Portraiture Photos

Natural Lighting

The first 3 photos I took were taken in the library of the college as there are large windows and the sun was casting down in that direction, so the light source was strongest in this location.

Flat Lighting

Above is an example from using the sun as a light source. Flat lighting is when you have the subject fully illuminated, looking in the same direction as the light source. This is used to highlight all the features in this case.

Side Lighting

Side lighting is similar to Flat lighting, it just involves having the subject facing away from the light source instead so that it hits the side of the subject. This would cast a shadow on the other half, accentuating the creases. typically this wouldn't be used in a fashion shoot, especially when it comes to women, as you wouldn't want to show their wrinkles.

Side Light + Fill Light from a Reflector

With this photo, I began with the subject in the same position as the previous photo and then got an assistant to stand on the darkened side with a reflector to help bounce off the light from the sun on his face to help illuminate it. You can see that I used a gold reflector because you can see the skin tone on the left of his face has a warmer tone.

Key Lighting

Key Lighting

Key Lighting

Key Lighting at a 45° angle from the subject's front view

Above are some examples of key lighting in low lighting.

Key lighting is simply a strong light source that creates a large contrast between light and dark in low lighting and in high lighting situations, it helps to make an upbeat/ethereal ambience within a frame. 

Rim Lighting

Rim Lighting

To achieve this sort of appearance I stood parallel to the light source with the subject standing in between the camera and the lamp. With the light being so intense it makes the side I was standing on look like it was shrouded in darkness. The reason this happens is because the light is basically one straight line and it is being blocked by the subject, however some light is able to seep through around the outline of the subject, or the 'rim', hence, the name Rim lighting.

This creates something like an eclispes effect in the frame and is good for sci-fi themed shoots in this case.

Lens Flare

Lens Flare

Here is an example of a photo with lens flare, now lens flare is those little beams or spheres of light. They are created when light is scattered or reflected within the lens systems. Generally this sort of element is something photographers try to avoid, but depending on what the theme or your own personal aesthetics, this is a good way to add character to the photo by creating a somewhat "ephemeral" sense of impermanence.

As you can see in the photo above, the light source is directly opposite me, key lighting was used in this one, but it doesn't necessarily have to be artificial lighting, personally I think the Sun on a good day is far better at achieving a stronger and more distinct lens flare.

Soft Box Lighting

The light source is coming from the right of the photo. As you can see the other half of her face is still darker but because the light is being more dispersed, you are able to see the higher contours of her face on the left side.

When using a soft box kit, you are basically creating a fill lighting situation. Using fill lighting is mainly used to soften out harsh lines and help add a more naturally softer texture to the subjects. This is done because the bulb is encased by a flared pyramid shaped sheet that is lined with a reflective surface (foil) with the open end being covered by translucent sheet that diffuses the light, which helps to scatter the light further.

Above is a photo that I took with me and the light source being parallel to each other but still further in front of the subject. As you can see contrary to the key lighting situation, the darker side is more highlighted and it flatters more of the subject's features, such as her cheeks and the hollows on the neck.

45° angle from subject's front

Again, unlike the key lighting situation the darker side still has more features emerging from the shadows.

Clam Shell Lighting

Clam Shell lighting is where the light source is parallel to a reflector to make the light bounce back, highlighting as much as possible. Fashion shoots tend to use this technique because it helps to highlight all of the models' features, particularly female models.

Here you can see where the light is in the subject's eyes. The reflection of the soft box above her and the reflector hidden away from the frame.

The light above helped to capture the features from above, and the light that wasn't caught on the subject's features was then reflected back onto them from underneath. The reason why fashion shoots would use this technique is because it creates a slimming effect on them. In this photo I decided to use the golden reflector as I thought it made the subject look more warm and fitted her best instead of the silver reflector.