Understanding how to manipulate light direction is crucial for creating compelling portraits. The direction and quality of light can dramatically alter the mood and depth of an image, and this helpful video tutorial will show you how to harness those properties to maximize your image quality and creative vision.
Coming to you from Mark Wallace, this informative video demonstrates how different lighting setups affect the final image. Wallace begins by setting up two umbrellas to create a soft yet directional light for his model. By stacking these umbrellas and placing them on a rolling stand, he can easily move the light source to illustrate the effects of front, side, and backlighting.
Wallace starts with front lighting, where the light source is positioned directly in front of the model. This type of lighting reduces shadows and creates a flat, evenly lit image, which can be beneficial for highlighting colors but may lack depth. Moving the light to the side, Wallace increases the contrast, creating a more dynamic image with pronounced shadows and highlights. This side lighting emphasizes the model's features and adds a sense of dimension to the portrait.
Next, Wallace explores backlighting by placing the light source behind the model. This setup results in a silhouette, highlighting the shape of the model against the light. Backlighting can produce striking and dramatic effects, particularly when aiming to create a two-dimensional shape or a more artistic portrayal.
The video further explores the quality of light, emphasizing how the umbrellas produce a soft, diffused light that wraps around the subject. Wallace demonstrates how this soft light can still be directional, creating a unique blend of softness and focus. By comparing this to the effects of a ring flash, which creates a distinctive outline around the subject, Wallace shows how different lighting tools can be used to achieve various visual effects.
Wallace also integrates a hard light into his setup, using a snoot to focus a narrow beam of light on the model's face. This combination of soft and hard light produces a glamorous look reminiscent of 1980s fashion photography. By controlling the light’s direction and intensity, he illustrates how you can mix different lighting qualities to create visually interesting portraits with a blend of soft ambient light and sharp, focused highlights. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Wallace.
If you would like to continue learning about how to light a portrait, be sure to check out "Illuminating The Face: Lighting for Headshots and Portraits With Peter Hurley!"
