>>BACKGROUND, HAIR, KICKER, RIM LIGHTS
>>BACKGROUND LIGHTS
>>>WITH A BACKGROUND LIGHT
>>>NO BACKGROUND LIGHT
>> ISO 250, 38mm, f/4.5, 1/160 sec.
>> ISO 250, 32mm, f/4.5, 1/160 sec.
For the first photograph, I've only used a main light and a reflector as a fill light. The main light had been positioned fairly close to the subject at about 45-50 degree angle. The subject's face has been properly exposed with very soft shadows on the right side of the subject's face.
In the next photograph, I used one more light source--a background light. This photoshoot took place in a small corner of a living room, where there was not much space left for a background light to be positioned (right behind the subject) so that the glow of light can fully surround her. When I placed the light source right behind the subject, the glow was not so large that it only surrounded the subject's head. At last I ended up moving the light slightly to the left, keeping it aimed up against the backdrop.
This lighting created a nice glow surrounding the subject : it added a sense of depth into the photograph by separating the head from the background. It had made a background more clean and simple too.
Through experimenting with the background light, I have learned how to obtain more different looks in a portrait by adding a sense of depth with a background light.To
>>HAIR LIGHTS
>>HAIR LIGHTS
The first photograph was taken with a main light, a reflector as a fill light, and a background light. The lights were positioned in the exact same places as in the last experiment. The difference between this photograph and the next one was created by adding a hair light.
This light might have illuminated the edge of model's particular part of the hair, if it was placed more to the back ( behind the subject) and perhaps more higher; but as I realized that it causes the lens flare with that setting, I moved it more to the right side of the model. (However, it could be prevented by blocking some light with something) This placement was more like a kicker light from higher position. Yet In this case, the light enhanced a contrast in particular part of the model's hair; it made that part of her hair looks as if it is melting down to a backdrop, and thereby the volume of her hair looks reduced a little bit.
If the model has a dark hair and it was a black backdrop, then it would make more sense to add this light, since the hair will look as if the model's face is being sucked into a dark background: Hair light would make a big difference by adding interest and highlights to the model's hair.
Through this experiment with the kicker light, I have learned a way to add interest and highlights to model's hair, since a hair light enhances an outline or a particular part of model's hair. This would give me more ways to enhance a model's unique feature.
>> ISO 250, 38mm, f/4.5, 1/160 sec.
>> ISO 250, 38mm, f/4.5, 1/160 sec.
>>>NO HAIR LIGHT
>>>WITH A HAIR LIGHT
>>KICKER LIGHTS
>>>NO KICKER LIGHT
>> ISO 1000, 60mm, f/2.8, 1/640 sec.
>>>WITH A KICKER LIGHT
>> ISO 1000, 60mm, f/2.8, 1/800 sec.
The first photograph was taken with a main light and a reflector as a fill light, which was positioned fairly close to the subject at about a 45-50 degree angle, and then I've added the kicker light in the next photograph. In this experiment, the difference created by a kicker was very subtle, but the one with a kicker light seems to have fewer shadows casting on the left side of her face, compared to the first one. By using a kicker light, the major highlights on the model's face became more even, thereby it became more flat; but it still has a soft shadows on the left side of her face which makes this photograph looks three-dimensional.
Moreover, the hair light made the contrast between the edge of the model's face and the background more clear, when compared to the first photograph. Since this makes the background separated from her face, this adds a sense of depth to it, just like exact opposite way that a background light works.
By experimenting with a kicker light, I have learned another way to get a model's face separated from the background
and to flatten the contrast on the face made by the shadows that are not filled enough with a fill light.
>>RIM LIGHTS
>>>NO RIM LIGHT
>> ISO 250, 32mm, f/4.5, 1/160 sec.
>>>WITH A RIM LIGHT
>> ISO 640, 38mm, f/4.5, 1/125 sec.
The first photograph was taken with a main light and a fill light (reflector). Just by adding a rim light to this photo with a simple lighting with two light sources, the edge of the model's hair and an outline of the shoulder had been illuminated with a thin golden light. This made the subject stands out more from a backdrop: The hair is surrounded by a light, and the edges of her shoulder have been illuminated. In short, the model has been strongly separated from the background.
Unlike the other lightings, a rim light separates the subject from a background by creating thin, strong outlines on the body of a model. This would give a strongest effect on the subject with a black background, since only the model's outline is going to be enhanced by a rim light, thereby making the strong contrast on the edge of the subject's body.
By experimenting with a rim light, I have learned even more way to separate a subject from a background.
>>COMBINING TECHNIQUES
>> ISO 250, 38mm, f/4.5, 1/125 sec.
For this final experiment in this assignment, the 5 light sources are positioned as shown above to combine the techniques that I've just learned in the last 3 experiments.
The light sources I used in order to take this photograph is as follows (The diagram is shown above):
1. Umbrella w/ small light source as a background light
2. Rim light
3. Hair light
4. A golden circular reflector as a fill light
5. Speedlight w/ softbox as a main light
In this case, the light from a kicker light would hit the model's hair before it highlights the side of the model's face, which might have been distractive. And I didn't have enough light sources to cover all the lights, so I did not include a kicker light.
By combining these techniques, each effects of different lighting style has been nicely mixed into one photograph:
the subject is separated from the background in various ways.
Through this assignment, I have learned so many things about different styles of lighting which I can use to enhance (or reduce) a model's particular features by adding these lights to the proper position. These techniques can often be used to separate the subject from the background. For me, It was easy to see the effect of each setup and I was able to focus solely on each quality of the light; however, it became quite difficult to control all the lighting setup when multiple light has been involved into one portrait. I could learn the effectiveness of using more lights than just a main light (+fill), and also of its difficulties behind its great impacts in a portrait.