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Portrait Photography Lighting – Avoiding Shadows on Face. Good lighting is the key to taking good portrait photos.
The primary light source is called the main or key light. There are two important characteristics:
* Direction, which controls the location of shadows and highlights on the subject, and
* Apparent Size, which controls the appearance of these shadows and highlights.
Their combinations can create an amazing array of different subject appearances.
Size of the light source – thisis often known as hard light or soft light:
Harder Light Softer Light
Light Size → Smaller Larger
Shadows/Highlights → Abrupt Gradual
Types of Sunlight → Direct Overcast, Shade
Types of Flash → Direct Bounced, Diffuse
Light source also controls the visibility of tones, fine texture such as pores, blemishes, wrinkles. These are more obvious in hard light. To soften light photographers often use a diffuser or bouncing and reflecting light by placing the subject so they only get bounced or reflected light.
You also need to determine tje proper height to place the lights. You want to light the eyes. if the light is too high and the person has deep-set eyes the brow can cast a shadow. You need the eyes to catch the light.
There are four common portrait lighting patterns, they are:
Split lighting – it splits the face exactly into equal halves with one side being in the light, and the other in shadow
Loop lighting – made by creating a small shadow of the subjects noses on their cheeks.
Rembrandt lighting – the hallmark is the triangle of light on the cheek
Butterfly lighting – named for the butterfly shaped shadow that is created under the nose by placing the main light source above and directly behind the camera.
You can also use lighting to round or slim the face.
Learn more about setting light at http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/portrait-lighting.htm
