If you have ever wanted to know how to shoot beautiful portraits in a photographic studio then you will not want to overlook these tips.
Recently I did a photo session of a friend in the studio. She wanted a simple portrait for her site. I used a few techniques and tricks to not only pose her well, but light the photo in a pleasing way. Studio portrait techniques are not difficult to become skilled at. They simply need an understanding of how much lighting you must use , and, what direction it is coming from.
Studio light is very simple and can be understood with some practice. It's essential not to rush these things as you achieve an understanding of studio lighting. Studio portrait lighting techniques depend a great deal on how much light hits on the subject.
The majority of studio lighting is fitted with quite a lot of lights including softboxes. Softboxes are pretty straightforward to utilize. They are lights that have a nonstop mode to them, but fire with a wireless trigger. This means that the lights stay on until you connect a wireless remote trigger to them. This little device sits on your camera. Its counterpart attaches at the rear of the light. When you activate the shutter button that light shoots out a burst of light, similar to the direct flash.
This small device sits on your camera. Its counterpart attaches at the rear of the light. When you press the shutter button this light shoots out a burst of light, comparable to the direct flash. The rationale for this is that we want to capture a well lit portrait.
We can't always do this with soft lighting. The light has the softbox clipped on to it so that you can illuminate your portrait well, but still have the powerful light you need. Its the same principle as using a huge diffuser on top of your flash. Its effective lighting for studio portraits. The direction and output of light are two considerations when creating beautiful studio portraits.
The direction and output of light are two things to take into consideration when creating lovely studio portraits. You need precisely the right quantity of light on the subject's face. too much angle and you can create too many dreadful shadows under the nose, chin and darken the eyes. This is not the outcome we want for typical studio portraits.
Next we must look at the angle of light. Typically studio portraiture depends on front on lighting. This is for exactly the same reason as the first example. If you have an individual light to the side of the subject's head you will create deep shadowed areas accross their face. This is most ideal for a dramatic effect but it is not going to work for a relaxed, family studio shot of your friend or family member.
You can light the person from the front with one light or two. If you use two lights they must be placed at like distances on either side of the persons face. For example, you can position one light two meters away from the persons right side of the face. Then, you can position a light at exactly the same distance on the other side. This will give you an even lighting style across their face, removing any shadowed areas completely.
What about the background? You can keep the backdrop simple if you want the main focus to be on the face. On the other hand you can bring in a small amount of studio props. These may be things that the person loves, such as flowers, a push bike and even a lovely old chair. At all times keep the lighting uncomplicated.
Always keep the lighting uncomplicated. Think about what you want to light and position the lights in that spot. I know it sounds a lot simpler than it really is, but with some preparation you will learn the studio in no time.
Recently I did a photo session of a friend in the studio. She wanted a simple portrait for her site. I used a few techniques and tricks to not only pose her well, but light the photo in a pleasing way. Studio portrait techniques are not difficult to become skilled at. They simply need an understanding of how much lighting you must use , and, what direction it is coming from.
Studio light is very simple and can be understood with some practice. It's essential not to rush these things as you achieve an understanding of studio lighting. Studio portrait lighting techniques depend a great deal on how much light hits on the subject.
The majority of studio lighting is fitted with quite a lot of lights including softboxes. Softboxes are pretty straightforward to utilize. They are lights that have a nonstop mode to them, but fire with a wireless trigger. This means that the lights stay on until you connect a wireless remote trigger to them. This little device sits on your camera. Its counterpart attaches at the rear of the light. When you activate the shutter button that light shoots out a burst of light, similar to the direct flash.
This small device sits on your camera. Its counterpart attaches at the rear of the light. When you press the shutter button this light shoots out a burst of light, comparable to the direct flash. The rationale for this is that we want to capture a well lit portrait.
We can't always do this with soft lighting. The light has the softbox clipped on to it so that you can illuminate your portrait well, but still have the powerful light you need. Its the same principle as using a huge diffuser on top of your flash. Its effective lighting for studio portraits. The direction and output of light are two considerations when creating beautiful studio portraits.
The direction and output of light are two things to take into consideration when creating lovely studio portraits. You need precisely the right quantity of light on the subject's face. too much angle and you can create too many dreadful shadows under the nose, chin and darken the eyes. This is not the outcome we want for typical studio portraits.
Next we must look at the angle of light. Typically studio portraiture depends on front on lighting. This is for exactly the same reason as the first example. If you have an individual light to the side of the subject's head you will create deep shadowed areas accross their face. This is most ideal for a dramatic effect but it is not going to work for a relaxed, family studio shot of your friend or family member.
You can light the person from the front with one light or two. If you use two lights they must be placed at like distances on either side of the persons face. For example, you can position one light two meters away from the persons right side of the face. Then, you can position a light at exactly the same distance on the other side. This will give you an even lighting style across their face, removing any shadowed areas completely.
What about the background? You can keep the backdrop simple if you want the main focus to be on the face. On the other hand you can bring in a small amount of studio props. These may be things that the person loves, such as flowers, a push bike and even a lovely old chair. At all times keep the lighting uncomplicated.
Always keep the lighting uncomplicated. Think about what you want to light and position the lights in that spot. I know it sounds a lot simpler than it really is, but with some preparation you will learn the studio in no time.
About the Author:
Amy is a professional photographer who teaches enthusiasts how to take stunning photos quickly and easily. For more the best and most professional information on how to improve photography Sign up for her monthly photography ezine and watch your photography transform.
