STUDIO SHOOTS
MASTER YOUR LIGHTING SETUP
-- Dave Stabley
Over the last two issues of NM CliQ Magazine we
introduced the concept of single-light studio lighting
and covered the first of five Portrait Lighting Patterns,
Short Lighting. To review, Short Lighting is generally
used as a corrective measure to help make rounder
faces appear to be a bit slimmer.
In this installment, I will cover two more of the patterns,
Broad Lighting, and Rembrandt Lighting.
Broad Lighting
Here the main light illuminates the subject on the
broadest area of the face, from the camera’s perspective.
When the subject has his/her head turned to one side,
you are lighting the side of
the face that is closest to
the camera. This portrait
lighting pattern simply
places visual emphasis on
the area of the face turned
toward the camera--the
area more in-line with the
camera axis.
Broad lighting produces a larger area of light on the
face, and a shadow side which appears smaller. Broad
lighting is sometimes used for “high key” portraits.
This type of lighting
makes a person’s face
look broader or wider
(hence the name) and