Lighting Solutions

Rembrandt Lighting

Pros

It is a common photography technique.

Cons

Can be tricky painting to make good transition from extreme dark values into light.

Light set up

The key in Rembrandt lighting is creating the triangle or diamond shape of light underneath the eye. One side of the face is lit well from the main light source while the other side of the face uses the interaction of shadows and light, also known as chiaroscuro, to create this geometric form on the face.

The triangle should be no longer than the nose and no wider than the eye. Rembrandt lighting is a combination of short and butterfly lighting-- and as such it is actually the eye closest to the camera (on the broad side of the face) that should have the triangle of light. The narrow side is illuminated. This technique may be achieved subtly or very dramatically by altering the distance between subject and lights and relative strengths of main and fill lights.

Side Lighting or Form Lighting

Pros

- Side lighting reveals the form and texture of an object the most and gives it a three-dimensional quality.

- Most frequently used for model set up in class room settings

- It tends to emphasize the character of a person.

- Shadows are prominent and contrast can be high as a result.

- Side lighting can be used to throw dramatic shadows onto surfaces such as walls and create atmosphere.

- Side lighting is generally attractive and is often used to great effect: it is the kind of lighting encountered at the beginning and end of the day and as such is often seen in films and photographs.

Cons

- areas of the image can be lost in shadow, and it can reveal imperfections such as wrinkles.

- In portrait photography for instance it is generally used on men rather than women because it can look quite harsh, especially if the shadows aren't soft edged.

- Tends to bleach out some of the color in the highest lights.

Light set up

The object is anywhere from one-half to three-quarters in light and the rest is in shadow.

Soft Light

Soft Light using Fill Light

Light that passes through cloud or diffusion filters, or is bounced off opaque surfaces, loses its directional properties and becomes soft light.

Pros

- This light can be used to soften the harshness of direct light shadows, or modelling light shadows, whilst also increasing the ambient light level around or falling on the subject. (When working outdoors an opaque reflector board is often used for this purpose, provided there is adequate available light. This aspect of lighting is also referred to as fill lighting.)

Cons

Soft Light without fill light

Modeling Light

Pros

The relief or contours of objects may be exaggerated with dramatic effect.

Cons

Might be too harsh on Children

Light set up:

By moving the point source of the light, or the object itself within the path of the light, you can control the shadow effect. This is called modelling and the light creating this effect is referred to as the modelling light. Alternatively, when modelling becomes the main objective of the lighting set-up around which all other lights are then secondary.

Front Lighting