Master Lighting Guide for Portrait Photographers

by Christopher Grey

Overview

Time-tested lighting strategies that will improve the quality of a portrait are detailed in this book for beginning photographers. Terminology used by industry pros is explained, the equipment needed to create professional results is outlined, and the unique role that each element of the lighting setup plays in the studio is explored. Photographers learn how color, direction, form, and contrast affect the final portrait. The concise text, photo examples, and lighting diagrams enable photographers to easily achieve traditional lighting styles that have been the basis of good portraiture since the advent of the art.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781608956777
Publisher:	Amherst Media, Incorporated
Publication date:	09/01/2013
Series:	Enhanced Audio Book with Photographs Series
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 10.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Christopher Grey is the author of Creative Techniques for Nude Photography and Photographer's Guide to Polaroid Transfer. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The following is from the author:

For over 30 years, I’ve dedicated my professional life to be the best generalist photographer I could be, and over the course of that time I’ve had the opportunity to photograph an amazing variety of people, products and services. My work has been, and continues to be, a rich, visual exploration of people and culture, of psychology and motivation, of line and form and love of life. Good fortune and hard work has seen a number of national and international awards come my way, the ownership of which has opened even more doors for me. Among my personal victories, I shot the most interest-generating ad photo in The Home Depot’s entire history, a logistically challenging image from concept to completion, involving sculptors, bakers, and model painters, in less than a week.

Some time ago I realized that others might benefit from my experience, and I began to write and teach. This ignited a new creative spark within me, which I’m happy to say has lit fires under other photographers and enabled many of them to reach their immediate goals more readily.

I’m thrilled to be working at the forefront of the “digital revolution”, although I believe that term is a misnomer. It’s really “evolution” because it’s changing every aspect of my industry, my own business and the way I work. At last, I have complete creative control over my images.

Today is a great day to be a photographer. Tomorrow, even better.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
About the Author

Introduction
The Importance of Portraiture
Style
Markets for Portraiture
Before We Begin
sidebar: Note to Readers

PART 1.
PRINCIPALS OF PORTRAIT LIGHTING

1. The Nature of Light
The Physics of Light
Electromagnetic Spectrum
The Properties of Light
Direction
Quality
Contrast

2. Professional Lighting Equipment
sidebar: The Arc of Equal Distance
Fill Light
Kicker Lights
Background Lights
Light Types
Strobes
A Word of Caution
Light Modifiers
Dishes
Umbrellas
Softboxes
Other Modifiers
More Jargon

3. Light Ratios
The Key-to-Shadow Ratio
The Highlight-to-Key Ratio
The Highlight-to-Key-to-Shadow Ratio
Correct Metering Techniques
sidebar: Silver versus Digital

4. Basic Lighting
Planning and Progress
sidebar: Noses
Broad Light
Two Lights and Fill
Short Lighting
Building a Portrait with Short Light

5. Classic Lighting Styles
Loop Lighting
Closed-Loop Lighting
Rembrandt Lighting
One-Light Rembrandt Light
One-Light Rembrandt Build
Second Remrandt Build
Side Lighting
Building a Side-Lit Portrait
A Second Side-Lit Build
Butterfly/Dietrich/Paramount Lighting
Building a Butterfly-Light Portrait
sidebar: Flare with Bare Bulb

Part 2.
Portrait Lighting In Practice

6. A Versatile Portrait Lighting Setup
sidebar: Using Modifiers

7. Basic Light for Business Portraiture

8. Finding Boundaries

9. A Hair Light for Every Occasion

10. Closing the Pupil

11. Backgrounds
sidebar: Complementary Colors

12. Headshots

13. Portraits with Minimal Depth of Field
sidebar: Sync Speed
Adding Drama

14. Headshots for Publicity

15. Applying Makeup

16. Editorial Portraiture

17. Working with Falloff

18. High-Key Lighting
sidebar: High-Key Never Dies

19. Low-Key Lighting

20. One-Light Glamour

21. The Bookend Bounce

22. Portraits with Flare

23. Working with the Profile

24. Location Photography

25. White Balance
sidebar: Location Checklist

26. The Beauty of Overexposure

27. Bridal Portrait

28. Fashion Light
sidebar: High ISOs

29. Mixing Color Temperatures and Presets
sidebar: Correction

30. Gentle Light

31. Get in Tight

32. The “Hollywood” Portrait

33. The Intimate Portrait

34. Light on Light: The Double Key

35. North Light

35. Simulating Sunlight

36. Working with Candles

37. Underlighting for Glamour

Afterword
Index