commercial photographer's master lighting guide: food, architectural interiors, clothing,...

Commercial Photographer’s masterlighting guide

Second Edition

Amherst Media®

publisher of photogrAphy books

RobeRtMoRRisseyPhaseOne featured photographer

food architectural interiors clothing jewelry more

includes

oveR 125 lighting

diagRaMs!

Choose the right light

Capture texture and shape your subject

Design creative setups and more

Copyright © 2014 by Robert Morrissey.All rights reserved.All photographs by the author unless otherwise noted.

Commercial Photographer’s Master Lighting Guide is the second edition of Master Lighting Guide for Commercial Photographers.

Published by:Amherst Media, Inc.P.O. Box 586Buffalo, N.Y. 14226Fax: 716-874-4508www.AmherstMedia.com

Publisher: Craig AlesseSenior Editor/Production Manager: Michelle PerkinsAssistant Editor: Barbara A. Lynch-JohntEditorial assistance from: Carey A. Miller, Sally Jarzab, John S. LoderBusiness Manager: Adam RichardsMarketing, Sales, and Promotion Manager: Kate NeaverthWarehouse and Fulfillment Manager: Roger Singo

ISBN-13: 978-1-60895-633-3Library of Congress Control Number: 2013905041Printed in The United States of America.10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, elec-tronic, mechanical, photocopied, recorded or otherwise, without prior written consent from the publisher.

Notice of Disclaimer: The information contained in this book is based on the authors’ experience and opin-ions. The authors and publisher will not be held liable for the use or misuse of the information in this book.

Check out Amherst Media’s blogs at: http://portrait-photographer.blogspot.com/ http://weddingphotographer-amherstmedia.blogspot.com/

DeDicationI dedicate this book to my beautiful wife, Angie; our daughter, Renya; and my son, Gavin.

Special thankSSpecial thanks to: Olympus, Terry Monahan (Chimera), Peter Pboremba (DynaLite), and Roger Carpenter.

COntents 3

About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5sidebar: Connect with Robert. . . . . . . . . . . .5 introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

1. lighting Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9Types of Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9Characteristics of Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13sidebar: Color Temperatures. . . . . . . . . . . .13sidebar: The Bright Spot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15sidebar: SQDC=E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16sidebar: Aperture and Light Levels . . . . . . .17sidebar: Histograms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

2. equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Cameras. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Electronic Flash Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Modifiers that Attach to Flash Units. . . . . .21Stands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23Freestanding Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23sidebar: Equipment Selection . . . . . . . . . . .24

3. Using the Diagrams . . . . . . . . . . . . .26Panel Lighting Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26sidebar: Lighting Shorthand . . . . . . . . . . . .27

4. Studio Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28sidebar: Tools for a Simple Product Table . .28How to Create a Simple Product Table . . .28Larger Sets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29sidebar: Tools for a Larger Set . . . . . . . . . .29Room Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29sidebar: Tools for a Room Set. . . . . . . . . . .30

Reflective (Glass/Acrylic) Sets . . . . . . . . . .30sidebar: Tools for a Reflective Product Set . .31Creating Inexpensive Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . .31sidebar: Tools for Inexpensive Sets . . . . . . .31

5. panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32The Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

6. honeycomb Grids. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

contentS

4 COmmerCial PhOtOgraPher’s master lighting guiDe

7. Umbrellas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

8. Softboxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

on assignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71Updating Older Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72Black & White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73Edgy Portraits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74Making Images Look Old . . . . . . . . . . . . .75Natural-Scene Fill Light. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76sidebar: Time-Saving Strategies . . . . . . . . .76Dramatic Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78sidebar: Keys to Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78Dappled or Textured Light . . . . . . . . . . . .80sidebar: Plan for a Perfect Shot. . . . . . . . . .80Portraits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83Front Lighting Using Grids . . . . . . . . . . . .84Fashion Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85Corporate Portraits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86Lens Flare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88Glowing Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89Lighting Food 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90Lighting Food 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92Lighting Drinks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93Lighting Rooms 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94Lighting Rooms 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96Scientific Light. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97

Medical Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98sidebar: Keys to Successful Lighting . . . . . .99Lighting Auto Exteriors . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100sidebar: Tools for Auto Shoots . . . . . . . . .100Trilight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101Large Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102Lighting on Location. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104Shooting for Photoshop. . . . . . . . . . . . . .106Overhead Light 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108Overhead Light 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110Overhead Light 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111Lighting with Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112Small Items and Jewelry. . . . . . . . . . . . . .113Sunlight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114Fill Flash Outdoors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115Tungsten and Daylight . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116Lighting Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117Multiple-Image Campaigns . . . . . . . . . . .118The Empty Product . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120Silhouettes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121Black on Black . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122

Final Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126

robert Morrissey has been behind a camera since 1988, when he first began taking class-

es at the Kansas City Art Institute. During the third year of his schooling, he interned with Nick Vedros, a top advertising photographer. Inspired by working with Vedros, Robert opened a stu-dio of his own at the age of nineteen. By age twenty, his images had been published world-wide. While completing his senior year, Robert not only owned and operated his own photog-raphy studio but also worked with many other professionals in the Kansas City area. He as-sisted these photographers, learning as much as he could from them and applying techniques he learned to his paid assignments. After graduating with a B.F.A. in photography, Robert moved on, sold his studio, and traveled through the United States and Europe, photographing everything that interested him. After landing in Virginia Beach, Robert got a job with Wright Studios. His duties were run-ning an E-6 lab and photographing catalog work for the Navy. This was the first time Robert was exposed to the professional digital camera. After

this, Robert became a lead photographer for the University of Missouri–Columbia. In this posi-tion, he helped introduce the use of Adobe Pho-toshop as a tool for photographic illustration. Once chosen by Phase One to be a featured photographer, Robert’s career took off. Robert now works closely with Olympus and is spon-sored by DynaLite and Chimera. Now the owner and executive photographer of Morrissey & Associates, where the focus of photographic jobs is food and faces for advertis-ing, Robert shoots for international advertising campaigns, catalogs, and television commercials. You may have seen his advertising work in Na-tional Geographic Explorer, The Wall Street Jour-nal, Time, or at your local grocery or “big box” stores.

connect With RoBeRtKeep up with robert’s shooting activity and read more great lighting tips on his blog:

http://masterlightingguide.blogspot.com

aBoUt the aUthoRself-p

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orrissey, taken

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6 COmmerCial PhOtOgraPher’s master lighting guiDe

my aim in writing this book was to demys-tify and simplify commercial photographic

lighting. In these pages, you’ll learn about the qualities of light and gain tips for selecting es-sential photographic gear. You’ll find a variety of professional lighting techniques explained and diagrammed in a clear, concise manner. I have used every one of the techniques described for paying jobs, and each time, my client was pleased. I have also provided strategies for designing a studio for the particular type of photography you do. I will show you how to create sets inexpen-sively and how to stay within your client’s budget and increase your bottom line. The straightfor-ward insights into selecting backdrops and back-ground materials will save you money, too. You can also use this book to explain to clients the light you think will best enhance their proj-ect—without having to set up the shot. If you want to be a professional commercial photographer, this book will give you the foun-dation you need to do it and do it well. There are no silver linings or half-truths about the business in this book. Photography has always been com-petitive and it always will be. To get to the top and succeed (i.e., make money), you must not only take great images—you must operate your studio within certain business parameters. I wish there was a book like this when I started out. Working as a commercial photographer isn’t always easy or glamorous. For me, it has been a long and strenuous journey. The downfalls and victories along the way have inspired me to write

this book and to show you how to become the best photographer you can be. I believe that commercial photography is more competitive now than it was six years ago when I wrote the first edition of this book. What has allowed me to keep moving my career forward is positivity, determination, and knowing the technical aspects of commercial photographic production like the back of my hand.

I now own and operate Morrissey & Associ-ates. My advertising and editorial photographs have been published globally. I have had the good fortune to truly make a good living as a commercial photographer. By learning to pro-vide your clients with standout, evocative images that sell their merchandise in print ads and on the web, you too can achieve this level of professional success. By engaging with the information in this book, you will have the foundation you need to make your dreams come true. Good luck.

intRoDUction

i have used every one of the techniques described

for paying jobs.

facing page—these images prove that com-

mercial photography relies not only on great

lighting but also a complete understanding of

Photoshop. to make seamless final images, you

must fully understand light and shadows.

someone once told me that photography is 90 percent light and 10 percent subject matter.

When I thought about this, I realized it was ab-solutely correct. Without light, there would be no photographs. Without great lighting profes-sionals, there would be no great photographs. To create the best-possible results when photo-graphing your subjects, you should have a gen-eral knowledge of light. Before investigating the equipment, diagrams, and other key foundation-al aspects of creating an effective image, we must cover the basics.

types of lightLight can be natural or artificial. Natural light is light that comes from the sun, whether it’s the low light that filters into a shady area, the light beams that filter through a window, or di-rect sunlight coming from a cloudless sky. Ar-tificial light is light that comes from any other

source. Photographers use both natural and arti-ficial light when creating images, and often these sources are used in combination to great effect.

Natural Light. Natural light can be used to create an array of appealing effects, especially in portrait photography. While studio lighting of-fers the ultimate in control, many photographers prefer the simplicity of working with natural light. Keep in mind that because your light sourc-es are fixed when using natural light, you will control the effects you achieve primarily by adjusting the position of your subject in rela-tion to the light. You can also control the light

1. liGhtinG BaSicS

facing page—effective lighting in the studio or on location requires a knowledge of the qualities of

artificial and natural light. left and right—strong lighting skills are critical for producing commercial

photos that set your work apart from the competition.

Without great lighting professionals, there would be no great photographs.

by blocking it from above or the side (using a black card; see page 25) or bouncing light into a shadow area (with a bounce card or reflector; see page 21). Overhead Sunlight. When working with sun-light, try to avoid scenarios in which the light strikes the subject directly from above. This can quickly create unpleasant shadows on the face of a model or strong downward shadows on any subject. This issue can be avoided by shooting earlier or later in the day, when the sun is natu-rally at a lower angle (see “Golden Hour” be-low). When possible, look for situations where the light is diffused and, ideally, blocked from overhead. The light at the edge of a clearing (with tall trees or branches overhead) is often ideal, as is the light on a porch. Always bring two stands and at least a 4x6-foot scrim (see page 25) with you to diffuse the light.

Window Light. You can also use natural light indoors. Window light (or open-door light) is often extremely flattering for portraits. Because windows tend to be large, the light is typically very soft as it goes through the glass. Windows, by their very nature, also produce light with good directional characteristics. To even out the light on your subject, place a bounce card oppo-site the sun to “fill in” the shadows on the sub-ject. You can also soften/diffuse the light com-ing through the window with a diffusion scrim. Golden Hour. When working outdoors, pho-tographers often take advantage of the golden

try to avoid scenarios in which the light strikes the subject directly from above.

lighting BasiCs 11

hour, a time when the sun is low in the sky and can be used to produce magically warm side and backlighting. The general rule is that the best light occurs from sunrise to one hour after sunrise and from one hour prior to sunset until sunset. I make sure to show up early enough to get my lighting equipment set up and the subject and props positioned. Artificial Light. Artificial light options are characterized as instantaneous (flash) or continu-ous (HMI, tungsten, or fluorescent) light sources. Flash. Flash is useful when there is very lit-tle natural light or the natural light needs to be enhanced. Many inexpensive cameras and some professional models have a built-in flash. This is either part of the camera assembly or it “pops up” when activated. These units provide flash illumination on subjects that are fairly close to the camera (generally within 15 feet). These low-powered flash units do a good job, but because the flash is so close to the camera lens, you will likely get red-eye when taking pictures of people.

For better results, many photographers use an accessory flash (often called a hot-shoe flash, speedlight, or small flash). These are produced by camera manufacturers as well as third-party manufacturers like Metz and Quantum. This type of flash is connected to the camera via the hot shoe or a sync cord. The units can be mount-

ed directly on the camera, held by the photog-rapher at a position off the camera, or mounted above or to the side of the camera using a flash bracket.

facing page and right—each job will require a

specialized, highly creative lighting approach.

accessory flash units may be completely manual

or fully automatic.

Accessory flash units may be completely man-ual or fully automatic. Manual flash units emit the same amount of light every time they are triggered (though some have a variable power control setting). A flash meter is useful with these units so that you can measure the light out-put and set your camera accordingly. In the au-tomatic modes, the camera communicates with the flash and tells it how much light to emit for a proper exposure. This is accomplished via TTL (through the lens) metering technology. Accessory flash units can be used with a vari-ety of diffusion devices made to soften the blow of the full-frontal burst of light on your subject. I suggest you always soften your on-camera flash’s light to some degree.

Studio strobes (also called electronic studio flashes or flash kits) are the favored light source for most studio product photographers. They run cool, are portable, and pair easily with day-light film or the daylight white balance setting. There are two types of studio strobes: mono-lights and power packs. With either type, your camera communicates with the light units via a sync cord, radio slave, and light-sensitive slave units (this will be discussed in more detail later).

A monolight is a self-contained light that has both the power supply and the flash head built into one complete unit. These lights are AC powered and can usually be triggered by di-rect connection to the camera’s flash sync or via a radio slave unit that allows the strobe to be triggered remotely (i.e., without a direct physi-cal connection to the camera). Many monolights have a built-in light-sensitive slave unit that will fire the flash automatically when another strobe is triggered. Separate radio slave units such as the PocketWizard or Quantum radio slaves can also be connected to the monolight and the camera to trigger the light. Power pack lighting units allow photogra-phers to use multiple flash heads, which can be somewhat independently adjusted. Studio power pack units can be AC or DC powered. Some units will also operate on DC voltage with a car battery. This can be handy on location when you want the flexibility of a studio lighting system but cannot plug into an AC power source. Solar generators are coming down in price as well. When triggered by the camera’s shutter but-ton, strobes emit a measurable “burst” of light. Obviously, working with only a brief burst of light would make it difficult to place your lights in relation to the subject. Therefore, strobe units also house a modeling light, typically a 250-watt tungsten-halogen bulb. This light stays on to help you focus your light and see how it il-luminates your subject. (Some turn off after the strobe is fired then turn on again when the flash has recycled and is ready for use in the next shot.)

there are two types of studio strobes:

monolights and power packs.

this photo of a lego solar home is an example

of using creativity, photography, and Photoshop

to produce a remarkable advertising image.

lighting BasiCs 13

Continuous Lighting. Before the invention of flash, continuous light sources were the studio photographer’s only option. With the surge in the popularity of digital video, they are experi-encing a renewed popularity. With continuous sources, the light source is both the modeling light and the shooting light. This means you immediately see the lighting ef-fect you will get. Additionally, since the advent of digital imaging, balancing your recording me-dium to the color temperature of these lights is easy (just set your camera’s white balance appro-priately, using a custom setting if needed). Photographic tungsten lights are like super-charged household bulbs. Their output ranges from 100 to 24,000 watts. When working with these lights, you’ll need to select your camera’s tungsten white balance setting or use a tungsten-balanced film. HMIs take a short time to warm up and re-quire a ballast but are bright and daylight bal-anced. These units are expensive. Professional photographic fluorescents run cool, which can help keep your subject comfort-able. They can be daylight or tungsten balanced but are limited in illumination intensity.

characteristics of lightColor Temperature. Visible light is comprised of seven colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. The human eye does a good job of balancing these colors, so colors look the same to us whether they are under reddish light (e.g., sunset), yellowish light (e.g., a household lamp), or greenish light (e.g., most fluorescents).

Film and digital image sensors do not adapt as readily. Therefore, it’s important to evaluate the color of the light illuminating your scene before shooting to ensure accurate color in your image. The color of a light source is described by its color temperature. “White” light is the start-ing point for color temperature, and it measures about 5500 degrees Kelvin (5500K). As the sun rises or sets, the color of its light gets warmer, which is noted as a lower temperature (yes, it’s counter-intuitive). Sources with a temperature above 5500K are cooler, or more blue. When the color balance of the medium used to capture the image matches the color tempera-ture of the light, the colors in the image will be rendered neutral, as our eyes see them. Direction. Direction is one of the key quali-ties of light. A light’s direction determines where

coloR tempeRatUReS match flame 1700–1800K candle flame 1850–1930K sun at sunrise or sunset 2000–3000K household tungsten bulbs 2500–2900K tungsten lamp (500 to 1000 watts) 3000K quartz lights 3200–3500K fluorescent lights 3200–7500K sun, direct at noon 5000–5400K daylight 5500–6500K overcast sky 6000–7500K computer monitor 6500K outdoor shade 7000–8000K partly cloudy sky 8000–10,000K

remember to evaluate the color of light in the

scene before shooting to ensure correct color

rendition.

highlights, shadows, and the tonalities that pro-duce the look of a third dimension in photos will be created on the subject. The direction of light is described in relation to the subject, so moving either the light source or the subject can change the direction of the light. By changing the cam-era’s perspective, you may include more or less of the shadows and highlights created by the light. In most cases, a light source illuminates the side of the subject closest to it and leaves the op-posite side in shadow. When very diffuse light is used, though, the scene sometimes lacks shadow.

Light coming from in front of the subject is called front lighting. With this lighting, the de-tail in the front of the subject is well illuminated. As there may be minimal shadow areas, however, the image may lack dimensionality and texture. This type of lighting is often used in fashion and glamour portraiture because it makes the skin look flawless. This type of light alone will create a flattened or shallow perception of the subject.

Backlighting is light that comes from behind the subject and toward the camera; therefore, it often leaves the front of your subject in shadow or underexposed. It can also cause the edges of a subject to appear lit (or even to seem to glow). When this effect occurs, it is called rim lighting. This lighting is also used to create silhouettes. Side lighting, as you might suspect, originates at some angle to the left or right of the subject. This type of lighting can produce pronounced shadows. As a result, it is commonly used in por-trait photography, where showing the shape of the subject’s face is important to the image. Overhead light, as you’d expect, comes from above the subject’s head. This type of light is usually held up by some type of boom stand. Undercarriage light comes from the bottom of the subject. The term comes from the auto industry but describes the approach well. Hard Light vs. Soft Light. While the direc-tion of the light determines where on a subject the highlights and shadows will fall, the quality of the light will determine how soft or well de-fined these shadows are. Based on this, light is described as either hard or soft. Hard light (like the light available outdoors on a bright, sunny day) produces dark, hard-edged shadows, bright colors, and bright highlights. Soft light (like

the BRiGht Spotas photographers, we must render the three-dimensional world on two-dimensional media. to do this, we create highlights and shadows that help us interpret the subject’s shape and relationship to other elements in the scene. the term “bright spot” describes the area that is brighter (“hotter”) than any other point in the frame. When we look at an image, our eye is drawn to the brightest tone. therefore, i sometimes use the bright spot to enhance the visibility of a logo. Other times, i use it to create a 3-D effect on a flat product or to add a sense of depth in a scene. When creating a bright spot, it is important to control the shadow areas. there cannot be brighter areas without having darker areas. the trick to creating a bright spot is to first light the subject attractively. Choose the area that you wish to make brighter. reflect the main light back onto the subject using a mirror, or aim a lower-pow-ered light with a honeycomb grid or snoot at the area you wish to emphasize. to increase the contrast between the highlight and shadow areas, you can use black cards (gobos) to block light from illuminat-ing areas that should be rendered darker.

a light source illuminates the side of the subject

closest to it.

lighting BasiCs 15

that from an overcast sky) produces paler, softer shadows, or no shadows at all. In soft light, the colors of objects tend to be subdued or muted. For most images, soft light is the photographic ideal. While soft light is not always readily avail-able in a given scene, hard light can be modified and made softer through the use of light modi-fiers. This will be covered later in this chapter.

Whether a light source is soft or hard is de-termined by the size of the light in relation to the subject. Hard light is produced by sources that are small in relation to the subject. For ex-ample, think of the crisp, well-defined shadows that appear on a bright, sunny day. The sun is an immense light source, but because it is so far away, it is very small in relation to the subjects it illuminates here on Earth. Once the light passes through the atmosphere, you could be facing hard or soft light, depending on the atmospheric conditions. Soft light is produced by a source that is large in relation to the subject and close by. Tip: Bring various modifiers to your sessions so that you can modify the light as you see fit. Soft light is produced by sources that are large in relation to the subject. Imagine that you are outdoors on an overcast day. If you can see your shadow at all, it will be very pale and not very well defined (i.e., the edges will be soft and fuzzy). This is because the clouds have broken

up the light and scattered it across the sky. On a day like this, the entire sky is the light source—and it’s huge! As a result, the light is soft. When we consider artificial light, the same principles apply. If you light your subject with a relatively small source (say, a bare bulb) from any distance, the light will be hard. By adding a diffuser—whether a commercially available modifier or a bedsheet—in between the light and subject, you are technically enlarging the light source, making it wider and softer. The dis-tance between your subject and the light source will also affect the strength of the highlights and shadows in your image.

exposureWhen you take an image, you want deep, satu-rated black tones with detail, bright whites with

this image embraces the combination of pho-

tography and computer graphics for a creative

play on a mango.

hard light is produced by sources that are small

in relation to the subject.

detail, and accurate color. If an image is overex-posed (your camera let in too much light), it may be washed out and the highlights will lack detail. In an underexposed image (your camera let in too little light), the shadows will lack detail or gain noise (digital). ISO. The first factor to consider in the expo-sure equation is the ISO rating (or film speed) in use. The larger the number, the greater the image sensor’s sensitivity to light.

Aperture. The aperture you select determines the depth of field in your final exposure and the amount of light that is allowed to strike the sen-sor/film. Therefore, the aperture setting also has an effect on the overall exposure. The smaller the aperture, the less light reaches the sensor or film. The larger the aperture, the more light reaches the sensor or film. To “open up” is to increase the size of the lens aperture. It is the opposite of “stopping down.” With each full-stop change in the aperture, the amount of light striking the film/sensor is either doubled or halved. The sidebar on the fac-ing page may help you to better understand the relationship between the aperture size and the amount of light used to make the exposure. Shutter Speed. The shutter speed setting on your camera dictates the duration of time that the camera’s shutter remains open, allowing light to strike the sensor/film. The shutter speed is usually rated in fractions of a second, though photographers sometimes use long exposures when shooting in low-light situations. The slower the shutter speed, the greater the amount of light that reaches the film. The faster

SQDc=eSensitivity+Quantity+Duration+color Balance=exposure

there are four main factors that determine the amount of light used to create the image, and whether your exposure will be acceptable: Sensitivity. the isO or “film speed” is a numeric description of the light sensitivity of media on which the image will be recorded. the higher this number is, the greater the degree of sensitivity. color Balance. the term “color balance” refers to the way that colors are depicted in an image. as described in “Color temperature” (page 13), the color temperature of the light source will impact the way that colors in the scene appear in the image. Digital cameras offer a white balance setting that can be used to make color neutral (i.e., as it appears to the human eye) or warmer or cooler than the eye perceives it. this is sometimes done to establish mood in an image. Quantity. the aperture size is one of the controls used to determine how much light enters the cam-era and strikes the sensor/film. Duration. the shutter speed controls the duration of time light is allowed to the hit film/sensor.

Your lighting and exposure decisions will en-

able you to establish the desired mood in your

image.

lighting BasiCs 17

the shutter speed, the less the amount of light that reaches the film. Each full-stop change in the shutter speed means that the amount of light striking the film/sensor is doubled or halved. Fast shutter speeds are typically used to con-trol exposure in brightly lit situations or to freeze subject movement. Faster shutter speeds also help to alleviate the effects of camera shake, a blurring that sometimes occurs due to camera movement when hand-holding the camera. Long shutter speeds are used to allow more light into the camera in low-light situations. They can also be used to blur moving subjects, accentuating the motion as a blur across the frame. When using long shutter speeds, there is an increased risk of blur due to camera move-ment. Therefore, the camera should be tripod-mounted or otherwise stabilized. You may even wish to use a cable release or remote to trip the shutter without touching the camera. In SLRs, a mirror helps the photographer view the scene through the viewfinder. When the shutter is triggered, the mirror flips out of the way to allow light to reach the sensor/film. The mirror’s movement can cause camera shake, which can produce some blur. To avoid this, the mirror can be locked in the up position. Light Meters. A light meter is a device that measures the light that falls on or is reflected by a scene/subject. Based on this measurement, the meter recommends a particular aperture, shutter speed, and ISO combination that will produce a well-exposed image. There are two basic types of meters for photography: reflected light meters and incident light meters. Reflected Light Meters. All built-in camera meters and some handheld meters are reflected light meters. The photographer points the light-measuring portion of the meter (usually a dome

on handheld meters) at the subject and reads the amount of light reflected by the subject. Because this type of meter measures the light that is reflected from the subject, the tone and color of the area you target with the camera’s meter will determine the exposure settings it rec-ommends. For example, when a camera meter targets a white area of the subject, it will deter-mine you need less exposure than if it targets a black area. To combat this, more advanced digital camer-as measure multiple areas of the scene to provide an averaged (more accurate) reading. If your camera does not offer this option, you can also improve your reflected light metering results by using a gray card. These cards, available from any photography supply store, are a solid, medium-gray tone. When you place this card in the same light as your subject and meter off the card rath-er than the subject (this is called a gray balance reading), you can be assured of a proper reading. Most reflected light meters have an angle of view of about 50 degrees, similar to a normal lens. A spot meter, however, is a reflected light meter that has a much smaller angle of view. This provides an accurate measurement of a

apeRtURe anD liGht levelSf/2.8—twice as much light as f/4f/4—half as much light as f/2.8, twice as much

light as f/5.6f/5.6—half as much light as f/4, twice as much

light as f/8f/8—half as much light as f/5.6, twice as much

light as f/11f/11—half as much light as f/8, twice as much

light as f/16f/16—half as much light as f/11, twice as much

light as f/22f/22—half as much light as f/16

18 Part 1: the FOunDatiOns OF COmmerCial lighting

particular spot in the scene (for example, your subject’s skin tone). Some spot meters can have as little as a 1-degree angle of view. Incident Light Meters. Incident light meters measure the light falling onto the subject, so they provide an accurate reading regardless of the color or tonality of the subject. An incident light meter is held at the subject’s position and aimed at the camera. Incident light meters have a very wide angle of view, up to 180 degrees. Combination Meters. Many popular handheld meters have reflected, incident, and spot meter-ing capabilities, allowing the photographer to choose a metering option that best suits the sub-ject and photographic conditions. Some meters display an exposure value (EV) reading, which provides a choice of compatible shutter speeds and aperture settings. This allows the photographer to choose the appropriate set-tings depending on the subject being photo-graphed and how much depth of field is desired

in the image. For a fast-moving subject, the pho-tographer would want a fast, motion-stopping shutter speed. This fast shutter speed would re-quire a corresponding large lens opening to al-low more light. However, if the photographer was working with a family group consisting of several people in rows, he would want a smaller lens opening for maximum depth of field. This small lens opening would require a slower shut-ter speed to allow more light to be recorded. Flash Meters. These units measure the light output from a portable flash unit or studio strobe light. An essential tool in the studio, a flash meter allows the photographer to measure each light individually and create the desired light ratio on the subject. Color Temperature Meters. A color tempera-ture meter (or color meter) measures the color temperature of the light in a scene. This is used frequently by commercial photographers to en-sure that the colors in their images will be prop-erly recorded.

below and facing page—Controlling the color

contrast in your image files will allow you to

take your photography to the next level.

hiStoGRamSi use the histogram in my camera or digital imag-ing software to make sure that my exposures are right on the mark. i find this method to be more accurate than metering—and commercial work de-mands perfect exposures every time.

lighting BasiCs 19

the equipment you need for a professional shoot will vary from job to job. However,

it’s a good idea to have a solid understanding of the tools that are available. Often, new tools can allow you to create a new look or effect. In this chapter, we’ll take a look at some of the tools that many commercial photographers rely on.

cameras Cameras come in a wide variety of makes and models. As a professional photographer, your camera choice can make or break your career. I rely on Phase One and Olympus SLR camera systems. For my work, I find that their cameras, lenses, and software are unparalleled. Their digi-tal file sizes, shots per second, and storage media, digital transfer rates, lens clarity, ergonomics, and durability, and lens sets make the grade and meet my needs. If you’re looking to invest in equip-ment, be sure to consider all of those variables. Of course, you will also want to determine whether any camera system you are considering suits your shooting style, workflow, and budget. A professional system can run from $10,000 to

$60,000. Don’t let sticker shock get to you. This is your main tool as a professional. If your budget is a little more restrictive, make sure any camera you’re considering offers at least 12-megapixel capture. Anything below that puts the camera into the prosumer category.

electronic Flash UnitsAfter your camera, your lights are the second most important tool in your kit—and that’s a close second! If you want to make a living as a professional commercial photographer, you need to purchase excellent lights. Do not go cheap here. My favorite lighting kits are made by DynaLite. The kits are small, accurate, and pack the punch I need. They are also very durable. This is important to me because the busier I am, the more I beat up my gear. Flash is the light source of choice for most studio photographers. These lights run cool, are portable, and easily pair with the camera’s daylight white balance or gray balance setting as well as daylight-balanced film. There are a vari-ety of light modifiers available for use with these

2. eQUipment

new camera models are constantly being introduced. Do some careful research to ensure that any

model you’re considering offers the features you want. there are no hard-and-fast rules for select-

ing a professional camera. much of the decision-making process boils down to your personal prefer-

ences and budget. Photos courtesy of Olympus (left) and the Phase One Corporation (right).

equiPment 21

units (more on this below), which makes them a versatile and powerful option. A great studio unit will produce good quality light through the flash and modeling light. I use them just as I would hot lights. Power Packs. Power packs can electrify mul-tiple strobes, which can be independently adjust-ed. These can be AC or DC powered. Some will even operate on DC voltage with a car battery; this is a great option for location photographers who cannot plug into an AC power source. Be sure to buy durable packs—they get used hard and are always on the floor of the set.

I recommend that you purchase a solar gener-ator to run AC powered flash kits. This way, your set stays quiet. You can use the more powerful and controllable plug-in studio packs too. modifiers that attach to Flash Units

Reflectors. Dish-type reflectors are an important part of your lighting kit. Without reflectors, your lights can be easily broken, and a broken strobe is expensive to fix. Of course, reflectors do more than protect your lights. These modifiers are de-signed to cast a certain type of light that is need-ed for fill, highlights, and the feeling of direct sunlight on your subject. As a general rule, the more expensive your lights, the more expensive

your reflectors will be. You should have a reflec-tor for every strobe you own. There are a number of modifiers designed for use with a reflector dish, including snoots, barn-doors, and honeycomb grids. Snoots. A snoot is a modifier that fits over a studio light head or portable flash head and al-lows the photographer to control the direction and radius of the light beam. These may be coni-cal, cylindrical, or rectangular in shape. Snoots stop light spill and can help isolate a subject. Barndoors. Barndoors do not affect the hardness or softness of the light. The barndoor fitting is used to control the shape of the light. By closing or opening the doors vertically or horizontally, the light allowed to pass through is narrowed or widened. Therefore, the barndoor configuration affects the shape of the light. When two side flaps are close together, a narrow strip of light is allowed to illuminate the subject or

top—these Dynalite power packs can be used

to power multiple strobes. bottom—Dish (para-

bolic) reflectors and honeycomb grids can be

used to direct the light from your strobes.

Dish-type reflectors are an important part of

your lighting kit.


scene (like light coming through a partially open door). When all four doors are folded inward, a square beam of light will result (this can be ideal for drawing attention to the subject and isolating the focal point from the rest of the scene). Honeycomb Grids. A honeycomb grid typi-cally fits inside the reflector dish or softbox and forces the light to travel in a straighter line. These devices allow you to create precise lighting effects. The most popular types are the 10-, 20-, 30-, and 40-degree grids, but some manufactur-

ers offer an ultraprecise 5-degree honeycomb grid. The smaller the degree rating, the tighter or more focused the light will be. Softboxes. A softbox is a large fabric hous-ing for your light source. Softboxes come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and depths. Check with your retailer to identify the best softbox for your projects. Be prepared to spend a little more money for a good softbox. Price makes a huge difference in the quality of light that is cast. As of this writing, I favor Chimera softboxes.

left—Dynalite strobes are at the heart of my studio/location lighting kit. Right—a selection of

clamps are an indispensable part of your lighting tool kit. their uses are detailed in chapter 4.

left—a heavy-duty stand is

an essential part of your tool

kit. in my studio, we use silver

stands to hold our lights and

black stands to hold bounce

cards, backdrops, etc. Right—

a softbox is a fabric housing

that is used to diffuse the light

produced by a strobe. as this

image illustrates, softboxes

come in a variety of shapes

and sizes.

equiPment 23

Umbrellas. This umbrella-shaped modifier is clipped or mounted onto a strobe to diffuse and soften the light falling on a subject or set. These modifiers are available with a silver lining for cooler light, gold for warmer tones, or a white interior, which creates a higher level of diffusion but does not impact the color of the light pro-duced. Umbrellas reflect the light from the head, creating a softer and wider luminescent source.

StandsThe stands you choose must be sturdy and able to support the weight of your lights or freestand-ing modifiers. Never use a poorly constructed stand. If someone gets hurt, it could easily be the end of your photographic career.

Stands come in two colors—black and sil-ver. I use black stands to hold up sets, set poles, bounce cards, etc.; I use silver stands to hold my lights. This makes it easy for me to communicate the stand function to any assistants who are new to the studio and my way of working.

Freestanding modifiersPanels. This white translucent fabric panel with a steel frame (about 4x4 feet) is a necessary part of your lighting kit. By shining a strobe through it, you can produce a beautiful, soft light source. Also, the strobe can be positioned at various points along its surface. This is a clear advantage over using a softbox, in which the light is in a fixed position inside the fabric housing. Using panels allows you to create precise, professional, and stylized lighting effects. The Chimera light panels are large and du-rable but compact enough to be placed around a tabletop set. The strobes seem to snug right

top—light panels are used in most of the light-

ing scenarios that appear in this book. Panels

are lightweight and offer a more versatile,

precise approach than do softboxes. Bottom—

By using a cukaloris, you can cast interesting

patterns of light and shadow on your subject or

scene. Chimera offers a great kit that allows you

to change patterns quickly.

umbrellas reflect the light from the head, creating a

softer, wider source.


cameRaSmamiya 645aF bodyPhase One h5 digital back Phase One 645DF+Phase One 1q 180Olympus e500Canon D1 Canon 5DOlympus e-3Olympus e-5

lenSeS80mm lens35mm lens120mm lens12–60mm lens14–45mm lens24–70mm lens40–150mm lens

cameRa StanDSFoba asaba triton field tripod six 11-foot Bogen stands (B0336)

liGhtinG three speedotron 1205cx light kitssix speedotron lightstwo hensel Porty 1200 battery packsfour hensel lightsthree Dynalite 1000-watt roadmaxsix Dynalite heads

liGht StanDS anD clampSsix small black speedotron kit stands six tCi clamps two manfrotto super Clampsavenger boom (C) stands avenger boom arms Orange stand weights (15 pounds)

liGht moDiFieRSChimera softboxes: medium

(Chimera softboxes, cont’d) two thin vertical softboxes square Plume round Plume

panelStwo 6x6-foot Chimera light panelsfour 4x4-foot Chimera light panelstwo 8x4-foot lightform light panels black, gold, silver, and translucent scrim materials

compUteRStwo mac g5s (video editing and Photoshop

retouching) two imacs (support and photographer’s offices)mac mini (sales and billing) 17-inch iBook 2.66ghz DVD/CD/rW 500gB

hard drivefour 2t drives (for media backup)

caBleS/SyncSfour sync cords eight FireWire cords PocketWizard two optical slaves

pRinteRShP 20ps epson printer Kodak printerepson matte photo printer paper

WoRkShop toolS table saw chop saw two cordless drills hacksaw circular saw brushes, paint rollers, and trays various screwdrivers tin snips ratchets four sawhorses

eQUipment SelectionBelow is a list of the equipment used for day-to-day operations in my studio. this is the same equipment used to make the images in this book. think before you buy. good gear is expensive. i have not been paid to endorse any of the following items. my selection and recommendations are based upon years of experience with a wide array of gear.

equiPment 25

up to the panels. The steel frame is the best in the business and is built to last a lifetime. In ad-dition, these modifiers can be used as bounce panels and to block unwanted light from hitting the set. You can also use them to create mobile dressing rooms and small site tents to shield your crew from the elements.

Bounce Cards. A bounce card is a light mod-ifier that is used to reflect light back into the set from another light source. In my studio, we use white boards or foam core panels. Black Cards. A black card is a panel that is placed between a light source and the subject to block light from hitting the subject or set. You can use black foam core or black PVC board as a flag. (Note: The term “flag” is synonymous with “gobo.”) Black cards are one of the many light-blocking tools used in the studio. Cukaloris. If you have an expanse of evenly lit background (for instance, in a room shot), you may want to employ a cukaloris (often called a “cookie”)—a solid panel with holes of random or uniform shapes cut into it—to break up the background by introducing shadow patterns. A cookie can be used to emulate the effect of the shadows of leaves, a windowpane, or just an abstract, dappled-light effect. A cukaloris can be purchased from a photo equipment retailer, or you can make your own from black foam core. Mirrors. Mirrors are a key tool in the cre-ation of a well-lit photograph. You can add light directly to areas that need light without affect-

ing the overall shot. Keep an array of sizes and shapes of these inexpensive tools on hand. Scrims. Scrims are fabric diffusers that come in a range of colors (white, silver, gold, and black) and a wide variety of sizes. These modi-fiers make an appearance throughout this book, but from this point forward, you will see them referred to as light panels.

these modifiers can be used as bounce panels and to

block unwanted light.

top—here, i am speaking with a model and

preparing her for an upcoming shoot. above—here, my staff photographed me sitting alone

on the set, just before a big shoot.

the diagrams in this book will help you to eas-ily produce a variety of commercial lighting

styles and show products and models to best ef-fect. The diagrams are clearly marked and easy to understand. A written overview of each illustra-tion fully explains each light’s placement in the illustration. Finally, photographs show the result that each lighting setup achieved. This three-pronged approach will help you achieve the looks you are after and will help you develop your own lighting style, solve problems, and succeed. In these pages, there are detailed diagrams that can be used to light rooms, highlight the styling of an automobile, shoot smaller products, create portraits, and more.

panel lighting overviewWhen lighting with panels, you have precise con-trol over the light angles because the light can be moved to various points behind the fabric. When a light is in a softbox, on the other hand, it is always in the center (P1) position. Turning a panel affects the way light shines through it. With the panel perfectly horizon-tal (center of the diagram), a large, flat light source is produced. As the panel is turned, the light refracts differently off of the subject and an increasingly thinner, longer light source is pro-duced. The changing appearance of the light is dramatic and highly visible.

3. USinG the DiaGRamS

top and bottom left—these

illustrations show the versatile

lighting approaches that can

be achieved by rotating the

light panels or strobe head.

rotating the light behind

the panels makes it easy to

produce lighting nuances.

above—this diagram shows

the five positions at which the

strobe may be placed to shoot

through a 4x4-foot light panel.

using the Diagrams 27

liGhtinG ShoRthanDhere is a list of the abbreviations used in the diagrams to desig-nate the various tools. refer to this list as you try your hand at creating the lighting setups in your own studio. You may also use the diagrams to show clients your lighting ideas, giving them a better sense of what you aim to create.

BB—bottom bounce cardtB—top bounce cardSB—side bounce cardG10—10-degree honeycomb gridG20—20-degree honeycomb gridG30—30-degree honeycomb gridG40—40-degree honeycomb gridcB—ceiling bounce lightmR—mirroroh—overhead lightp1—strobe positioned in the

center of the panelp2—strobe positioned in the

upper-left corner of the panelp3—strobe positioned in the

bottom-left corner of the panel

p4—strobe positioned in the upper-right corner of the panel

p5—strobe positioned in the lower-right corner of the panel

UmB—umbrellaSBX—softbox (Note: mD/sBX is

an abbreviation for medium softbox; lg/sBX stands for large softbox.)

l1, l2, l3, etc.—light 1, light 2, light 3, etc. l1 is the source closest to the camera, on the left side. as you continue to move clockwise around the set, l2 would be the second light, l3 would be the third source used, etc.

this illustration is a key to the elements pictured in the diagrams

that appear throughout the book.

these three squares show the way light shines through a panel.

the reference positions from left to right are P4 (upper-left

position), P3 (lower-left position), and P1 (center position). as

the light shines through the panel, it disperses evenly from the

center of the strobe head. this allows the photographer to create

a nuanced lighting effect.

When you design your studio, keep in mind that you are designing a workspace. You

will need a place for your clients to relax and feel comfortable, a private place where you can keep your records and do behind-the-scenes work, and a client-friendly place for your customers to view and order images. You’ll also need clean restrooms and some type of storage area. A clean, well-thought-out, efficient studio space shows

your client that you care and are a professional. A dirty, poorly planned, sloppy workspace tells the client to look for a new photographer.

how to create a Simple product table In any commercial photography studio, small- to medium-size products are typically photo-graphed on a tabletop crafted using two sawhors-es topped with a 4x4-foot board (this setup holds up to 200 pounds). Two small stands are placed behind the tabletop, and the backdrop pole rests upon the stands. Rather than using backdrop paper, you can use Formica, which comes in a handy 4-foot width. In this case, simply use the clamps to secure the backdrop to the stands and drape it across the table. The set is fast and easy to assemble and disassemble. All the pieces can be stored easily, and the set components can be used in the creation of many other sets. Another great thing about this type of setup is its versatility. You can choose from a wide variety of backdrop colors and textures. You can create useful setups and control your background fall-off easily. By using a metal or glass tabletop and placing the backdrop a foot or two away, you can create simple, classic product shots. There are many expensive alternatives to the product table, but the one shown here costs only about $100.00 to make (the sawhorses and Formica are the most expensive parts) and allows you to photograph a wide variety of products effectively. I’ve produced entire catalogs using this simple setup.

4. StUDio SetUp

toolS FoR a Simple pRoDUct taBletwo sawhorses

one 4x4-foot flat board

two small stands

backdrop pole

4x8-foot sheet of Formica

three small a-clamps

two Bogen super Clamps

here is an image of a tabletop set that i often

use in my studio.

stuDiO setuP 29

Tip: When your client arrives, have the table-top setup ready to go. Have a basic lighting plan in mind and a chair for the client to sit in. This makes the client feel welcome.

larger Sets Many products require larger, more elaborate sets. When creating a larger set, make sure it is sturdy and will hold the weight or size of the products you will photograph. Trust me, when you have several products on the set, you don’t want your set to get bumped and fall apart while you’re putting the finishing touches on your composition. I’ve seen poorly designed scenes bring otherwise successful projects to an imme-diate, embarrassing halt. Also, make sure that you and your client can reach into the set to ar-range the props and objects to be photographed. You can fill these spaces in later with the lights used on the set, but get the shot set up first.

To build a larger product set, follow the basic steps outlined above using four sawhorses and two hollow doors rather than a 4x4-foot board. The doors used do not have the knob hole drilled. These doors can be found at any hard-ware store and cost about $35.00 each. They are great for large sets because they are lightweight but strong, do not warp, and are ready to paint. Of course, you’ll need a larger backdrop pole, larger stands, and the paper of your choice. This set is safe, predictable, and inexpensive. It can also be quickly assembled and disassem-

bled. As with the smaller set, it can be stored easily when space is limited. Tips: Ask the client for a list of the shot’s con-tents and props. Detail what the client expects from the shot, what products will be shown, and the proposed composition. For large sets and complicated propping, you may need to hire a stylist. Stay creative and think outside of the box. As long as your set does not fall down and it al-lows you to capture great photos, it works.

Room SetsThe second largest set is the full backdrop or room set. These sets usually consist of a large

toolS FoR a laRGeR Setfour sawhorses two hollow doors two large standsbackdrop pole large paper backdropthree medium a-clamps two manfrotto super Clamps

this diagram shows the elements required for a

large product setup.make sure that you and yourclient can reach into the set

to arrange the objects.


backdrop such as a coved wall and props. Some-times the sets need to be assembled and paint-ed days in advance. With careful planning and communication with the clients about their spe-cific needs, you can ensure that you’re ready to shoot when the client arrives at the studio.

Room sets must be user-friendly. There are usually models in the shots. The photo team may need to access the set to adjust one thing or another. When this is the case, you must make sure that nothing in the set can fall and injure someone. Ensure that all the cables are taped

down and all booms and stands are secured with counterbalancing weights. Also make sure that any artificial walls are clamped and will not fall. I cannot emphasize this enough. If something falls and hurts someone, it’s the photographer’s fault, not the assistant’s, and never the client’s. The diagram on the left shows the position of unmodified and gridded strobes, umbrellas, the camera, black cards, and sun. I have not provided the lights’ power settings or the specs for other equipment. This diagram and others like it are intended only to show you how to position the lights; the creative aspects are up to you. Reflective (Glass/acrylic) Sets

When placed on two sawhorses, a 4x4-foot piece of 3/8-inch tempered glass can make a simple, clean, and effective tabletop. You can place the product on the glass and add a piece of foam core underneath the glass to enhance its reflec-tive qualities. You can also go without the foam core and place a backdrop of the client’s choice underneath the glass or lay the backdrop upon an angled piece of foam core. Glass is highly reflective. Keep in mind that any light above the table will reflect off of the glass surface. To eliminate possible reflections, you can light your subjects from the sides. The reflection from the product is not a bad thing, however; you can use it to make very attractive shapes that enhance the overall image. If you are using an overhead light, bring it in from the back overhead area of the set, then use bounce cards at the front of the set to add light to the front of the products. Placing a light under the set helps create sepa-ration between the glass, the product, and the

toolS FoR a Room Set8-foot or taller light standsumbrellashoneycomb gridstripodlarge black cardslarge bounce cardscleansers

this setup can be used to effectively light a

room shot.

to eliminate possible reflections, light your

subjects from the sides.

stuDiO setuP 31

backdrop. You can increase the brightness of this light to create a surreal illumination on the sub-ject. Alternatively, you can decrease this light to create a gloomy reflective surface. For shadow-free shots, you can replace the glass with frosted acrylic. creating inexpensive Sets

When creating a set, be sure to think about your client’s budget. Careful planning can save your clients money, and if you save your clients mon-ey, they will be back.

There are many ways to create low-cost sets. One simple way to do so is to plan the shot prior to execution. Doing so allows you and the client to understand exactly what is needed to make the final shot. While you are reviewing the job with your client, you can suggest using materials you already have on site as backgrounds.

Lighting scenarios that enhance the overall look of the product should also be presented to your client at this time. Many times the client is looking for a little drama in the background that can be created with the proper shadows and highlights. If you are building a large set, remember that the main purpose of the shoot is to enhance the appearance of the person or product. If you keep this in mind, you will have no problem earning the client’s business in the future.

toolS FoR a ReFlective pRoDUct Settwo sawhorses4x4-foot tempered glass (3/8-inch thick)two large standsfour small stands (for lights and panels)foam corecanned airglass cleaner

this diagram shows how you can effectively cre-

ate a floor shot using many of the same materi-

als used in the previous sample setups.

sheet metaldoorspaintwallboardhandmade paperpainted foam corechrome pipebrass pipesold tiresold boardscomputer partswirecable

dirtsandgrassrocksgravelcarpet remnantscanvasmuslinbrickstilesFormicaacrylicglass

toolS FoR ineXpenSive SetS

When creating a set, be sure to think about your client’s budget.

the softbox has been a staple in photogra-phers’ tool kits for years. The light these

modifiers produce is soft, diffuse, and pleasing to the eye. The only drawback to most softboxes is that the light always has to be in the center of the softbox. This means that to adjust the light even slightly, you have to move the entire softbox. By using a light panel (a large white trans-lucent panel with a steel frame) to diffuse your light, you can produce the soft lighting effect of a softbox but enjoy better control. When using panels, the lights can be positioned at any point along the surface. Conversely, you can keep the strobe in a static position and move the panel. You can even place black paper over the panel to manipulate the light hitting your subject.

the SetupLight panels can be set up quickly, stored in small spaces, and used as sun tents or dressing rooms on location. These modifiers are a favorite tool at my studio. Accordingly, they play a big part in the lighting scenarios presented in this book. The diagram below shows a side view of a tabletop setup used to photograph a volleyball. Two plastic sawhorses were topped with a 4x4-foot board, which was secured with an A-clamp. A sheet of Formica was used as a backdrop. Two A-clamps were used to secure the backdrop to two studio stands placed behind the set. The subject, a volleyball, is represented by a gray sphere on the tabletop. The camera was positioned at the front of the set. The camera il-lustrations show the various shooting angles that can be used with the set.

5. panelS

this setup was used to photograph the volleyball pictured throughout this chapter.

32 Part 2: using light mODiFiers

Panels 33

the panel is on the right side,

parallel to the set. the strobe

is in the center of the panel,

or the P1 position. in this

image and throughout the

series, the strobe is on full

power, and the camera is in

a fixed position on a studio

stand. notice that the ball has

a defined bright side and a

defined dark side. You can see

detail on the surface. there is

a dark shadow where the ball

meets the tabletop, creating a

defined area of contact. this

creates a feeling of depth and

dimension. Note: the vol-

leyball images in this chapter

were shot by Justin leVett.



is in the upper-left corner of

the panel, at the P2 position.

in conjunction with other

lights, this is a great fill light.

With the strobe positioned

at the top of the panel, the il-

lumination is dispersed down-

ward. there is detail in the

ribs of the ball and a shadow

at the table contact point.

however, more light is cast

on the set and the volleyball,

and the apparent dimension is

minimized.



is in the bottom-left corner of


if this light were softened, this

would be a great starting posi-

tion for the main light.

With this setup, the ball’s

dimension and depth are en-

hanced. With the light coming

from the bottom of the panel,

it disperses upward. more light

is cast off the set, and less

light hits the ball. there is less

detail in the ribs of the ball on

one side and a shadow at the

table contact point. the back

of the set appears darker.




is in the top-right corner of the

panel, at the P4 position. most

of the light is going over the

product and off of the set. in

conjunction with other lights,

this is an optimal fill light.

the ball’s dimension and

depth have softened. With the

light coming from the back of

the set, the rear of the ball is

illuminated. the white Formica

backdrop acts as a bounce

card, filling in the areas of

the ball that we can see. the

contact point shadow is still

strong but has moved forward.

the panel is on the right

side, parallel to the set. the

strobe is in the bottom-right

corner of the panel, at the P5

position. most of the light is

directed past the ball and off

the set. Because the light is

positioned to the rear of the

set, it lights the back of the

ball. the light is close and

is powerful enough to wrap

around the ball; without a

bounce card, however, it falls

off. the contact point shadow

is still strong but has moved

forward. the ball’s dimension

and depth have increased,

but there is less definition in

the ribs. in conjunction with

other lights, this is an optimal

highlight.



is in the center of the panel, at

the P1 position. a bounce card

is placed on the left side of

the set and fills in darker areas

without creating new shadows.


depth are reduced because

the light hits both sides of the

ball. it appears dimensional,

however, because the light on

one side is still brighter. the

ribs of the ball appear flatter

but are more visible because

they are not hidden in shadow.

the background is still muted.

the contact point shadow has

moved to the side and is softer

due to the light reflecting off

the bounce card.

Panels 35



is in the top-right corner of


a bounce card is placed on at

the front-left corner of the set

and fills in darker areas with-

out creating new shadows.

With light hitting both sides

of the ball, the overall look of

the image is flat and gray. the

ribs of the ball appear flatter

and are less visible. the muted

light causes the ball to appear

less round. the background

is still muted, and the shadow

at the contact point is darker.

there is a hard shadow going

to the side of the ball that falls

off quickly due to the light

reflecting off the bounce card.

the panel is in the front-right

corner of the set. the strobe

is in the center of the panel, at

the P1 position. this would be

a great starting point for the

main light position.


depth are enhanced by the

light hitting the front of the

ball. the overall look of the

image is three dimensional

with good separation from the

background. the ribs of the

ball appear flatter. there is

a hard shadow falling to the

side of the ball that is long

and dark. a bright spot can be

identified on the ball. that is

the area the viewer’s eye will

be drawn to first.


corner of the set. the strobe is

in the upper left of the panel,

at the P2 position. in conjunc-

tion with other lights, this

would be a nice fill light.


depth are reduced because

the light hits the ball and set

equally. With most of the light

going over the top of the ball

and off the set, the image is

gray and monotone. the over-

all look of the image is two

dimensional, with poor separa-

tion from the background. the

ribs of the ball appear flatter.

there is a hard shadow going

to the side of the ball that is

short and dark.


the panel is at the front-right


in the bottom left of the panel,

at the P3 position. this would

be a great starting position

for the main light. By placing a

secondary light, we could bet-

ter define the back of the ball

and create separation.


depth are enhanced by the

light hitting the front of the

ball. the overall look of the

image is two dimensional with

great separation from the

background. the ball’s ribs

look flatter due to the bright-

ness of the light, and there

is a long, hard shadow to the

back. there is a bright spot on

the ball; the viewer’s eye will

be drawn to that area first.



in the top right of the panel, at

the P4 position.


corner of the set. the strobe

is in the bottom right of the

panel, at the P5 position.

the panel is in the front-right corner of the set. the strobe is

in the center of the panel, at the P1 position. a bounce card is

added at an angle at the front-left corner of the set.

Panels 37

two panels are positioned par-

allel to the set. the right-hand

strobe is at P1. the left-hand

strobe is also at P1. Both lights

are set to the same power out-

put. a bounce card is placed

between the camera and the

ball, and light is reflected

upward from the bottom of

the ball.

two panels are parallel to the

set. the right-hand strobe is in

the center of the panel, at P1.

the left-hand strobe is in the

upper left (P2) position. Both

lights are powered equally. a

bounce card is placed between

the camera and the ball and

reflects light upward from the

bottom of the ball.



the lower left of the panel, at

the P3 position. the left-hand

strobe is in the upper left (P2)

position. Both lights are pow-

ered equally.



the lower right of the panel, at


strobe is in the upper right

(P4) position. Both lights are

powered equally.



set. the right-hand strobe is

in the center of the panel, at


strobe is also in the P1 posi-

tion. Both lights are powered

equally. a bounce card is

added between the camera

and the ball and reflects light

upward from the bottom of

the ball. a second bounce card

is placed above the ball to

reflect light downward.

two panels are in the front

corners of the set. the right-

hand strobe is in the center of


the left-hand strobe is also

in the P1 position. Both lights

are on equal power settings.

a bounce card is placed to the

back of the set to reflect light

onto the back of the ball.

the equal lighting from ei-

ther side flattens the ball and

background. the overall lack

of shadow lessens the sense

of dimension. We can see the

ribs easily, but without a good

contact shadow, it is hard to

determine the ball’s weight

and mass. the bounce card

equalizes the light all the way

around the ball.





the left-hand strobe is also

in the P1 position. the back-

light, fitted with a 20-degree

honeycomb grid, is aimed at

the top of the ball. all three

lights are powered equally. a

bounce card is placed behind

and above the subject; it

reflects light onto the back of

the ball and downward. this

enhances the look of the sur-

face. a bounce card between

the camera and ball reflects

light upward. the highlights

separate the edge from the

background. With the grada-

tion of light, the ball maintains

a three-dimensional shape.



hand strobe is in the center

of the panel, at the P1 posi-

tion. the left-hand strobe is

also in the P1 position. the

backlight, a strobe fitted with

a 10-degree honeycomb grid,

is aimed at the top of the ball.

all three lights are on equal

power settings. the ball ap-

pears three dimensional; the

ribs show clearly in the front,

and the specular highlight

on the top-right back edge of

the ball adds depth and helps

create separation from the

background. the ball still has

the impression of weight and

mass.



hand strobe is in the center

of the panel, or the P1 posi-

tion. the left-hand strobe is

also at P1. the backlight, a

strobe with a 20-degree grid,


all three lights are on equal

power settings.




the panel, or the P1 position.

the left-hand strobe is also in

the P1 position. the backlight,

a strobe with a 30-degree grid,


all three lights are powered

equally.

two panels are in the front corners of the set. the right-hand

strobe is in the center of the panel, or the P1 position. the left-

hand strobe is also in the P1 position. the backlight, a strobe

fitted with a 40-degree honeycomb grid, is aimed at the top of

the ball. all three lights are powered equally.




hand strobe is in the upper left

of the panel, at P2. the left-

hand strobe is at the bottom

left of the panel, at P5. the

backlight, a strobe fitted with

a 20-degree grid, is aimed at

the top of the ball. all three

lights are powered equally.

a single panel is placed at an

angle at the front-left corner

of the set. the strobe is in

the center of the panel, at the

P1 position. the backlight, a

strobe fitted with a 20-degree

honeycomb grid, is aimed at

the top of the ball. Both lights

are powered equally.

the panel is placed at an angle

at the front-left of the set. the

strobe is at P1. the backlight,



Both lights are powered equal-

ly. a bounce card is added

between the camera and ball

and reflects light upward from

the bottom of the ball.

the panel is placed at an angle

at the front-left of the set. the

strobe is at P1. the backlight,



Both lights are powered equal-

ly. a bounce card is added be-

tween the camera and ball and

reflects light upward from the

bottom of the ball. a bounce

card is also placed above the

ball to reflect light downward.

Panels 41

using light, we have changed

the apparent size and weight

of the volleyball. in this image,

the depth and curvature of the

ribs of the ball are defined by

the light, which wraps around

the ball and adds a certain

sparkling, skin-like texture.

the brightness of the light

on either side of the center

emphasizes the round shape

of the ball. the overall use of

light and shadow in the image

creates a feeling of a third

dimension in the two-dimen-

sional medium. it’s a perfectly

clean ball ready to be picked

up and used for sport.

this darker photo of the ball

is much more dramatic. the

dark shadow on the left side

flattens the ball’s shape, as its

color slides into the shadow

on the floor of the backdrop.

the lines on the brighter side

of the ball seem to merge into

darkness as well, diminishing

the feeling of dimensionality in

the image. this does not mean

that the image is not a suc-

cess. in this image, the long

shadow was produced in order

to create mood. Viewers likely

know that a volleyball is white,

round, and inflated. By using

light, we purposefully created

a sense of mystery and loneli-

ness. a little mystery goes a

long way in advertising.

a honeycomb grid is a modifier that typi-cally fits inside a strobe’s reflector dish and

forces the light to travel in a straight line. The most popular types are the 10-, 20-, 30-, and 40-degree grids, but some manufacturers offer an ultraprecise 5-degree honeycomb grid. By at-taching a grid to your strobe, you get complete control over the spread of the light beam that is illuminating your subject.

Control over light is a must. However, don’t confuse masterful lighting with overly compli-cated, excessive lighting. Any light you add must serve a clear purpose. Light without purpose can confuse you, your set, and your client. Note: As you read each description that fol-lows, assume that the light is being used on full power and the camera is in a fixed position on a camera stand.

6. honeycomB GRiDS

a strobe with a 20-degree grid

is placed at an angle in the

front-right corner of the set

and aimed at the statue.

Note: the photos in this chap-

ter were taken by robert

morrissey and Justin leVett.

a strobe with a 20-degree

grid is placed at the right side

of the set and aimed at the

statue.


is placed at the back-right

corner of the set and aimed at

the statue.

hOneYCOmB griDs 43

a strobe fitted with a 20-

degree honeycomb grid is

placed at the back-right corner


statue. a second strobe fitted

with a 20-degree honeycomb

grid is placed at the front-left


the statue.






with a 20-degree honeycomb

grid is placed at the left of the

set and aimed at the statue.



aimed at the top of the statue

from an overhead position. a

second strobe is fitted with

a 20-degree honeycomb grid

and mounted on a boom

stand. this light is pointed at

the backdrop.

strobes with 20-degree grids

are placed at the back cor-

ners of the set. these lights

are aimed at the back of the

statue.



is placed at the side of the set

at a height of 4 feet and aimed

at the statue.


is placed at the side of the set

at a height of 5 feet and aimed

at the statue.



of the set, is aimed at the stat-

ue. a strobe with a 20-degree

grid is placed at the front-left

corner of the set, aimed at the

front of the statue. a bounce

card between the camera and

statue is angled upward to

bounce light onto the statue.



placed at the side of the set at

a height of 3 feet and aimed at

the statue.


is placed at the back-right

corner of the set and aimed

at the statue. a strobe with

a 20-degree grid is placed at

the front-left corner of the set

and aimed at the front of the

statue. a bounce card is added

between the camera and the

statue and angled upward to

bounce light onto the statue. a

second bounce card is added

above the statue and angled

inward to reflect light onto the

statue.


is placed at the front-right

corner of the set and aimed

at the statue. a second strobe

with a 30-degree grid is aimed

at the back top of the statue.

a mirror is added to the front

left of the set and reflects light

onto the statue.


is placed at the front-right cor-

ner of the set and aimed at the


with a 30-degree grid is aimed

at the back top of the statue.

hOneYCOmB griDs 45

a strobe with a 30-degree grid is placed at the front-right corner of the set and aimed at the statue.

a second strobe with a 10-degree grid is aimed at the back top of the statue. two strobes with

20-degree grids are positioned on either side of the backlight, aimed at the lens. two mirrors are

added to the front corners of the set to reflect the backlight onto the statue.



20-degree grid,s are positioned on either side of the backlight, aimed at the lens. a bounce card is

added to either side of the set to reflect the backlight onto the statue.



20-degree grids are positioned on either side of the backlight, aimed at the camera.


at the front-right corner of the

set is aimed at the statue. a

second light with a 30-degree

grid is aimed at the back top

of the statue from above the

background. a third strobe

with a 10-degree grid, at left of the set, is aimed behind the statue and onto the background. a mir-

ror at the front-left corner of the set reflects the backlight onto the statue. a black card on the right

side blocks the first light from hitting the background.


is placed at the front-right


the statue. a strobe set to low

power is fitted with an umbrella

and placed behind the first light

to produce a wide fill light. a

third strobe with a 20-degree

grid is placed on the right side,

aimed at the statue’s shoulder.

a black card is used to block this light from hitting the background. the fourth light, fitted with a

10-degree grid, is placed on the left of the set and aimed at the statue’s shoulder. a black card is

used to block this light from hitting the background. two mirrors are added to reflect the backlight

onto the front of the statue.


as you can see here, you can

create two completely different

looks with the same set and

object. the left image shows

the result of using a lighting

setup that brings out every nu-

ance of the statue. the photo

below is much darker and

more dramatic. Both images

will sell the object, and both

are perfectly exposed, but

there is a big difference in the

lighting effect from one shot

to the next.

lighting is the very soul of

an image. it can create bright

and cheery images or dark

and moody ones. in these

examples, the differences are

pronounced.

umBrellas 49

umbrellas can be found in the tool kits of most photographers. These modifiers attach

to a strobe head and produce a soft, directional light. The color of an umbrella’s lining affects the quality of the light that is produced. A silver lining produces a cooler light than a gold one.

Umbrellas made with a white interior create a higher level of diffusion but do not impact the color of the light produced. To create the series of portraits of Mia, my model in this chapter, I used umbrellas with white interiors.

7. UmBRellaS

top and bot-

tom left—an

umbrella is

placed in the

front-right

corner of the

set and is aimed

at the subject

at a 45-degree

angle. the light

is on full power.

top and bot-

tom right—an

umbrella is

placed in the

front-right cor-

ner of the set. a

second umbrella

is placed in the

front-left corner

of the set.

Both umbrel-

las are aimed

at the subject

at a 45-degree

angle, and both

lights are on full

power.


the first umbrella is placed in the front-right

corner of the set. the second umbrella is placed

in the front-left side of the set. the umbrellas

are aimed at the subject at a 45-degree angle,

and both lights are on full power. the third

light is fitted with a 30-degree honeycomb grid

and is aimed at the model’s hair. the gridded

light is on low power.


corner of the set. the second umbrella is placed

in the front-left corner of the set. the umbrellas

are aimed at the subject at a 45-degree angle,

and both lights are on full power. a third um-

brella is directly behind the subject, aimed right

at the camera. it is on low power. the subject

blocks most of the light, reducing flare.

umBrellas 51

an umbrella is placed in the front-right corner

of the set and is aimed at the subject at a 45-

degree angle. a strobe light fitted with a 30-

degree honeycomb grid is placed at the back-

left corner of the set and is aimed at the sub-

ject’s hair. Both lights are on full power.


of the set and is aimed at the subject at a 45-

degree angle. a strobe is fitted with a 30-degree

honeycomb grid, placed in the back-left corner

of the set, and aimed at the subject’s hair. Both

lights are on full power. a bounce card is added

to the front-left corner of the set and reflects

light from the umbrella back onto the model.


a strobe fitted with an umbrella is placed in the

front-right corner of the set. the umbrella is

aimed at the subject at a 45-degree angle. two

strobes, each fitted with a 20-degree honey-

comb grid, are aimed at the subject’s hair from

the back corners of the set. all three lights are

on full power.

One umbrella is placed in the front-right cor-

ner of the set. a second umbrella is placed at

the front-left corner of the set. these lights are

aimed at the subject at a 45-degree angle. an

umbrella is placed in each of the back corners

of the set. these are aimed at the background

at a 30-degree angle. all four lights are on full

power.

umBrellas 53


of the set. a second umbrella is placed to the

left of the subject. Both umbrellas are on full

power. a strobe fitted with a 10-degree honey-

comb grid is placed directly in front of the first

umbrella, aimed at the subject’s face. this light

is on low power.

an umbrella is placed in the front-right corner of

the set and is aimed at the subject at a 45-

degree angle. a second umbrella is placed in the

back-right corner of the set and is aimed at the

subject at a 45-degree angle. a strobe is fitted

with a 30-degree honeycomb grid and aimed

at the subject’s hair. all three lights are on full

power.



corner of the set and is aimed at the subject

at a 45-degree angle. a strobe fitted with a

30-degree honeycomb grid is placed behind the

subject and aimed at her hair. Both lights are on

full power. a bounce card is added to the left

side of the subject, reflecting the light from the

umbrella.

a strobe fitted with a 30-degree honeycomb grid

is mounted on a boom stand, positioned directly

over the subject, and aimed at her face and

chest. the light is on full power.

a strobe fitted with a 30-degree honeycomb

grid is mounted on a boom stand, positioned

directly over the subject, and aimed at her face

and chest. using a second studio boom stand,

we positioned a light fitted with a 40-degree

honeycomb grid directly over the subject and

aimed at her back and shoulders. Both lights are

on full power.

a strobe fitted with a 30-degree honeycomb

grid is mounted on a boom stand, positioned

directly over the subject, and aimed at her face

and chest. using a second studio boom stand,

we positioned a light fitted with a 40-degree

honeycomb grid directly over the subject and

aimed at her back and shoulders. Both lights are

on full power. two umbrellas are placed on the

left side of the set and aimed at the subject. a

4x8-foot panel is added to diffuse the light from

the umbrellas on the left side.


Panels are placed on the right and left sides of

the subject, with each light in the P1 position.

the panel lights are on full power. the third

light is an umbrella placed directly behind the

subject and aimed at the camera. it is on low

power. the fourth light is fitted with a 20-

degree honeycomb grid and aimed at the sub-

ject’s hair. the gridded light is on full power.

a strobe fitted with a 30-degree grid is mounted

on a boom stand, positioned directly over the

subject, and aimed at her face and chest. the

light is on full power. the second light is an

umbrella placed behind the subject and aimed

directly at the camera. the umbrella is on low

power. a large bounce card is added to the left

side to reflect the light back onto the subject.

umBrellas 57

left—this image seems somewhat sterile. the portrait is exposed correctly. the highlights on the

back of the model’s hair and on her skin are correct. the light on her face is flattering and does not

promote any imperfections. the wrinkles on the subject’s dress tell the story of the fabric and fit.

the background fades evenly from red to a darker, muted color in the red spectrum.

Despite its technical graces, the rendition of the model’s face is bland. even if a photo is techni-

cally correct, you’ll find that you sometimes need to add a little something to make it work.

Right—this image has what the previous one lacks. Drama, sex appeal, and a little finesse are all

wrapped into one tight photographic package. the giant umbrella behind the model frames her

body with white light, and the illumination creates a glimmer on her skin and hair. the front light

smoothes her skin, allowing her dramatic features to stand out.

the downward shadows created by the high front light make her dress appear almost see-

through and give you a good feel for how tight the garment is. her upward stare is emphasized

by the shadows under her brows. this risky technique takes a lot of practice, but the result is well

worth it. What you are looking for is the perfect mix of light shooting into the lens plus correct ex-

posure on your subject. One move to either side of the model, and the flare ruins the shot.


softboxes create a soft overall light effect that looks natural and warm and is perfect for

many portraits and other lighting applications. The main drawback of working with softboxes is that the light is centered within the box. There-fore, it can be more difficult to make a slight ad-justment to the light’s position when working with a softbox than it is when using a light panel. Every photographer should strive to control the light as much as possible.

Softboxes come in many shapes and sizes, so choose the best type to suit your needs. (Note: A medium thin softbox can be used in a vertical or horizontal position. This makes it a good, versa-tile tool for your lighting kit.) Each of the following images in this series was made using an 80mm lens. In every setup, the lights were used at full power. For each shot, the model, Mia, was positioned on a tape mark on the floor. Natalie Cross served as my assistant.

8. SoFtBoXeS

a medium softbox on a large studio stand is

positioned at the left of the set. the light is at

a 90-degree angle to the subject and is on full

power.

sOFtBOXes 59

a medium softbox on a large studio stand is po-

sitioned at the front left of the set. the light is

at a 45-degree angle to the subject.

a medium softbox on a large studio stand is po-

sitioned to the rear left of the set. the light is at

a 45-degree angle to the subject.




a 90-degree angle to the subject. a 6-foot-tall

white bounce card is positioned across from

the softbox. it is used to reflect light back onto

the subject, allowing more detail to be visible

on the face and body.




white bounce card is positioned on the right

side of the set and is at a 45-degree angle. it

is used to bounce light onto the subject, so we

can see more detail on her face and body.




white bounce card is positioned at the front-

right corner of the set and is aimed at the

subject at a 45-degree angle. this bounce card

reflects light back onto the subject, allowing us

to see more detail on the face and body.

a medium softbox is on a large studio stand



white bounce card is positioned in front of the

subject on the right side at a 45-degree angle.

it is used to bounce light onto the subject, al-

lowing us to see more detail on her face and

body. a thin vertical softbox is placed in the

back-right corner and aimed at the subject. this

light creates highlights around the subject that

ensure her separation from the background.


positioned at the left rear of the set and at a

45-degree angle to the subject. a 6-foot-tall

white bounce card is positioned at the front-

right corner of the set and aimed toward the

subject at a 45-degree angle. it reflects light

onto the subject, bringing out detail on her face

and body. a thin vertical softbox is placed in

the back-right corner and aimed at the subject.

this light creates highlights around the subject

that ensure her separation from the

background.


positioned at the left of the set, at a 45-degree

angle to the subject. a 6-foot white bounce card

is positioned in front of the subject on the right

side at a 45-degree angle. it bounces light onto

the subject, bringing out detail on her face and

body. a thin vertical softbox is placed in the

back-right corner and aimed at the subject. this

light creates highlights around the subject that

ensure her separation from the background.

a strobe with a 30-degree grid is aimed at the

background, creating a halo effect in the shot.

a medium softbox is positioned in the front-left

corner of the set, 45 degrees to the subject. a

6-foot white bounce card is positioned at the

front-right corner of the set at a 45-degree

angle. it bounces light onto the subject, allow-

ing us to see detail on her face and body. a

thin vertical softbox is placed in the back-right

corner, aimed at the subject. this light cre-

ates highlights around the subject that ensure

separation from the background. a strobe with

a 30-degree grid is aimed at the background,

creating a halo effect in the shot.



a 45-degree angle to the subject. a large white

bounce card at the front right of the set is at

a 45-degree angle to the subject. it bounces

light onto the subject and reveals detail on her

face and dress. two thin vertical softboxes

are placed in the back corners, aimed at the

subject. they create highlights around her and

separate her from the background. a strobe

with a 30-degree grid is aimed at the back-

ground. this creates a halo effect in the shot.


positioned at the front-left corner of the set, at


white bounce card is positioned to the front-

right of the subject at a 45-degree angle. it is

used to bring the light back onto the subject,

allowing us to see more detail on her face and

body. two thin vertical softboxes are placed

in the back corners of the set, aimed at the

subject. they create highlights around the

subject that ensure her separation from the

background.


positioned at the front-left corner or the set.

the light is at a 45-degree angle to the subject.

two thin vertical softboxes are in the back cor-

ners of the set. they create highlights around

the subject that ensure her separation from the

background.

sOFtBOXes 65


positioned at the front-left corner of the set. the

light is at a 45-degree angle to the subject. a

thin vertical softbox is placed in the back-right

corner and is aimed at the subject. it creates

highlights around the subject that ensure her

separation from the background.

two thin vertical softboxes are placed in the

back corners of the set and aimed at the sub-

ject. this light creates highlights around the

subject’s body that ensure her separation from

the background.

a thin vertical softbox on a large studio stand is


a 90-degree angle to the subject. another thin

vertical softbox is placed in the back-left corner

and aimed at the subject.

two thin vertical softboxes are placed directly

behind the subject and aimed toward the cam-

era. this creates highlights around the subject

that ensure her separation from the background.

this lighting setup creates intense flare and

silhouetting.


two thin vertical softboxes are placed behind

the subject and aimed toward the camera. this

creates intense flare and silhouetting. a 6-foot-

tall white bounce card is positioned in the front-

left corner of the set at a 45-degree angle. it

reflects light back onto the subject, bringing out

more detail in the face and body.

a medium softbox on a large studio boom

stand is positioned above and 90 degrees to

the subject, about 3 feet away. two thin verti-

cal softboxes, one 90 degrees to the left of

the subject, the other 90 degrees to the right

of the subject, light the sides of the subject. a

large bounce card is placed between the camera

and the subject and aimed upward toward the

model. this bounce card adds fill light to the

subject’s face and body. a strobe with a 30-

degree grid is aimed at the background, creat-

ing a halo effect in the shot.

a medium softbox on a large studio boom stand

is positioned above the subject. the light is at a

90-degree angle to the subject and about 3 feet

away. a thin vertical softbox is placed on the

left side of the set, 90 degrees to the subject. a

thin vertical softbox is on the right side of mod-

el, at a 45-degree angle. a large bounce card is

placed between the camera and the subject and

aimed upward toward the model. this bounce

card adds fill light to the subject’s face and

body. a strobe is fitted with a 30-degree honey-

comb grid and is aimed at the background. this

creates a halo effect in the shot.




away. a thin vertical softbox is in the front-left

corner of the set and is aimed at the model. a

large bounce card is used to reflect light back

onto the right side of the model. a strobe fitted

with a 30-degree honeycomb grid is aimed at

the background. this creates a halo effect in the

shot. a thin vertical softbox is aimed at the right

side of the model. this softbox is used for fill

light on the right side.

sOFtBOXes 69

a medium softbox on a large studio boom

stand is positioned above the subject. the light

is at a 90-degree angle to the subject and about

3 feet away. a large bounce card is placed

between the camera and the subject and aimed

upward toward the subject’s face and body.

this bounce card adds fill light to the subject’s

face and body. a strobe fitted with a 30-degree

honeycomb grid is aimed at the background.

this creates the halo effect in the shot.




away.


left—as you can see, the final two photographs on this page are completely different. the only

thing that has changed is the way the light was cast onto the model. to create this image, we used

several lights to highlight every part of the model and enhance the set. the green dress is vibrant,

her hair is backlit, and her skin is evenly lit. a bounce card was used to soften the shadows, and

the separation between the model and the background is extreme. this is a beautifully executed

portrait.

Right—this image is also beautifully executed, but it is completely different. the lights are shin-

ing directly into the lens, so the model’s face and body are silhouetted and the color of the dress

is muted. the bounce card only adds detail to the model’s features. the background appears light,

and the foreground is a dark shape with little detail to enhance the viewer’s perception of the image.

Portraits are a great way for a photographer to express himself artistically. When you have produced an artistic portrait, your client will ap-preciate what you have done, and your reputa-tion will soar. At the very end of a photo shoot, it is important to understand that the camera,

the subject, the set, and the amount of money spent did not create the feel of the image. It was the light used to enhance the model and the set. Professional photography is about light, and good lighting comes down to careful placement.

On assignment 71

From this point forward, i will present techniques i have used to

create an effective, believable rendition of a variety of subjects.

note that while some components of a setup might be similar

from one type of shot to the next, the result of applying vari-

ous techniques can vary widely from subject to subject and will

promote a certain mood in the final image. i have used every

one of the lighting techniques described to produce images for

paying clients. Feel free to use them as a springboard for your

own commercial lighting ventures.

on aSSiGnment

RoBeRt moRRiSSey &

aSSociateS

WWW.moRRiSSeyphoto.com

As a commercial shooter, you are only as good as your last project—not your last paying project, but the last project you’ve produced and shown to your online audience. That’s correct—your audience. In recent years, it has become clear that you not only need to impress your clients, but you need to impress as many people as you can with your images. Clients now realize that if you can’t impress a small group of people with your work, you might not be able to help them create an intriguing image for their ad campaign.

What’s great about the technological advance-ments in this industry is that you can apply them to older collections of images to create stunning “new” work that is once again valid in the in-dustry. By adopting this approach, you can show your Photoshop skills and prove that you’re able to keep up with trends and visual movements. This fashion shot was made in my studio a few years ago. I placed a G30 above the model on a 10-foot boom stand. Due to the light’s height, the light-to-shadow transition was gradual. A medium softbox was placed about 15 feet to the back left of the model to create subtle backlight-

ing. A large white bounce card was used between the camera and the model to add light to the model’s chin and clothing. This gave the image a softer, more professional feel. I liked the image but hadn’t shown it to any-one for years because it was old. To update the shot, I opened the file in Photoshop, made the colors more saturated and vibrant, then added smoke using custom Photoshop brushes. My clients and visual audience liked the im-age. This shot, once in my archives, is now on the front page of my promotional materials.

camera: mamiya 645aF with Phase One digital back

lens: 80mmexposure: 1/125 second, f/11, isO 100 White balance: daylight lights: l1=3x3-foot sBX at BKlFt, l2=g30Ohpower settings: l1=50%, l2=100%Who’s on set: photographer, assistant,

model, makeup artist

UpDatinG olDeR imaGeS

this shot, once in my archives, is on the front page of my promotional materials.

Never be afraid to offer black & white images to your clients. Sometimes it is exactly what is needed to get the right look for the job. For this session, I used a maroon muslin back-drop. The model’s drape was an off-white mus-lin, and her hair was brown. All of that color was distracting. A black & white treatment allowed me to create a simpler image with greater impact.

I aimed a G20 grid on a 6-foot stand at the background to create the desired highlight. A 6x4-foot panel was used on the right side of the model. Two lights were placed behind the pan-el at P1 (but a bit off center). A large bounce card placed between the model and the camera reflected the light from the big source onto the model. This made the light-to-shadow transition across the model look smooth and soft. Finally, a G40 on a 5-foot stand was used to create a bright wraparound effect on the model’s left side.

Black & White

camera: mamiya rB67, Kodak tmaX 100lens: 80mm

exposure: 1/60, second, f/16, isO 100

lights: l1=g20, l2=g40, l3 and l4=two shoot-through panels

power settings: l1=100%, l2=60%, l3 and

l4=100%

Who’s on set: photographer, assistant, model, makeup artist

On assignment 73

never be afraid to offer black & white images

to your clients.

74 On assignment

To make it to the top in this industry, you must combine style, intensity, originality, and artistic impression in a technically perfect image. You can’t come at this industry lightly and expect to succeed. You must do your best every time. This subject arrived at the studio with a spiky suit and told me I could do whatever I wanted. I secured red fabric to the ceiling and had him try several poses while holding the fabric. Finally, he became tired and lay down. As he lifted himself up with the fabric, the composition struck me. To the model’s left was a G40 on a boom about 9 feet high. It was pointed at the model’s torso, enhancing the spikes and fabric. It also added hard lighting on his foot and the circle of light on the floor. Above the model on the right side was a medium softbox on a boom, pointed at the model’s face and hat. A large white bounce card between the model and camera added light on the front of the model to ensure more even lighting on the subject.

eDGy poRtRaitS

camera: mamiya 645aF with Phase One

digital back

lens: 80mm lens

exposure: 1/125 second, f/11, isO 100

White balance: daylight

lights: l1=g40, l2=4x4-foot sBX

power settings: l1=70%, l2=80%

Who’s on set: photographer, assistant,

model

Knowing how and when to create a vintage feel will help you and your client convince the public to buy what you’re selling or feel what you are expressing. Here are some tips:

• Use dated materials and older subjects. • Dirt and scratches will only add to the shot. • Use hard light from the sides. Diffusion panels

are a modern photographic tool. • If shooting in color, try using yellow, orange,

and amber gels for added warmth. • Don’t overfill the shadow areas. Light shad-

ows create a modern look. • Try adding a sepia tone to a black & white

film image using traditional toning techniques or use Photoshop to mimic the effect.

This shot was made in an old building—the per-fect backdrop for this tense escape scene. I shot the image with film for a grainy look that aids in creating the old-time feel. The models are wear-ing modern clothing, but the tattered appearance adds a vintage feel. The dusty, tattered wood floor also helps to build the image concept and creates a dynamic feel. The position and constitution of the pole add interest and help the image come together. The long, dark shadows indicate that the image was shot later in the day and furthers the nostalgic feel of the shot. A flash head in a large reflector placed far to the subjects’ left and about 4 feet high served as the only light. A large bounce card on the right side provided fill and brought out some detail. Another large bounce card was placed between the models and the camera, reflecting light back onto the models.

makinG imaGeS look olD

camera: mamiya rB67 with tmaX 100 filmlens: 120mm


lights: l1=lg/reF

power settings: l1=100%


models

76 On assignment

natURal-Scene Fill liGhtThe goal in creating natural-scene fill light is to accent ambient light and make the viewer believe that no photographic lights were used to enhance the scene. Imagine the sun on a cool autumn day. The sun is warming the planet just enough so that you can wear shorts—but when the sun be-gins to drop, the slight chill of fall sets in. For a portion of the day, you are shooting a model’s portfolio. Do you want to capture the feel of the day? Should your image convey a colder or warmer day? The trick is to add light in a way that appears completely natural. For example, if you are shooting a beach ball on the sand, you can place a strong light high above the ball to emulate the sun. If you are creating an image that appears to be illuminated by lamp light, shoot a light warmed with an amber gel through a lamp shade with a low power setting. I hope that I am getting my point across: correctly executed nat-ural-scene fill light is invisible to the naked eye. The natural-scene fill light approach works well when photographing models outdoors for catalogs. Using battery-operated lights, you can add a little light and fill in shadow areas. Test out your flash at several exposure settings. This way, you can choose the best light. Also, be sure to carry extra batteries with you for a shoot like this. Nothing looks less professional to the client and your team than running out of juice! To get the most from your models, they must like you and trust that the photos you are creat-

ing are good. I usually let the models view my camera’s LCD screen. This way, they can share their input and feel like part of the process. You and the model are working together to get the best-possible image. If you don’t communicate with your model they may clam up, feel embar-rassed, and become difficult to work with.

Creating natural-scene fill light for a product in the studio can be ten times more difficult. To supplement the lighting, you must first examine the way the existing light reflects off of the set when it is placed in its normal or final use posi-tion (e.g., a TV on a wall), then find a way to emulate the effect naturally. The set must also ap-pear to be a realistic setting, not a studio setup. For this image, I opted to embrace a natural-scene fill light—a soft look that evokes the feeling of late summer or early fall. The sun was behind the model, and I used a portable lighting kit with two lights to fill in the shadows. A flash head on the left side of the model’s face was used to add fill to her face and body. This light was placed be-hind a 4x4-foot panel, in the P1 position. On the right side of the subject, I placed another 4x4-foot panel with a flash head in the P5 position. This light added a little snap to the right side of the image. Notice that the exposure of the RAW file was for the sunny spots. The lights I used for this shot gave the appearance of natural falloff

time-SavinG StRateGieSWhen shooting outdoors, take a natural-light-only image before adding lights. examine the shadow areas that need to be filled or items that need a little extra light. soften the lights you use to enhance the shot with scrims or softboxes. remember, don’t make your highlights too bright.

the goal in creating natural scene fill light is to accent ambient light.


lens: 80mm

exposure: 1/125 second, f/11, isO 100 White balance: daylight

lights: l1=P1 at lFt, l2=P5 at rt, l3=sun

power settings: l1=80%, l2=60%,

l3=100%


model, several other models, makeup

artist, client

into shadow from the sunlight, but if you look closely, you can see that the areas not affected by the lights are much darker than the sunny spots. It’s a good idea to try to keep the sun behind the model’s head and body. The sun is better used as a hair light than as the overall main light on any subject. Although this model was posed

under a tree and in the shade (to keep her cool), the light from the flash heads created perfect separation of the subject from the shadows. In Photoshop, I enhanced the overall color. I then selected the whites and blue of the hat (the prod-uct for sale) and changed the levels on it to make it a bit brighter than the rest of the exposure.

DRamatic liGhtPeople are accustomed to seeing the world il-luminated by mostly overhead sources. By nar-rowing the field of light or bringing it in from a different direction, you can create a dramatic feel and force viewers to see the subject differently. To successfully create dramatic light, two things must happen: it must look out of the ordi-nary, and the effect must look great. Remember, we are working on lighting techniques that make money, not techniques that don’t work.

To successfully create dramatic light, you must create dramatic shadows. You should be able to control all the lighting elements to create a per-fect product. Nothing happens by accident—at least, that is what we tell the client. The materials needed to create a dramatic look are inexpensive. You can place a cookie in front of a light to create shadows. A mirror can be used to cast light back into the scene to soften the shad-

ow areas. With black foil, you can create modeled or formed shadows that complement the com-position. Preserve shadows that contribute to the look and feel of the final image. Shadows can make or break the image—and the photo shoot. Determining when to use dramatic light will become second nature to you. With experience, you will learn to read the client’s wishes and de-termine whether they want a dramatic image or just a powerful one. The points below describe the dramatic light-ing approach:

• Start by placing the subject in the set.• Use one light at first to test how you might

light the subject; once placed, this first light will be the main light. Do not shoot this light through a scrim.

• Once you have determined the placement of the main light, start to fill in shadow areas with bounces and/or mirrors, depending on the strength of fill light you desire.

• Once you have filled these areas, cast a second light on the subject. This light must be less powerful than the main light.

• With these two lights in place, you now have the perfect opportunity to add colored gels if you so desire.

• Check your shadow areas. Once you have determined your new shadow areas, you can decide whether or not a third or fourth light is needed to create the desired effect.

• If the shadow areas are too harsh, use a low-powered light through a scrim as a fill source; the lower the power, the more subtle the fill effect.

keyS to SUcceSS• Don’t take this effect too far, or it will fail. • Colored gels are great for enhancement of an

image, but they can also ruin or date an image when overdone. When using colored gels, con-sider working with at least one clean, non-gelled light source.

• Don’t let your shadow areas fall into complete darkness. this can be disastrous in the printing phase.

• Dramatic light has its place in professional photography; try not to overuse the technique.

• strive to create simple yet effective lighting on your subjects.

to successfully create dramatic light, you must create dramatic shadows.

On assignment 79

• When you’re done building the shot one light at a time, you’re ready for the final capture.

For this image, I placed a panel at the left and parallel with the set. A light was positioned in the upper left of the panel, at P2. This light was at 50 percent of the power pack’s capacity; it pro-vided all of the light used for the shot. A bottom bounce card was used in front of the subject, and a second bounce card was placed to the subject’s right to reflect the main light back into the set and onto the cocoa-covered hands. Cocoa powder is messy, so I covered my light-ing gear and the floor with plastic sheets. I kept a container of wet wipes next to the camera so that if I needed to touch the model’s hands, I could quickly wipe the cocoa powder from my own hands before I touched my gear again.

Keeping the light soft helped me capture this dramatic image. The depth of field was long in the original exposure. This allowed me to control focus in postproduction. In Photoshop, I created a new layer, added a Gaussian blur, and merged the two layers to establish the feel of a controlled lack of focus. Softening the subject produced a feeling of delicious warmth.

I like to shoot for full focus and allow room to crop on every image. This way, I can fix things in postproduction that can’t be fixed on the set.

i like to shoot for full focus and allow room to crop

on every image.


lens: 80mm

exposure: 1/60 second, f/16, isO 100White balance: daylight

lights: P2 lFt

power settings: P2=50%

Who’s on set: photographer, assistant, model

80 On assignment

The dappled light technique is often used when the entire set will be in the final photograph. In this case, there are usually many elements on the set that are creating an atmosphere for the focal subject to exist in. In such situations, two types of lighting come into play: precise subject lighting (to show off the product or main subject of the shot) and atmospheric lighting.

We’ve covered a number of techniques for creating precise subject lighting in this book’s previous lessons. To create atmospheric lighting, you need to cast light that is almost textured in form and shape, going from light to dark in an undefined pattern. With a dappled pattern filling the background, you create a subtle texture that is easy to gain separation from. This separation will be needed to show off the main subject of the photograph. The photograph shown on the facing page demonstrates the use of the dappling technique.

Various tools can be used to project shadows onto walls and into sets, but I have found that using black foam core with holes cut into it is the best and least expensive way to dapple the light. These forms can be placed in front of a light be-ing used on the set—just be sure not to alter the original lighting you desired on the subject. The same approach can be used to give the impression that objects outside of the room—for instance, leaves or window panes—are cast-ing shadows. Let’s say that you are photograph-ing a vase on a table that has a plain wall for a backdrop. To add interest, you can place a “win-dow frame” constructed of foam or another

DappleD oR teXtUReD liGht


lens: 80mm

exposure: 1/125 second, f/11, isO 100 White balance: daylight

lights: l1 and l3=large reflectors, l2=two

overhead panels

power settings: l1=80%, l2=100%, l3=70%

Who’s on set: photographer, assistant

plan FoR a peRFect ShotWhen your dappled-light shot contains nu-merous objects, clean every item on the set and make sure there are no fingerprints on the products. a little bit of cleaning now can reduce a whole lot of computer retouching work later.

Various tools can be used to project shadows onto walls

and into sets.

On assignment 81

lightweight material on a light stand, using an A-clamp, and position it in front of the light. This creates the impression that the vase is in a home. For this image, I wanted ultrasoft, warm light. Two 4x8-foot panels were set on top of each other and held up by two stands above the set. An open head was placed on a 10-foot boom and positioned about 3 feet higher than the panels. Two lights were used on either side of the set to create the brighter dappled or textured spots on the objects. Large reflectors were placed on these units to control the direction of the light. In front of those lights were two gobos that had holes cut in them to create organic shapes. The light shining through them created the dappling or texturing effect. The convergence of brighter and softer light together created depth and beau-

ty in a shot that could have easily been flat and boring.

The composition of this image was guided by three things: the color of the objects, the size of the objects, and the way the light was hitting those objects. When creating an image like this, it is a good idea to keep your colors in the same palette if possible.

When creating an image like this, keep your colors in the

same palette if possible.

82 On assignment

On assignment 83

There are infinite ways to light a portrait, but the light cast onto an interesting model should convey a visual message about the subject. This is called visual interpretation, and accomplishing this is every photographer’s job. As I mentioned earlier, your breakthrough moment in photog-raphy might be through an amazing portrait. Never underestimate the importance of any photograph you are taking—especially portraits. Once you deliver the portraits to your client, the images will be sent across the Internet in a flash. People will see these images and either praise

them or hate them. When taking portraits of anyone, be sure to do your best and light them like a master. My task here was to create an image of a re-nowned DJ in Denver, Colorado. I had to pres-ent the model in a specific, trendy environment for the music scene.

This image was shot in black & white using the camera’s black & white grainy filter effect. In Photoshop, I used a custom brush to create the star-like effect around the subject’s head. This technique would not have been successful if I’d not aimed the backlight at the background to blow it out. To get the powerful lighting seen in this im-age, I used three lights and two bounces. I set up a 6x6-foot panel behind the model and placed an open head in the P1 position. On the camera-right side of the set, I set up a 4x6-foot panel with an open head in the P2 position. On the left side and a little behind the model, I placed a G20, 8 feet high aimed directly at the model’s face. This is the light that produced the wrap-around effect.

poRtRaitS

camera: Olympus e-5

lens: 12–60mm



lights: l1=g20, l2=P1, l3=P2


l3=50%

Who’s on set: photographer, assistants,

film crew, talent, reps

to get the powerful lighting in this image, i used three

lights and a bounce.

84 On assignment

This approach could be considered fashion por-trait lighting. This front lighting technique works well with models who have distinctive cheek-bones. Many of the effects and the color in this image were added via Photoshop, but the over-all lighting made the image come to life. As I mentioned before, being creative and edgy is an

important part of the success of any image, and creating these images is a great way to push your career forward. As a professional photographer and artist, you must embrace Photoshop. Learn to take photos and expose them with Photoshop

in mind. This allows you to be as creative as pos-sible and deliver technically perfect files to even the toughest of clients. To light this portrait, I used a G20 grid point-ing directly at the model’s face. This threw clean, directionally controlled light. To keep the en-tire image lit, I placed a 4x4-foot panel on the camera-right side of the set, with a head in a large reflector in the P1 position. At the right rear of the set, I used a G40 light aimed directly at the model’s hair. The backlight made her hair ex-plode with highlights and flare, creating perfect separation from the background.

FRont liGhtinG With GRiDS

camera: Olympus e-3

lens: 12–60mm



lights: l1=g20, l2=g40, l3=P1



Being creative and edgy is an important part of

the success of any image.

When shooting fashion editorials, the only real rule is to show the clothes or model’s makeup in an interesting light. If your client is happy, you get paid, and they call you for another job. That’s proof that you’ve done your job well. But during the planning of the shot, you must be absolutely certain that the lighting you are choosing suits the product you are selling. I usually present the team with an overview of the image concept. This puts everyone at ease before the shoot begins. Once the model is as-sured that she will look fantastic, you’ll gain her trust. When your client sees that you have the job under control, you’ll have a happy client. When photographing a model, her comfort with the shot is of the utmost importance. In this case, the model’s mother was stationed on the set to ensure that the session unfolded as planned. Simple lighting can be elegant. Sometimes too many lights create chaos. For this image, I posi-tioned the main light, a medium softbox with a double scrim inside, to the right side of the set, near the model’s face. This generated the soft overall lighting. To get a more effective wrap-around on her face, I used a bounce card at the front-left corner and angled it upward to throw light under her chin and onto the side of her face. I aimed a G20 at the backdrop, lighting the area just behind her to create separation.

FaShion liGhtinG

camera: Phase One

lens: 80mm



lights: l1=g20, l2=mD/sBX



makeup artist

86 On assignment

coRpoRate poRtRaitSMost corporations want images with a state-of-the-art feel; they believe that the mood estab-lished in an image speaks to the status of the company. They want to portray their leaders and products with confidence, power, and success, and they want portraits that promote trust. To create these feelings, you’ll need to pull out all of the stops—and a variety of equipment.

Producing images that look clean and high tech can be a challenge, so be sure to establish a realistic budget before bidding. Let the art direc-tor know that good photography is not inexpen-sive. Sure, using professional models and incred-ible locations will increase the costs, but make sure that your clients know you will produce a top-notch product in the end. When photographing corporate heads, time is of the essence. Your best bet is to create the set

first, then use a sit-in model to get the light right. Once everything is in place, you can summon your subject and start the shoot. Here are some tips that will help you ensure that the session is a success:

• Avoid harsh, face-distorting shadows. Your subject should appear honest and success-ful—like anyone could do business with him or her.

• Act in a professional manner. You can crack a few jokes if that’s something you’re into, but remember that the corporate environment is much different than the artistic environment of the average photo studio.

• Remember that your client is always correct.

One way to create a powerful photograph is to use a bright background with lots of punch, then light the model or subject even brighter. Using flash from the front and below the subject cre-ates bright and clean separation of subject and background. Another effective approach is to create a dark image with faint wisps of light. Add minimal highlights to let the viewer know what they are looking at, but keep the rest of the image dark; this allows the imagination to fill in the blanks. I realize that every client will have different ideas about what they want their images to look and feel like, but images like those described have worked for several large corporations in competi-tive industries. Camera angles are very expressive in corporate imagery. You can create a totally different feeling in an image by exploring the angles of the shot.

camera: Phase One

lens: 12–60mm



lights: l1=g20, l2=g40, l3=mD/sBX, l4=g40


l3=100%, l4=30%


models, client, runner

When photographing corporate heads,

time is of the essence.

On assignment 87

Don’t be afraid to experiment. The angles that you choose will differentiate your photos from the rest of the images in the advertising world. This is exactly what you need to do to create a corporate client base of repeat clients.

This image was created to show a traveling businessman checking in at a corporate hotel. The image needed to show professionalism, trust, and the use of technology. The setup included four lights. A G40 on a tall stand to the left of the camera was used to illuminate the floor. A G20 with an amber gel was placed on a stand about 5 feet high to the left of the camera aimed directly at the model op-erating the computer. A G40 on a 5-foot stand

was positioned at camera right and aimed at the model’s face and shoulders. A medium softbox on a 6-foot stand was placed at camera right in a horizontal position and aimed at the model hold-ing the phone. The computer screens were added in Photoshop.

Camera angles are very expressive

in corporate imagery.

88 On assignment

When non-image-forming light strikes the lens or bounces off of an object and reflects into the lens, flare results. It shows up as bright shapes or lines in your image and can even cause the color to appear washed out. Sometimes you can im-mediately see flare in your images; other times, it’s more difficult to discern. The trick is to know what color saturation to expect. If the colors are washed out, you may have flare. Flare can also flatten the contrast and make the image harder to view.

For this image, I set up in a dark, cold, snow-lift garage. The front of the image was lit using two open heads, placed on either side of the model and car. Both were in the P1 position be-hind 4x4-foot panels. A third light, an open head on a studio stand placed in the back of the set, was aimed straight at the camera. The resultant flare created a sense of dimension and lightened the dark feeling of the closed, dark garage. Flare will not be useful in every image, so here are some tips to prevent it:

• When photographing a product on a light-colored surface, place black cards as close to the subject as possible.

• Move the light unit that is striking the lens or place black cards between the light and your camera. It may seem as if you’re being overly cautious, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

• Avoid using bright colors when shooting a product that will be clipped out in Photoshop. The bright colors can affect the white balance, create a color cast, and even impact the expo-sure. Use a darker neutral-gray backdrop.

• Before shooting, wrap a long piece of black paper around the lens—just be sure it doesn’t cut into the image frame.

• Cut a hole in a piece of black foam core and insert your lens through it. This prevents any reflections from the shiny parts of the camera from being recorded.

lenS FlaRe

camera: Phase One

lens: 80mm

exposure: 1/60 second, f/16, is0 100


lights: l1=P1, l2=OPn, l3=P1


Who’s on set: photographer, assistant, model,

clients, video operator, makeup artist

Flare can flatten the contrast and make the image

harder to view.

If flare is to work, you must identify the point at which it adds to the shot but does not wash out the color. To do so, place the subject between you and the flaring source and let a little light peek around the subject. If need be, power up the main light, choose a smaller aperture, and power your flare light down to minimize the light burst.

Here, a panel with an open head at P1 was placed to camera right. An acrylic diffuser was set between the product and the panel to soften the light and create the white line on the side of the bottle. Two G20s were angled toward the lens. A bounce card was placed opposite the main light, creating a white line along the length of the bottle. This added a professional touch. A little flare goes a long way. We kept the modeling lights on 1/3 power, fired the strobes, and dragged the shutter, allowing the modeling lights and strobes to mix for a pleasing glow. The shutter speed was 1/125 second; the longer the shutter remains open, the brighter the glow. The water splashes and mist caught the light and enhanced the overall look. The shot works as an advertising image, as it generates an explosion of motion, color, and freshness. There’s a thin line between this approach and the “daylight and tungsten together” technique. To me, the line is crossed when the image takes on a warm tint. To neutralize the color, use your camera’s gray balance feature.

GloWinG liGht

camera: Phase One

lens: 80mm



lights: l1=g20, l2=g20, l3=P1


l3=80%

Who’s on set: photographer, assistant, client

the water splashes and mist caught the light and

enhanced the overall look.

90 On assignment

lighting food can be a chore, but the following tips will help you create a great shot:

• When photographing meats and breads, use an overhead light with a soft amber gel for fill. This will help create the impression that the photograph is being shot in a kitchen or restaurant.

• With grids or spots, highlight the Christmas ham, Thanksgiving turkey, or other hero of the set. You can warm these lights, but don’t go overboard.

• Use ample fill. Dark shadows take away from the visual flavor of food shots.

• Use a soft main light above and in front of the food. Do not warm this light. For the best results, make sure that this light is on its own power pack so you can control the power output.

• Place black cards where needed to create shadows. A dappled light approach can be welcome here.

• Make the set accessible and safe for the food stylist, your client, and you. Otherwise, someone may trip and a disastrous spill could result. Have ample towels and cleaning sup-plies on hand.

• Keep the shot simple, and keep the viewer’s focus on the foods that are most important to

the meal. Avoid overstyling the shot, and get in close to your main subject.

• Use a short depth of field. This will give your image a clear focal point. This technique is flattering to many single plates of food and most drinks, especially when shooting from above the subject.

• Avoid overlighting your subject. A single main light source that produces an overall light plus an accent light that adds a little glimmer to the rear-most items on the set is often all that is needed.

There are several ways to photograph food, but with the tips provided here, you have the house built, and all you need to do is decorate. Don’t be intimidated by your first food shots. Just re-member that you are trying to create beautiful images with a certain “yummy” appeal. By us-ing warm fill lights and a clean main light, you can create the visual atmosphere needed to make your client happy. A scene like the one I encountered when I ar-rived for this shoot is the food photographer’s

liGhtinG FooD 1

use a soft main light above and in front

of the food.

On assignment 91

most complicated scenario. As you can see, many different surface values had to be controlled: there was the skin of the chicken, the texture of the breaded pieces and the potato salad, the greens of the lettuce, and the matte value of the paper bag.

To light the image, I used three lights. (I use as few lights as possible. Each light is a new vari-able, and when you have lots of variables, things are harder to control.) A large reflector at the back-left side of the set created the overall high-

key feeling. To realistically light the front of the products, I used a medium softbox at camera left. On the right side of the set, I added an open head in the P3 position behind a panel. This brought fill light into the set and opened up the shadows. Finally, a bounce card was placed in between the camera and the food to reflect all of the lights back onto the chicken.

camera: Olympus e3

lens: 12–60mm

exposure: 1/125, f/11, isO 100


lights: l1=mD/sBX, l2=lg/reF, l3=P3


Who’s on set: photographer, stylist

Place black cards where needed

to create shadows.

92 On assignment

liGhtinG FooD 2

camera: Olympus e-5

lens: 12–60mm



lights: l1=P3Oh, l2=lg/reF, l3=P1


l3=60%

Who’s on set: photographer, assistant, chef

This image was shot on location in the restau-rant where the food was normally served. I had to take up as little room as possible because the restaurant was serving people during the shoot. This happens a lot. I used the following setup to photograph this dish and various others: I quickly set up a 4x4-foot panel above the table the food was presented on. I placed the strobe head in the P3 position behind a large panel, pointed downward at the

food. I set up a large reflector at the right rear of the set to create the hot lighting on the food and plates. At the front right of the set, I positioned a 4x4-foot panel, with a strobe behind it at P1. I placed a bounce card in between the camera and the food to soften the shadows on the plates.

When photographing drinks, you’re work-ing with two incompatible elements—water and electricity. (The two get along so well, it’s shocking!) You’ll need to protect your equip-ment against spills or splashes. I use plastic bags and sheets for protection, and I tape around the seams with gray duct tape. This may make ac-cessing your power packs more difficult, but you don’t want to get a single drop of water on your equipment. Never do a pour shot alone. Have an assistant pour the beverage while you take the shot. Use tubs to catch and contain the liquid, and keep a few towels on hand to ensure a quick cleanup. Splash shots are fun to photograph, and when done correctly, they make a great addition to your portfolio. Use a fast shutter speed and keep the duration of the flash as brief as you can. The faster the flash reaches its maximum brightness, the better you will freeze the splashing liquid. For this image, I filled the cup with acrylic “ice.” Once my lighting and exposure were on target, I added the product. The cup was sprayed between exposures to cover it with water drop-lets. This made the drink look cool and refresh-ing. I used panels with open heads at P1 on ei-ther side of the set. This made it seem that two large lights were illuminating the cup. I used a

G10 on a boom stand aimed at the top of the drink (the focal point of the shot). I clipped out the drink in Photoshop and generated the blue-and-white background on its own layer. Finally, I used custom Photoshop brushes to add extra splashes to give the image the feeling of liquid movement.

liGhtinG DRinkS

camera: Olympus e-5

lens: 12–60mm



lights: l1=P1, l2=g10, l3=P1


l3=80%

Who’s on set: photographer, assistant (and

a mop!)

On assignment 93

94 On assignment

As you look at a room, remember that while you are lighting an object that has depth, you will be producing a two-dimensional likeness of your subject. For the best results, look at every angle as if it were in a painting. The shadows are the darker palette, showing the depth and the size of the objects in the scene. The highlights are the image’s features, the objects of beauty and im-portance, the “why” of the image. Though the interior shots in this book were made in rectangular rooms, remember that you will need to create images in interiors of a wide variety of sizes and shapes. Also, note that the lighting in a room changes as the sun moves across the sky. Therefore, the approaches pro-vided here should serve only as examples; your working space may require a different strategy. The easiest way to light a room is to bounce your lights directly onto the ceiling. This creates soft, diffuse lighting, which is usually comple-mentary to the colors in the room. Also, it creates a natural-looking light source. Once you deter-mine how many lights to bounce from the ceiling

and where to place them, you can add fill lights to bring out the texture in the shadow areas. When lighting a room, be sure there is just one set of shadows projected from the objects in the room. Multiple shadows are a sure sign that artificial light was added to the scene. Remem-ber, you want the effect to appear natural.

It seems that not long ago, you needed a large crew and several lights to shoot an interior. Back then, I used a 4x5 camera; it was great for taking care of the warps and twists in the rooms from the lens distortions. These days, it’s all digital, and I can get away with fewer lights. Lugging a 4x5 and a ton of gear around is a thing of the past. You just need a lighting kit and a little Pho-toshop know-how to make your images sing.

liGhtinG RoomS 1

the easiest way to light a room is to bounce your

lights right into the ceiling.

On assignment 95

Creating this image took a lot of time, plan-ning, patience, and multiple tries. In the end, though, it’s a perfect example of using only avail-able light to create a great image. The image had to show the lighting inside and outside of the room. When the interior lights were on, there was a glare on the windows that obscured the view. Therefore, I needed to cre-ate two exposures—one for the interior (I used a tungsten white balance) and one for the exterior (I used a fluorescent white balance and shot with the interior lights off). I wanted a panorama, so I had to take five shots of the interior and five shots of the exterior, with the intention of creating two separate sets of five images each, which would be stitched together in Photoshop. I took both exposures—one interior and one exterior—prior to rotating the camera for the next image in the panoramic series. (Yes, I had to start over a few times.) Once I felt I had effective-ly captured both scenes, I exported my shots and stitched them together in Photoshop. I placed the two separate exposures on top of each other in Layers. The darker “night” exposure was the bottom layer. I erased the areas within the lighter exposure to remove the windows, allowing for

the night-time windows to be visible. This cre-ated the illusion that all parts of the image were perfectly exposed in a single capture. In Photoshop, I retouched out all cords, ca-bles, and plugs and corrected discolorations. Fi-nally, I added the two closest pillows. Nope, they weren’t really on the set!

camera: Olympus e-5

lens: 12–60mm

exposure: 5 sec. and 2 sec., f/22, isO 100

White balance: tungsten, fluorescent

lights: available

power settings: n/a

Who’s on set: photographer

96 On assignment

This was a great-looking room, and I had amaz-ing camera angle access—but I had to make this bathroom look like a place where you would want to spend a lot of time—a luxurious getaway in your hotel room—and I did. Just one light was used for this shot. A DynaLite flash head was positioned up high and bounced off the ceiling into the bathroom. This

light added fill where the ceiling lights fell off. To create the final photograph, I merged three im-ages using Photoshop’s HDR image merge tool. The first exposure was for the highlights in the room, the second was for the midtones, and the third was for the shadows. Once the images were merged, I enhanced a few of the key colors using Photoshop’s selective color palette feature. I brought out the warmth in the overall shot and made sure that the cool areas stayed cool in color.

liGhtinG RoomS 2

camera: Olympus e-5

lens: 12–60mm


White balance: tungsten

lights: l1=OPn (modeling light)



On assignment 97

Scientific product lighting is tricky but rewarding. Your challenging subjects may vary from glass products, to laser beams, to the smallest micro-processor you’ve ever seen. You’ll want to create images that look clean and modern. One way to do this is to use extreme white light around the main subject while enhancing the background ar-eas with gelled lights, creating arcs with grids and spots, or using both techniques at once. Try to use minimal light to get the shot. Of-ten, you can bounce light off the wall to diffuse it; this saves you the time of setting up a soft-box. If you want the scene to look like the light is coming from overhead, add an amber gel to the light and bounce it into the ceiling. When working at a scientific campus, you’ll want to have an array of lenses for shooting ev-erything from whole rooms to extreme close-ups. Many labs have tight working spaces that are hard to photograph; consider wider lenses for these shots. Also, consider using a longer lens to isolate the subject from a distracting background. It may help to have an assistant you know and trust on hand to help you move your equipment. By the time you have photographed everything from the labs to the CEO, you will be tired. Without an assistant, you may be exhausted and still not have the project complete. Many scientific products are highly reflective. Here, we chose a camera angle that reduced re-

flection and ensured the correct framing. I want-ed to keep the composition simple to produce a high-tech feel in the image. Here are some final tips:

• Investigate lighting challenges before the shoot.

• Find out what you can and can’t touch. • Bring cleansers and paper towels.• Some scientists aren’t as photogenic as hired

models, but good lighting can make anyone look appealing.

ScientiFic liGht

camera: Phase One

lens: 80mm



lights: l1=P1


Who’s on set: photographer, clients

98 On assignment

When photographing a patient and caretaker, you must light the image in a way that conveys a feeling of trust and serenity. Sure, the models in the photo will project these feelings, but it is up to you to enhance them. Advertising medi-cal procedures is only successful when the patient appears comfortable with the caretakers. Using neutral to warm colors can have a calmer, warm-ing effect. Some medical shots require a clean, cool look. When you know how the final image will be used, you can determine the feel that the photo needs to convey.

In the sterile environment of a hospital or care facility, it can be difficult to create interesting shots. I suggest that you close in on the subject; many of the procedures done in these facilities are interesting up close. When photographing an entire room, see if there are plants or warm col-ors available to include in the shot; this gives the viewer something less medical to view. Don’t be afraid of a model who has a health condition—they want to be treated like everyone else. Too much sympathy can make the model feel weak or self-conscious and ruin the shoot.

meDical liGht

camera: Phase One

lens: 80mm



lights: l1=P1, l2=g20, l3=OPn, l4=g20,

l5=P1


l3=50%, l4=80%, l5=100%


client, models, staff, stylist

On assignment 99

When shooting with patients in a care facility, use common sense and be courteous. Be sure to work quickly, as many models with health condi-tions tire easily. Plus, you never know when an emergency will arise, leaving you and your equip-ment sprawled about and in the way. Always keep your equipment close by and accounted for, and make sure that there are no cables where some-one can trip over them. Finally, when taking the photo, prepare everyone for the flash. If possible, set the flash off a few times so the subject knows what to expect. You do not want to scare anyone who has health problems.

When working in a patient-care setting, you must control the flow of the shoot. Otherwise, you and your team can lose focus. When on lo-cation in a hospital, maintaining control can be more difficult than usual. This is due to the seri-ous nature of everything around you. It becomes harder to joke around and have fun, as you would under lighter circumstances. One of the main problems you will run into when lighting in hospitals is that the rooms are designed for privacy, not photography. The ceil-ings are not very high, and there are often no angles for you to sneak lights in. Many times, you will need to light the room from the front only. This means no back lights, no spots from the side, and no lights from overhead. Art directors think because we have digital cameras, we can do anything. Well, what do you know? They’re right.

Here are some tips for working safely and effectively:

• Tape down cords with bright safety tape.• Use an assistant you know and trust. • Be prepared to see something that may make

you uncomfortable.

For this shoot, we had to work quickly. We were in an emergency room and had five lights to set up, so it was all hands on deck. First, I set up two 4x4-foot panels with open heads in the P1 posi-tion. This lit the room up nicely. Next, I wanted to highlight the patients’ faces by aiming G20 grids directly at them. Finally, to create a little separation, I aimed an open head at the floor in the back-left corner of the room. I used Photo-shop’s photo filters to add an overall blue cast.

keyS to SUcceSSFUl liGhtinG• When lighting an exam room, bounce

your main light into the ceiling. this gives the feeling of general overhead light.

• to make something seem modern or high-tech, place blue, green, or pink gels on your lights. avoid using red gels when photographing medical equipment.

• Keep medical scenes clutter-free.• enhance the color and mood of the im-

age in Photoshop for maximum image impact.

in hospitals, the rooms are designed for privacy,

not photography.

When shooting the exterior of an automobile, you must use bigger light sources to illuminate the large areas involved. Auto exteriors are sleek and smooth and feature both large and small curves. The light that you cast will wrap around these curves or quickly get stuck in them and cause unwanted reflections. This job will require you to constantly finesse the light sources in play as you produce the reflections you want and eliminate those you don’t.

liGhtinG aUto eXteRioRS

camera: mamiya 645 aF Phase One back

lens: 80mm



lights: l1=OPn P1, l2=OPn P2, l3=3x4sBX,

l4=g20, l5=g30, l6=g20, l70=3x4sBX,

l8=OPn P1, l9=OPn P1

power settings: l1 and l2=100%, l3=75%,

l4=80%, l5=75%, l8=100%, l9=100%


vehicle owner

armor allwindow cleanerleather cleanerpaper towelsvacuum cleanermuseum puttybounce cards of all sizessmall mirrorsbucket

wash ragstoothbrushPlay-Dohlighting gridslens clothcotton glovesboom standsassistanta flexible spine

toolS FoR aUto ShootS

Sometimes it is best to use old-school, surefire techniques when taking portraits. For this partic-ular session, I took a three-light approach—one light for the face, a second for the fill, and a third for hair or rim light to increase the glow around the edges of the subject. This setup (shown in detail in the diagram be-low) allowed me to light the subject as I needed. It also allowed me to create shadow-free continu-ous lighting on the green screen backdrop. This is a critical approach, as the background must be a continuous tone to be removed from the pro-cessed digital file. In postproduction, I went to work to ensure that the musician would appear highly polished in the final photo. I used Portrait Professional to remove blemishes, even out the skin tone, and get a great overall clean retouching effect. Once the retouching of the face and skin was complete, I opened the file in Photoshop and re-moved the green screen background, replacing it with the ominous background you see in the final image.

Finally, I increased the contrast and the color saturation in the image. I pushed right to the very edge of the color gamut. My final portrait has an “Old Hollywood meets new technology” feel. The lighting is classically done, but with the intense color, this portrait appears a little bit surreal.

tRiliGht

camera: Olympus e5

lens: 120mm



lights: l1=sBX/thin, l2=g30, l3=sBX/med


Who’s on set: photographer and model

102 On assignment

When you’re lighting large (10x10 feet or more), complex sets, you must consider the safety of those working around you. Large sets can and do create a maze of cables strewn across the floor, which may trip someone. Try to position your power packs in a safe place but within reach from the camera station. If that isn’t possible, get the help of an assistant who knows how to use them well and can take commands from you. Do not yell directives at your assistant; if the pow-er packs are far away, use a two-way radio for communication.

When lighting large sets, I recommend the use of a 4x8-foot panel, mounted overhead and banked at a 45-degree angle. Depending on the shot, this light can serve as the main light or a very flattering fill light. The next light to throw in is the side light; this unit should be on an in-dependent power pack for optimal control. In-stead of using a panel as a side light, aim the light through a 4x4-foot piece of frosted white acrylic. This will greatly reduce the likelihood of glare on the set. With the main light and side light in place, you are free to use strobes with honey-comb grids, mirrors, and bounce cards to add fill in the areas of the set that are begging for more light. With a streamlined setup like this one, the art director has little to stumble over and knock

down. The setup also allows for control over the main light and fill light, and you can easily alternate between the two. By illuminating the shot with a pleasing overall light, you have built a foundation. You can, of course, enhance the im-age by adding light to suit the given product and composition, but in most cases, you’ll want to add highlights and shadows that help to create separation between the subject and background. We faced a number of obstacles when shoot-ing this image: the texture of the carpet was eas-ily lost in the exposure; the TV screen was a big, white reflector that needed to be at the correct angle to the camera; the speakers were black with copper insets (another exposure challenge!); and finally, we were working on location. Arghhh! When you’re faced with obstacles like these, be sure to let the client know that there are certain challenges that come into play when working on a large set—but keep the extent of those prob-lems to yourself. This can help your client relax as you work through the challenges and come up with a perfect exposure. In this case, that meant employing six lights. We’d started out with eight

laRGe SetS

camera: Phase One

lens: 80mm

exposure: 1/60 second, aperture f/22, isO 100


lights: l1=P2, l2=P4, l3=g30, l4=lg/reF,

l5=g30, l6=P2, l7=P4

power settings: l1 and l2=60%, l3=80%,

l4=100%, l5=80%, l6 and l7=60%


client

let the client know that there are certain challenges that

come into play on a large set.

On assignment 103

lights but soon realized that two lights were cre-ating cross shadows that were doing more harm than good. (Remember, too many lights means too many variables!)

Always stay on top of the project and consider every nuance of the set. In large sets, you’ll often be presented with a variety of faces, textures, and reflections. Remember that there is great money in high-end photography, and larger sets usually mean larger checks. Pull out all of the stops. Take the time to look at some test shots. If you find yourself in a bind, simply take your exposure one light at a time, and don’t panic. This approach may not be very scientific, but it’s effective.

You’ve probably noticed that many of the im-ages in this book were tweaked in Photoshop. My goal in sharing this particular image is to show how good a RAW image can look without a lot of postproduction work. For this image, the wall behind the TV was cleaned up, and the blue in the TV screens was added in.

always stay on top of the project and consider every

nuance of the set.

104 On assignment

So your career is starting to boom. You are now getting calls to light entire scenes outside with models, props, makeup artists, assistants, and houses. You look at the budget and realize that you are running a project that has a burn rate of $1200 per hour. That is when you come to understand that lighting on location is the hard-est but most rewarding thing a photographer can do. Having your clients ask you to work outside of your studio is a show of trust in your photo-graphic abilities, so don’t let them down.

Shooting on location is simplified when you use a checklist. Your list should include direc-tions to the location, the phone numbers for ev-eryone involved in the shoot, and all the equip-ment needed to complete the project. Forgetting a major piece of equipment can cause you a great deal of stress; if you’ve ever had this experience, you probably already have a list. Once you have arrived at the location, find the electrical outlets you need, examine the scene for lighting challenges, and then bring in the required equipment. Leave whatever you don’t need for lighting the scene nearby but out of the way. It is always helpful to establish a designated storage area so that you and your assistant know where to find things. Also, try to make yourself comfortable before you start shooting. My philosophy is to take over

the premises. Remember that you are welcome on the set and the client wants you to make the best-possible photographs. For a day, you are a little bit like a celebrity, so enjoy that privilege. This is the time to pull out the time-saving techniques you have been developing. Bounce light off of walls and light the main subject with a grid. Use simple fill sources. Consider lighting your outdoor subject with one light in an um-brella. When lighting location scenes, try to keep your lights to a minimum. When you over-light a scene, you create a hazardous working environ-ment for everyone. If you are not using a light, have your assistant put it away. Here are some other general guidelines for location work:

• Be prepared for the unexpected.• Bring snacks and drinks for everyone working

on the shoot.• Learn the names of everyone on the set

before the shoot.• On dark and cloudy days, use a longer expo-

sure for a sunny appearance.• Work quickly.

liGhtinG on location

camera: Phase One

lens: 80mm



lights: l1=P1, l2=lg/reF, l3=P1, l4=sun


l3=100%, l4=100%


models, client, stylist

shooting on location is simplified when you

use a checklist.

On assignment 105

This image was just one of several that had to be created throughout the course of a three-day shoot. The budget for this project was about $30,000. Needless to say, we had to get it right—fast. The truck and the house were lit

mostly by the sun. The model in the front of the image was lit by two panels; behind each one was an open head in the P1 position. A bounce card positioned between the camera and the model reflected light from the sun and the other light units back onto the model. A flash head with a

large reflector was used to light the box on the truck evenly.

a flash head with a large reflector was used to light

the box on the truck evenly.

This shot was used to promote my client’s new designer bag to a young, trendy customer base. The budget was small, but the client wanted big results. I proposed an image of a woman holding the bag, with the company’s logo tattooed on her arm. From there, the concept evolved.

For complete control over the final image, each element was shot separately or generated

using a 3-D program. Each component was con-tained on its own Photoshop layer. (Note: The lighting for each component had to be the same so that they would fit together believably. I used a 4x4-foot panel with an open head at P1. A bounce card was placed between the camera and subject, and angled upward at the bag.) Here is the process:

• The first layer contained the model’s face. • For perspective control, I added the shoulder

in as its own layer. The shoulder was from an image of another model.

• I combined the face and shoulder to create a single image. I designed the hair using Poser,

ShootinG FoR photoShop

each element was shot separately or generated using a 3-D program.

On assignment 107

a 3-D character creation program. The hair was broken into two layers: the front part of the hair and the hair behind the face.

• The shadows on the model’s face were painted on in a layer directly above the original layer. I used the paintbrush tool, adjusted the layer opacity, then added a slight Gaussian blur.

• Next, I brought in a clipped-out photo of the handbag and the model’s arm. I added the background image (a stock photo from my collection). The arm was rotated to get this exact composition. The lighting on the model’s hand and the handbag matched the lighting on her face precisely.

• I darkened the background for better separation. • I added the water droplets that appear to be

on the window. The model now appears to be indoors on a rainy day.

• Using the company’s logo, I created a vec-tor smart image, then rotated it into place. I lowered the layer opacity and chose the Multi-ply mode. I added the curlicue design with a custom brush.

• Lastly, I used a custom brush to add the cracks in the window. This layer was placed behind the rain layer.

In the final image, you see a black-haired model with a V tattoo holding the company’s handbag in front of a shattered window on a rainy night in the city. I’ve walked you through the steps, so you know how the elements of the shot were ma-nipulated and brought together, but most people see only the final result and are drawn in.

camera: Olympus e-5

lens: 12–60mm



lights: l1=P1


Who’s on set: photographer, model

108 On assignment

Most things we see in the course of our lives are lit by an overhead light source—be it the sun, lights in a store, or the lights in our homes. Therefore, it follows that using overhead light helps viewers feel comfortable with the light in our images. For this reason, overhead lighting is commonplace in many photographic scenarios.

In commercial photography, you must create an enticing depiction of the product. The vision you present must hold up off of the set. To rep-resent the product in as realistic a way as pos-sible, use overhead light, then use bounce cards and spotlights as needed. Unless your product is shot in a realistic manner, you risk creating a dis-crepancy between the way viewers perceive your ad and the way that the product appears in real life—and this can make consumers feel let down or suspicious about the claims that are made in the advertisement. Lighting subjects from above also helps create a sense of gravity in the sterile space of the studio set. People use their sense of sight to analyze col-or, shape, depth, and weight. By creating down-ward shadows on the product, you help viewers gauge the girth of the subject. You can exagger-ate girth by creating stronger shadows (many consumers determine the quality of a product by its weight); conversely, you can make the subject appear smaller by reducing or eliminating shad-

ows. The way the product’s size is depicted is, of course, up to you and your client. You should fine-tune your lighting skills by fa-miliarizing yourself with the way overhead light shines on subjects through scrims and softboxes. Simply placing a light over your subject does not always create a pleasing effect. You need to fill in shadow areas with reflected light. A word of warning: Do not overfill the shadows. They help create a feeling of depth. There are many things to consider when light-ing subjects. How will the photo be used? Does the art director want to clip the subject out from the background in Photoshop? What size image will be printed? What material is the subject made of? What will the background be? What camera angle will be used? Once you have answered the above questions, you are free to light the subject. The lighting diagram and the paragraphs that follow describe the simplest way to light any sub-ject—whether people or products. These tech-niques allow you to work quickly and efficiently, and the approach is the basis for more compli-cated techniques. For this technique to work, you must position the subject in the center of the set. Departing from the subject or lighting placement shown

oveRheaD liGht 1

camera: Phase One

lens: 80mm



lights: lg/reF



lighting subjects from above helps create a

sense of gravity.

On assignment 109

in the diagram can negatively impact your im-age. Also, for the best results, avoid over-lighting your subject. Here are some additional tips:

• Simple lighting is not always easy lighting.• Overhead lighting is far from the end-all and

be-all fix. Some subjects need more light from the front than they do from overhead. This can be hard to determine at times.

• Try to convey the feeling of three dimensions by controlling your shadows.

• Although using overhead light allows you to emulate the light that illuminates most of the things we see in our daily lives, realize that overhead light need not be harsh like the sun.

• When photographing people, bring the overhead light in from above and in front of the model and point the light directly at the subject’s face.

• Leave room above the model; this helps models feel less claustrophobic.

• Keep the set safe.

This photo is the perfect example of how one light placed overhead can create a stunning and dramatic image. The setup for this shot was sim-ple: a large reflector on a boom was placed above the subject, and a large bounce card was placed on the floor to add fill at the bottom of the image. This image works because the light is simple and dramatic. The subject is animated, and the light creates a mood that suits his actions. This shot would not be nearly as interesting if it were all lit up. The overhead light helps create a dra-matic feel, but there is a real-world feel since the light is coming from above the subject.

this image works because the light is

simple and dramatic.

This portrait was made for a professional model’s portfolio. She wanted the images all models have plus a few that were more personal. I came up with the idea of posing her in a contemplative prayer-like pose holding a candle. The money in photographing models isn’t great, but doing some shoots will help you build your portfolio. For this image, a strobe with a 20-degree grid was mounted on a boom stand and positioned above the model. This served as the main light. (A gridded overhead light creates a nice effect for portraits.) A strobe with a 30-degree grid was aimed at the background directly behind the model and close to the floor to provide separa-tion. A bottom bounce was used to fill in the shadow areas of the model’s face and bring out detail in the darker tones. The candle was cap-tured in a separate exposure and brought into the shot via Photoshop.

When photographing a model as opposed to a product, a new rule comes into play: you must ensure your subject’s safety. Because our over-head lighting assembly weighed 75 pounds, we double checked our tension settings and added weights at the base of the stand. The creative aspects of your shot can have as big an impact on viewers as the technical el-ements. Here, the hair, makeup, and clothing were selected to work specifically with this mod-el. As you can see, her clothing is a bit unusual. It’s okay to go crazy with an outfit every once in a while. Making creative images is what it’s all about. Tip: When photographing models wearing this much makeup, be sure that the makeup artist has applied enough translucent powder to elimi-nate any glare. Sweat can make the model’s skin glisten, and that can easily ruin the shot.

oveRheaD liGht 2

camera: Olympus e-5

lens: 12–60mm



lights: l1=g20, l2=g30



On assignment 111

Sometimes, the ambient light will provide the majority of the light you need to photograph a subject. In this scenario, the majority of the light needed to illuminate the flowers came from a window behind the subject. Of course, I took ad-vantage of the existing light by placing the flow-ers in this position in the first place. When you have this much existing light in your shot, it is important to understand where you need to add light—if you need to add light at all. I usually take a test shot from my desired camera angle and review the image to get a feel for what changes need to be made. I can see where the light is dull and lifeless and introduce light to enhance the final exposure.

This photograph was used to sell flowers for Albertson’s in the newspaper and online. The blurred light in the background is naturally com-ing through window blinds. This created the

strong reflection on the table. A light was placed above the flowers and diffused with a large 4x4-foot panel held up by two stands. This light was 1.5 stops brighter than the window light. To fin-ish the shot, I added a bounce card on the front of the set just under the view of the camera. The bounce card evened out the light on the front of the vase and the ribbon. I used Photoshop to cre-ate the blurred effect and to enhance the colors in the final image.

oveRheaD liGht 3

camera: Olympus e-5

lens: 12–60mm



lights: l1=P1Oh, l2=window light


Who’s on set: photographer, assistant, client

the bounce card evened out the light on the front of the

vase and the ribbon.

112 On assignment

Mirrors are a key tool in the creation of a well-lit image. Mirrors offer a lot of control over your lighting (I use them rather than snoots or barn doors when possible)—you can add light to areas that need it without affecting the overall shot—and you can add light without bringing in an-other light and stand to clutter up the set. Small mirrors can be used in tighter spaces, and larger ones can be used on location to open up shadow detail or to backlight a model’s hair. I have worked with photographers who use round makeup mirrors, small square mirrors, and even broken pieces of mirror with gaffer’s tape on the edges. Makeup mirrors with built-in stands work best for me. One side provides a wide reflection; the other side offers a focused reflection—perfect! Different mirrors can produce various effects. This is due to the color of the “silvering” and the type of glass or acrylic that is used. Old mirrors reflect a warm-toned light. Newer mirrors don’t affect the color of the reflected light in the same way. Keep in mind that you can add a gel over the mirror to selectively add a little color without

affecting the overall image. When it’s convinc-ing to the audience or serves a specific purpose, a little color goes a long way. Creating this small set was easy—we had just a few bottles on a white Formica sweep. The camera angle and light made it shine. I used a medium reflector on a stand pointing toward the backdrop to create the light that cuts the back-ground. This light also added a little specular light on the backs of the bottles. I placed an open head behind a 4x4-foot panel on the left side of the set. This light created the overall consisten-cy to the bottles. Makeup mirrors were used to the right and the left of the bottles to catch and increase the light on the set. The backlight re-flected off the mirrors onto the upper portions of the bottles and created amazing reflections on the bottle tops and stems. A mirror reflected light from the diffused source on the left of the set onto the base of the bottles. This created the separation at the front bottom of the bottles.

liGhtinG With miRRoRS

camera: Phase One

lens: 12–60mm



lights: l1=P1, l2=meD/reF



On assignment 113

Creating a small set can be a challenge due to the size of the objects that are to be photographed. You also need to make sure there is enough con-trast between the color and material in the set and the color and materials that the object is made of. You should use a shallow depth of field to make the background quickly fall out of focus, while ensuring that the main subject is sharp. Here’s how it’s done:

• Set your aperture between f/2.8 and f/4.5.• Set your lights to full power.• Place a 3- or 6-stop neutral density filter in

front of the lens. (Take an exposure test to determine which filter works best.)

• Focus on the product. (To increase the focus, open up the aperture and decrease the ND fil-ter strength. To decrease the focus, stop down and increase the ND filter strength.)

For this image, I first determined the camera an-gle. This is important when photographing small

objects because you will not be able to light the subject until you know just where the subject is in the camera. I decided that shooting from above and in front of the necklaces was the best view and the easiest way to get my camera onto the set. A 3x4-foot softbox with two diffusion panels was placed over the set. This softbox cast diffused light through a piece of frosted acrylic; this pro-duced the soft feeling in the image. For a little directional light, I used a G30 on a strobe shin-ing into the set from the back left. This light was directed through frosted acrylic. I surrounded the set with bounce cards and white paper. In Photoshop, I blurred the flowers to create a feeling of softness. I also added a green tint to the photo, which was originally neutral. The color took the shot from okay to great. Using Photo-shop isn’t cheating. It’s simply another tool that photographers can use to intensify their images. Here are some tips for a great small-subject shot: • Use dental wax to prop up small pieces of

jewelry. • Allow enough open space for your hands to fit

into the set. • Always wear gloves to avoid fingerprints.

Small itemS anD JeWelRy

camera: Olympus e-5

lens: 12–60mm



lights: l1=g30 through acrylic panel



114 On assignment

The sun slowly moves across the sky, so the light on your set is always changing. Once you have set up your sunlit scene, you must work quickly. Decide what kind of light you want in your shot, block the sunlight you don’t need, and bounce

in the sunlight you need. You can use fill flash to soften or fill in the shadow areas. If you want to backlight a model’s hair, have her stand with the sun behind her and use a bounce card to add light on her face and the front of her body. (Soften the light with a scrim to keep her from squinting.) Don’t let the sun-light strike your lens! You can also use a mirror to catch the light behind the model and direct it toward her hair. This allows for more flexibility in positioning your model. At midday in direct sun, avoid using snow, white sand, concrete, still water, or mirrored build-ings as a background. These surfaces can create exposure problems. To defend against this prob-lem, use portable strobes to light the subject, choose camera angles that reduce glare, or wait until the sun is in a more desirable position. For this image, my assistant stood at the side of the pool, making waves so that the water did not appear flat. With the water rippling, it was easy to control the reflection, color, and highlights. The sun was behind the model, creating a highlight around her body and on her hair. A 4x4-foot dif-fusion panel was placed at the front right of the set. I used a flash head at full power to balance the sunlight. A large bounce card on the model’s left caught the sunlight and light from the panel.

SUnliGht

camera: Phase One

lens: 80mm



lights: l1=P1, l2=sun


Who’s on set: photographer, assistant, client,

model, stylist

On assignment 115

Sure, you can use a bright blast of flash in a dark room to create an image, but the odds of the im-age looking good aren’t in your favor. For out-door work, however, a great set of lights is essen-tial to fill in shadows and get a correct exposure. When the sun is behind your subject, you’ll need to add light to fill in the subject from the front. For best results, find the f-stop that best exposes the natural light, then set your flash for the same exposure or one stop higher. Once you think you have equalized the two exposures, check the results on your camera’s LCD screen (in the shade). Make sure the highlight areas are not blown out (i.e., the RGB values are not over 245); otherwise, you’ll have a hard time convert-ing the image to CMYK for a good print. While this can be considered an advanced technique, it’s worth mastering. The outdoors

provides photographers with a vast array of inter-esting locations, and using this fill technique can help you to make a wide variety of settings viable. Looking at this portrait, you’d never guess that these models were positioned in front of a real sunflower field. The image looks like it was created using a green screen, but it was not. If you look you closely, you can see that sunlight was coming from overhead on the left side of the image. I used an umbrella just to the left of the camera to light his back and her face. I used an-other light with a 40-degree grid and an amber gel to light the back of the female’s hair. The sun was high and behind the clouds. All of these light sources were brought together in one exposure to create an almost surreal, dramatic image.

Fill FlaSh oUtDooRS

camera: Phase One

lens: 80mm



lights: l1=umB, l2=g40, l3=sun



model

116 On assignment

Daylight creates a crisp, cool, natural feel. Tung-sten light can be used to warm your subject. When these light sources are combined, they play off of each other, creating beautiful images. This technique is easy to control and can be effective whenever you want to create an array of shots us-ing a uniform lighting approach. A mixed lighting approach can make unin-teresting objects look more fascinating and feel more realistic. When the light sources are con-trolled, you can use the color variances to guide the viewer’s eye. Color variances coupled with good composition will make for interesting images. For this image, I wanted the viewer’s eye to be drawn into the area under the cabinet, to the product featured in the shot. The daylight pro-

jected onto the scene came from three lights: The first light source was a strobe at the left side of the scene, cast through a 4x4-foot panel. The second source, an open head behind a 4x4-foot panel at P1, was 1.5 stops brighter than the first light. This directional light helped bring out de-tail. A 1/30 second exposure allowed for the third source, a tungsten light under the cabinet, to be-come part of the exposure.

The final light was a G20 grid aimed at the book and on the front of the product. This light removed the yellowing effect from the book and created an unexpected but well-received high-light on the product. This highlight was empha-sized by a small mirror placed behind the model and aimed at the product. The mirror caught the light from the grid and threw it onto the back of the product.

tUnGSten anD DayliGht

camera: Phase One

lens: 80mm



lights: l1=P3, l2=tungsten bulb, l3=g20,

l4=P1

power settings: l1=50%, l2=30%, l3=70%,

l4=100%


model, stylist

When these light sources are combined, they

play off of each other.

When photographing glass, you don’t want a softbox or other lights reflected on the subject. To avoid this, try using white acrylic diffusion material as a modifier. You will also want to en-sure that the camera and photographer are not reflected in the shot. Place black foam core (4x4 feet or larger) between the camera and set, and cut a hole in the center to slide the camera’s lens through. When photographing clear glass, slightly underexpose the shot. (You can use Photoshop’s Levels to finesse the exposure.) If, during the ini-tial exposure, you find that certain areas of the subject are too bright, you can use a gray/black card to reflect darker tones into the bright areas. My goal for this image was to create a feeling of warmth and age. The props—a rope, cork, ci-gar boxes, and money—helped establish mood. Ice was added to the 100-year-old glass to make the drink feel real. To light this image, I used a 3x3-foot piece of frosted acrylic above the set. I cast light through the acrylic down onto the set with an open flash head. I placed a bounce card at the front of the set, just under the camera’s view. It filled the front of the bottle and the canister with light. On either side of the set I had two 3x3-foot bounce cards reflecting the light from overhead onto the side of the glass.

I used my 12–60mm lens to get a close, di-mensional view of the bottle. This allowed me to heighten the interest without adding to the cost of the shot. I used black velvet for the backdrop to ensure that the back was completely black in the final exposure. In Photoshop, I blurred the bottles slightly to achieve the shallow depth of field effect, then darkened the background.

liGhtinG GlaSS

camera: Canon 5D

lens: 12–60mm



lights: l1=P1Oh



As a commercial photographer, you will often be called upon to create multiple images for an ad campaign. Using light to create a series helps photographers to create a sense of continuity. Se-lect one lighting technique for the job and stick with it. Should you find that you need to finesse the approach a bit, keep the main light consistent throughout, and then add extra lights to tweak the exposure as needed. Though the subject may change, the light essentially remains the same, creating a uniform feel from image to image. You want light that is effective and stylish; this is not the time to over-light your scene. Each client’s tastes and needs are different. I urge you to research as much as you can about the product and the company before you make

any decisions about lighting the series. Try to have your client give you examples of what they are looking for. Above all, listen to the client; they may just tell you everything you need to know. Remember, too, that a happy client will re-fer other clients and hire you again and again. As any successful photographer knows, your busi-ness is built one client and one job at a time. An ability to produce a well-designed, effec-tive image series is a sign of a photographer’s ar-tistic maturity. I urge you to spend a great deal of time working to perfect this skill.

• Have at least one series in your portfolio cre-ated with light. This helps photography clients determine your skill level.

mUltiple-imaGe campaiGnS

camera: Olympus e-5

lens: 12–60mm



lights: l1=lrg/reF, l2=g20, l3=P1



talent, stylist, rep

On assignment 119

• Pushing your lighting while creating a series may help you enhance your shooting style.

These images were made for a documentary on the Denver music scene. My goal was to create a body of images that reflected the motion of music and the artistic power of my photographic skills. To ensure that the series would be solid, I chose a few key strategies to create a cohesive feel: First, each image had a unique color back-ground. Second, each person was lit in the ex-act same manner. (Each musician would have a 3x3-foot square on the floor of the set that they were allowed to move around in.) Third was the motion of the musician. My fourth strategy was to use Photoshop to enhance the images. These four approaches helped me to create an amazing series of portraits that I will continue to produce throughout the duration of the project.

For this on-location series, I set up a panel cove and positioned each model within it. This allowed me to control the atmosphere and atti-tude of the musicians while taking their portraits. In many cases, you need to isolate the person be-ing photographed from the environment. In this case, I isolated the musicians from several people who were talking and fifteen or so onlookers and video cameras. Unwelcome distractions can ruin the results of your capture. I used an open-head light on a boom about 8 feet in the air to the left of the set. This light was directed through and over the panel, creat-

ing two types of light on the model at once. On the right of the set, I used an open head behind a panel at P1. This light was powered 1 stop be-low the light on the left and helped to create a natural-looking fill. A third light, an open head behind a panel at P1, created the backlit edges of the musician. Bounce cards were used to fill the darkest area of the musician’s body. In Photoshop, I went to Image>Mode and se-lected the 16 Bits/Channel option. I then added the orange/green background and created the wisps around the person and the guitar or shoes. I enhanced the overall saturation of the color, too.

For this series, i set up a panel cove and positioned

each model within it.

120 On assignment

You see empty product shots everywhere these days. I think it’s about time that this technique is revealed in a “how to” book. Here’s the approach I used to photograph this yellow jacket.

• First, I steamed the product to remove wrinkles.

• I had a model slip into the jacket, then I cap-tured the main shot. This is how I created the unique and unusual shaping.

• I had the model slip the jacket off, then I pho-tographed the inside of the open hood and the inside of the cuffs.

• I clipped out the yellow jacket using vector clipping paths.

• In Photoshop, I removed the face and hands of the model.

• I created a layer for the jacket.• I clipped out the image of the hood, then

clipped out the image of the cuffs.• I placed the hood on a layer just behind the

yellow jacket.• Next, I placed the cuffs on a layer just behind

the yellow jacket.• I used the Transform function to size the

hood and the cuffs and distort them until they appeared to be a natural part of the jacket.

• Once the compositing was complete, I merged the layers.

The background in this image was created in Photoshop. I used a circular gradient with a white-to-blue coloration.

the empty pRoDUct

camera: Olympus e5

lens: 12–60mm



lights: l1=P5, l2=P1Oh, l3=P1, l4=lg/reF


l3=80%, l4=60%


On assignment 121

A silhouette is an image in which the subject or scene is represented as a solid shape of a single color (usually black). The edges of a silhouette match the edges of the subject, but the interior is basically featureless. This black subject is usually juxtaposed against a light or white background—or no background at all. A silhouette is a good option when you need to create an ad with a dra-matic effect but must leave plenty of room for words, type, and logos.

A silhouette is created by first shining light at the camera and then putting the subject between the light and the camera’s lens. With no light fall-ing on the front of the subject, the form is in shadow and is rendered without detail. The silhouette can be a very elegant way to create an image that evokes feeling. In this case, I placed a woman bending backward in between the lights and the camera. This artistic compo-sition was created to promote the light cubes shown behind the model.

Here, I set up sixteen 3x3-foot light cubes. I placed three strobes with large reflectors behind the cubes, aimed at the camera. Once I had the exposure for those lights, I asked the model to come between the light cubes and the camera.

SilhoUetteS

camera: Phase One

lens: 80mm



lights: l1=lg/reF, l2=lg/reF, l3=lg/reF

power settings: l1, l2, and l3=100%


With no light falling on the front of the subject, the form

is in shadow.

For my final lighting example, I’ll show you the approach I used to light the most difficult type of product shot there is—a black object on a black background. The popularity of black-on-black seems to wax and wane. Lately, these shots have been a com-mon request from the electronics industry. For these sessions, it’s my job to present the items as sleek and expensive, and black on black is perfect for that. When you are lighting black-on-black scenes, you must be able to place your lights in myriad locations to produce the desired highlights. I chose a black velvet background because I knew it would not be impacted by the lights unless I wanted it to be. I used a black Formica board for

the foreground. It is a clean, durable surface that does not show scratches or dings. Above the stereo, I placed a frosted 6x4-foot, 1/4-inch thick acrylic panel. I placed an open head on a boom on the left side of the set to create the soft lighting effect on the speakers on the left and the main speakers in the center of the shot. To light the speakers on the right, I used a 3x3-foot piece of frosted acrylic with a G30 light shining through the diffuser at just those two speakers. This light created the warm-toned simple highlight on the right side of the larger speaker. To create separation between the stereo and the background, I aimed a head in a medium reflector at the velvet backdrop and allowed for the slightest light burst to fall onto the set.

Black on Black

camera: Phase One

lens: 80mm



lights: l1=OPn, l2=lg/reF, l3=g30


l3=80%


Final WOrDs 123

lighting photographs should be an enjoyable event for you and your client. You should

never become frustrated when lighting a subject. Some subjects are more difficult to light than you might imagine. If you find yourself in a jam, take a break and think the shot through. Don’t be afraid to discuss the problem with your cli-ent. They won’t think you are stupid. Remem-ber, you’re not a superhero, you’re a professional photographer. Many times, the client will relate to your frustration and help you to work through the adjustments. Just express to them that the technique you have been using doesn’t seem to be doing the trick and you are going to try something new. Once you have mentioned this, your client will likely enjoy the shoot even more. Showing the client the evolution of your lighting approach will never hurt the relationship. I recommend that all photographers study the effects of light on many different surfaces and materials during their downtime. There is no better way to lose a client than to putter around a set trying to produce something when you’re unsure of what your results will be. Practicing without clients around helps you when you come across these materials in the line of duty. Light-ing chrome, glass, black neoprene, and other surfaces common to product photographers can be challenging. Even a paper bag can be difficult to light if you don’t know what you’re doing.

You should also get your portrait techniques down to a science. There will come a time when you have to photograph a person with a large nose, deep inset eyes, glasses, and a bald and shining head—or a group of individuals with a variety of perceived flaws. You don’t want to ask your subject(s) to lean in different directions un-til the light seems correct. Directing people can be the hardest part of a photo shoot. So bring in a few of your friends, have them put on some glasses, and try directing them. Even better, put a pair of glasses on three balloons and try to get a great shot without ugly reflections. Also, never let a portrait subject know you are having a difficult time lighting them. People want to feel special when they are being pho-tographed. When you can comfortably work through the session, you can reassure your cli-ents that they’re doing great and help calm their nerves. As a commercial photographer, it is critical that you practice your approach. It’s your job to understand light and its effects on people and materials. Photography is highly competitive, and each of us needs to be able to light and de-liver great photographs on demand to our cli-ents. Practicing does not mean that you are a bad photographer. On the contrary, a photographer who does not practice could be left behind.

Final WoRDS

124 glOssarY

Acrylic diffuser—Semi-opaque white piece of acrylic placed between the light source and photographic subject to evenly and softly dif-fuse light from the light source.

Backlight—Light source that illuminates the back of the subject and points toward the camera. This type of lighting often causes the front of the subject to appear in shadow, and its use may result in underexposure. The edges of the subject lit in this manner may appear to glow; this effect is commonly referred to as rim lighting.

Black card—Device used to block light from hitting the set or subject.

Boom—An adjustable pole-like arm used to hold lights or lighting accessories.

Bounce card—A white card used to bounce light into the set from another light source.

Bounce light—Light that does not travel directly from the source but reflects off of something before hitting the subject.

Bright spot—The brightest highlight in an image.Camera stand—A device with a cross arm

designed to hold cameras of all sizes in the studio. This stand usually has a locking wheel base and measurements that allow the pho-tographer to calculate the camera position.

Color temperature—Description of the color quality light, measured in degrees Kelvin (e.g., 5500K).

Cookie—A device placed in front of a spotlight to create a pattern of light on a set or subject.

Dappled light—Atmospheric lighting that adds form and shape to the image. Dappled light is often produced by a cookie.

Daylight—Light from the sun or a strobe that measures 5500–6500K.

Falloff—Loss of illumination toward the edges of a scene, due to the use of a light source that does not cover the entirety of the set or view.

Fill light—A secondary light used to fill in the shadows created by a main light. Usually has a lower luminosity than the main light.

Flare—Flare is the non–image forming light that is recorded by the camera. It can be caused by light that is directly hitting the lens or bouncing off a surface into the lens and can result in characteristic shapes and lines in the image.

Flash—These lights are the tool of choice for most studio photographers. They run cool, are portable, and pair easily with the camera’s daylight white balance setting or daylight-balanced film. The term also refers to the bright burst of light produced by flash units.

Gel—Plastic sheets placed in front of lights or on a bounce card to alter the color of light on the set or subject.

GloSSaRy

glOssarY 125

Gobo—A device used to block light from hit-ting the set or subject.

Hair light—A light placed over the subject to show detail in the hair.

Highlight—The bright, shadowless areas that result when a light hits the subject or set.

Honeycomb grid—A modifier that typically fits inside the reflector dish and forces the light to travel in a straight line. The most popular types are the 10-, 20-, 30-, and 40-degree grids, but some manufacturers offer an ultra-precise 5-degree honeycomb grid.

Lighting schematic—A drawing of the light-ing setup used to communicate the lighting strategy with other photographers or clients.

Light pack—The power source that controls studio strobes. Also called a power pack.

Light panel—A large white translucent fabric panel with a steel frame used to diffuse light.

Light ratio—The difference in the intensity of the shadow versus the highlights in the image.

Main light—The most powerful luminous source lighting the set.

Overhead light—Light source that originates from above the subject or set.

Power pack—The source that powers strobes. A power pack may be connected directly or indirectly to your flash units.

Scrim—A panel made of translucent material that disperses the light cast through it.

Secondary light—The second most powerful luminous light source used on the set.

Set—Any space that is in the camera view when taking a photo.

Shadow—An area of the scene or subject that is not illuminated directly by the light source. Such areas of the composition are darker than areas that receive light.

Side light—A light that is positioned to the side of a subject or set. This light has a dra-matic quality and can be useful when creating a sense of dimensionality in the image.

Snoot—A long tube attached to a light source to produce a narrow beam of illumination.

Softbox—A fabric housing for the light source that produces a soft, diffuse quality of light.

Studio stand—A heavy-duty stand (often wheeled) that holds lights, clamps, bounce cards, or black cards.

Sync cord—A connection between the camera and the flash unit that allows the flash to fire at the precise moment when the shutter is fully open so that the full effect of the flash burst is recorded.

Tabletop set—A set that includes a flat, el-evated surface upon which small objects and products are typically photographed.

Tripod—A three-legged stand designed to hold a camera. Its use can prevent the image-blur-ring camera shake that can result with longer shutter speeds when hand-holding a camera.

Tungsten—Light measured at 2500–3500K produced by an incandescent light source.

Umbrellas—An umbrella-shaped modifier that is clipped or mounted onto a light to diffuse and soften the light falling onto a subject or set. These modifiers are available with a silver lining for cooler light, gold for warmer tones, or a white interior, which creates a higher level of diffusion but does not impact the color of the light produced.

Wraparound lighting—A soft light produced by an umbrella or other modifier that hits both sides of the subject. This type of light-ing produces a low lighting ratio and well-illuminated, open highlight areas.

126 inDeX

aAccent lights, 90Adobe Photoshop, 6, 72, 75, 77, 79, 84, 87, 88, 93, 94, 95, 96, 99, 103, 106–7, 110, 111, 113, 117, 119, 120Ambient light, 76, 95, 111Atmospheric lighting, 80Aperture, 16, 17, 113; see also depth of fieldAssistants, 97, 99Autos, 100

BBackgrounds, 28, 29, 30, 31, 70, 112Backlighting, 14, 112, 114, 124Bare bulb, 14Barndoors, 21–22, 112Batteries, 126Black & white, 73Black cards, 10, 15, 25, 30, 47, 88, 90, 91, 118, 124Black foil, 78Black on black, 122Booms, 14, 24, 30, 43, 72, 74, 81, 93, 100, 104, 109, 110, 119, 122, 124Bounce cards, 25, 117, 124; see also Bounce lightBounce light, 94, 96, 97, 99, 104, 124Bright spot, 14, 124Budget, 6, 31, 104

cCable release, 17Camera angle, 86–87, 96, 97Camera selection, 20Camera shake, 17Clamps, 22, 28, 81Clients, 28–29Color casts, 23, 88, 89, 95, 99, 113, 116Color rendition, 15, 88, 89Color temperature, 13, 124Computers, 24Contrast, 18, 88, 113Cookies, 23, 25, 78, 124Corporate portraits, 86–87Coves, 30, 119Cropping, 79

DDappled light, 80–81, 124Daylight, 116, 124Dental wax, 113Depth of field, 16, 79, 90, 113, 117Diffusers, see PanelsDimension, 14, 33–41, 88, 94, 109, 117, 125Direction of light, 13Direct sunlight, 21Distance, light-to-subject, 15Dragging the shutter, 89Dramatic light, 78Drinks, 93

eEdgy portraits, 74

Empty product, 120Equipment, 20–25Exposure, 15–18, 105, 117, 120

FFalloff, 76, 96, 124Fashion lighting, 14, 85Fill light, 21, 76, 78, 90, 94, 114, 115, 119, 124Film, 75Fingerprints, 113Flare, 57, 84, 88, 89Flash, 11, 20–21, 115, 124Fluorescent lights, 11, 13Foam core, 30, 88, 117Food, 90–91, 92Foregrounds, 70Front lighting, 14, 57, 84

GGels, 78, 87, 90, 97, 99, 112, 115, 124Glass, 31, 117Glowing light, 89Gobos, 10, 15, 25, 30, 47, 88, 90, 91, 117, 118, 124Golden hour, 10–11Green screen, 101Grids, 22, 42–48, 84, 104, 115, 124

hHair lights, 77, 84, 112, 114, 125Hard light, 14–15

inDeX

inDeX 127

High-key lighting, 91Highlights, 6, 14, 15, 21, 115, 116, 122Histograms, 18HMI lights, 11, 13Honeycomb grids, see Grids

iISO, 16

JJewelry, 113

lLarge sets, 29, 102–3LCD screen, 76Lenses, 24, 117Light meters, 12, 17–18Location, lighting on, 104–5

mMain light, 125Medical light, 98–99Mirrors, 25, 78, 112, 114, 116Mixed lighting, 125Modeling lights, 12, 13, 89Models, 110Motion, 17, 93, 119Multi-image campaigns, 118–19

nNatural light, 9–11, 76–77Neutral-density filter, 113Noise, 16

oOld, making images look, 75Outdoor sessions, 76, 104–5, 114, 115, 116, 124Overhead light, 10, 108–9, 110, 111, 115, 125

pPanoramas, 95Panels, 23–25, 26, 32–41, 102, 113, 114, 117, 125Photoshop, see Adobe PhotoshopPortraits, 49–57, 58–70, 83, 84, 85, 86–87Poser, 106Postproduction, 6, 15, 6, 72, 75, 77, 79, 84, 87, 88, 93, 94, 95, 96, 99, 103, 106–7, 110, 111, 113, 117, 119, 120Power packs, 12, 21, 90, 125Printers, 24

RRadio triggers, 12 Ratio, light, 125Red-eye, 11Reflections, 30, 100, 111Reflectors, 21, 22, 80, 81, 105, 109, 112, 121Reflective products, 31, 97Rim lighting, 14Rooms, lighting, 29–30, 94–95, 96

SScientific light, 97Scrims, see PanelsSecondary lights, 125Separation, 77, 84, 85, 112, 122Sets, 28–31, 102–3, 125Shadows, 6, 14, 15, 75, 78, 94, 125Shutter speed, 16–17, 89, 93Side lighting, 14, 125Silhouettes, 14, 121Size of light source, 15

Snoots, 21, 112, 125Softboxes, 22, 24, 58–70, 125Soft light, 14–15, 94Splash shots, 93Stands, 14, 22, 23, 125Strobes, studio, 13Stylists, 90Sunlight, 114Sync cords, 24, 125

tTabletop sets, 23, 28, 125Toning, 75Triggering devices, 12Trilight, 101Tripods, 17, 125Tungsten lights, 11, 116, 125

UUmbrellas, 23, 49–57, 104, 115, 125Undercarriage light, 14Updating images, 72

vVideo, 13

WWhite balance, 12, 13, 20, 89, 95Window light, 9, 10Workshop tools, 24Wraparound lighting, 83, 125

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