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Need help with lighting set up

	sisters Lori McCoy
	Easter Lori McCoy

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March 22, 2006

The opposite is known as a “spot” which produces light rays originating from approximately the same angle. The “spot” generates both highlights and shadows. The shadows are intensely dark so photographers are generally forced to soften them with a second light known as a “fill”.

A print is a two dimensional representation of a three dimensional object. To create an illusion of dimension, the print must contain both highlights and shadows. The lamp position stems from our view of traditional oil paintings that generally show a scene illumined by a high sun. Keep in mind that bright artificial lights are fairly new from a historical perspective.

You obtain control over light and shadow by adjusting the lighting ratio of the frontal face as measure against the facial shadows. Generally you need two lights. A “main” placed high and off to the side. A “fill” placed on or near an imaginary line drawn between camera lens and subject. This “fill” placement insures that the “fill” is handling shadows from the camera’s prospective. The “fill” intensity is adjusted subordinate to the “main”. This establishes the one light source illusion.

Setting the “fill” one f-stop dimmer than the “main”, produces a ratio, highlight to shadow, that will be 3:1. This is the ideal ratio for portraiture. Setting the “fill” two f-stops dimmer than the “main”, the ratio becomes 5:1 which is somewhat harsh. Setting the “fill” three f-stops dimmer than the “main” the ratio is 9:1 which is theatrical.

For correct exposure, expose for the shadows; i.e. take your readings with the “main” turned off.

Now to control the shade/intensity of the background, you must light the background independently. Use of a background light is the basic thee light setup. As you learn to control the background lighting intensity you will be able to cause a white background to reproduce as white or gray or dark gray just by adjusting the intensity of the background light. Setting the background light intensity one f-stop brighter than the “main” will produce middle gray.

An easy way to adjust the intensity of a lamp is to move it further or closer. Measure lamp to subject distance, multiply this distance by 1.4. Use this answer as a revised lamp to subject distance. Each time you multiply by 1.4 you are calculating a new distance that causes a 1 stop intensity reduction. Conversely multiplying by .707 calculates a new distance that is 1 stop brighter.

Alan Marcus

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March 23, 2006

	LORI"S Debby A. Tabb

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March 23, 2006