Simple Schemes of Photography Studios Light.

Let’s see what illumination schemes we can apply to portrait photography.

Here we will give exemplary schemes, which shouldn’t be considered as dogma. 

Reference characters:

#1 – Comparatively large soft-box or white umbrella for transparency

#2 – (in academic scheme) source of drawing light, in other cases is not obligatory. Comparatively small soft-box, cellular jet, reflecting silver or gold umbrella.

#3 – Comparatively cellular jet, small soft-box or just standard reflector.

#4 – Reflector, light-disc, light-panel, or at least a white Whatman paper. It is used to fill shadow areas.

Box with K letter stands for a camera.

At the centre of the picture stands a model.

Procedure:

Place your model on the chair. But beforehand place the chair at the angle to the camera lens axis. To make it more understandable, place the chair at the angle of 45 degrees. The model should sit down so that he or she would a little bit turned. Then turn his/ her face at the lens direction. All this is needed in order not to make the model look clumsy at the final photo.

Drawing light is placed as has been indicated, in front of and at the side of the model, high enough, at about 2 meters above the ground.

Then we turn on the filling light which is placed near the camera. Finally we can send the light source to the background. This is done arbitrarily.

If your model hasn’t gone home yet, you are ready for the photography action!  :)

The second scheme is popular as well and is called “High Key” (i.e. light tone value).

It is simple enough. Place several light sources behind at the sides of the model, so that the background would become bright. And don’t forget about the main light source (preferably a large soft-box or a white umbrella for transparency)!

The third scheme is called “Hollywood Scheme”.

It seems to be the simplest scheme, but at the same time quite successful. The main light source is curtained over the camera. And the source is directed to the background.

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