Black & white portraits can have a classic quality that’s hard to match with colour. Here, we look at how to create two timeless portrait lighting set-ups that are perfect for mono photography.
Studio lighting needn’t cost the earth – a budget kit can be had for less than £400 – while flashguns and the wealth of accessories available are ideal for simple lighting set-ups.
While in the days of film, studio lighting may have been a bit of a dark art, striking studio portraits are incredibly easy to achieve with digital. As you can see your results instantly, you can review and adjust the exposure, as well as move and fine-tune your lighting to ensure you achieve the look you’re after.
While it’s always enjoyable to experiment with your own lighting set-ups, there are a couple of effective but simple techniques you should try that give very different results.
Known as high-key and low-key lighting, these two techniques generally utilise a white and black background respectively, and are particularly eyecatching in black & white. Turn over the page to find out how to set them up…
HIGH-KEY LIGHTING
If you’re after a clean and bright look to your shots, high-key lighting is the way to go. While you will find that there is some debate about what is classed as a high-key portrait, in essence the image is made up of largely light tones and is particularly suited to subjects where you want to convey an airy mood.
Because you are shooting at the lighter end of the scale, skin tones are often overexposed and imperfections can disappear, placing emphasis on the eyes – the key element of any portrait. High-key images are popular among high-street portrait photographers, lifestyle photographers and fashion
photographers, who are after a crisp, uncluttered look to their pictures.
While some photographers can use four or more lights to achieve a high-key shot, it’s still possible with just a couple of heads from a studio lighting kit.
1. MAIN LIGHT
First, set up your main light so it is positioned just above your model’s head. A softbox is best for producing a nice even distribution of light in this instance, but if you only have a brolly, use that instead. Next, position your second flash head behind your model and point it towards the backdrop.
First, set up your main light so it is positioned just above your model’s head. A softbox is best for producing a nice even distribution of light in this instance, but if you only have a brolly, use that instead. Next, position your second flash head behind your model and point it towards the backdrop.
2. SECOND LIGHT
Instead of using a softbox, use a spill kill reflector on your second light. Set it lower than your main light, at an angle and positioned quite close to the background. This should provide enough ‘kick’ to illuminate it evenly. Start by setting the power on both lights to 1-2 stops above minimum.
Instead of using a softbox, use a spill kill reflector on your second light. Set it lower than your main light, at an angle and positioned quite close to the background. This should provide enough ‘kick’ to illuminate it evenly. Start by setting the power on both lights to 1-2 stops above minimum.
3. POSITION A REFLECTOR
Position a plain white reflector or polyboard opposite the softbox, as this will allow you to bounce light back onto the subject for a more evenly lit result. Now it’s time to shoot, with your camera set to manual, using an aperture of f/11, a shutter speed of 1/160sec and an ISO of 100.
Position a plain white reflector or polyboard opposite the softbox, as this will allow you to bounce light back onto the subject for a more evenly lit result. Now it’s time to shoot, with your camera set to manual, using an aperture of f/11, a shutter speed of 1/160sec and an ISO of 100.
LOW-KEY LIGHTING
While high-key lighting is perfect for nice, fresh portraits, you may want your pictures to convey a more dramatic, mysterious mood than high-key lighting produces. In low-key lighting, out go the bright-white backgrounds, which are replaced with darker backdrops and lowerpowered lighting that can be achieved with a single light source. Results can be impressive, with a single light picking out features on your subject from the dark shadows.
When shooting low-key portraits, the thing to remember is that you need to take a more considered approach than you would with a high-key shot, as your light needs to be positioned so that it falls on the model very precisely. Subtle changes in position can make a huge difference to the result. It’s worth also bearing in mind that this kind of lighting is far less flattering than its high-key counterpart, showing up more flaws in the skin. Because of this, it may seem logical to use it only with a younger subject, but don’t be fooled, as low-key lighting is great for subjects where you want to emphasise their facial characteristics and detail.
To produce this effect you’ll need a dark backdrop, and while dedicated rolls of black paper such as Colorama are popular, a dark/black sheet set-up behind your subject will do an excellent job of absorbing any stray light and be just as effective. Finally, get your subject to wear a dark top so he or she blends into the background and the light just brings out their face. Follow the steps below to see how it’s done.
1. POSITION LIGHT
Set up your main light so it’s positioned to the left and just above your subject, with a softbox mounted on it facing your black backdrop. You’ll need to turn down your light to at least half power. As an alternative to a softbox and a more direct light, attach a snoot and angle it towards your subject.
Set up your main light so it’s positioned to the left and just above your subject, with a softbox mounted on it facing your black backdrop. You’ll need to turn down your light to at least half power. As an alternative to a softbox and a more direct light, attach a snoot and angle it towards your subject.
2. BRING IN YOUR SUBJECT
Bring in your subject and position him or her at the edge of the light, so that it glances across them. This will produce a nice soft light from the spill of the softbox. Because the softbox isn’t pointed directly at your subject, it will highlight only certain areas of your subject, leaving the rest in shadow.
Bring in your subject and position him or her at the edge of the light, so that it glances across them. This will produce a nice soft light from the spill of the softbox. Because the softbox isn’t pointed directly at your subject, it will highlight only certain areas of your subject, leaving the rest in shadow.
3. CAMERA SET-UP
Set your camera to manual mode, dialling in an aperture of f/8 and a shutter speed of 1/125sec at ISO 100. With the sync lead/trigger attached, fire a test shot. If it’s too bright, reduce the power of the flash, or stop-down the lens further to f/11. You may find you have to reposition your subject, too.
Set your camera to manual mode, dialling in an aperture of f/8 and a shutter speed of 1/125sec at ISO 100. With the sync lead/trigger attached, fire a test shot. If it’s too bright, reduce the power of the flash, or stop-down the lens further to f/11. You may find you have to reposition your subject, too.
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