Lights, Camera... Nude!: A Guide to Lighting the Female Nude for Photography

Lights, Camera... Nude!: A Guide to Lighting the Female Nude for Photography by A. K. Nicholas Read Free Book Online

Book: Lights, Camera... Nude!: A Guide to Lighting the Female Nude for Photography by A. K. Nicholas Read Free Book Online
Authors: A. K. Nicholas
Light
    1. Set up any multi-light configuration in this book.
     
    2. Unplug or turn off some lights to compare the effects of each light.
     

Lighting Problems & Solutions
     
    In this section I'll show illustrate a few examples of lighting problems, along with suggested solutions.
     
    As you read through the lighting problems, bear in mind that any given lighting setup may be right for one subject, but wrong for another. In the absence of a subject and pose there is no such thing as the “wrong lighting.” Each light configuration is to make a particular subject and pose look its best. The only “wrong lighting” is lighting that is mismatched to the subject or objective.
     
    So keep an open mind. Just because a particular lighting setup is show here as an example of a problem, it is because it's not the best one for that particular subject and pose.
     
Light Coverage
    Not enough coverage -- light has too much falloff and doesn't reveal all intended aspects of the subject.
     
    In this image, light is directed only at the torso, leaving the lower half of the body flat, shadowy and dull. The tip of the elbow has a blown out highlight.
     

     
    Model: Hope S.
     
    With two frontal light sources, one above (beauty dish) the head pointed slightly down, and the other (gridded softbox) on the floor aimed slig htly up, the whole body is lit.
     

     
    Too much coverage -- light reveals aspects of the subject that you want to remain mysterious. How much to light is your preference. Adjust the angle of your lights to hide part of the model in shadow. Also see Too much coverage -- light reveals aspects of the subject that you want to remain mysterious. How much to light is your preference. Adjust the angle of your lights to hide part of the model in shadow.Also see Sculpt with Light: Selective Lighting, p.24 , p.
     

Excess Light
    Typically you want to avoid situations that result in one area of the model receiving so much light it washes out:
     
    •  Blown-out highlights from key light too strong
    •  Blown-out highlights from fill light overlap
    •  Separation or accent lights (hair, kicker, rim) too strong.
    •  Contrast ratio too high.
     
     
     
    Photo 66: Excess light
     
    Model: Ariel W.
     
     
     
    Photo 67: Excess light
     
    Model: Aurora L.
     
Flat, Dull, Low Contrast
    To improve dull, flat images that are uninteresting because of low contrast:
     
    • 
    •  Change contrast ratio by increasing/decreasing output of one or more lights
    •  Move one or more lights to be less frontal
    •  Add one or more separation lights
    •  Use a grid or barn doors to restrict light to areas of interest
     
     
     
    Photo 68: Flat light
     
    Model: Jessica A.
     
Chromatic Aberration
     
     
    Photo 69: Chromatic aberration
     
    Chromatic aberration results in a color fringe where dark areas (such as the model’s hair) are adjacent to a bright area. Less intense backlight can reduce chromatic aberration.
     
     
     

Lens Flare
    •  Adjust the angle of light, or use a flag (foam core works) to avoid letting light directly strike the lens. Always use a lens shade.
     
    •  Lens flare can occur when the background light is too strong.
     
     
     
    Photo 70: Lens flare
     
    Model: Ashley G.
     
Color Reflection
    A color reflection can occur when unwanted non-white light bounces onto the model’s skin.
     
     
     
    Photo 72: Color reflection
     
    Model: Jessica A.
     
    •  Roll out only as much background paper as needed.
    •  Flag gelled lights or restrict them with grids.
    •  Hang neutral colored reflectors.
     
Hard Shadows
     
     
    Photo 74: Hard shadows
     
    Model: Lauren M.
     
    Hard light and a model near the background leads to hard-edged shadows on the background. Either soften the light with a larger diffuser, move light closer to the model, and/or move the model further from the background.
     

Conclusion
     
    I sincerely hope that the information in this book inspired you, and gives your

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