Skin Highlights

[tdaugharty]

One of the techniques I'm working on today is low key lighting (I think) and one of the challenges is lighting the shadows enough to make out detail. In these two shots the only difference here is movement of the head. With only an umbrella (Cover removed and turned around to diffuse light) and a silver reflector (Adjusted for fill) on the left side of the subject.

In order to save the highlights without having to move the main light source what do you recommend? Diffuse the light more (Strobe is turned all the way down to the lowest setting)? Move the subject closer to the reflector disc?

Now so I don't get flammed just remember I'm trying to learn through reading and trying things out so the advice is certainly appreciated.

Highlights slightly clipped
http://www.daugharty.com/brenden1.jpg

Head turned to his left
http://www.daugharty.com/brenden2.jpg

[Mark_Cohran]

There are lots of different ways to approach this problem, but I think you need to experiment to get the look you want. I'd bring the reflector closer to the subject to fill in the shadows a bit more. That would be the simplest solution.

Mark

[tdaugharty]

Thanks Mark ... I'll try different combinations later this afternoon.

P.S. I was just showing these to a friend on her uncalibrated monitor. If these seem bright it's best to view these on a properly calibrated monitor.

[D. Craig Flory]

The 1st problem I see is that you used a black background. I see that a lot on this site but ... I can count on my fingers how many times I have used a black background in my pro studio. For most low-key I use a grey old masters canvas bkgrd. or a brown old masters canvas.

On image #1 it's not too bad. You needed stronger reflector light on the shadow side as well as light on the hair. You almost nailed rembrandt lighting on #1. It looks like more light struck his shirt than it did anywhere else ... light direction and control is very important.

On image #2 it doesn't work. The lighting is flat. His head is turned a bit too far. His eyes are also turned too far.

If you ever have spectral highlights that are too strong, what you need to do is feather the key light. Whether you use a parabolic, softbox, or umbrella ... you can feather the light. There are two parts to a light modifier ... the umbra and the penumbra. The umbra is the center & the penumbra is the outside area of the light modifier. If you turn the light right at your subject you are using the umbra and you can get harsh spectral highlights. If you turn and feather the light, lighting using the penumbra, you get softer light and less inherent problems.

[MaxZoom]

IMHO I think the exposure was changed between shots. I'm very much an amateur with studio lighting but I always have everythin set to manual, flash and camera. I usually work in a 9" by 12" room which is very small for this type of photography so I doubt that moving any light source closer would help whatever happened to photo #2. Exposure #1 looks fine on my screen but #2 looks underexposed on the face, the elephants on the clothes looks fine tho. Did you fire a flash too soon after the previous shot?

[LightingMan]

Dear tdaugharty:
Your two images are definitely low key portraits with a very pleasant ratio. It looks like you have some exposure variation but that is easily fixed with consistant metering. What I would like to do is point out a few things that you may find helpful the next time you try a portrait like this. I won’t comment on things like fixing his hair better because this was a portrait clearly done as a learning experience. I will keep with just the issues of lighting, posing and composition.

First, let’s talk about the fill light. If we understand the purpose of the fill light, it’s required location becomes obvious. The purpose of the fill is to control the shadow areas of the face without casting any shadows of it’s own. The main light creates the structured light that shows three dimensional contrast by creating a pattern of light and shadow on the subject. The areas of the face NOT lit by the main light are of course the shadows and they must be controlled independently of the main light and hopefully without any help from reflective walls or other objects in the room. You, the photographer should be in control of all aspects of light in your camera room.

The fill light exists only to control the look of the shadows. Deeper for more drama and slenderizing qualities or lighter for less drama and a more forgiving look useful for small children due to their tendency to not remain precisely where we position them. With a more gentle ratio, even if they turn their heads in the wrong direction, there is a good chance that the image could still be used. If the shadows are deep and dramatic and they turn their face away from the main light, it is unlikely the image would be completely salvageable.

In order for the fill light source to not create it’s own shadows, it must come from as close to the axis of the lens as possible. Certainly we cannot put the fill light in front of the lens so the next best thing is to place it directly behind the camera so it fires just over the shoulders of the photographer. This is the only location we should consider for a powered fill light.

What if we are using a reflector as a fill light source? The very same rules apply but of course we cannot place a reflector fill up and behind the camera and have any significant effect so we must use it near the subject on the opposite side of the main light so that it returns a portion of the main light back into the shadow side of the subject. At this point we need to recognize just how frequently this is done incorrectly. Many, many photographers place the reflector far to the side of the subject, pretty much facing the shadow side ear. This is totally wrong as it can and frequently does leave pockets of deep shadows on the front of the face. Usually around the nose. These are the areas receiving no light from either the main OR the fill light. The fill light is supposed to cover all features of the face seen by the camera, so the correct way to use the reflector fill is to position it out in front of the subject as near to the axis of the lens as possible without it being seen in the view finder. The distance of the reflector to the subject provide considerable control (contrary to popular myth) over how much of the main light is returned to the shadow side of the face so use this control mechanism to adjust the look of your portrait.

Briefly, I need to mention the shape of the reflector because many people believe that the round ones are in some way superior over a square or rectangular reflector. This is not true because the shape of a round reflector prohibits it from being positioned near the axis of the lens in any significant way. Since it is a circle, only a tiny fraction of it’s surface can be positioned out in front of the subject where it needs to be. With a square or rectangular reflector the entire edge and all the real estate behind it can be positioned in front of the subject just out of the camera’s view, making it a superior source for reflected fill light.

Ok, from here on out, my comments will be associated with the letters and arrows I have placed on your two images. I have done this for clarity and to try and keep text as brief as possible and still convey the message clearly.

A. Note the uneven lighting in the subject’s eyes. This is caused by the main light being too far around to the subject’s left (camera right). As you can see, the catch lights in the eyes are very different because the eye on our left is being lit by a much smaller portion of your light source. Moving the main light around to the front a bit would have eliminated this problem. Always study the eyes for even lighting and uniform catch lights. This sort of problem can distort the way the eyes look and even make one look larger than the other.

B. A small amount of hair light in this area would add a nice bit of separation between subject and background but be careful about not overdoing it and not letting it reach the side of the subject’s nose creating what I call the Rudolph effect.

C. Note the brightness level of this cheek. You were headed in the right direction but because your main light was not quite far enough out in front of the subject, this cheek remains only partly lit. It’s not too far from being Rembrandt lighting but in order to achieve that, it must be as bright as the highlight side of the face with equal lighting in both eyes. Again, swing that main light around a little and watch the eye open up and that cheek brighten up to match the other cheek.

D. Just an observation of the pose. Note that his shoulders are pretty much square to the camera. This is rarely a good thing unless we are doing it for dramatic effect. With his “Cars” PJ’s, I don’t think we are doing dramatic here. : ) He also has his chin and nose pointing almost directly at the camera. This is ok but consider how much more interesting it would have looked if his nose were just a half inch more to his left. (camera right)

Note also how he looks a bit hunched over as if his elbows are placed on a table that is set a bit too high thereby raising his shoulders. Try to maintain good posture and a bit more of an angle to the body such as in image number two.

E. See the bit of shadow under his left eye? This was caused by your main light being too far to his left to reach that area. Once again, bringing that light around to the front just a bit would cure this little problem as well.

F. Just another quick observation in the close-up of the eyes to how much larger his left eye looks than his right. Watch those eyes constantly.

G. Here is something that is a very frequent occurrence but definitely not a good thing. In this image, you have used what is essentially butterfly light. You could call lit short lighting because the light is originating from the short side of the face. Your ratio is very pleasing but because your main light is almost directly perpendicular to the face, you have a considerable amount of main light reaching the ear on the shadow side of the face. Note how the brightly lit ear is surrounded by darkness, drawing much attention to itself and emphasizing it which is rarely a good thing. As I say in my seminars, we have a brightly lit ear floating in a sea of darkness. Not only is this a distracting element but it also makes the ear look larger than it is. The solution is simple. Turn the subject more toward the camera until the ear is in shadow and no longer screaming at the viewer.

H. With the butterfly pattern you selected, note that there is no loop shadow extending from the nose toward the corner of the mouth. Loop lighting is the most common and frequently used lighting pattern for general portraiture and it is the foundation for the more dramatic Rembrandt lighting pattern. To learn about Rembrandt lighting, check my other posts. One of the more recent ones discusses how to turn loop lighting into Rembrandt lighting.

I. Ok, this is actually about the eyes and how you have handled them. Since you have turned the boy’s head so far to his left, you have created several problems at the same time. Observe the subject’s eyes. Note how he must look far, far to his right in order to make eye contact with the camera. This creates the problem of too much white on one side of the iris and none on the other side. People rarely look that far out of the corner of their eye under normal circumstances and it looks very uncomfortable for him. It also makes him look like you just told him you are taking away his Nintendo for a month!

Also note the lack of any significant catch light in his right eye. His squint blocks the reflection of the main light because he is straining to turn his eyes to such an extreme.

J. This is an extremely common mistake which is called a “split profile”. This occurs when the subject is turned so far to the side that the bridge of the nose blocks the camera’s view of a portion of the back eye. It’s a very common mistake but easily avoided. Showing one eye is fine for a profile or two for most any other kind of portrait but 1 1/2 is just about never a good idea. Never show just a piece of an eye.

Lastly, I want to call your attention to the second image and the composition or subject placement. Please note the blue vertical lines with numbers in-between the arrows. As you can see the area between the boy’s head and the left edge of the frame is twice that of the space between his face and the right edge of the frame. This is rarely a good thing unless it’s being done for a particular effect in story telling. In most general portraits like this one, you should provide more space in front of the subject than behind them. Some people like to say “give them more space to look into than where they have been”.

I hope my comments about your portraits have been helpful.
Best wishes and Happy New Year.
Scott Smith
LightingMagic.com

[tdaugharty]

IMHO I think the exposure was changed between shots. I'm very much an amateur with studio lighting but I always have everythin set to manual, flash and camera. I usually work in a 9" by 12" room which is very small for this type of photography so I doubt that moving any light source closer would help whatever happened to photo #2. Exposure #1 looks fine on my screen but #2 looks underexposed on the face, the elephants on the clothes looks fine tho. Did you fire a flash too soon after the previous shot?

No change .. Just a head turn.

[tdaugharty]

I love you!!! This is just what the doctor ordered. Thanks for the wonderful information.

Dear tdaugharty:
Your two images are definitely low key portraits with a very pleasant ratio. It looks like you have some exposure variation but that is easily fixed with consistant metering. What I would like to do is point out a few things that you may find helpful the next time you try a portrait like this. I won’t comment on things like fixing his hair better because this was a portrait clearly done as a learning experience. I will keep with just the issues of lighting, posing and composition.

First, let’s talk about the fill light. If we understand the purpose of the fill light, it’s required location becomes obvious. The purpose of the fill is to control the shadow areas of the face without casting any shadows of it’s own. The main light creates the structured light that shows three dimensional contrast by creating a pattern of light and shadow on the subject. The areas of the face NOT lit by the main light are of course the shadows and they must be controlled independently of the main light and hopefully without any help from reflective walls or other objects in the room. You, the photographer should be in control of all aspects of light in your camera room.

The fill light exists only to control the look of the shadows. Deeper for more drama and slenderizing qualities or lighter for less drama and a more forgiving look useful for small children due to their tendency to not remain precisely where we position them. With a more gentle ratio, even if they turn their heads in the wrong direction, there is a good chance that the image could still be used. If the shadows are deep and dramatic and they turn their face away from the main light, it is unlikely the image would be completely salvageable.

In order for the fill light source to not create it’s own shadows, it must come from as close to the axis of the lens as possible. Certainly we cannot put the fill light in front of the lens so the next best thing is to place it directly behind the camera so it fires just over the shoulders of the photographer. This is the only location we should consider for a powered fill light.

What if we are using a reflector as a fill light source? The very same rules apply but of course we cannot place a reflector fill up and behind the camera and have any significant effect so we must use it near the subject on the opposite side of the main light so that it returns a portion of the main light back into the shadow side of the subject. At this point we need to recognize just how frequently this is done incorrectly. Many, many photographers place the reflector far to the side of the subject, pretty much facing the shadow side ear. This is totally wrong as it can and frequently does leave pockets of deep shadows on the front of the face. Usually around the nose. These are the areas receiving no light from either the main OR the fill light. The fill light is supposed to cover all features of the face seen by the camera, so the correct way to use the reflector fill is to position it out in front of the subject as near to the axis of the lens as possible without it being seen in the view finder. The distance of the reflector to the subject provide considerable control (contrary to popular myth) over how much of the main light is returned to the shadow side of the face so use this control mechanism to adjust the look of your portrait.

Briefly, I need to mention the shape of the reflector because many people believe that the round ones are in some way superior over a square or rectangular reflector. This is not true because the shape of a round reflector prohibits it from being positioned near the axis of the lens in any significant way. Since it is a circle, only a tiny fraction of it’s surface can be positioned out in front of the subject where it needs to be. With a square or rectangular reflector the entire edge and all the real estate behind it can be positioned in front of the subject just out of the camera’s view, making it a superior source for reflected fill light.

Ok, from here on out, my comments will be associated with the letters and arrows I have placed on your two images. I have done this for clarity and to try and keep text as brief as possible and still convey the message clearly.

A. Note the uneven lighting in the subject’s eyes. This is caused by the main light being too far around to the subject’s left (camera right). As you can see, the catch lights in the eyes are very different because the eye on our left is being lit by a much smaller portion of your light source. Moving the main light around to the front a bit would have eliminated this problem. Always study the eyes for even lighting and uniform catch lights. This sort of problem can distort the way the eyes look and even make one look larger than the other.

B. A small amount of hair light in this area would add a nice bit of separation between subject and background but be careful about not overdoing it and not letting it reach the side of the subject’s nose creating what I call the Rudolph effect.

C. Note the brightness level of this cheek. You were headed in the right direction but because your main light was not quite far enough out in front of the subject, this cheek remains only partly lit. It’s not too far from being Rembrandt lighting but in order to achieve that, it must be as bright as the highlight side of the face with equal lighting in both eyes. Again, swing that main light around a little and watch the eye open up and that cheek brighten up to match the other cheek.

D. Just an observation of the pose. Note that his shoulders are pretty much square to the camera. This is rarely a good thing unless we are doing it for dramatic effect. With his “Cars” PJ’s, I don’t think we are doing dramatic here. : ) He also has his chin and nose pointing almost directly at the camera. This is ok but consider how much more interesting it would have looked if his nose were just a half inch more to his left. (camera right)

Note also how he looks a bit hunched over as if his elbows are placed on a table that is set a bit too high thereby raising his shoulders. Try to maintain good posture and a bit more of an angle to the body such as in image number two.

E. See the bit of shadow under his left eye? This was caused by your main light being too far to his left to reach that area. Once again, bringing that light around to the front just a bit would cure this little problem as well.

F. Just another quick observation in the close-up of the eyes to how much larger his left eye looks than his right. Watch those eyes constantly.

G. Here is something that is a very frequent occurrence but definitely not a good thing. In this image, you have used what is essentially butterfly light. You could call lit short lighting because the light is originating from the short side of the face. Your ratio is very pleasing but because your main light is almost directly perpendicular to the face, you have a considerable amount of main light reaching the ear on the shadow side of the face. Note how the brightly lit ear is surrounded by darkness, drawing much attention to itself and emphasizing it which is rarely a good thing. As I say in my seminars, we have a brightly lit ear floating in a sea of darkness. Not only is this a distracting element but it also makes the ear look larger than it is. The solution is simple. Turn the subject more toward the camera until the ear is in shadow and no longer screaming at the viewer.

H. With the butterfly pattern you selected, note that there is no loop shadow extending from the nose toward the corner of the mouth. Loop lighting is the most common and frequently used lighting pattern for general portraiture and it is the foundation for the more dramatic Rembrandt lighting pattern. To learn about Rembrandt lighting, check my other posts. One of the more recent ones discusses how to turn loop lighting into Rembrandt lighting.

I. Ok, this is actually about the eyes and how you have handled them. Since you have turned the boy’s head so far to his left, you have created several problems at the same time. Observe the subject’s eyes. Note how he must look far, far to his right in order to make eye contact with the camera. This creates the problem of too much white on one side of the iris and none on the other side. People rarely look that far out of the corner of their eye under normal circumstances and it looks very uncomfortable for him. It also makes him look like you just told him you are taking away his Nintendo for a month!

Also note the lack of any significant catch light in his right eye. His squint blocks the reflection of the main light because he is straining to turn his eyes to such an extreme.

J. This is an extremely common mistake which is called a “split profile”. This occurs when the subject is turned so far to the side that the bridge of the nose blocks the camera’s view of a portion of the back eye. It’s a very common mistake but easily avoided. Showing one eye is fine for a profile or two for most any other kind of portrait but 1 1/2 is just about never a good idea. Never show just a piece of an eye.

Lastly, I want to call your attention to the second image and the composition or subject placement. Please note the blue vertical lines with numbers in-between the arrows. As you can see the area between the boy’s head and the left edge of the frame is twice that of the space between his face and the right edge of the frame. This is rarely a good thing unless it’s being done for a particular effect in story telling. In most general portraits like this one, you should provide more space in front of the subject than behind them. Some people like to say “give them more space to look into than where they have been”.

I hope my comments about your portraits have been helpful.
Best wishes and Happy New Year.
Scott Smith
LightingMagic.com

[Az2Africa]

Thanks Scott. Now I know I have to order your book !!
Terry