All articles copyright 2007 Jeff Coleman
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Off camera lighting tips.
When setting up my off camera lights, I use a light meter which measures the ambient light and flash light at the same time. It can also trigger each light individually via pocket wizards. Many books on lighting describe the same old boring techniques that photographers have been using for 50 years. They all describe the butterfly pattern and how to use a hair light or background light. If you want to make boring portraits for $30,000 a year, go ahead and follow these techniques. If you want to get noticed and make a name for yourself, use more dramatic lighting. Use a really strong backlight, or one diffused strobe coming from the side. Find a human Guinea pig and experiment. If you have to... use yourself as the Guinea pig by setting your camera on timer mode. If you get a cool image, nobody is going to care about how you lit it. Experimentation is the way you learn. Just try not to make ugly harsh shadows.
Harsh lighting, (bare bulb) makes all blemishes and imperfections stand out. It also makes sharp, dark shadows. |
