: source is the sun or flash, the you can count on. So we’ll assume
same tips will help. people are going to keep their
Can they get along?
glasses on.
The most obvious and easiest solu-
Eyeglasses have long been a
tion to eyeglass glare is to have the More and more people have
bane to photographers. The sun
sitter remove the glasses (but you antiglare coating on their glasses
or our flash gets reflected in them
might have to retouch the marks these days. Regular glasses will
and we lose important facial
from the nose pads). Once in a give us white reflections. Those
detail. We can’t always get rid
while you get lucky and a sitter with the antiglare coating will
of the entire reflection, but it is
will have borrowed frames without give us pink or green. Either way,
worth at least trying to minimize
lenses from an optometrist. Either we’d like to keep the reflections
it. Regardless of whether the light
solution is great but not something to a minimum.
Tip: If your subjects remove
their glasses, speak a little louder.
This doesn’t mean scream at your
subject! However, people “ hear”
better when they can see properly.
Some of our hearing (even for
those with normal hearing)
is actually enhanced by some
unconscious lip-reading.
128 Focus On Lighting Photos
Antiglare-coated lenses are also subject to deterioration over time,
which leaves the lenses spotty looking. Unfortunately, there isn’t
anything you can do. The spotting will show in the photo. No
amount of cleaning will correct this problem.
So, Where Do We Put This Light for Portraits? 129
In the photo on page 128, we’ve subject will look like a dork. Be upper corner of the glasses.
got the classic case of glare on aware that some glasses tip better Most professional photographers
the glasses. In the photo on than others. Metal frames seem to will retouch this reflection out of
page 129, there is none. All we grip better. Plastic frames tend to the images that are ordered. By
did was have the sitter lower her just slide back down. The tilt must keeping any glare as small as
chin. This works in a great many be very slight—just enough to help possible, the retouching will be
cases. Watch out for double chins with the glare; not so much that it easier and faster.
forming, though. If they do, try is evident to the viewer.
A last option is that you can
having the sitter lean a little for-
Another option is to raise the also consider posing your subject
ward a little, or ask the subject to
lights. This solution is generally with broad lighting. Because
stretch his or her chin out a little
quite successful. However, be the body is facing away from
bit. Often this gets rid of the dou-
careful not to raise the lights so the main light, the glasses won’t
ble chin or at least minimizes it.
much that ugly shadows start present a problem. However,
If these corrections don’t work, try showing up under the subject’s this lighting is rather flat on the
tipping the glasses a tiny bit so they chin. Occasionally a compromise face and not always the most
sit a little higher behind the ear. is in order and a small amount flattering.
You can only tip a little bit or your of reflection will remain in an
Transition lenses present an added difficulty. These lenses
darken when exposed to bright light and turn into sunglasses.
Unfortunately, the only answer is to pause the sitting periodically
and have the sitter put the glasses in a pocket or purse or other
dark place and wait for the discoloration to go away.
130 Focus On Lighting Photos
Groups we’ve got intrusive shadows, get the same effect. If we were
particularly the shadow cast by shooting in a smaller room with
For a couple or a small family, the father onto the daughter on white walls, the foam board
we can still use lighting rather the left. would likely not be needed.
like we’ve done earlier in low key
portraits. However, as the group In the subsequent photo on page In postproduction, we also
gets larger, we’ll need to amend 133, we moved our light so that vignetted around the outer edges,
the lighting. If we don’t, we’ll it was placed almost in front of so the focus is directed to the
get an image where some of the the group, just barely to the right faces and the bodies aren’t
people are well lit and the others of the camera. Because we were abruptly cut off.
are in deep shadow. shooting in a large studio, we
By aligning the people roughly in
also placed a large piece of foam
In the photo on page 132, the a line, very little depth of field is
board at the left of the group.
lighting is too contrasty. With needed to keep everyone in focus,
Had we been using window light,
just one light in a large umbrella and therefore we don’t need mul-
we would have had to change
(could be a window), we lose tiple lights or tons of power.
where the people were placed to
detail in the girl on the right and
er the
T he larg e more
th
group, lighting
e
even th be.
to
needs
So, Where Do We Put This Light for Portraits? 131
132 Focus On Lighting Photos
By posing the people so they are facing slightly
into the center, we can pose them closer together,
thereby being able to use a smaller background. It
also tends to have a slimming effect.
So, Where Do We Put This Light for Portraits? 133
When photographing large that we can use a fairly small Hey, this makes sense because by
groups, where some people are f-stop (and need less lighting shooting straight on, the people
on the ground, some seated, and power) and yet all the faces will at the back are indeed farther
perhaps several rows of people be in focus. This approach has away and therefore smaller. So
standing (on risers or stairs), we’d the added benefit that all the if you know ahead of time that
prefer to shoot from a higher heads will be the same size. If you’ll be shooting a large group,
viewpoint. By placing the camera the camera is simply pointed be prepared to bring a ladder! If
at the same angle as the rows of at a large group from standing it’s a surprise to you, then at least
heads create (by looking at the level, the faces in the front will try to stand on a chair or find
group from the side), it means be larger than those in the back. high ground.
134 Focus On Lighting Photos
Pets
Pet portraiture can be challeng-
ing. While dogs may understand
commands like “Sit!” or “Down!”
they don’t understand, “Could
you tilt your head a little to the
left?” (And, in truth, even well-
trained dogs tend to forget their
commands when the flash goes
off.) However, most dogs still look
cute even when they aren’t sure of
their surroundings, and most tend
to get used to the flash eventually.
Cats are generally tougher.
Championship cats that are used
to handling and the hustle and
bustle of shows will sit regally
and patiently for their portrait
sitting. All the rest tend to try to
back into a corner or make a
beeline for the most inaccessi-
ble part of the studio. They look
unhappy. Photographing them
in their home or natural environ-
ment is generally easier than in
a studio.
the face—whether human or
Although you can light animals
e pet
animal, it’s a good place to start.
Give th get to
just like people, it is better if you
Like with people, if the animal
o
time t u and to
can angle a light to bring out the
is mostly dark, use a darker
texture of their fur or skin (think
yo
know
background; if it’s mostly light,
t
ze tha
lizard or snake).
ecogni t the vet.
go with a lighter background. So
r
no
As with any portrait, a head shot many pet owners with a black
is easier than a whole-body shot. dog come in wanting a white you’re
Because personality comes from background thinking it’s the only
So, Where Do We Put This Light for Portraits? 135
way they can get an image of the The photo on the previous page In this case, we used black seam-
dark fur. The reverse is the better is a classic “head-and-shoulders” less paper as a background.
way to go. If the pet is multi- portrait that just happens to be of Some dogs find the surface slip-
colored, then we might opt for a a dog. We used a main light in pery, in which case you could use
medium background or pick a a softbox, a fill light (in-camera black cloth. With seamless, you
background color that is similar flash), and a third flash placed to can just brush off any shed fur or
in density (darkness, not neces- the dog’s left side (camera right). cut off the used seamless. With
sarily color) to the most dominant It’s this side lighting that brings material, it is obviously more
color of the pet. out the texture in the dog’s fur. work to get rid of any shed fur.
136 Focus On Lighting Photos
So opt for seamless, if you can. the popup, and the accent light. and to keep the pet there. In this
Of course, if you are just aiming We also had a flash on the white particular case, the owner was
to do a head-and-shoulders shot, background. If you don’t have standing in front of the dog and
you don’t need to extend the the extra light, the background getting ready to give the dog a
background under the animal simply won’t be as bright, but treat. The dog naturally looked up,
and the slickness of the seamless that would be okay. and the photo was captured with
won’t be a concern. the eyes engaged and the tilt of
Having the pet owner in the room
the head that gives the image life.
The photo with the white back- with you is generally very helpful.
ground on page 136 is a simple First of all, it tends to calm the It’s a good idea to crop more
pet profile. As with the earlier pet animal. The owner can help loosely in the camera when
portrait, we used a main light, place the pet where you want it shooting animals. Even the
So, Where Do We Put This Light for Portraits? 137
best-behaved pets rarely sit as a lot of room in the frame. We light to get enough depth of field
still as people do. This way, if the knew this dog wasn’t going to sit to keep the body in focus and
pet moves, which is likely, the still. We had the owner rub the still shoot at a short exposure in
pet’s tail or ear won’t be out of puppy’s belly and then pull the order to freeze the motion.
the frame. Plan on cropping the hand away. We had no way of
Once the favorite photo was
photograph in postproduction, if knowing exactly how the puppy
selected, we cropped the image
warranted. would move. The lighting had to
and then did some postproduc-
cover enough space to allow for
In the image on page 137, we tion work in Photoshop to burn
this movement and still keep the
have a photo of the dog’s entire (darken) the edges to focus
dog well lit, wherever he went.
body. We wanted to capture the the attention on the dog. View-
We also had to have enough
liveliness of the puppy. We left ers of this photo often think the
138 Focus On Lighting Photos
overhead lighting was done
with a snoot, but it wasn’t. The
flash was combined with a silver
umbrella. As you can see in the
ked to
photo on the facing page, which
is the image as shot, without the u’re as snake, ask
If yo aph a
gr eed it
photo er not to f ng. It
edge burning, the light was not
n ti
nearly so concentrated.
the ow ore the sit goats
st bef sleep. Tame s
Ah, cats. Delightful little buggers.
ju
st ret
Handsome, sleek, mysterious, but
not known for their cooperation. will ju to find. Fer y, are
rd o
Working in a studio, you want to are ha t fun, but, b e.
a ic
are gre t. So are m
try to confine the space available
as
they f eed a lot of
to them. As we indicated earlier,
n e
You’ll
they are much easier to photo-
h thes
ce wit
graph in their own environment.
Either way, the lighting approach patien
is the same, except that if you
are in the home, you can make
guys.
use of existing light (assuming
your studio doesn’t have a lot of
natural light streaming in). If you
missed it, return to Chapter 5
for an example of using just
daylight and a fill card to photo-
graph a cat.
So, Where Do We Put This Light for Portraits? 139
140 Focus On Lighting Photos
Chapter 7: So, Where Do We Put
This Light for Metal?
Oh, nO! Metal! It’s really hard to shoot, brightness of the paper changes very
right? It’s reflective. It shines. It gets ugly little as you change the angle.
highlights. The surprising news is that it
Bright metal produces almost nothing
can be easy to shoot, and we don’t need
but direct reflection. Direct reflection
elaborate equipment to get the photos
happens in only one direction, and that
right.
direction is the opposite of the angle at
It’s important to understand that which the light strikes it. Now pick up a
almost anything reflects light in two piece of flat, bright, unpainted metal.
dramatically different ways, and a (You may have to go to the kitchen
good photographer must understand and find a metal spatula or tear off a
both of them. piece of aluminum foil.) Turn that metal
just as you did the paper. Depending
Diffuse reflection means light coming
on the room lighting, you may see the
from one direction reflects equally in
metal turn from completely bright to
all directions. Nothing produces perfect
completely black with a slight turn in
diffuse reflection, but ordinary nonglossy
angle. Even if the lighting in your kitchen
white paper comes pretty close. Take
does not produce the dramatic effect we
a piece of paper right now and turn
describe here, you will certainly see a
it in different directions. Under many
substantial difference.
lighting conditions you will see that the
So, Where Do We Put This Light for Metal? 141
Direct reflection means that the
light reflects from the surface
ld
e wou
omeon er, more
at exactly the same angle, but
wish s ort
in the opposite direction from
wherever the light comes. That We do p with a sh ily of
u m
means that we can only see the
come term for “fa has since
e
elegant Still, no on ors, Fil,
light from one direction; we have
.” h
angles our co-aut ew decades
to look at the subject from exactly
y f
one of the term a n physics,
the proper angle. If we don’t
want to move the camera to that
d i
angle, then we have to move the invente s now used hemistry.
t ’ c
ago. I my, and even k up
light to make that angle. If the
o in
astron n, people, th
angles don’t line up, we can light
o d! Any
Come
the metal with 40,000 gazillion
er wor , but we
watt-seconds (or joules, for most
l
of you non-Americans), and a simp will do
the metal will still be absolutely ge
langua transliterate h.
s
t is
hope i bly into Engl
black.
a
In fact, without capitalizing on the reason
proper angles, that metal will stay
black until we give it enough light
to heat it until it glows on its own.
That won’t happen though; we’ll
be running to call the firefighters
long before that. angle. That’s fine if the metal shape. Still, we want our bright
is microscopically small, but area to be pretty big.
So we put the light in the right
most metal is bigger than that.
place so that it reflects brightly Polished metal produces mostly
It doesn’t just reflect light from
from the metal to the camera, unpolarized direct reflection. You
one angle but from a family of
and God says, “Let there be can quickly see where the prob-
angles. Each point on the metal
light,” and certainly, there is light. lems are. The real decision is to
needs to be lit from a different
Furthermore, the light may be determine how bright you want
place if we want the metal to be
surprisingly bright, even with a the metal to be. For the most
uniformly bright all over. Usually
very tiny, very low-power flash. part, you will want it to be bright
we don’t want the metal to be
with some texture, but that is an
Done deal? No, not yet. So far uniformly bright; instead we want
individual decision.
we’ve only lit the metal from one some dark areas to define the
142 Focus On Lighting Photos
The first step is to figure out flashlight) at the metal from the family of angles. If it doesn’t, you
where the family of angles is. camera position. You’d like the will either get dark or uneven
Because direct reflection only light source to be narrow enough lighting. If you are aiming for
occurs within a small family of to illuminate the metal and not dark metal, your light has to be
angles, the choice of where to put the surrounding elements. Point placed outside of the family of
the light is limited. This actually it to the portion of the metal that angles. Simple as that.
makes it easier for the photog- you want to light and note where
rapher to get it right quickly. The the light is bounced back to your
placement of the light and the diffusion material. If your light
etal!
camera in relation to the metal is source is small, you may need to
automatically limited. If you want point to the top part first; note
t fe ar m pretty
Don’ ctually d.
a specific camera viewpoint, then where it reflects back onto the
a r
It’s htforwa
as you’ll see, the light placement diffusion material. Then move
g
strai
is fairly predetermined. to the bottom and do the same.
Start by placing your diffusion Assuming you want bright metal,
material behind the subject. Point your main light will have to be
a simple test light (it could be a placed so it completely fills this
So, Where Do We Put This Light for Metal? 143
Flat metal In the photo top right (page 145), diffusion sheet on a steeper angle
we added a framed diffuser so that the top of the framed
The image below was lit with the between the saw and the off- diffuser is just barely outside the
off-camera flash behind the saw camera (main light) flash. It was camera’s view. By doing so, we
without diffusion. The in-camera almost vertical but angled slightly are now lighting all the metal’s
flash was used as fill. The handle toward the saw. The metal is family of angles so the blade
is okay, but the blade is very starting to get brighter. Progress! will now be bright. There was no
dark. The shadows are big change in the light’s position in
and sharply defined. Not very Although there are times when we
this case. The image bottom left
good, is it? want the light to fall off, this isn’t
(page 145) shows the result of
one of them. We need to make
In the image at top left on the this steeper angle.
our main light source bigger if we
facing page, we put a white want the metal to be consistently The blade now is bright (but not
reflector to the left of the saw, bright. We’ve already been using white) and still has detail. We
which brightens both the blade diffusion material, so what’s could stop here. However, in the
and the shadows, but the blade wrong? We need to angle the photo bottom right (page 145),
still isn’t the shiny metal we
expect.
144 Focus On Lighting Photos
So, Where Do We Put This Light for Metal? 145
we went ahead and put back the opted to put a gobo between
reflectors we used earlier. This the diffusion material and the
softens the shadows even more saw. In this case, the gobo was
g lens
e a lon ible.
and we get more detail there as black mat board cut as wide as
Us
poss
well. The shadows are also less what was seen in the camera
distracting. and only a couple of inches high.
when more
It blocks hardly any light at all,
You’ ll have light
lity in
Now compare the photo at
flexibi nt.
but by using it we got a bit more
the bottom right on page 145
definition of the shape of the
e
placem
with the image at the begin-
handle at its upper edge. It’s a
ning of the chapter. They are
small point.
almost identical. However, we
Moving your light closer makes it a bigger light
source. It makes the background brighter, but
it won’t affect the brightness of the metal.
In reverse, move the light farther away, and the
background will get darker with no change in the
brightness of the metal. Neat, huh?
146 Focus On Lighting Photos
Round metal our placement of light needs brushed-metal peppermill. It’s
to change. We’ll start with little not a new one, as you’ll see in
Just as with flat metal, we are lights and then turn them into the early shots. Although it’s
going to need a large light larger lights, step by step. The clean, it’s clearly used. By the
source to handle round metal. difference in the light quality time we get to using big lights,
Because it is round, the angles really shows up with a shiny, those flaws are gone!
of reflection are increased. So
We started with an off- We removed the board blocking
camera flash with no the in-camera flash and allowed
diffusion at camera right it to be a fill light. No neutral
(main light) and deflected the density material was used in
in-camera flash so none of front of the fill light. The
its light struck the subject shadows improve, but the
but merely triggered the off- metal is worse. We’ve now got
camera flash. Result? Ugly a truly ugly highlight in the
shadows and metal. middle of the peppermill.
So, Where Do We Put This Light for Metal? 147
Two changes here. We added a white
reflector at camera left and put
some neutral density material in front
of the fill light. The peppermill is
now shiny metal on one side and the
ugly highlight in the middle is also
improved.
We added diffusion material in front
of the off-camera flash. This simple
act gets us a large light source. The
highlights on the vegetables are softer
and more pleasing. The peppermill
now has a fully rounded shape and
brightness on both sides. Note, too,
the change in the shadows, especially
on the flowerpot.
148 Focus On Lighting Photos
a Last touch
We could have stopped at
the previous image, but by
attaching a small piece of white
board to a dowel (clamped to
a light stand) and angling it to
reflect in the top of the pep-
permill, we are able to brighten
the top of the peppermill and
give it more definition as well.
When using a reflector, get in the habit of
clamping it to an angle iron or light stand when
possible. If you don’t, the reflector can fall
over and move items that have been carefully
placed or, worse, damage items.
So, Where Do We Put This Light for Metal? 149
Chapter 8: So, Where Do We
Put This Light for Glass?
glass is generally considered hard to give the glass form. The rest is not of
shoot. How do you capture an image of much concern.
something that is transparent?
When the light strikes a visible edge
In truth, glass is more challenging than of glass, it is not reflected back to the
metal. Light travels through the glass viewer (camera). Hence, it disappears.
and isn’t reflected back to the viewer We need large reflections, distinct
(camera). At the same time, it will have enough that the viewer can discern
unwanted reflections of its surroundings. the shape of the glass clearly. For this
Like metal, most of the reflections are to occur, we need the reflections to be
indeed direct reflections. However, different from the background. The
with glass the reflections can also be choices are dark-field or bright-field
polarized. The photographer needs to lighting.
pay attention to the edges, which will
njoy
can e
you
tice, !
prac ing glass
With graph
o
phot
So, Where Do We Put This Light for Glass? 151
Dark-field lighting you know you can create a big glass. This card needs to be
light out of your off-camera flash! smaller than the light source. If
Dark-field lighting is where you are shooting at the white wall,
there is a dark background and Place your main light (your off-
you can clamp the card behind
therefore glass needs bright lines camera flash) behind and above
the light to a light stand. If you
to outline the shape of the glass the glass. You can either aim the
are shooting through diffusion,
with no other distracting light at off-camera flash at a white wall
you can attach the board to the
any other point. These bright out- behind the glass or point the light
diffusion material directly, or again
lines tell us where the glass starts toward the glass but with a diffu-
clamp it to a light stand. (If you
and stops. sion sheet between the flash and
don’t have an extra light stand, you
the glass. Either way, you now
The good news is you don’t need could hang the card from above
have a large light source, critical
a lot of lights, nor even big ones, with string.) The exact size of the
to doing this type of photograph.
to make good photographs of black background isn’t critical. It
glass. Well, actually you do need Next place a dark card (gobo) simply has to be small enough that
at least one large light, but by now between the main light and the sufficient light gets around it.
Glass on black Plexiglas with black
seamless behind the glass. This
image was lit by using undiffused
off-camera flash (camera right) and
undiffused in-camera flash as fill.
Not very good, is it?
152 Focus On Lighting Photos
Position the camera so the We got rid of
the shadow by
viewfinder is exactly filled by the
background. This is important. If
the background extends beyond
what the camera is seeing, it will
replacing the black
block the very light that will give seamless with
definition to the edges of the
glass.
black velvet. (You
At this point you can move the could also just
glass to the point you prefer. You’ll move the seamless
farther back, if
get sharper edges as you move
the glass closer to the camera.
In the image below, the glass now
has simple, elegant definition.
you have the room.)
Unfortunately, all
the other problems
remain.
usly.
m eticulo ints,
glass ngerpr
Clean dges, fi ill show
u
Any sm rmarks w uched
wat e e reto
or ve to b
up and ha So to avoid
ard!
afterw ing, clean,
h
retouc lean.
c
clean,
So, Where Do We Put This Light for Glass? 153
Bright-field lighting toward the glass. If you are and the field is too big, you could
using opaque material, you will use a smaller card.
Bright-field lighting is, as you point the light at the background
would expect, where you have a You can now move the glass for-
and let the light bounce back to
bright background and the glass ward and back until it is the size
the glass. If you use this latter
therefore needs dark outlines to you want. As you bring the glass
approach, you need to be careful
provide shape to the glass. closer, the edges will be more
where you put the light so that it
defined because less light will be
Set up a light-colored back- does not reflect in the glass!
reflected on it.
ground. This could be diffu- Set up the camera so that the
sion material, light seamless, a So how do we fix the truly ugly
viewfinder is exactly filled by the
shower curtain, tracing paper, image below? We need to both
background. If the lit background
cloth, or a white card or wall). brighten the glass and get dark
is too big, you can make it right
Place a light so that it lights outlines. Because we used white
by adding black cards to each
the background evenly. If you diffusion material as a back-
side so you get the viewfinder
are using translucent material, ground, attach black cards
filled correctly—no more, no less.
you will place the light behind directly to the material. (If the
If you are using a white card, as
the background and point it background were a white wall,
opposed to a large white wall,
Glass is placed on white Plexiglas,
but you could use any light-colored
background. Behind the glass is
white diffusion material, but it
could just as well be a white
wall. Photographed with just the
in-camera flash (with no neutral
density material), we get a glass with
no definition and we’ve got one really
ugly shadow.
154 Focus On Lighting Photos
we could have hung them with to get the light placed correctly can use black cards to reduce
string or attached them to light in this case, because if it is on its size.
stands.) The placement of these a light stand behind the glass,
In the image below, we now
black cards is important. it will show in the photograph.
add the off-camera flash behind
Because we are using the diffu-
Because we have diffusion the diffusion sheet. This causes
sion sheet, the light is hidden and
material behind the glass, we substantial improvement. There
we can use a light stand easily.
next place our off-camera flash are, however, still distracting
behind the diffusion material. If Place the camera so the back- small highlights from the undif-
you are using a white wall, point ground exactly fills the camera’s fused popup flash.
your light at the wall instead. You field of view. If background area
will need to use a boom in order (the lighted part) is too large, we
Glass with off- LittLe things matter
camera flash behind In the photo on the left on
diffusion material
page 156, we added neutral
density material in front of the
and pointed at
in-camera flash. By diffusing
this light and dimming it, we
glass. An in-camera got rid of the distracting little
speckles of light seen in the
flash was used photo at left. Because our black
without neutral
boards were carefully placed,
we have good edge definition
density material. while keeping the glass bright.
For comparison, note how
Black cards were the edges change when the
black cards are placed too far
used to limit apart in the photo on the right
the size of the
(page 156). The edges lose
their detail, especially at the
background. This rim and the base of the glass.
So bring the cards in closer as
setup improved we did in the previous photo-
glass definition and
graph or use a smaller white
board, if you’re using that
brightness.
instead of diffusion material.
So, Where Do We Put This Light for Glass? 155
Here the black
boards were moved
so the background
was bigger. We
lose the good edge
definition.
156 Focus On Lighting Photos
A glass half full visible. In the photo below, we The board is just big enough
have a small white board behind that when we look through the
Interesting things happen when the glass. It is far enough away viewfinder, we see white all
you add liquid to a glass. By that we can have the off-camera around the glass, but just barely.
adding liquid, the glass takes on flash light the board. We used Even though we have a board
qualities of a lens. It starts to see barn doors to block the light from that fills the viewfinder, the liquid
things around it and the liquid the flash from lighting the glass. is seeing the room around it.
allows these things to become
the fix
We might be inclined to simply
use a bigger white board.
That will certainly do, but the
edges of the glass will be not
as well defined as we’d like.
The better solution is to keep
the small board but move the
camera closer and, if necessary,
change to a shorter lens to get
a comparably sized image. This
way the background fills the
liquid portion of the glass more
pleasingly and retains good
edge definition. In the photo
on page 158, we switched to
a shorter lens and moved the
camera to get a similar position
as in the photo on this page.
The liquid is acting as a lens and
showing us the surroundings even
though there is a white board behind
the glass that is big enough to fill the
viewfinder with white from edge to edge.
So, Where Do We Put This Light for Glass? 157
With the use of the shorter lens, there will be some
distortion. Look at the top of the wineglass in both
images of this glass. The shape of the lip is deeper in
the short lens version. This is rarely a problem.
Glass and paper exercise using diffusion mate- is to get good lighting on the
rial between the main light and glass bottle but also retain good
At this point, we’ve learned that the bottle, placed to the right of definition in the paper label.
we need diffused light more the bottle. Our challenge here
often than not. So we’ll start this
158 Focus On Lighting Photos
Bottle lit with off-camera By adding a white reflector to
flash through diffusion the left of the bottle, we’ve
material. In-camera flash is improved the left side of the
used with neutral density label and added dimension to
material. We get a soft the wine bottle. The right side
highlight on the bottle, but of the bottle is okay, but the
the label is too dark on one label still lacks definition.
side and too light on the other.
So, Where Do We Put This Light for Glass? 159
goBo to the rescue
The final element is to add a
gobo (black card) to the right
of the label. It needs to be just
tall and wide enough to block
some of the light from the off-
camera flash so that the label
is now legible and both sides
are evenly lit. We sacrifice
some of the highlight on the
bottle, but this is acceptable,
as we still have a highlight and
shape to the bottle.
Bottles and more Although we can do this with just diffusion material between the
two lights, this is one of those times off-camera flash and the setup.
The final image in this chapter where we’d prefer to have a few We are using enough neutral
will incorporate a bottle, a glass more. So if you can, rent or bor- density filtering on the popup
with wine, grapes, and an old row two more lights and stands. flash to balance the light pleas-
wooden corkscrew. We need to ingly. We know from the previ-
keep the bottle and glass trans- Our background is white seam-
ous series of photographs that
parent while retaining definition less paper. The main light (off-
a reflector is likely to be helpful,
of the glass, the label’s legibility, camera) flash is placed to the
so we’ve included it here to the
and avoiding unwanted glare on right of the bottle. In the photo
left of the setup. You can see
the corkscrew. on page 161, we omitted any
160 Focus On Lighting Photos
it reflected in the bottle. In this could have used an additional highlight on the bottle. Assuming
case, we also have an overhead background light on the left.) we have a flash with adjustable
light on a boom behind the power, we will want to up the
In the photo at left on page 162,
subjects, which is aiming at the power a little to compensate for
we added diffusion material
subjects, and we have a single the light being farther away. If
between the main light and the
light on the background (camera your flash has only one power,
setup. We get a better highlight
right), lighting fairly evenly but you’ll need to lessen the amount
on the bottle. In the photo at right
allowing a little drop-off at the of neutral density material on the
(page 162), we moved the off-
far (left) side. (If we wanted an on-camera flash to keep the light
camera flash farther away from
evenly lit background, we could nicely balanced. You may then
the diffusion material. As a result,
have placed the background light need to amend your f-stop to
we get a larger and softer-edged
on an additional boom or we maintain good exposure.
Without diffusion
material, the highlights on
the bottle are too small
to give us a good sense of
the bottle’s shape.
So, Where Do We Put This Light for Glass? 161
So far, so good. But we’re miss- Diffused lights are always big
ing something hugely important lights, at least compared to the Light pLacement matters
here, and that’s what we mean size of the subject. Putting a piece As we’ve seen, placing the
by diffusion. Diffused light means of translucent plastic over our main light farther away from
the photographer scatters the flash diffuses it a little. Hanging a the diffusion material makes
light into many different direc- large piece of the same material a more pleasing highlight
tions at once. Diffused reflection a few feet in front of the light dif- on the bottle. But raising the
means that the subject reflects the fuses it much more. As far as the light a bit gives us a highlight
light in many directions. Imagine subject can see, the big diffusion that runs the length of the
bottle instead of in bits. It’s
nonglossy white paper. Diffused sheet is the light, not our tiny little
a very small change but an
light means that the light strikes flash. important one.
the subject from many directions.
162 Focus On Lighting Photos
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Chapter 9: Motion
Okay, We Want to shoot a picture of photographers are better than others at lean-
something that isn’t holding still. Some- ing on something static and holding accept-
times we want to freeze everything. To ably still, but “acceptably” is subjective—better
photographers are tougher judges on what is
do that, we can just use a really fast acceptable.) The only light was provided by the
shutter speed. We have to compensate fireworks and the jetty lights. There is no one
for the faster shutter speed either by right exposure setting for this type of image.
opening up our f-stop or by increasing You’ll have to experiment with the shutter
our ISO. Often, though, we want to speed and the f-stop to get the exposure right
capture some (or a lot!) of that motion. and freeze the fireworks as much as suits you.
In the photo of the dancer (page 166),
we have a dancer jumping. In this case,
A bit of motion
the photographer used white seamless as
In the image at left on page 166 is a clear- a background. A flash was camera right.
cut example of the second case. Who would No reflector or additional light was used.
ever want to photograph fireworks without Despite all the times we usually try to lighten,
motion? The only piece of equipment we need soften, or minimize a shadow, sometimes it
beyond the camera is a tripod. (Okay, some can be an active part of the image.
Motion 165
Quartz-haLogen
Quartz-halogen lights are good tools for photographers who often shoot
motion. They have ordinary tungsten filaments, but the glass has some
quartz, unlike ordinary silicon-based glass. The inside of the lamp is
filled with an inert halogen gas, which keeps the filament from oxidizing
(burning up!). They typically produce about 60% to 70% more light than
ordinary tungsten lights of the same wattage. Usually more expensive
than ordinary household tungsten, but much less expensive than flash,
these continuous lights are always on. The fact that they don’t flash
allows seeing motion over whatever exposure time we choose.
166 Focus On Lighting Photos
Lots of motion motion. For a ballroom dancer, enough and angled so it lit the
we may decide that 1⁄30 second foreground. Our in-camera flash
Sometimes we actually want a lot is too short; for a bullet emerg- was covered with a bit of neutral
of motion. In the photo below, ing from a pistol barrel, 1⁄1000 of a density material. We attached
we wanted a photograph that second is way too long. The trick a cable release to the camera
conveyed activity. To accom- is to get your timing down for and a homemade trigger to the
plish this, we need a continuous when you fire your flash. (Note: If off-camera flash (long enough
light source—could be sunlight, you’re using a house lamp, you’ll to reach from the flash to the
quartz-halogen, or a house probably need several for a shot photographer). We locked open
lamp with a tungsten bulb. You’ll encompassing this much space.) the shutter with the cable release,
have to set your camera to a The room had very little ambi- letting the motion be recorded,
longer exposure. How long? That ent light. We set up a hot light and triggered the flash when we
depends on the brightness of the at camera left. Our off-camera thought the hands were in the
light source and the speed of the flash was placed behind the loom right place; then we unlocked
pretty much directly in front of the cable release to end the
the camera. The flash was high exposure.
tungsten
As we write this, we have little
prediction of the future of tung-
sten lighting. Existing laws will
prohibit manufacture within
a few years in the United
States, but the definition of
“few years” could be modi-
fied. Other countries have laws
that don’t specifically prohibit
tungsten but prescribe energy-
efficiency standards. Can
tungsten lighting be improved
to meet those standards? We
don’t know. Whatever happens,
there are good alternatives
to tungsten, but they may be
more expensive or may offer
inferior color. When we say
“tungsten,” adapt your thinking
to whatever is available when
and where you read this.
Motion 167
A homemade flash trigger. We make one from whatever connector
fits the flash; the other end is a piece of plastic tubing (from
a hardware store) fitted with any sort of push button switch
that fits (from an electronics supply store or maybe a hardware
store). This allows us to manually trigger the flash at any point
during the overall exposure, which is especially good if we’re
musicians or video gamers with quick hands!
168 Focus On Lighting Photos
In the images on this and the the gesture we were aiming to a friend (assistant) to help out
next page, we approached a capture. Upon firing the flash, we by having the friend handle the
motion shot somewhat differ- unlocked the cable release and locking and unlocking of the lens.
ently. In this case, we simply the image was captured. The photographer will always
wanted hands moving through retain the decision of when to fire
Admittedly, the photographer
space. We had a black seam- the flash. But the truth is, you can
often wishes he or she had a
less background set up a long, do this by yourself. The harder
few more hands to complete this
long way from where the sitter part is to get the timing of the
process. It takes a bit of prac-
and our lights were. We wanted flash correct.
tice, but it actually isn’t too hard.
the background to be absolutely
Some photographers will get
black. (If we don’t have a space
big enough to allow this, we can
change the background to black
velvet.)
We again had a continuous
tungsten light source. We had a
flash positioned to the side so it
would hit the hand not straight
on, thereby giving shape to the
hand. No other lights were on
in the room except for the one
tungsten light source. The flash
was attached to a synch cord
but not attached to the camera.
With the camera on a tripod,
we locked the camera lens open
using a cable release, told the
subject to move his hand, and
then triggered the flash by putting
a straightened-out paper clip
into the synch cord. In this case,
we wanted the motion to come
first and finish with the hand in
Motion 169
These photos are of a pianist each case we had to do our best
known for his lightning fast to time the firing of the flash at manuaL triggering without
fingers and particular hand the end point of the motion to any speciaL eQuipment
gestures. He wore black clothing. get the fingers where we wanted Need to manually trigger the
We also covered his upper arm in them. (If you want to hear what flash? Don’t have a specially
black velvet to be sure the hands these hands can do, go to made external trigger? Use
would float in space. joshuarich.com!) the simplest synch cord the
flash allows (ideally only two
We shot lots of versions, with terminals). Unplug the camera
different hand gestures, and in end of the cable and stick in
a bent paper clip when you
want the flash. This is safe for
simple camera-to-strobe con-
nections, because we use very
low-voltage signals to protect
the shutter. It is not safe for
other higher-voltage electrical
circuits.
One warning, though: if we
have a complex flash cable,
we may not know which two
terminals make the trigger
circuit. Conceivably, we could
damage the flash by connect-
ing the wrong terminals, even
though we stand no chance
of damaging ourselves. That’s
why we suggest a simple synch
cord with only two terminals
for this procedure. Most flashes
will accept such a cord.
170 Focus On Lighting Photos
Freezing motion
We can shoot this photo of a straw-
berry splash manually. Musicians
and athletes are probably better at
this. Galileo, a professional-caliber
musician, sang to time his gravi-
tational acceleration experiments.
Every sprinter knows the rhythm
of the start count beginning with
“on your mark.” Paul Fuqua, one
of Fil’s co-authors on Light—
Science & Magic, and Fil, one of
the co-authors of this book, once
captured a bullet emerging from
a pistol with a “one, two, three”
count. Anyone can do this without
any new equipment. Still, if we
have a special interest in freezing
motion and want to do this over
and over, electronic devices are
more reliable. We’ll talk about
the more reliable, electronic way
because that’s the way this picture
was done, but be assured that
we can do the same thing with
simple equipment—plus a lot more
patience.
The image at right is not an easy
one to capture. Think of this as
inspiration. High-speed photogra-
phy of this sort requires patience,
and in this case a willingness to
do some cleaning up afterward!
Although it is possible to shoot
this without additional equipment,
we’d be relying on a lot of luck.
Motion 171
This picture uses two external the gel will brighten only the part
flashes. Even though we’re trying of the background just behind what is bulb?
to use only one flash in this book, the spoon. Bulb is completely manual
the picture is interesting enough control of how long the shutter
A second flash was placed on
that we want to talk about it. If is open. The word once meant
a light stand camera left, with a
the photographer had only one squeezing a rubber bulb to
grid to restrict the light to just the open and close the shutter,
flash, he could have also made a
spoon. Several test shots were and, a hundred years ago,
good picture with only one flash
needed with the strawberry just practiced photographers
on the subject, leaving the back-
resting on the spoon to determine got pretty accurate shutter
ground black.
exposure. In this case, the speeds this way. Today’s
Here the photographer used an distance from the beam to the photographers with amazingly
electronically controlled trigger- spoon was 9 inches. accurate electronic shutters
ing system to fire the flash. There still use this manual control for
The shutter was set to bulb. A longer shutter speeds.
are different systems to trigger
wired cable release was used to
the flash based on light to detect
do some test shots. (Here you can
motion or sound. The motion An event like this happens so
use a small flashlight to see what
of the strawberry crossing an quickly that there’s no way to
you’re doing.) It will take some
infrared beam triggers the flash. immediately know if we have the
experimentation with the time
The room needs to be completely delay on the triggering device to shot we want. We have to look at
dark. It takes a little experimen- get the timing right. We’re talking the image and, almost always,
tation to determine where the milliseconds here! Once we have shoot again. The pattern of the
transmitter and receiver need to the timing right, we’re good to splashing cream is random, and
be placed, as well as the flash. go. it may take two shots or a hun-
dred to get it right. In this case,
The spoon was taped to a clamp. After putting some cream into the photographer dropped the
The photographer put a red the spoon and locking the shutter strawberry by hand, in darkness,
seamless background behind open, the photographer dropped and frequently missed the spoon
it. A flash with a red gel was the strawberry. As the strawberry entirely! The great thing is that
pointed at the background. The broke the infrared beam, it trig- we no longer have to wait for the
background is far enough away gered the flash and the photog- film to come back from the lab to
from the spoon that it remains rapher immediately closed the find out when the picture is good.
somewhat dark. The flash with shutter.
172 Focus On Lighting Photos
Setup for the
image of the
strawberry dropping
into cream. Note
the plastic over
the camera, always
a good idea when
photographing in
bad weather or
when liquids are
splashing nearby.
do
If you like
photos , be
ne
this o for
d
prepare eanup
cl
some
ard!
afterw
Motion 173
Chapter 10: The Future Is Now?
the principles Of light remain the same, use the flash reliably without extensive study
but the way we use it is ever changing. of each new piece of equipment? Certainly,
What we use and how we use it will but how soon?
continue to evolve. Flash and strobes Tungsten is one of the most beautiful light
will continue to get stronger, without sources, but soon it may be illegal to manu-
necessarily getting bigger or more cum- facture it because of its energy inefficiency.
Will there be an adequate replacement?
bersome; they’ll get “smarter.” Humans Read on.
will continue to come up with innovative
approaches to both the technical and Fluorescent has traditionally been an awful
light source because of its poor color and
artistic elements of photography. Here the inability to control the size. Nevertheless,
are a few new things to be aware of. fluorescent lamps have become dramatically
Some will turn out to be very important, smaller. (We can always make a small light
some will be passing fads. The best bigger; we cannot always make a big one
crystal balls are cloudy. smaller.) The color is getting better, but most
of them still have “spikes” in certain colors
to compensate for lost color between those
New light sources spikes. We see continuous improvement;
your authors, Robin and Fil, now replace all
Flashes will continue to get smarter. Whether
used tungsten bulbs at home with compact
this is an improvement waits to be seen.
fluorescent lamps, but we are not sure how
At the moment, intelligent flash hugely
long it will be before we want to use them
improves the chance of a novice photogra-
for photography.
pher getting a good picture. Still, an experi-
enced photographer needs to study a pretty LEDs (light-emitting diodes) have a humble
thick book to use that flash to be sure the past. Originally designed for low-current
picture will be right. Once, we could pick up displays in calculators and watches, they are
any flash and learn to use it in minutes, if becoming powerful—literally popping up
we already understood the basic principles. everywhere, from our car taillights to (soon,
Will the flash-camera intelligence combina- perhaps by the time this book comes out)
tion ever be good enough that anyone can household bulbs. Photographers are already
The Future Is Now? 175
combining these little lights on was the result? Reflections of the the image, the more detail we
their own to make usable light- little bumps inside the dryer. The record. Small digital sensors
ing for photographs. LEDs are technique was ever so simple, are affordable to all photogra-
really cheap. It doesn’t take but it took someone with curiosity phers, but the larger ones are
rocket science to join these little and a good eye to even think of affordable only to professionals
lights together, thereby creating shooting a picture like this. with the highest profit margins.
a bigger light. Today their color However, digital is here to stay
Advanced sources include HMI,
isn’t very pleasing for the most and is improving in leaps and
HID, CDM, and probably more
part, but that, too, is changing. bounds. So now we chase new
to come. All of these are too
(We can fix that current cool color cameras with more megapixels,
expensive for hobbyists. (There-
with software, especially when and better lenses and lights, and,
fore, for now, let’s skip spelling
we shoot in raw.) Depending on in addition, software that lets us
out the acronyms.) But wait! More
how many we hook together, work with our images both more
than 20 years ago, in another
we may just be able to light a efficiently and with great creative
book, Fil wrote that HMI would
small scene. The more that are capabilities.
probably never be affordable,
joined together, the bigger the
even by professional standards. Postproduction work has always
light and the stronger the light
Fifteen years later he was asked been part of photography. Does
source. Something for the do-it-
to light a video about the major post have anything to do with
yourselfers to consider!
artifacts of a new museum and lighting? Should we even men-
The photo at the beginning of was given a generous assortment tion it in this book?
the chapter uses LEDs as the light of HMI lights to use. The main
Yes, to both questions. There are
source for the image. It isn’t your job of a photographer is to have
things we can do either in light-
everyday setup, but, boy, is it fun. open eyes, not just for what’s in
ing or in post, and the effect is
This photographer has a dryer front of us now but for what’s
about the same. Although there
atop a washing machine in her to come.
have been purists who insisted
garage. She set the camera on a
on nothing but “straight prints,”
tripod in front of the dryer’s open
Postproduction most photographers for over a
door. She powered on the wash-
hundred years have insisted on
ing machine, which turns on a lot The world of photography has darkroom work to improve their
of red LEDs. She used a mirror always been fluid. We used lighting. Which way do we want
(under the camera) to reflect the to chase new and better film, to get the job done? Shooting?
red light into the dryer drum. She cameras, lenses, and lights. Post? Whatever is easier and
then turned off the light in the Today, the film part is fading in more efficient. It is incompetent
garage so it was completely dark. use, although it has capabili- to spend hours on the computer
Finally, she made a time expo- ties that digital is still working to trying to fix something we should
sure. Done. Very cool. And what match. Size matters: the bigger have shot right in the first place;
176 Focus On Lighting Photos
it is silly to spend hours to perfect domain image editing software (hopefully as a result of growing
lighting we could correct in a few that, at a minimum, all photog- knowledge). Life experience influ-
minutes with digital tools. raphers need to use in order to ences our decisions. We need to
improve their lighting. fight getting stuck in a rut. Using
The image we capture is sel-
the software available today is
dom the final product. Should In the days of film and before
incredibly fun and helpful, and as
the image be cropped to make software got involved, we would
a result it not only helps us create
it more dynamic? Does it need do much of this processing in
better images but also keeps our
color correction? Do portions the darkroom and then some
eye fresh.
need to be dodged (lightened) additional work by hand, either
or burned (darkened) to draw retouching with brush and The hardest part of using the
the viewer’s eye to a spot or photographic dyes or airbrush- software is knowing when to stop.
away from it? Should we blur ing. Today, most of us—even If we simply use the computer to
the image a bit or sharpen a when shooting film, which we do the same things we used to do
portion? then scan—make these changes in the darkroom, fine. If we come
using software. Adobe Photoshop up with a whole new image that
Once, post was essential to all
is probably the best known, but never could have been done with
photography. We had to pro-
there are others out there as well. any previous techniques, better.
cess the film. We had to make a
If we use standard digital filters
print. While we were at it, why We can now take a photograph
to make a photograph look like,
not make some improvements and make it look as if it was
say, an impressionist painting,
along the way. Now, with the done in oils or watercolor. We
stop right now. Either get back to
right equipment, we can send our have a wide range of papers with
photography or go learn impres-
pictures directly from the camera different textures. We can selec-
sionist painting.
to the printer, with no darkroom, tively blur portions of a portrait,
no real computer, no adjustment. while keeping the eyes and
mouth sharp. High dynamic range
In other words, no post. That’s
one of the biggest problems with Ansel Adams not only shot imaging
novice photography today, but images over and over again
The best way to deal with a scene
it’s also one of the easiest prob- in the same spot seeking the
that has both extremely bright
lems to fix. Not everyone wants to perfect light and angle, but he
and extremely dark areas is to
invest in the most powerful com- also printed the negatives over
light it so that everything falls
puter or the latest version of Pho- and over again over the course
into the limited dynamic range
toshop, nor should they. (Serious of many years, making different
of the camera. Still, sometimes
professionals should, however.) decisions as how to best bring
we simply can’t do that. We can’t
Still, most of us have computers out his vision of the scene. As we
light a mountain above a valley.
now, and there is cheap or public age, we “see” things differently
We may not even be able to light
The Future Is Now? 177
a small room if it has a historic have noise (see Chapter 4.) and let it have no detail. This
presence whose existing light Our eyes also manage to see might be the sky or the inside
already conveys a mood we can’t detail in shadows even when of a treasure chest in the corner
easily duplicate with any number much of the scene is brightly lit. of the basement. Using HDRI,
of portable flash units. Cameras are not as forgiving. we no longer need to lose this
information.
High dynamic range imaging, Why can our eyes do this, while
known as HDR or HDRI, is grow- our cameras cannot? Actually, Now we can take the same
ing in capability and popularity. our eyes aren’t as good as we photograph (on a tripod to avoid
It is a method of shooting images think they are, but they’re oper- movement) over and over again,
primarily when we are faced ated by a massively powerful bracketing each exposure so
with trying to take a photograph computer—the brain—which we end up with the same image
where the lighting range is too weaves together the lightest and ranging from seriously overex-
broad for the digital camera darkest areas to make a whole posed to very underexposed. We
or film to handle in a single scene. Right now, we can’t do then selectively join the best bits
exposure—that is, we have too this with our cameras: they are together. There is a variety of
much light in one area and too not yet smart enough. Still, we software out there that will allow
little in another. Our eyes are can now do it on our desktop. us to blend the parts we want into
so incredibly capable. We can The computer we have may take a single image, thereby ending
walk outside on a bright sunny a few seconds or a few hours, up with an image that has detail
day and see perfectly well. We depending on the processing wherever we want it, in whatever
can also walk down a dimly lit speed and the amount of RAM amount we deem appropriate.
corridor and manage just fine. we’ve paid for. In either case, Obviously, this works best with
It might take a moment for our it can’t match the fraction of a images that are static. However,
eyes to adapt when going from second our brain needs, but it the software is improving, and
a bright scene to a dim one, can get the job done. we now can add people to the
but they do it and do it quickly. images using this technique. It
Normally when we want to take
Cameras handle different light will still require some retouch-
a photograph that has some
levels much like the eye in that ing after the blending, because
portion in very bright light and
we can change the aperture of people simply can’t hold still well
another portion in deep shadow
the camera’s lens (just like the enough over the time it takes to
(and it’s not a situation where we
eye does on its own). However, capture multiple images. The
can add light to the shadowed
cameras don’t handle low light software available today does a
area with our flash), we have
levels as well as our eyes do. great job of blending the multiple
to make a decision to sacri-
Even with lots of megapixels, images together, but we need to
fice some portion of the image
low-light images are likely to look carefully at edges and in
178 Focus On Lighting Photos
all likelihood do some selective the room, but the lamp shades we can take the best bits of
retouching. are blown out (little or no detail). various images and blend them
In the old days of film, we’d judiciously into one “perfect”
In the photo above, we have a
probably opt for negative film photo. As with so much of
dark exposure of a conference
and then selectively burn and photography and postproduction
room. We have detail in the
dodge portions of the image work, a lot of judgment goes into
brighter elements of the room
to end up with an image that making the decisions. In the bot-
(like the lamp shades), but little
has detail everywhere we want. tom photo on page 180, we have
detail in the darker areas. In
Today, with digital imaging, we an image where we blended por-
the top photo on page 180, we
can shoot a widely bracketed tions of various images; the result
have one of the lighter exposures
set of images and blend them was pleasing detail in both the
of the same room. It has good
together. By using software, shadows and the highlights.
detail in the darker elements of
The Future Is Now? 179
Robin and Fil made this picture
years ago, before there was any
software to automate the process.
We used alpha channels to block
the dark parts of the darkest
portions of the dark pictures and
the lightest portions of the light
pictures to blend them together
as a whole. Today, the most
expensive versions of Photoshop
can do HDR for us. We just give
the images to the software, and
tell the program what we want.
Other software can do the same,
maybe better, but Photoshop is
the one stand-alone image editor
that comes closest to doing it all.
We have that software now, and
sometimes use it when the exist-
ing light in the scene is simply
too beautiful to mess with. Still,
we don’t expect novice pho-
tographers to rush out and buy
expensive software when what
they really need most is another
light or two (or six). The point of
this demonstration is that we can
still do some pretty advanced
stuff with fairly primitive tools.
This is a book about lighting,
not about Photoshop. Still, the
technologies integrate. It is as
impossible to divorce lighting
from digital post as it once was to
separate it from darkroom burn-
ing and dodging.
180 Focus On Lighting Photos
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Conclusion
We’ve cOvered a lot of ground, Now go out and take some
and we hope there’s something pictures. Don’t be a monkey;
for everyone. We welcome be a human. Use your brain.
your questions and comments And while you’re at it, have
at info@moxieandmagic.com. some fun!
Conclusion 183
Glossary
this is an introductory book, Technical answer: the focal length the light. Commercially made
but a few terms here go a of the lens divided by the effective models generally have four
little beyond an introductory diameter. That’s why a 100 mm doors, which can independently
lens set at, say, f/8 has a much be opened as much or little
explanation. Some readers bigger physical opening than as the photographer desires.
will be eager for the extra a 25 mm lens set to the same Homemade versions will have a
detail, whereas others will not aperture, even though they both black board attached as needed.
yet want that detail, and they admit the same amount of light.
Beauty Lighting: Intended to
are welcome to skip what they Aperture doesn’t just control the
minimize skin texture, it is flat
don’t need. Just remember amount of light; it is also one of
lighting that uses a diffused light
the two factors that control depth
that it’s here when you need it. above the camera and usually
of field.
a reflector, sometimes a second
Angle Iron: Cheap bracket,
Background Light: A light used diffused light source, beneath the
often used for mounting shelves
to brighten a background, often camera. Most effectively used for
in storage areas. A flat metal
in conjunction with barn doors or head-and-shoulder portraits.
rod bent to a 90-degree angle.
a snoot to control the width of the
Available in a variety of sizes. Blue Glue: Originally designed
beam.
Reflectors can be leaned against to seal refrigerator gaskets, it
angle irons, though it is more Baffle: An additional sheet of has been since marketed under
secure to use a spring clamp to diffusion inside a softbox. Usually many brand names as a way for
prevent the reflector from slipping removable, if less diffusion is parents to temporarily put up their
or falling over. Find it in any needed. children’s art without damaging
hardware store. the wall. In photography, it is
Bar Clamp: An F-shaped
used to hold lightweight items in
Aperture: Simple answer: how clamp, similar to a C-clamp,
place without worry of damage
open the lens diaphragm is. but generally larger. A threaded
when removed. The term is
The more open, the more light screw is at the bottom and can
photographers’ slang, so you
that passes through the lens be tightened to hold an item in
may have to show store clerks
and the greater the exposure. place. Found in hardware stores.
the picture in this book to find it.
Measured in f-stops. That’s all a Barn Door: A tool used to Found in hardware, school supply,
novice really needs to know, but block light; attaches directly to and art supply stores.
some will want more right now.
184 Glossary
Boom: A stand with an adjustable including imaging with no visible Butterfly Lighting: Lighting
arm that allows things to be light. style similar to beauty lighting,
placed over the subject without Built-in Flash: Flash that is except this technique uses one
showing in the photograph. part of the camera. May pop up diffused light above the subject’s
Heavy- to medium-weight booms or may literally be built into the head with either no additional
support lights or, in video, camera body. light or just a little fill, so that
microphones. Lightweight, often there is a butterfly-shaped
homemade booms support Bulb (camera setting): Setting shadow under the subject’s nose.
reflector cards or gobos. used for longer exposures than
the camera has settings for and Cable Release: Cord that
Bounced Light: A lighting style the photographer times the attaches to the camera, which
that points a flash at a white exposure manually. Also used for is used to take a photograph
ceiling or wall rather than directly long exposures where we need by pressing a plunger on the
at the subject. Produces a larger multiple flash exposures for a free end of the cable. Good for
light source without additional single image. avoiding camera movement in
equipment. If there’s no white almost any shot, essential for
wall or ceiling nearby, we can Burn: To darken a portion of an long exposures or when the
also carry a large white card or image. In the darkroom, burning photographer cannot be near
an umbrella or tape up a white was done by exposing portions of the camera (e.g., for a self-
sheet. an image to additional light from portrait). Available in a variety of
the enlarger in order to darken lengths.
Bracketing: Making several an area of a print, using hands
exposures using different f-stops. or cardboard wands to block the Camera Left: Term used to
This may be done to determine light from certain areas. Today, indicate anything that is to the
the best exposure for a given we do this with software, but with left of the camera from the
scene. (A technically “perfect” radically different techniques. photographer’s perspective
exposure is not always the best The digital burn and dodge tools from behind the camera. The
exposure from an artistic view.) do not work nearly as well as opposite direction from what the
Essential for high dynamic range the older darkroom equivalents, subject may consider camera
imaging, where selective portions but we can do much more left. An arbitrary distinction,
of each image will be blended using alpha channels and their but an essential one when
into one photo. powerful extension, layer masks, photographers are talking to one
to select an area to burn. This another about where they put the
Bright Field: Term used when
goes beyond simple lighting, so light.
photographing glass and there
is a light background and the see other books, including books Camera Right: Term used to
glass needs a dark outline. Also from Focal Press, for further indicate anything that is to the
used in various scientific fields, discussion. right of the camera from the
Glossary 185
photographer’s perspective Matching the light source to highly focused theatrical lights for
from behind the camera. the related setting on a digital a similar effect.
See camera left. camera results in a photograph
Cucoloris: See Cookie.
that looks pretty much as we see
Canvas Background:
the scene (i.e., fairly neutral). Dark Field: Term used when
A photographic background made
Mismatching the camera setting photographing glass and there is
of canvas that is usually hand
and the light source will result a dark background and the glass
painted, sometimes screen printed.
in images that have odd colors. needs a bright outline. Also see
Frequently used in portraiture.
(Not necessarily bad.) Measured bright field, its opposite.
Usually abstract with random,
in degrees Kelvin (K). Color Daylight: In general terms,
softly blended areas of similar
temperature is always used to unclouded light any time during
colors, but it can also have scenes
measure “white” light, meaning the brighter hours of the day
(such as a library full of books).
light with a reasonably even or any photographic light that
Catchlights: Highlights in the mix of all colors in the visible approximates the same color
eyes. spectrum. That “reasonably even temperature. Daylight is used to
C-clamps: These steel clamps mix” can vary greatly from one describe light when sun is directly
get their name from their shape. light to another, however. overhead on a clear day. In
A threaded screw is at the bottom Contrast: The difference technical terms, light of 5500° K
and can be tightened to hold an between the lightest and darkest color temperature. Also used to
item in place. areas of a scene. In lighting, describe the camera setting at
this often means the difference which the camera assumes the
Circular Reflector: Used to
between the main light and the light source is daylight balanced.
bounce light. Commercially
made, it is round and folds up for fill, if any. Note, though, that the Dedicated Flash: Flash
easy transport. Generally comes subject can affect the contrast as that can be controlled by the
in two different sides (e.g., one much as the lighting; a diamond camera’s programmable
side is white and the other silver), with bright facets, lying on black functions. Intelligent versions also
so a photographer gets two velvet, is likely to be a high- communicate back to the camera
different reflectors in one. Also contrast scene no matter how we what they are seeing, allowing
comes in other colors, such as light it. the camera to revise settings
gold and black. The black side, Cookie: Short for cucoloris (with during the exposure.
an obviously poor reflector, several spelling variations). To Depth of Field: The distance
serves as a gobo. still photographers, usually a between the closest and the
Color Temperature: Every flat piece of cardboard or wood farthest subject that we are
light source has a particular with holes in it, used to create willing to consider acceptably
temperature that determines uneven lighting. Some small sharp. The words willing and
the color of that light source. metal cookies are used inside of acceptably are, of course,
186 Glossary
judgment calls. They depend not Diffuse Reflection: Light Examples include mirrors, bright
only on the subjective opinion of reflecting from the subject equally metal, and water. Compare with
the viewer but also on the size of in all directions, regardless of diffuse reflection.
the reproduced image; an image the direction from which the Distortion: Proportions not
that appears sharp at a small light comes. Uncoated white being recorded “realistically.”
size may appear unsharp when paper and nonglossy white cloth Caused by either the lens or the
it is enlarged. The mathematical produce a great deal of diffuse camera viewpoint. Lens distortion
formula for depth of field reflection. Diffuse reflection is a is sometimes a result of defects in
reflects this complexity and property of the subject itself and the lens. This is rarely noticeable
literally (we’re not joking here) has nothing to do with whether in today’s lenses, except for very
includes a term representing the light source is in any way wide-angle lenses. Perspective
the “circle of confusion.” For diffused. Compare with direct distortion happens with all
practical purposes, depth of field reflection. lenses. Dependent on camera
is determined by two factors:
Diffusion: The spread of light. viewpoint: the closer the camera,
aperture and image size. The
The practical importance is that the greater the perspective
smaller the aperture, the greater
diffusion turns a small light into distortion. This leads many
the depth of field; the smaller the
a large one. Photographers photographers to mistakenly
image size, the greater the depth
use both diffusion material and believe wide-angle lenses cause
of field. Many photographers
bounced light to accomplish this. distortion. They don’t, but the
already understand the effect of
closer viewpoint they allow does
aperture: a picture shot at, say, Diffusion Material: Any of
increase distortion. The effect
f/16 will have a lot more depth a variety of materials used to
may be pleasing: a country road,
of field than the same scene shot diffuse light: tracing paper, white
becoming ever smaller in the
at f/2.8. The effect of image size cloth, or commercially produced
distance. However, it may be
is less apparent but still easy to translucent white plastic (which
displeasing: a cityscape with tall
understand. Many photographers comes in a variety of densities).
buildings on the left and right
believe that wide-angle lenses Diffusion material makes little
leaning toward the center of the
produce more depth of field. lights into bigger light sources,
picture. Displeasing perspective
They really don’t: they simply with resulting softer light.
distortion can be corrected
produce smaller images and Professionally made diffusion
with postproduction software,
smaller images have greater material is available in both rolls
sometimes with a significant
depth of field. If we move the and sheets.
loss of image quality; may also
wide-angle lens close enough to Direct Reflection: Direct be corrected without significant
the subject to produce the same reflection happens in only one loss of quality using perspective
size image, the depth of field is direction and that direction control lenses or view cameras,
the same as that of a longer lens is the opposite of the angle both increasingly rarely used by
from a greater distance. at which the light strikes it. current photographers.
Glossary 187
Dodge: To lighten a portion Exposure: The amount of light thin metal sheet with a precisely
of an image. Once done in striking the electronic sensor drilled hole, which slid into a
the darkroom by preventing (or sometimes, still, the film). slot in the lens to stop part of the
light from the enlarger striking Controlled by both the aperture light.
the paper during part of and the shutter speed. The wider Fill Light: Light from a variety of
the exposure. Now done in the aperture, the faster the sources used to lighten shadows.
postproduction work using shutter speed can be, and vice Could be a white wall, a piece of
software. Also see burn. versa. Simple concept, but huge white foam board, or a flash.
implications beyond the scope
Duct Tape: Cheap, strongly Filters: Glass or plastic that can
of a lighting book. Please seek
adhesive, easily removable screw onto a lens or be placed
other sources of information.
tape used mostly for sealing in a lens hood. Depending on
heating and air conditioning Extension Rings: Tubes that the filter, can alter color, polarize
ducts. Photographers use it to attach between the lens and the light, soften an image, add
hold things in place when no camera. They have no optics starburst, and more. One special
specialized clamp exists or is but do include the electrical filter, the close-up filter, allows
handy. Often used to tape cables connections that allow the lens the lens to focus on closer objects
to the floor in a public space to to function as if it were attached than the lens focusing mount
keep people from tripping. More directly to the camera. Used for otherwise allows. Usually of lower
likely to cause damage when macro photography by changing optical quality than an extension
removed. Also see gaffer tape. the distance of the lens to the ring, but often acceptable,
image plane, allowing for closer especially if we use a close-up
Electronically Controlled
focusing. filter from the same manufacturer
Triggering System: Triggers a
remote light not attached to the F-stop: Simply, the diameter of that made the lens.
camera by wire. Once always a lens: the greater the diameter, Fluorescent: Long hated by
used visible light from another the more light. More technically photographers because of
flash, now increasingly replaced correct, the focal length of the unpredictable color variation
by infrared or radio signals. The lens divided by the diameter. by manufacturer and by age,
infrared and radio versions often Adjustable by the aperture, a these are becoming a significant
also allow remote control of the sliding ring of thin blades that photographic light source.
power and other settings of an open and close to control the Nonhousehold, photographic-
intelligent flash. A few specialized effective f-stop. But it can also specialty fluorescent is no longer
versions trigger the flash as refer to the change in lighting uncommon.
the subject passes through a strength, as in, “We reduced the
laser beam, allowing accurate power of the flash by one-half Foam Board: Lightweight
photography of high-speed stop.” Why the word stop? plastic foam sandwiched between
subjects. Originally the term referred to a two pieces of heavy paper for
188 Glossary
protection and rigidity. Cuts of a light source to restrict the High Dynamic Range
easily. Available in white, used spread of light. Imaging: Known as HRD or
frequently as a reflector, and HDRI, involves taking a series of
Guide Number: The guide
black, used as a gobo. images from the same viewpoint
number divided by the distance to
Fome-Cor: Trade name for the subject tells us the aperture. with different exposures, which
foam board. We have to determine the we combine into a single image.
guide number for each flash. Useful when faced with a scene
Framed Diffusers: Items that that has a bigger range of light
Almost obsolete because of the
will spread and enlarge light. levels than the camera can
intelligence of today’s camera
Made with diffusion material accommodate without losing
and flash, it may still be worth
attached to a frame of wood detail in either the highlight,
learning about; it’s extremely
or plastic plumbing pipe. shadow, or both.
accurate when the intelligent
Both are rigid; plastic pipe
misjudges. High Key: Images with light
allows disassembly for greater
portability in video, where Hair Light: A light used to backgrounds. In portraiture, the
continuous sources are brighten the hair. May be a people usually wear light-colored
required. silver reflector, but more often clothing.
it is a flash used in conjunction Histogram: A bar chart
Gaffer Tape: Strong cloth
with a softbox, grid, or umbrella. showing the range of tones in
pressure-sensitive tape. It offers
excellent adhesion and removes Hatchet Lighting: Lighting an image, with the dark tones
more cleanly than duct tape. style where the light source on the left and the light tones
comes from the side of a subject. on the right. The height of each
Gel: A thin colored transparent bar represents how much of
Also called split lighting. Can
sheet used over a flash. Usually that tone is in the image. (In an
accentuate skin texture, but
used for both color correction unmanipulated image, the bars
can also produce dramatic
and dramatic color shifting, we are so close together that they
images.
also use pure white for diffusion, appear to be continuous.) A look
transparent gray for neutral Haze: Caused by dirty air and at the histogram helps to adjust
density. ultraviolet light. It obscures exposure. Many histograms show
detail in the distance of a scene. tonal values from the darkest to
Gobo: A piece of board that
Depending on the scene, this the lightest areas, but not always.
blocks light from striking the lens
can be a good or bad thing: it A dark scene has most of the
or restricts light from striking an
obscures detail but increases the bars on the left of the graph,
item in a photograph.
sense of distance. whereas a light scene has most of
Grid: An assembly of short, the bars on the right. This gives
HDRI: See High Dynamic Range
small hexagonal or cylindrical us the opportunity to manipulate
Imaging.
black tubes that cover the front exposure for better image quality.
Glossary 189
Had we had camera histogram intelligent data transfer, allowing Fahrenheit, Centigrade, or
displays in the days of film, we the camera to instruct the flash Celsius, but the Kelvin scale
would have adjusted exposure to on power setting and more. emphasizes higher temperatures
put as much exposure as possible where things begin to glow.
Incandescent: Means light
at the dark end of the histogram The lower the temperature, the
from a glowing filament, usually
to reduce film grain. Today, “warmer” the color (orange,
tungsten light. See Hot Lights.
we put as much of our tonal red); the higher the temperature,
range as possible in the right ISO (International Standards the “cooler” the color (blue,
side, highlighting areas of the Organization): A measure of green). The traditional Kelvin
histogram to reduce the digital the light sensitivity of film and scale depends entirely on heat
noise that happens in the shadow electronic sensors, a unification to produce light. This produces a
areas. Neither of these actions of two slightly different older mix of all visible colors, although,
produces an accurate exposure, standards, ASA (American clearly, any given temperature
but they do produce exposures Standards Association) and DIN produces more of one color, less
that we can lighten or darken (Deutsches Institut für Normung). of another. Electrical sources not
in postproduction to produce a Increased film development entirely dependent on heat, such
higher-quality final image. allows a slight increase in ISO, as fluorescent, once had no true
sometimes producing the illusion Kelvin measurement because they
Hot Lights: Tungsten, including
of a much greater ISO. All lacked the full visible spectrum.
quartz-halogen lights that are
digital cameras can amplify the However, improvements in
continuously on, unlike flash,
electronic signal to truly increase those sources are beginning
which only supplies light upon
the ISO, allowing photos in much to produce a fuller spectrum,
triggering. Actually two slightly
lower light. Both techniques and the Kelvin measurement
different color temperatures, both
significantly reduce the quality becomes more reasonable
of which are yellowish orange.
of the image by producing for them. For example, while
Both are scheduled to become
increased grain in the film and there is no inexpensive 5000° K
illegal in the United States
increased noise in the digital fluorescent lamp, the D50
and probably Europe within a
recording. See also noise. (Note lamp comes close enough for
few years because of energy
that ISO, ASA, and DIN all have many practical purposes. The
inefficiency. (The exact timing for
standardized measurement hardware and electrical supply
that move is established but may
scales for many things. Here, we store versions of D50 cost very
be renegotiated.)
discuss only those most directly little more than the less calibrated
Hot Shoe: Place where flash is concerned with photography.) lamps, so look for them if you
attached to camera. Not a simple want to shoot with available
Kelvin: A temperature scale
mechanical attachment, but light in your home or office.
measuring the color of light.
always offers at least triggering (There’s also some evidence that
We could just as easily use
of the flash. Increasingly, offers this more “naturally” colored
190 Glossary
light may lead to psychological or amend the light source. Can trigger offers maximum flexibility.
improvement among workers.) diffuse the light or restrict it. The radio signal can sometimes
travel right through barriers,
Key Light: Also known as the Light Stands: Metal stands
which are opaque to visible and
main light, the brightest light used to hold flash. Collapse
infrared light. “Line of sight”
used in making a photograph. for easy transport. Come in a
doesn’t always correspond with
variety of styles and sizes. For
Kicker: A light that strikes the what our eyes can see.
purely photographic purposes,
subject from the rear, but also
the heavier, the better. Some Low Key: Images with dark
slightly to the side.
of these have dollies to make backgrounds. In portraiture,
LED: Light-emitting diodes them easy to roll around, and the people wear dark-colored
are extremely efficient lights, crank mechanisms for raising clothing.
producing a great deal of light and lowering heavy lights. For
Main Light: Also known as
from very little electrical current. easy travel, the lighter the better.
the key light. Almost always
Once practical only for very Choose carefully, depending on
the single brightest light in a
small lights such as calculator the features you need most. Most
photograph.
displays, they are getting bigger, of us compromise between the
and large groupings of them heaviest and the lightest. Masking Tape: Everyone
are now common for larger knows about this thin, easy-to-
Line of Sight: Mainly concerned
applications such as automobile tear paper tape, but we need
with whether a remote flash can
taillights. Some photographers to remind you that it is also an
“see” the light that triggers it.
are now experimenting with very important photographic tool.
Optical triggers, using either
large groupings for photographic Not very strong, but adequate
visible light or infrared, generally
lights. Likely to become a for many purposes, and less
need to be visible to the camera
common photographic light expensive than either duct tape
to flash reliably, but not always.
source in the foreseeable future. or gaffer tape. Also not very
Sometimes the triggering light
heat resistant and likely to leave
Lens Hood: Also known as a can bounce around corners
an ugly residue on very hot
lens shade. It is used on the end and down hallways to put the
lights. No inherent harm there,
of a lens to block a light from external flash in “line of sight” to
but switch to gaffer tape if the
outside the field of view from the triggering light without being
appearance of your equipment is
striking the lens to avoid camera in line of sight with the camera.
important to your clients.
flare and, to a lesser extent, lens We can also use a synch cord
flare. between the light and the trigger Mylar: A thin, durable DuPont
to put a small, barely visible plastic. Commonly used in tape,
Light Modifiers: Barn doors,
optical trigger in view of the metallic sheets, and many other
snoots, grids, bounce cards,
triggering light out of sight from products. Photographers often
umbrellas, softboxes, gobos: any
the camera. A radio-controlled use it as a silver, sometimes gold,
of a variety of items that alter
Glossary 191
mirror reflector, often attached never notice it mixed in with a opaque white, black, or a variety
to foam board for rigidity. We strong signal—the brightest parts of colors. Good for a variety of
also use translucent white Mylar of a photograph, the loudest photographic backgrounds.
as diffusion material. Translucent part of a symphony—but it can
Polarized Light: Too technically
Mylar tends to discolor in dirty be annoying in photographic
complex for any photographic
air, so photographers who work shadows and soft solos in the
book to thoroughly cover,
in dusty industrial environments middle of the symphony where
especially a basic book like this
or smoke in small studios need to the noise is strong enough to
one, but essential enough that
replace it periodically. compete with the primary signal.
we can’t leave it out. The good
If you are an absolute beginner,
Neutral Density Material news is that we don’t need a
you probably won’t even notice
(ND): A filter that may be physics degree to make good use
this problem, but as you grow,
almost clear or varying degrees of the concept. To be as simple
you may become much less
of neutral gray. It reduces the as possible, light vibrates in two
satisfied with what you can do.
intensity of light without changing directions, up and down and side
See Chapter 4 for how to reduce
the color of the light. We seldom to side. One direction conveys
noise. The existence of noise
use this with a sophisticated flash, surface (especially glossy); the
may mean we’ve jumped into
which generally allows very low other direction conveys color.
the digital age prematurely. Still,
power settings. Still, it’s extremely When we look at a surface from
we can’t blame the pioneers who
useful on the on-camera flash a certain narrow family of angles,
got us here. Without them, we
when we want that flash to we see mostly polarized light;
wouldn’t be as far along as we
trigger an external flash, but want from other angles, we see no
now are.
minimal or no visible light from polarization. We can make use
the on-camera flash itself. We Off-Camera Flash: A flash of this. If we look at a lake and
can often cover the on-camera not attached to the camera. like the reflection of the sunlight
flash with enough layers of ND Sometimes the best place to have from its surface, that light is likely
that it has essentially no effect the flash is right on top of the to be polarized. We shoot it as is,
on the lighting of the scene, but camera, but this is more often or add a polarizing filter. Turned
the flash is still bright enough a mechanical convenience than at the proper angle, the filter
to trigger the external flash, good lighting. As photographers eliminates the light that conveys
especially in studio-like settings develop their eye and their skills, color detail, emphasizing the
where the flash doesn’t have to they are more likely to want to direct reflection from the water.
compete with high ambient light. put the light somewhere else. But suppose we’d rather see the
fish beneath the surface? Then
Noise: Noise is a meaningless Plexiglas: Both a brand name
we rotate the same filter 90
random signal that interferes with and a generic name for similar
degrees, eliminating the surface
meaningful data. All electronic products. A thermoplastic that
reflection so that we can see the
circuits experience noise. We can be clear, translucent white,
192 Glossary
fish. This is just one example, sight when not needed but that Raw: Often written “RAW,”
one where we could equally can be opened when needed. because many photographers
well decide to capitalize on the consider it to be a standard
Postproduction: Work
polarized reflection or get rid of image format like TIFF or JPEG.
done on images after they
it. Another example is the blue Not so; one camera maker’s
are captured. It may include
sky. In bright sunlight, the sky has raw can be totally different from
burning, dodging, vignetting,
both polarized and unpolarized another’s, and the specifications
color adjustments, and cropping.
reflection. Remembering that the may be proprietary and secret.
Used to all be done either in
unpolarized reflection conveys A better format is Adobe’s DNG
the darkroom or by hand on
color, we put the polarizing filter (digital negative) format, because
prints, but now almost always
over our lens and rotate it for its code is open to all. A few
done with software. A very small
maximum color. This makes (almost always among the
percentage of this work can still
the sky much bluer without better) camera manufacturers
be done better and more quickly
significantly affecting the color of have adopted DNG rather than
on the print, however. Learning
the rest of the scene. Too brief a developing still another raw
to work without the digital tools
discussion, but enough that we format. Other very good camera
is a fairly tedious process most
can start using the principle right makers persist with their own
photographers don’t want to
away. For a slightly more detailed proprietary raw formats, and
master. Still, it’s a good idea
discussion of polarized light, see there’s no way to predict whether
to become acquainted with
the book Light—Science & Magic. this Babel will continue or evolve
someone who can do this, just in
Polarizer or Polarizing Filter: case you need him or her. into a common, universally
Depending on the angle of available format. All of these
RAM: Random access memory. file formats allow an image file
rotation, can either increase or
Most people already know this with a wider dynamic range
decrease the amount of polarized
concept, but we need to mention that can be used to produce,
light making the exposure. May
that digital image processing say, a TIFF. They preserve
be of high-quality optical glass
is extremely RAM intensive. the data with minimal loss of
to attach to the camera lens or of
Whatever RAM we need to information. (DNG compresses
low optical-quality plastic to hang
rapidly operate word processing, with no loss of information.)
in front of lights. (Beware of the
spreadsheets, and presentation A resulting 24-bit TIFF, with its
low-quality sheets; some work
software simultaneously may more limited dynamic range will,
very well, others offer hardly
become impractically slow when indeed, lose information, just as
any polarization at all! Try to
we start to process images. Equip photographers have always lost
get a small sample piece before
your computer with all the RAM information when they made
buying.) See Polarized Light.
you can afford if you intend to a silver-based print. Still, all of
Popup Flash: Flash built into a process pictures on a regular the raw formats and DNG allow
camera that is generally out of basis. photographers to change their
Glossary 193
minds, return to the original file, made with the highest optical of the shiny surface, more light
and make a new print with a quality. is reflected back than if a white
whole new interpretation. reflector is used.
Seamless: Large, cheap paper
Reflectors: Any of a variety of background for photography. Softbox: A boxlike structure,
items that reflect light. Can be Available in a wide variety of most frequently rectangular, with
as simple as a white or silver colors. diffusion material in front and
board or can be manufactured enclosed sides and an opening
Seamless Stand: Consists
metal reflectors that fit directly only slightly bigger than the light
of two tri-legged adjustable
on the light source. Used either attached at the back. It makes a
stands and a crossbar that holds
to redirect the light or to enlarge little light bigger and produces
seamless paper. Allows for easy
the effective size of a small soft light. The bigger the softbox
portability from place to place.
source. and the more diffusion material
Seamless unrolls from the top.
used, the softer the light areas.
Rembrandt Lighting: Lighting There are other ways to support
that is placed so a triangle of seamless, which are permanent Slave: A trigger cell on a flash,
light appears on the shadow and sturdier but lack mobility. usually sensitive to visible light,
side of a face. Also called short These cost less than light stands, but, increasingly, infrared or
lighting. and, in a pinch, we can use one radio. Slaves allow multiple
for a light stand. Still, we’d rather flashes to fire simultaneously
Rim Lighting: Lighting behind
use a sturdier stand for expensive upon the triggering of a first
but aimed at the subject that
lights and use the seamless flash. They are essential for
skims the back of a subject to
stands only for cheap paper. use of multiple flash, because
delineate it from the background.
plugging multiple flash units into
Shade: Light in an area that
Ring Light: A circular flash that a single synch cord risks electrical
does not receive direct sunlight,
fits on the lens of a camera and damage to the camera.
such as under a leafy tree.
completely encircles it. Large
Because there is no direct Snoot: Used to restrict light.
versions are most used for beauty
sunlight, the main light is often A snoot generally provides a
lighting. Smaller versions are
the open blue sky. Also, a setting small circular opening for the
used for medical photography
on many digital cameras to adjust light to pass through. Restricts
where we want to see into a
for the cooler light in shade. light more than barn doors, but
small opening (e.g., dental)
usually less than a grid.
and forensic photography (e.g., Silver Reflector: Mirror-like
nearly shadowless illumination of surface that reflects light. Could Split Lighting: See hatchet
small crime scene evidence). be a shell that fits around a lighting.
light source, but this could just
Screw-on Filters: These screw Spring Clamp: Think of a
as easily refer to a foam board
directly onto a lens. Unlike gels big metal clothespin. This is
reflector with Mylar on it. Because
used in front of a light, they are a general-purpose clamp,
194 Glossary
available in several sizes. Can length of the cord). The camera we need to keep? What are we
clamp diffusion material to a shutter triggers the flash. This is willing to lose? Can we digitally
stand, a reflector to an angle the cheapest and most reliable compress the tonal range of
iron, the back of a suit jacket for way to trigger the flash, but, the scene to fit the tonal range
a better fit (though actual clothes- for the safety of our camera, of the paper? Of course, we
pins often work better here), a we can trigger only one flash. can, always, if we recorded the
gobo to shield a lens from flair, Any additional flash needs to full tonal range when we shot
a piece of cloth not made to fit be triggered some other way. it. Still, too much compression
any background stand. Best of Also, very long cords increase can make the image look flat.
all, these are not photographic- the likelihood that someone Ansel Adams’s The Negative is
specialty clamps and they’re will trip over the cord. These a good guide for beginning to
available at any hardware store are good tools, but use them make these judgments, even if
for low prices. We can even judiciously. we never intend to shoot a piece
get super strong versions when of film.
Tonal Range: The difference
we need them and very flimsy
between the lightest and the Tripod: Three-legged support
versions when those are good
darkest area in a scene. If the for a camera. Generally, the
enough. These are a bargain
difference between the two is too sturdier the better.
that pays off in unexpected ways
great, we lose either highlight
when we need them. Get a Tungsten: See incandescent.
detail or shadow detail or
handful. Produces yellowish orange light,
both. What is “too great”? That
but with a full visible spectrum.
Strobe: Traditionally, any depends on the camera: some
Some colors are brighter than
electronic flash. Increasingly can record greater tonal ranges
others, but they are all there.
today, an electronic flash that than others. Recording a greater
uses an incandescent modeling tonal range does not get us Umbrella: Umbrella-shaped
light to let us see approximately out of trouble though. Sooner reflectors that are used with light
what the flash will do. or later, we’re likely to want to sources to spread and diffuse
print the image on a piece of the light. Come in a variety of
Synch Cord: An electrical
paper that does not allow such sizes and styles (white/shoot-thru,
connection between the
a great tonal range. We have to silver, and black-lined). Easily
camera and a remote flash
make a judgment call. What do portable because they fold up.
(and “remote” depends on the
Glossary 195
Index
Page numbers followed by f indicates a figure.
A umbrella, use of, 35 Commercial photographers, 15
Alpha channels, 76, 180 wall, 32–33 Continuous light source, 167
Antiglare-coated lenses, 128, 129 from white ceiling, 32f Convert to blue (CTB), 74
Aperture, 96 Bracketing, 178 Convert to orange (CTO), 73
adjustment, 178 Bright-field lighting, 154 use of, 74f
background and, 96 Broad lighting, 112 Cookies, 49, see also Gobo
star effect, 105 Built-in flash, 5f homemade, 49f
Automatic color adjustment, 33, 62, shot with, 5f wooden, 50f
see also Color adjustment Bulb, 172 Cropping, 114
Butterfly lighting, 118 CTB, see Convert to blue (CTB)
B CTO, see Convert to orange (CTO)
Background light, 55, see also Main C
light Camera D
barn door, 51 focus, 98 Dark-field lighting, 152
bottle, 161 placement, 98 Depth of field, 96
and flash, 55 camera-right business, 4 Developing photographers, 15
gobos, 126 Catchlights, 13 Diffuse reflection, 86, 141
and grid, 54, 56 Circular reflector, 39, 39f Diffused light, 162
high key images, 125 advantage, 39 Diffusion, 42
reflector, 115 folded, 39f gobo, 46
Background shadow, 94 Color adjustment, see also Color Roscoe sample pack, 42–43, 42f
Barn door, 51, see also Gobo temperature Strobist pack, 43
background light control, 115, 125 auto balance setting, 62 Diffusion material, 19, 44, 82,
glass, 157 automatic, 33 see also Diffusion
Velcro, 52 in camera, 62 duct tape, 44
Beauty lighting, 26, 118, 119f, custom white balance, 62 framed diffusers, 45–46
see also Lighting manual, 33 gaffer tape, 44
Black-and-white images, 58, 105f, night time photo, 87f position, 44
see Grayscale images tungsten and daylight white umbrella, 46–47
Blue glue, 7, 8f balance, 67–68f, 70–71f Direct reflection, 86, 141–142
Bounce, 32, 82, see also Light, sizing Color temperature, 61, see also unpolarized, 142
card, 35, 37 Kelvin Directors of lighting (DLs or LDs), 47
ceiling, 33 cool colors, 62 DLs or LDs, see Directors of lighting
diffuser on flash, 41 daylight, 61 (DLs or LDs)
fill card and, 34 tungsten, 61 Duct tape, 44
reflector, 35 warm colors, 62 Dynamic range, 177
196 Index
E Glass, 151 High key lighting, 120
Electronically controlled triggering background, 153, 156 flare, 126
system, 172 bright-field lighting, 154 High-speed photography, 171
Eyeglasses, 128–130 camera position, 153 Homemade grid, 53f, see also Grids
dark-field lighting, 152 on flash, 53f
F without diffusion material, 161f making, 52
Family of angles, 142–144 light placement, 162 supplies for, 52f
Feminine vs. masculine, 115 with liquid, 157 Household bulbs, 69
Fill card, 34 off-camera flash, 155f
Fill light, 11–12, 26, see also Main with paper label, 158, 159f I
light on Plexiglas, 152f, 154f In-camera flash
Flare, 126 shorter lens, 158 glass on white Plexiglas, 154f
Flash, 16, 175, see also Profile Gobo, 46, 47, 105, see also neutral density material, 154f, 155
lighting Diffusion undiffused, 152
adjustable flash coverage, 47 barn door, 51 Incandescent light, see Tungsten light
automated systems, 16, 17 black card, 48f Infrared trigger, 30, 30f, see also
diffuser with, 102 cookies, 49 Trigger, flash
flat background and, 55f glass with paper label, 160 disadvantages, 31
homemade grid on, 53f homemade, 49 Intelligent flash, 16, 25
selecting right, 17 between main light and glass, 152
small diffuser on, 41f Gradient neutral density filter, 75–76
Grayscale images, 110 J
trigger, 27–31 Journalistic photographers, 15
Fluorescent lights, 71–72, 175 Grids, 51, see also Homemade grid;
Foam board, 36f Snoot
background light, 56 K
Fome-Cor, 35
uses, 54 Kelvin, 62, see also Color temperature
Mylar, 35, 36f
Kelvin temperature scale, 62
Fome-Cor, 9, 35, see also Mylar
H Key light, see Main light
Found light, 92
Hair light, 11, 113–114 Kicker lighting, 116
Framed diffuser, 144
Framed diffusers, 45–46 Hard shadow, 79
small lights, 80 L
texture, 80 LEDs, see Light-emitting diodes
G (LEDs)
Gaffer tape, 44 Hatchet lighting, 109
Haze, 103 Lens and light placement, 146
Gels, 42
Haze filter, see UV filter Lens filters, 58
application, 74f, 75f
HDRI, see High dynamic range gradient neutral density filter, 75
CTO, 73
imaging (HDRI) polarizing filter, 58, 75
for dramatic color, 73
High dynamic range imaging size, 58
Roscolux colored, 43f
(HDRI), 177 UV filter, 58
Strobist gel collection, 72
Index 197
Lens hood, 99 Lighting, see also Profile lighting reflection, 141
Light background light, 115 round, 147–149f
amending or mixing, 97 beauty, 118 saw, 144–145f
screw-on polarizer, 98 bright-field, 154 Mirror, 7
sunlight, 63 broad, 112 Modern flashes, 10
types, 61 butterflies, 94, 95f Motion, 165
Light, sizing, 32, 47 butterfly, 118 dancer, jumping, 166f
bounce, 32 children, 95 fireworks, 166f
circular reflector, 39, 39f dark-field, 152 freezing, 171, 171f
diffusion, 42 diffuser with flash, 102 hands moving through space,
foam board, 36f eyeglasses and, 128–130 169–170f
Fome-Cor, 35 flat, 100 light source, 167
Mylar, 35, 36f groups, 131–134, 132–133f setup, 173f
softboxes, 40 hair light, 113–114 Mylar, 7, 35, 36f, see also
umbrella, 35, 37 kicker, 116 Fome-Cor
Light and shadow, 79 for kids and adults, 125 advantage, 37
black vs. white, 86 low key vs. high key, 120
diffusion material and subject, 82 metal, 146 N
distant lights, 80 pets, 135–139 Night time photo
hard shadows, 80 portraiture, 107–108 in mixed light, 87f
hard-edged shadows, 81 rim, 116 Noise, 87
reflection, 86 short, 111 high megapixels, 88f
small lights, 80 split, 109–110 increase exposure, 88
smaller light and texture, 84 wrinkles, 127 low cost camera, 88f
soft-edged shadows, 81f Light-sensitive trigger, 28, see also software packages, 88
Light blockers, 47 Trigger, flash
Light meters, 126 disadvantages, 29–30
Light modifiers, 6 infrared trigger, 30, 30f O
fill light, 11 Low key lighting, 120 Off-Camera flash, 13, 25
hair light, 11 away from diffusion material,
mirror, 7 123
M benefit, 26
white reflector, 8 Main light, 9, 12, see also Light
Light sources, 175 and built-in flash, 26
modifiers diffusion material as main
advanced, 176 Manual color balance, 33
flashes, 175 light, 121
Metal, 141 fill light, 26
florescent, 175 diffusion material position, 143
LEDs, 175–176 on light stand, 26f
family of angles, 142–144 main light, 25
tungsten, 175 flat, 144–146
Light-emitting diodes (LEDs), 175–176 manual and automatic, 25
polished, 142 metal, 147
198 Index
neutral density material and Portrait photographers, 15 S
popup, 124 Portraiture, 107 Shadow, 79, see also Light and
popup flash, blocking, 122 camera heights, 120 shadow
undiffused, 152 catchlight, 121 face shape, 121
One-flash setup, 13 Postproduction, 117, 138, hard-edged, 79, 81
Open shade, 94 176 sharp edge, 80
lighting, 176–177 soft-edged, 81f
P softwares, 177 within subject, 83
Photographic boom, 59, 114, 155 Profile lighting, 3 Short lighting, 111
Photographic store, 23 diffusion material, 19 Silver reflector, 10, see also White
Photography face and light, 19–20 reflector
adults, 121–122 flash, 16–17 Sitter wear solid colors, 120
architecture, 104–105 light addition, 16 Slimming effect, 133
butterflies, 94, 95f light modifiers, 6 Snoot, 57, see also Grids
children, 95 model, 3 homemade, 57
flowers, 101 paper and light, 20 Soft shadow, 80
glass, 151 position, 3 Softboxes, 40
groups, 131–134, 132–133f size and picture quality, 18 homemade, 13, 14f
metal, 141 size control, 13 medium manufactured, 40f
motion, 165 small manufactured, 41f
pets, 135–139 Q Split lighting, 109–110
portraiture, 107 Quartz-halogen lights, 68, 166 Stage-right, 4
postproduction work, 117 Star effect, 105
Photography tools, 24 Still life, 25
R
bounce, 32 Strobist gel collection, 72
Radio trigger, 31, 31f, see also
bounce card, 35, 37 Strobist pack, 43–44
Trigger, flash
circular reflector, 39, 39f Studio portrait, 107
advantage, 31
clamps, 59 Sun light, 12, 79, 91, see also Main
disadvantage, 31
diffusion material, 44 light
Reflection, 86
flash trigger, 27–31 advantage, 17
Reflector, 149, see also Bounce
foam board, 36f advantages, 91
circular, 39, 39f
gels, 42 air pollution impact on, 64
shade background, 97
need for, 57 color, 64
umbrella, 38, 38f
off-camera flash, 25 color adjustment, 62
Refraction, 64
softboxes, 40, 40f dappled light, 93
warm tones by, 64f
stand, 59 disadvantages, 91
Rembrandt lighting, 111
Photoshop, 180 early afternoon light, 63f
Rim lighting, 116
Polarizing filter, 58, see also Lens early evening, 65f
Roscoe sample pack, 42–43, 42f
filters early morning, 64f
Index 199
Sun light, (Continued) inexpensive, 28f as reflector, 38
sunrise and sunset colors, 63 infrared, 30, 30f silver, 38
sunset, 66f light-sensitive, 28 white, 38, 38f
white building, 67 manually trigger, 170 UV filter, 58, 103
Synch cord, 27, see also Trigger, radio, 31, 31f
flash sensitive, 29f V
disadvantages, 27–28 synch cord, 27 Vignette images, 14
Tripod, 108, 165
T Tungsten light, 67f, 68, 167, 175
CTB, 74 W
Test light, 143 White board, 149
Texture, 83 CTO, 73
daylight vs., 69 White foam board
black subject, 85f, 86f alternative, 14
reflection, 86 vs.daylight white balance, 67f
vs.household lamp, 68f White reflector, 8, 10
smaller light, 84 White shower curtain, 19, 42,
sunlight and household lamps, 83 temperature, 61, 62
see also Diffusion material
white lace, 83f, 84f White translucent white filter, 44
Transition lenses, 130 U Wireless flash trigger
Translucent, 19 Ultraviolet, 58 alternative, 14
Transparent, 19 Umbrella, 35, 37, see also Bounce Wireless radio control, 98
Trigger, flash, see also Flash black-backed, 38f, 39 Wrinkle, 127
homemade, 168 as diffuser, 46–47 soft focus filters, 127
200 Index
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