How To Use Light To Evoke A Feeling

How To Use Light To Evoke A Feeling

by William Lulow

Like most everything else, light has a definite psychology. Dark images are “moody” or convey a sense of mystery. Light images are usually happy and convey a sense of lightness or airy-ness! It is important to keep these things in mind whenever you start to do a portrait. You need to find out what the final “judge” of the picture wants. Portraits for websites and other publicity images need to be informational. They need to show what the person looks like, but at his or her best. Personal images, the shots that photographers usually do for themselves or their portfolios, can really be anything they like. I’ve often said that a personal portrait is more about the photographer than the subject. Many famous photographers have photographed the same subjects, yet they all look different. That’s because each photographer has a different “take” on how the subject looks and what that person has meant to them.

You have to keep the rules in mind. Publicity and advertising photographs are most often “directed” by someone other than the subject (an art director or editor, usually). So, if you want to sell those images, those are the people you need to please. If you’re doing a private commission, I would suggest finding out how the subject sees him or herself and then try to please them by making a portrait that comes close to their own self-image. If you’re doing a photograph for your own book or collection, then you are free to make whatever kind of image pleases you!

So, “light” pictures are mostly informational and must be lit accordingly. You need to fill in shadows and add highlights and keep the backgrounds light to make the image have an uplifting psychological impact. Conversely, if you’re trying to create a psychologically “down” feel, then the lighting should be shadowy, moody and the backgrounds dark.

Here is a well-lit, informational portrait designed to show the person off in the best light:

The face is well lit, highlights are present and help the face stand out from the background. The background itself is very light, giving an overall “light” quality to the portrait.

Here is more of a personal portrait, designed to call attention to one particular lighting and one part of the person’s face:

Note the black background which lends the image a more severe and introspective feeling.

Once you have been able to make these types of images consistently in your body of work, you can then try breaking these “rules” and discover what effects you can create.