Studio Lighting and Portraiture Research

Types of light:

Ambient light- Ambient light means the light that is already present in a scene, before any additional lighting is added.

Main light-The main light that illuminates the subject being photographed or filmed. Origin of key light.

Fill light- A supplementary light used in photography or filming that does not change the character of the main light and is used chiefly to lighten shadows.

Diffused light- Overcast (diffused) lighting is preferred by many photographers, as it is a flat and even light.

Ceiling Bounce- The objective is to “bounce” light to soften it before it hits your subject.

Background light- light is placed behind or at right angles to an object, person, or scene to produce such effects as depth or separation of subject and background.

Hair light- Used to light up the hair. A hair light is generally placed behind the model and about 3 feet above the head, with the light angled down and slightly forward to strike the top of the head and shoulders.

Natural light- Light supplied by the sun, as opposed to artificial light from lit bulbs.

What colour daylight is- Blue

What colour tungsten bulbs are- A relatively low temperature emits a dull red and a high temperature emits the almost white of the traditional incandescent light bulb.

What colour flashes mimic- Most flash units emit light which has colour temperature of about 5000k , which is comparable to daylight. Ambient light will therefore have a colour tint if it differs substantially from 5000k since most cameras automatically set their white balance to match the flash (if it’s used).

Candid (subject aware)-