How To Build A Lighting Arrangement (UPDATE)
by William Lulow
Many photographers will use all the lights that they have for every shot they do. This is certainly not necessary and often it dilutes the message of the image. You don’t have to use every piece of equipment you have just because you have it! I always begin with one light and then add extra lights if the shot calls for it. If I decide on a certain type of lighting from my analysis of the subject and my answers to the questions about the type of photograph I intend to make are finalized, I proceed to build a lighting arrangement step by step.
First, I start with the main light. I place it usually in the Hollywood position. The main light is also usually one single strobe head bounced into an umbrella to create a diffused lighting effect. I then add the fill-in light. This light is placed very near the camera, on the opposite side as the main light and below the lens. This light and its placement serves to reduce all shadows and completely light the face. If more shadow definition is desired, I reduce the intensity of the fill-in light or eliminate it altogether. After I have achieved the look I want on the face, I then add my background light. If I want a white or light background, I will light it evenly from both sides with two strobe heads each bounced into small umbrellas. If I want a pure white background, I will make sure that the light on it is one stop brighter than that from the main light. If I am shooting in black&white and I want a darker background, I can simply turn off my background lights and let the white background go gray. Depending on subject-to-background distance, I sometimes gobo the main light so that I can control the shade of gray on the background. In color, however, this is a more complicated matter. If a gray background is desired, one must use a gray no-seam paper and light it evenly from both sides. Otherwise the gray paper may not reproduce well in color. Due to the distance between the subject and the gray background, the light fall-off from the main and fill-in lights will produce a color shift due to underexposure. Usually this makes the background reproduce an ugly greenish color. After the background lights are added, the next step is to add accent light to the overall scheme. Accent lights can be hair lights, edge lights, or halo lights depending on what the shot demands. Usually, for elderly men, an edge light produces an effective accent. For women, especially those with dark hair, a good hair light often serves to lighten the look of the picture and to make the person “stand out” from the background. One must experiment with all the types of accent lights to arrive at a scheme that expresses one’s own individual style.
The best idea is to start simple with one light and add lights only as they are necessary. You would be surprised at the visual effects you can achieve with one light bounced into a large umbrella reflector. As has been stated previously, the photographer must have clearly in mind the type of photograph he or she intends to make before beginning to set up lights. Then, the process will proceed logically and one will be able to exert control over the lighting. It is important to note for the sake of good composition, that the lighting scheme you set up should capture the viewer’s imagination as well as his or her eye. Since we read or scan printed material from left to right, highlights, (which are always attended to first in a photograph), should be arranged so that our eye hits them first. In other words, the lighting arrangement should add to the overall composition of the picture in such a way as to make the visual impression as strong as possible.
Here’s a diagram of how I set up lights in my studio for a portrait or headshot:
Here’s the result of this particular setup:
Now it’s important to note that several factors determine how many lights you will use. It’s not the same for every shot you will do. The main factors that dictate your choice of lights are:
- The type of subject. Man, woman, child or family. What do they look like?
- The overall mood necessary for the photograph. High key, low key, dramatic or informational.
- How many lights you have in all. If you only have three lights, you obviously can’t make a five-light setup.
- What color background do you need? To render a background a specific color, it needs to be lit separately.
- How much studio space do you have? Sometimes, if your space is limited, the number of lights you can use is limited as well.
Again, always start with a MAIN LIGHT which will dictate the overall look of the photograph. Then add other lights to make the subject stand out from the background and just “shine.”
