Crain - Lighting for People Photography

Second Edition

Stephen Crain

A MHERST M EDIA , I NC . A MHERST , N EW Y ORK

Copyright 2000 by Stephen Crain

All rights reserved.

Published by:

Amherst Media, Inc.

P.O. Box 586

Amherst, NY 14226

Fax: 716-874-4508

Publisher: Craig Alessc
Senior Editor/Production Manager: Michelle Perkins
Editor/Designer: Richard Lynch
Associate Editor: Frances J. Hagen
Copy Editor: Ellen Bumbar
Editorial Assistant/Illustration:Amanda Egner
Editorial Consultant: Dan Schwartz, J.D., Ph.D.
All photos by: Stephen Crain

ISBN: 1-58428-016-6
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 96-84426

Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopied, recorded, or otherwise, without prior written consent from the publisher.

Notice of disclaimer:The information contained in this book is based on the authors experience and opinions.The author and publisher will not be held liable for the use or misuse of the information in this book.

Acknowledgment:This book is dedicated to my wife and daughter who tolerated hour after month after year of writing and rewriting without nary a whimper, and to my parents who gave me the ability and desire to achieve and pursue that which I love. I also want to thank all the teachers I ever had, from the beginning through college and graduate school, without whose wisdom and guidance I might not have had the self assurance and tenaciousness necessary to complete this project. I would like to thank the advisors who assisted me Mr. Robert Smith, Mr. Jim Harmon, and Mr.Tony Corbell. These gentlemen provided moral, professional, and educational assistance before, during, and after this project. Support such as this is hard to find and comes from a selfless desire to educate. These men are truly teachers in every sense of the word. Thank you all.

C HAPTER O NE
Color Temperature

C HAPTER T WO
Light Intensity

C HAPTER T HREE
Direction of Light

C HAPTER F OUR
Quality of Light

C HAPTER F IVE
Controlling Strobe Lighting

C HAPTER S IX
Controlling Natural Light

C HAPTER S EVEN
Controlling Synchro-Sun Lighting

In the early days of photography most work was done with existing natural light because there was almost no use of artificial light. Just as a painter created mood by his careful use of light and shadow, the photographer had to control his use of light and shadow to convey mood, define shape, and examine texture. One major difference was that the painter had an almost infinite amount of time to reproduce or change a painting, while the photographer had to capture an image in a split second.

The purpose of this book is to expose the secrets of photographic lighting.

Photographers often spend too little time learning to understand light, the key element of photography. The purpose of this book is to expose the secrets of photographic lighting. After learning to light for people photography, you will have the information you need to control and modify lighting in almost any situation. When lighting becomes second nature, the photographer can spend more time being creative. The result will be better photos, less time spent re-shooting, and greater success capturing photo opportunities.

Use this book to master natural and strobe lighting. This is important for the professional or serious amateur who must make every situation look great, even under changing conditions.

The text is divided into two sections. Section One explains the principles of light, and Section Two shows how to control the principles. Examples and illustrations demonstrate set-ups and show the results.

By learning how to use and manipulate studio, flash and available light, the photographer will learn how to adapt to a variety of situations and get consistent results.

Take notes during exercises to help evaluate the results. Write down the number of the frame and pertinent lighting, set-up, and equipment information.

Slide film is suggested for all of the exercises in this book since it is processed without regard to individual frame exposure or color balance. Color prints, on the Lighting For People Photography other hand, may be individually altered in processing, and this will affect accuracy in testing.

The exercises found at the end of each chapter are designed to help readers practice the techniques theyll need to remember. It also allows the reader to be sure he or she understands the concepts before moving on to the next chapter.

Each exercise lists the supplies youll need and provides step-by-step instructions. Approach each exercise as you would an actual shoot, and bracket your shots using different apertures and shutter speeds.

Take detailed notes during the exercises. The notes should include rough diagrams of the lighting set up which you can use to help evaluate the results. Since you might make many exposures for any one exercise, it is important to make notes so that you dont forget important details of the setups.