Lighting has always created a challenge for me. I know what I want but sometimes take the rocky road to get there. This is a simple exercise in lighting that I practiced to help me demonstrate just what my lights are accomplishing in their direct form.
Esmerelda hung around after our fall scarecrow displays…. and she's been put to good use!
One flash on camera facing directly at Esmerelda. Not the most flattering of light to use for a portrait even though Esmerelda is being quite gracious with me.
This is our first step in off-camera flash. Raised slightly above Esmerelda and angled down to bring a small "butterfly" shadow just under her nose. As you can see we're already at a more flattering portrait of Esmerelda with that slight adjustment.
Keeping our flash at the same height but moving it at a 25% angle towards camera right. Here we start to see a soft shadow to the side of her nose giving her face more depth through those shadows. We're on our way to creating some drama! Can you see the excitement in her eyes?
Went an additional 25% angle with our flash placing it just off to her side. This allows half of Esmerelda's face to fall into shadow offering a heavy directional light across her face and body. She is a woman of mystery and this lighting suits her personality.
By using Esmerelda as my "stand in" I could see the illustration of each light setup and how it changed with just a small adjustment. Visual exercises allow us to focus on the light changes and see that they are quite definitive.
It's always great to practice and learn with lighting. Esmerelda is a women of few words - but she accepted this exercise with grace and poise. I can see us having a great working relationship down the road….. stay tuned.
enjoy,
k
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