Black & White Dog in the Studio
Studio lighting is an art and a science. Depending on what the photographer is trying to accomplish the right lighting setup for one subject can be completely wrong for another. Example: if you wanted to photograph a painting you would place two lights of equal value at forty five degrees to achieve good copy light. However if you applied this same setup for a portrait it would be boring, it would be copy light, no drama, no interest.
When starting to learn studio lighting I recommend the photographer start by learning how to use one light and supplement it with reflectors to fill shadows. The setup should try to duplicate window lighting. Place a large white nylon panel between the subject and the light; this is called a scrim or light box. If you don’t have nylon try a white sheet thou the bluing used in the fabric may cause a slight color cast. For reflectors you can use white cardboard, aluminum foil or even mirrors.
You may want to use an inanimate subject so you can try different ratios of light (or reflectors) to subject distances, make a bowl of fruit look like a painting before working with a live subject that won’t stay in the same place while you try different setups.
Rule: light falls off at the square of the distance to the subject. When you understand this you are on your way to understanding lighting.
Don’t be concerned about Rembrandt lighting, Frankenstein lighting, hair lighting, rim lighting, or any other techniques or details you may hear about, just get a good understanding how to use a single source light with reflectors. Let your motto be; “We only have one sun”. Someday you may be ready for two or more lights.
A common mistake people often make is placing the subject to close to the backdrop and thus getting a subject shadow on the seamless. Also keeping the backdrop at a distance will keep it out of focus.
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August 26th, 2008 at 7:05 am
James, thank you for doing a critique on my photo by incorporating studio lighting. I agree with everything you mentioned but what if the studio doesn’t allow for your subject to be a good distance away from the backdrop? I turned my bedroom into my studio so space is very limited. I have been trying to do the best I can with what space that I have available. I do understand that it takes time and practice to get the lighting just right. I’ll send you another photo to critique after I have done about 100 different set-ups with the lighting. Thank you for taking the time to give me some great lighting tips.
August 26th, 2008 at 10:02 am
Very cute dog portrait shot! I like the choice of the backdrop. The photographer received somehow the dog’s attention, probably by a high sound so that the dog was lifting its ears and tilting its head. Taking photos of pets requires a lot of patience. Very good job with the dog!
August 26th, 2008 at 11:20 am
Thank you Henrik for the wonderful comment. You are so right about patience. I might take over 100 shoots and only end up 4 that are really good. Believe it or not, food was what kept this guys attention. I just love the food motivated dog. LOL!