Short vs. Broad Lighting

So I'm moderately versed in the distinction between these kinds of lighting and generally tend to set up my light so that the light falling on the bride is short lighting her to some degree. Beyond that, however, I confess to not really being knowledgeable about in what scenarios broad lighting would be advantageous.

Could someone supply examples that illustrate the kinds of criteria we are looking for when deciding how (short or long lighting) we will position the light ?

Short lighting tends to "thin" the person. Broad the opposite. When shooting a couple, short light the woman. I tend to short light almost all the time, when possible. Adds shadows towards the camera for the most depth.

^

Imagine someone sitting at a 30 degree angle to the lens...one half of the face shows about 120 degrees of that side of the face, the BROAD side; the other half of the face shows 60 degrees of that side, the SHORT side. If the Highlight source falls on the Broad side, it is 'Broad lighting', if the Highlight source falls on the Short side, it is 'Short lighting'.

ootsk wrote in post #16259452
Short lighting tends to "thin" the person. Broad the opposite. When shooting a couple, short light the woman. I tend to short light almost all the time, when possible. Adds shadows towards the camera for the most depth.

This. I use short lighting probably 90% of the time.

ditto others on the basics
I also try to short light woman when I can
also watch angles I shoot from !

heavy bride I can short light but if I am to low she could look heavier
I could broad light a bit have a high angle stretch her neck out a touch and look up and have a skinnier looking portrait now of course angle and lighting can radically change things

I love this video for that reason and its funny
http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=UT2VqknLe0A

also
http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=DxPkxS_ezVg
going back to the old school info and learning basics of how the light falls and what looks good

I don't like the old fashioned over formal portrait looks but the theory of light is still the same and why Rembrandt lighting is still around

tricks people learned over time like tall stool or sit forward off the edge to slim the legs and stuff still works

I think also you have to think of what is it you are shooting ?
portraits for mom ? most likely always short
models well you can get away with broad sometimes very thin woman it can work

you can read all the other basics with lots of google searches

to bad zuga is not still around

check out this link
http://photocamel.com …orrective-techniques.html
thing is there is no absolutes its about making your subject look good

try both experiment a lot

Ed Shapiro is a fellow Canadian to you and one of the old masters lots of good info and again I dont like the look of those shots but I like the rules of light and understanding them to get me out of a spot or to remember OH I can try this

My only problem with short lighting, when setting up the shot is that it means that the subject's chest is facing the light and that may lead to a really big highlight. Especially a bride with fair skin and a white dress. Remember feathering works up and down as well as side to side.

and dresses look better with some cross lighting or they can loose the dimension and the fancy stitching and look flat

weddings are tougher than some folks think until they do a few