Lighting Techniques for Glamour Shots
Glamour photography portrays the photo's subjects in an alluring way. Knowing how to use lighting to your advantage can be a helpful tool in this field of photography. Photographs can be taken using studio lights or natural lighting. You can apply additional lighting techniques using photo editing software. Along with knowing how to use lighting to your advantage, you will also need the correct equipment for glamour photography.
Other People Are Reading
-
Equipment
-
Having the correct equipment for glamour portraits will result in a more professional picture with better lighting. You will need a digital single-lens reflex camera, studio lights, reflectors, backdrops and props. You might also wish to find an outside setting that will provide plenty of natural lighting. A DSLR is a type of camera that, unlike smaller point-and-shoots, uses a mirror to reflect light from the lens to the optical image sensor in the back of the camera. Photo editing software, such as Photoshop, Corel, and GIMP can be used during the editing process to achieve additional lighting effects for your photo.
Techniques
-
Professional photographers often shoot from multiple angles for portraits. Depending on the setting, some angles will enhance a composition, providing a better perspective of the subject. Manipulating the lights and angle of a shot by using diffuse reflection lighting, created by using a non-light-absorbing surface to reflect light in multiple angles instead of only one, will spread light evenly throughout the frame. Direct lighting, on the other hand, will accentuate contrasts by adding shadows to the image.
-
White Balance And Lens Filters
-
White balance is a crucial element of glamour photography. Choose the white balance based on your shooting location. White balance preset options are often available for various kinds of lighting situations, including shade, clouds, daylight, fluorescent lights and tungsten lights. Lens filters are helpful for fluorescent lighting. A blue filter will counterbalance any yellow tinges produced by flourescent lighting, and a daytime filter will compensate for any green-tinted lighting that may be produced by fluorescent lights. These filters are small lens screens that can be bought separately and placed on the end of your camera lens.
Black And White Portraits
-
Glamour portraits taken in black-and-white will help to accentuate any shadows created by lighting. Use studio lights for your central lighting, your main lighting source in the shoot. You can add short lighting and broad lighting as well. These terms simply refer to the side of the face where light is reflected. Create short lighting by positioning the central light on the side of the face that is facing away from the camera. Do this by situating the model at a 45-degree angle from the camera. To create broad lighting, have the model stay in the same position, but direct the central light on the side of the face closest to the camera.
-
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
