The softest lighting technology in photography?

Use floodlights as the main light source. The main light is usually called the main light, and its position depends on the effect you want. But it is usually placed on the side of the main body at an angle of 45, and the horizontal position is usually two or three feet higher than the camera. The lighting effect of the main lamp is shown in figure 1 1.9.

Putting the main light on the right side of the main body at an angle of 45 with the main body is only one possible light position. Different lighting arrangements will produce different effects. Once the position of the main light is selected, the basic tone of the photo can be determined and controlled.

A main lamp can produce strong highlights and shadows. Of course, this does not mean that we only intend to use one lamp. We just want you to feel the characteristics and direction of the main light. This is also a consideration of imitating nature. There is only one main light source outside, namely the sun. The position and shadow of the highlight area of every object we see are given by the sun. Similarly, in the studio, we also use a main lamp to create highlights and shadows, so that the photos have a three-dimensional visual effect-three-dimensional. If two or more lamps with the same power are used, it will cause several shadows and bright spots, which will distract attention and cause confusion.

Step 2: Add auxiliary lights.

The main light can cast a deep shadow, and the auxiliary light is used to supplement some light and make the details of the shadow stand out. However, it is forbidden to use auxiliary lamps with power greater than or equal to that of the main lamps, so as to avoid another shadow competing with the shadow generated by the main lamps. The dominant position of the main lamp determines the basic tone of the shadow-highlight area, so the intensity of the auxiliary lamp must be weaker than that of the main lamp.

One of the reasons for adding auxiliary lights is that when shooting, shadows usually look darker in photos than the naked eye. Auxiliary lighting can make the final photo look more natural.

As mentioned above, we don't want to form a new set of shadows by using auxiliary lights. But how to avoid this situation? When we put a lamp directly next to the lens, the light will directly illuminate the subject, thus reducing the contrast in front of the subject and the depth of the shadow. It can be seen that we should put the auxiliary light as close as possible to the lens. Using auxiliary lights alone can produce a shadowless effect.

Figure11.11Light distribution effect of main lamp and auxiliary lamp.

When placing the auxiliary light, make sure that it does not cast the shadow of the camera into the picture. Let the light be higher than the camera or beside the camera. If the light is placed next to the camera, its position should be opposite to the main light.

The power of the auxiliary lamp is lower than that of the main lamp, so as not to offset the shadow caused by the main lamp. Specific practices are as follows:

1. Use low-power light bulbs. For example, if the power of the main lamp is 500 watts, then a 250-watt bulb can be used as an auxiliary lamp.

2. The auxiliary lamp should be far away from the main body. You can determine the position of the auxiliary light according to the different effects you want to create. The method is to slowly move the sub-lamp backward, observe the effect it produces when it is projected on the shape under the illumination of the main lamp, and then choose the position you are most satisfied with. Remember, the shadows in the photos are darker than those directly seen by the naked eye.

3. Put a diffusion screen or something with the same function in front of the auxiliary light (if you use a diffusion screen substitute, such as a handkerchief, make sure it won't cause a fire).

How much should the auxiliary light be weaker than the main light? It depends on the effect you want. If you need an effect with almost no shadow and contrast, you can use an auxiliary lamp with the main light intensity. On the other hand, if you want to take a photo of Gao Fancha with a deep shadow, you should use weak auxiliary light, or not at all. In most cases, you will pursue natural effects. Therefore, it is advisable to start with the auxiliary lamp with the power of 1/3 as the main lamp. The figure11.11is an example.

Step 3: Add background light.

Finally, you can add another floodlight or spotlight to illuminate the background behind the subject, so as to separate the subject from the background.

It's up to you to decide which point behind the subject the background light should be aimed at. It can illuminate the whole background or selectively illuminate a small area of the background. When placing background lights, walk around, try to use floodlights and spotlights, and carefully look at the different shades and effects produced by different background lights.

Once you master the above three-step lighting method, you can cope with the general shooting in the home studio, including portrait photography and still life photography.

Then, is it necessary to use the main light, auxiliary light and background light when shooting? Not necessarily. But you might as well go through each lighting step in your mind and test the shooting effect you want to achieve. Only by testing each lamp one by one and changing different lamp positions can you finally determine the lighting scheme that can produce the best effect you think.