Heibai art illumination

When light is distributed, the main light forms a smooth light effect, which is called plane light. If the main light is always distributed in front of the face, it forms the front light.

Note: Plane light is not necessarily front light. When a person's face faces the camera more positively, the plane light becomes the front light.

Characteristics of plane light: as long as you look in the direction of the lens, the face of the character is clean, delicate and without shadow. Plane light can be composed of a single lamp, two lamps, three lamps and multiple lamps. The more lamps there are, the greater the illumination area. No matter how much light is used, as long as it comes from the optical axis of the camera and is irradiated with horizontal light, it belongs to plane light. Plane light is often used to shoot bright portraits and thin people. In addition, background light, side light or skylight should be used in conjunction with plane light.

Characteristics of frontal light: frontal light can make the cheeks of the characters have a tone, and at the same time make the T-shaped area of the eyebrows of the characters brightest, so frontal light is also called eyebrow light. At the same time, the front light should also be combined with the background light, side light or skylight.

Butterfly lamp

Butterfly light is a light distribution method in which the main light uses high light or top light (45-90 degrees) to shape the front of human face. Generally, soft light is used when the top light is the main light. The main light will produce a symmetrical small projection under the human nose, so it is called small nose shadow light. Because the symmetrical small projection is like the wings of a butterfly, it is also called butterfly light. This kind of lighting is often used in real-life studios.

Butterfly light is a special form of frontal lighting of characters. Because the main light is high-angle frontal lighting, it will make the T-shaped area of the person the brightest, and it is an artistic lighting, which can deepen the shadow of the person's cheeks and make the face symmetrically thinner, so it is often called beauty light.

Butterfly light distribution requirements:

(1), the main light of butterfly light must be projected downward at a high angle (highlight or top light) on the front of the figure, so that a symmetrical nose shadow can appear under the nose of the figure. The nose shadow effect is obvious when the main light is hard light.

(2) Use auxiliary light or reflector to fill the shadow below the face. The light ratio of auxiliary light to main light should be controlled around 1: 4. If you want to further make the face of the character look good, you can use a reflector to fill the side of the character.

(3) Butterfly lights will be more artistic if they are used with side light and background light.

Lighting consists of main lamp and auxiliary lamp. The main light is projected downward at an angle of about 30-45 degrees, and the optical center should shine on the eyebrows or foreheads of the characters. The sub-lamp shines on the face of the person directly below the main lamp, and the illumination index of the sub-lamp is about 1-2 lower than that of the main lamp. This method of light distribution is called high and low light because it is placed one on top of the other.

Characteristics of high and low light: it is a very flexible light, which can freely control the tone level of human face (it can form the tone effect of plane light, front light and butterfly light), so it is called free light, which is the most commonly used light distribution for wedding photography and beauty photography.

Requirements for high and low light distribution:

(1), the main light can be hard light or soft light only. The auxiliary light should be kept on a vertical plane directly below the main light, and together with the main light, the tone level of the face can be controlled at will.

(2) On the other side of the high and low light, a reflector should be used to fill the light, and at the same time, contour light, background light and skylight should be used together.

(3) How to use high and low light in wedding photography;

A, in wedding photography, if two people are facing the camera or their faces are opposite, high and low lights can form the effect of two lamps' plane light, so as to illuminate the figure with positive light level. Using reflectors on both sides of the figure will enhance the plane light effect.

B, when two people's faces are facing one side, guide their faces in the direction of high and low light, let the high and low light freely control the color of their faces, and then use the reflector to fill the light on the other side of the character.

C. When two people face to one side, the lady's face can face to the high and low light side, while the man's face can be shaped with a sidelight single lamp, or a reflector can fill the light for the man. If you want to make both sides bright, you can also directly illuminate the characters with high and low light to form a plane light effect.

4. Round lights

In light distribution, a main light is arranged on one side of a person's face, then an auxiliary light (or reflector) is used to fill the shadow on the front of the person on the same side of the main light, and finally the shadow on the other side of the person's face is filled with an auxiliary light (or reflector). This kind of light distribution forms a semicircle and makes the face of the character have a soft and beautiful light and shadow effect, so it is called round light.

Circular light distribution requirements:

(1), when the auxiliary light of the annular light is supplemented by the reflector, attention should be paid to making the outer corner of the main light shine on people's faces, that is to say, making the optical center of the main light shine in front of people's eyebrows, so that the reflector can reflect more light on the face.

(2) When the auxiliary light is used for annular light, the illuminance from the main light to the last auxiliary light should be decreased in turn. And the height of the auxiliary lamp of the ring lamp can be maintained at the same height as that of the main lamp.

(3) Round light can use side light, background light and skylight.

5. Triangle lights

The purpose of light distribution is to make the main light form an inverted triangular light block under the eyelid on one side of the nose. Triangular light makes the light-receiving surface of a character's face larger than the backlight surface, so it is called Sanqi light.

Sanqi light is divided into big Sanqi light and small Sanqi light. When the lower end of the inverted triangular light block is aligned with the nose or extends through the nose to the corners of the mouth of the person, it is called the big Sanqi light, which is also called Rembrandt light. It is a kind of light commonly used by the Dutch painter Rembrandt to shape characters in his paintings, and it is also the most stereoscopic light. When the light is distributed, the main light projects a 45-degree angle to the eyebrows of the characters. When the lower end of the inverted triangular lamp block is higher than the nose, it is called a small Sanqi lamp. Small Sanqi light forms more shadows than big Sanqi light, and the projection angle of the main light on the eyebrows of the characters is less than 45 degrees.

Triangular light distribution requirements:

(1), the main light can be hard light or soft light. Strong light can make the tone clear. Soft light can make the tone soft and rich.

(2) The main light has no fixed light level, which is based on the purpose of making an inverted triangular light block. When the inverted triangular light block is facing the camera, people's faces will be very thin and have a strong three-dimensional sense.

(3) The triangular light should be equipped with auxiliary light or reflector, and the light ratio of main and auxiliary light should be controlled at around 1: 8. (4), triangle light can use background light, contour light, but not skylight.

6. Yin and Yang

When lighting, the main light is placed on the right side of a person's face, the face is illuminated at a straight angle, and the nose is taken as the center line to form a contrast effect between light and shade.

Note: the sunshine on cloudy days is not necessarily the light level of side light. Side light is only a kind of light level, and overcast light is a light and shadow effect formed on the face of a character. But when the face of the character is positive, the side light forms cloudy sunshine. Yin and Yang are the most unique lights, which are often used to express individual characters.

Shading and sunshine light distribution requirements:

(1), when the main light uses hard light and the nose of the person is used as the dividing line, dramatic and personalized effects will be obtained. If you use soft light to illuminate people, you will get an effect of too flat tone and rich layers.

(2) When a person's face slightly turns to one side, let the front of the face face the camera. Note that the yin and yang sides do not need to be full of light.

(3) The background light can be used in cloudy and sunny days, and the skylight and side light are not used. Note that the background light is generally used on the other side of the main light.

7. Left and right high side backlight

This kind of light imitates the effect of high inversion of the sun. In light distribution, the light (soft light can be used) is distributed at two light levels behind the character, illuminating the character around the side backlight. This kind of lighting produces high light on both sides of the character in a dark background. When a person's face rotates sideways to form an outline, a highlight will be formed on the outline of the face, which is called bright line effect lighting. This kind of lighting is mostly used for painting and expression of rich colors.

Left and right high side backlight distribution requirements:

(1). When representing the face shape of a person's half face or side face, the side backlight facing the face is the main light. While the side backlight on the other side acts as side light at this time. Shadows on people's faces can be properly filled with reflectors.

(2) When the face of the character is relatively straight, an auxiliary light can be added to the lighting position to fill the light for the character. You can also add a reflector on each side in front of the picture to fill the light. The camera can appropriately increase the exposure. At this time, two side backlights are used as side lights.

(3) The skylight is not used for the left and right high-side backlights, and the background light can be used as needed.