How to Set Up Lighting for Fashion Photography
Fashion photography requires more than models and designer clothing; lighting is equally as important, if not more so. When you are setting up a shoot, establishing professional-quality lighting is not as difficult as you might think; it only takes a few simple lights, accessories and an idea of what to do with them.
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Things You'll Need
- Key light (fluorescent light around 2 meters long)
- Two large reflectors (umbrellas with silver underlining)
- Small backlight (smaller, warm lamp)
- White sheets
- Camera
Instructions
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Gather your equipment and place your model where you need her. Now set your key light to shine on the focal point(s) of your subject. Keep the light a minimum of 5' away from the model.
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Diffuse the key light, if it is too bright, with your reflectors. Set up the light and angle one reflector to directly hit the focal points on your model's face or body. You can create a unique lighting effect by reflecting a separate light above or beneath the model.
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Set up your backlight to appropriately separate your model from the background. This is very important if you are using a dark background and the model is wearing darker clothing. Angle the backlight directly behind the model so you create a line of light along the back of the shot.
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Hang your sheet on either the right or left side of your model and beam a light directly through the sheet. This will diffuse the light from extremely bright to a nice, warm glow, which will provide your model with a smooth appearance.
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Angle your camera to capture the best highlights and lowlights on your model. If you have a strong, dramatic key light, you will want to shoot from directly in front of the model. However, for a more artistic approach, use angles in your shooting style to capture unique highlights on the model's clothing and face.
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Tips & Warnings
The positioning of your model is extremely important to any photography shoot.
Always use warmer lights if you do not want to have a flushed-out picture.
Remember that in fashion photography, you are showcasing the clothing first, then the model.
Do not diffuse your light too much, as this can actually detract from your photograph.
