Setup is key...
So today we took to the studio to experiment with some very useful setups, and finally know how those models get to look so good. Knowledge of lighting was paramount here - light can either make or break your photo, so you've got to know how to use it.
I was introduced to all sorts of new words for things that were surely called something else if you were to use their correct name; gels, snoods, soft boxes, and brollies. To be fair, that last one isn't really debatable - it's a brolly, no bones about it.
Below are some diagrams which map out the setups we practised. I made them using a website called "Online Lighting Diagram", a really useful piece of computing that was very easy to use and even easier to understand. The setups below are detailed with photographs taken of models, which show the results of using each lighting arrangement.
The above setup features very bright light focused directly on the model by means of twin umbrella lights angled inwards. It can be more effective with some complexions than others, because darker skin tones balance with the high light levels well (right image). This prevents unwanted brightness around certain areas of the face (like the nose and cheeks), which can be seen in the left image.
This lighting setup is commonly used for photographing sportsmen and women for advertising campaigns (yep, looking at you, Nike). It consists of a large vertical soft box mounted on a light at 45 degrees to the model, with a normal light and blue-gelled light to the left and right respectively (and both diagonally behind the model). This range of light sources means that a variety of shapes and contours are picked out from the face, and it gives the feeling of being in a football stadium, surrounded by overhead lights.
The final setup we attempted involved another vertical soft box positioned over a light, which faced the model directly from a high height. Two black panels were placed on either side of the model to darker the edges of the face. Finally, an umbrella light was positioned out of shot to ensure that light across the background was evenly distributed to leave a flush colour.
Again, light levels and skin tones are paramount to gaining a good photograph from this setup. You can see that in the middle image, the light level is too high for the model's skin tone, which results in the transition from light to dark areas of the face being too stark and unnatural. In the left image however, the light level has been adjusted to compliment the model's complexion, which means that the transition from light to dark is much more smooth.
Similarly, the right image shows how skin tone plays a definite role in creating a natural-looking image; the model in this picture has darker skin than the models in the other photos. The transition between light and dark areas of the face is once again smooth, even though the light level is the same in this right image as it is in the middle one.
I was introduced to all sorts of new words for things that were surely called something else if you were to use their correct name; gels, snoods, soft boxes, and brollies. To be fair, that last one isn't really debatable - it's a brolly, no bones about it.
Below are some diagrams which map out the setups we practised. I made them using a website called "Online Lighting Diagram", a really useful piece of computing that was very easy to use and even easier to understand. The setups below are detailed with photographs taken of models, which show the results of using each lighting arrangement.
The above setup features very bright light focused directly on the model by means of twin umbrella lights angled inwards. It can be more effective with some complexions than others, because darker skin tones balance with the high light levels well (right image). This prevents unwanted brightness around certain areas of the face (like the nose and cheeks), which can be seen in the left image.
This lighting setup is commonly used for photographing sportsmen and women for advertising campaigns (yep, looking at you, Nike). It consists of a large vertical soft box mounted on a light at 45 degrees to the model, with a normal light and blue-gelled light to the left and right respectively (and both diagonally behind the model). This range of light sources means that a variety of shapes and contours are picked out from the face, and it gives the feeling of being in a football stadium, surrounded by overhead lights.
The final setup we attempted involved another vertical soft box positioned over a light, which faced the model directly from a high height. Two black panels were placed on either side of the model to darker the edges of the face. Finally, an umbrella light was positioned out of shot to ensure that light across the background was evenly distributed to leave a flush colour.
Again, light levels and skin tones are paramount to gaining a good photograph from this setup. You can see that in the middle image, the light level is too high for the model's skin tone, which results in the transition from light to dark areas of the face being too stark and unnatural. In the left image however, the light level has been adjusted to compliment the model's complexion, which means that the transition from light to dark is much more smooth.
Similarly, the right image shows how skin tone plays a definite role in creating a natural-looking image; the model in this picture has darker skin than the models in the other photos. The transition between light and dark areas of the face is once again smooth, even though the light level is the same in this right image as it is in the middle one.
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