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Figure 7-5.Subject placed too low in the photograph
Main  Light  Distance

Photography (Basic) - Introduction to photography and other graphic techniques
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because it rarely looks attractive, and it is usually not appropriate for a person in a military uniform. While you are trying to induce the expression that will show off the subject to the best advantage, be particularly observant of the details necessary to maintain a neat appearance and  good  composition. FUNDAMENTAL   PORTRAIT   LIGHTING The success of a portrait is equally dependent on lighting as on the pose of the subject. The manner in how the subject is lighted can actually set the mood of a portrait. The best portrait lighting will simulate natural sunlight. This is because we are accustomed to seeing faces illuminated from above and to one side with shadows cast downward and on one side or the other. Light coming from below eye level casts shadows upward and produces an unnatural, ghastly effect. Good portrait lighting shows off the subject to the best advantage,  emphasizing  the  form  and  expressiveness  of the facial features. When lighting appears pleasing and natural in a portrait, it produces prominent highlights on the forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin with enough shadows to round out the facial features. Lighting for a studio portrait normally requires at least two lights. One of these is the main, modeling, or key  light; the other is the fill or fill-in light. Portrait  lighting  is  divided  into  various  types  called lightings. Some of these lightings are as follows: broad, short, butterfly, Rembrandt, split, and rim. These names have been assigned because of the visual effects the lighting creates when it falls on the subject from a given direction.  This  visual  effect  is  derived  from  the modeling light. Other light sources that may be added to the modeling light to enhance the subject are as follows: Broad  lighting–The  main  light  completely illuminates the side of the face turned toward the camera. Short  lighting–The  main  light  completely illuminates the side of the face turned away from the camera Butterfly lighting–The main light is placed directly in front of the face and casts a shadow directly under the nose. Rembrandt lighting–This is a combination of short and butterfly lighting. The main light is placed high and to the side of the face turned away from the camera and produces a triangle of light on the side of the face in shadow. Split lighting-The modeling light is placed to light completely one side of the face while placing the other side of the face in shadow. Rim lighting-The modeling light is placed behind the subject and places the entire face in shadow. MAIN LIGHT The main light is often called the modeling light because it is used to model the face (or subject). The main light creates a three-dimensional effect by either emphasizing or de-emphasizing the curvature and characteristic features of the face with highlights and shadows. The modeling light should always be the one dominant light source in a portrait because it controls the  direction  of  the  shadows. The direction of the main light establishes four basic portrait lightings. These basic lightings are as follows: three-quarter lighting, side lighting, frontlighting, and backlighting.  When  reading  other  books  on  portrait lighting,  you  will  often  encounter  other  names depending  on  what  the  author  wanted  to  call  the lightings. You, as a Navy Photographer’s Mate, will mostly  be  concerned  with  three-quarter  (broad  and short)  and  front  (butterfly)  lighting. We also designate each of our lightings as high, medium, and low for vertical position. To go further, we designate the lighting as right or left of the subject. These lighting positions change with each subject. When setting portrait lights, you should always study the effect and view the subject from the camera position, preferably  through  the  viewfinder. THREE-QUARTER   LIGHTING Broad   and   short   lighting   are   two   types   of three-quarter lighting, and they are the types that you most often use for official portraits. The only difference between the two is the position of the main light and the way  it  illuminates  the  subject. Short lighting is used for people with a normal shaped face or people who have a wide face. When short lighting is used, the side of the subject’s face that is away from the camera is illuminated. This puts the side of the face towards the camera in shadow. By putting the side of the face towards the camera in shadow, you can provide  a  slimming  effect. 7-9







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