Character Lighting Tutorial

Character lighting creates portraits that exaggerate the subject's features and add a surreal element to the shot. Photographers may light character portraits using either thin or broad shadow effects. Portraits with thin shadows or shadowless portraits are also known as high key shots. Portraits with broad shadows are known as low key shots. High key portraits are bright and often associated with happy or alert emotions. Low key shots have more dark shades and illuminate a relatively small portion of the shot. Low key shots are sometimes associated with dark moods, drama or tension.

Instructions

High Key Lighting

1

Set up back lighting. In the studio, position a slaved strobe behind a large translucent white or light muslin backdrop. Outdoors, position the subject directly in front of the late afternoon or early evening sun. This back lighting creates rim light with an ethereal fringe glow around your subject that separates her or him from the environment and draws attention to the subject's form. Set the back light so that it is equal to or no more than 2 stops below the key light.

2

Position the subject approximately 5 feet from a backdrop and directly in front of the light source, if shooting in a studio.

3

Position the master strobe or flash unit within 5 feet of your subject and at 45 degrees to his or her side. Use an unfiltered bare strobe for the key light. Bare strobe lighting creates images with crisp over-defined features and textures that make the subject look somewhat artificial. Set the master strobe 1 or 2 stops higher than the back light. Create a more dramatic effect by increasing the angle of the light between 50 and 90 degrees. Bare strobe lighting at higher angles creates definite shadows and contrast that can make the shoot look more surreal.

4

Set the camera's ISO at 100 and aperture between f/8 and f/11. Narrower apertures produce sharper images and reduce blur that may occur around your subject at larger apertures. Set exposure bracketing on the camera at either 1 or 2 stops above and below the camera's exposure.

5

Review the shots on the camera. If they are blown out and overexposed, use a narrower aperture or reduce the power on both lighting sources. If they are too dark, use a wider aperture or increase the power of both lighting sources.

Low Key Lighting

6

Position the subject in a dark room or environment, or 5 or more feet away from a dark backdrop in the studio. This backdrop helps create broad shadows around your subject and reduces the illuminated portion of the shot.

7

Position a very narrowly focused light source slightly above the subject's face, between 5 and 10 feet from the subject and at a wide angle that is between 60 and 90 degrees to the subject. Narrower lighting creates sharp shadows that exaggerate textures and facial features. Positioning the light at wider angles may help reveal more textures in the shot and deliver more detail.

8

Set the camera's ISO to 100, and the aperture between f/4 and f/5.6. Wider apertures throw out the dark backgrounds and help the small lit portion of the portrait to dominate the final shot. Set exposure bracketing on the camera at either 1 or 2 stops above and below the camera exposure.

9

Review the shots on the camera. If they are too dark, use a wider aperture or increase the power of the light source.

---

Character lighting creates portraits that exaggerate the subject's features and add a surreal element to the shot. Photographers may light character portraits using either thin or broad shadow effects. Portraits with thin shadows or shadowless portraits are also known as high key shots. Portraits with broad shadows are known as low key shots. High key portraits are bright and often associated with happy or alert emotions. Low key shots have more dark shades and illuminate a relatively small portion of the shot. Low key shots are sometimes associated with dark moods, drama or tension.

Instructions

High Key Lighting

1

Set up back lighting. In the studio, position a slaved strobe behind a large translucent white or light muslin backdrop. Outdoors, position the subject directly in front of the late afternoon or early evening sun. This back lighting creates rim light with an ethereal fringe glow around your subject that separates her or him from the environment and draws attention to the subject's form. Set the back light so that it is equal to or no more than 2 stops below the key light.

2

Position the subject approximately 5 feet from a backdrop and directly in front of the light source, if shooting in a studio.

3

Position the master strobe or flash unit within 5 feet of your subject and at 45 degrees to his or her side. Use an unfiltered bare strobe for the key light. Bare strobe lighting creates images with crisp over-defined features and textures that make the subject look somewhat artificial. Set the master strobe 1 or 2 stops higher than the back light. Create a more dramatic effect by increasing the angle of the light between 50 and 90 degrees. Bare strobe lighting at higher angles creates definite shadows and contrast that can make the shoot look more surreal.

4

Set the camera's ISO at 100 and aperture between f/8 and f/11. Narrower apertures produce sharper images and reduce blur that may occur around your subject at larger apertures. Set exposure bracketing on the camera at either 1 or 2 stops above and below the camera's exposure.

5

Review the shots on the camera. If they are blown out and overexposed, use a narrower aperture or reduce the power on both lighting sources. If they are too dark, use a wider aperture or increase the power of both lighting sources.

Low Key Lighting

6

Position the subject in a dark room or environment, or 5 or more feet away from a dark backdrop in the studio. This backdrop helps create broad shadows around your subject and reduces the illuminated portion of the shot.

7

Position a very narrowly focused light source slightly above the subject's face, between 5 and 10 feet from the subject and at a wide angle that is between 60 and 90 degrees to the subject. Narrower lighting creates sharp shadows that exaggerate textures and facial features. Positioning the light at wider angles may help reveal more textures in the shot and deliver more detail.

8

Set the camera's ISO to 100, and the aperture between f/4 and f/5.6. Wider apertures throw out the dark backgrounds and help the small lit portion of the portrait to dominate the final shot. Set exposure bracketing on the camera at either 1 or 2 stops above and below the camera exposure.

9

Review the shots on the camera. If they are too dark, use a wider aperture or increase the power of the light source.

---

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