Real scene lighting method, backlighting method, hard light single light method, flat light method, butterfly light method and top light reflection light method as well as oil painting effect single light method.
Triangular light (V-shaped light)
Triangular light is the most common lighting method used in photo studios in recent years. This kind of light is developed from the "eight-shaped light", that is, Two lights illuminate the subject at an equal distance at a 45-degree angle, and the light ratio is 1:l. Because the two lights are at 45 degrees, it is called a horoscope light. This kind of light is mainly flat light and is characterized by being bright, bright, bright, noble and warm. It is the beginning of successful wedding photography. Since this method is used by most photographers, it gives everyone a feeling of lack of personality and connotation over time. Some people call it impersonal lighting. In the late 1980s, some photographers introduced advertising shooting techniques into wedding photography. Based on the original eight-character light, a light was added from below the subject to form a triangle with the original two lights, which is called triangle lighting. Although it is also flat lighting, the eyes of the characters in the new lighting method are particularly bright, crystal clear and impactful. And when taking a double photo, the shadows on the face and neck are eliminated. Photos appear clean and crisp.
We should pay attention to the following points about triangular light. We must pay attention to the actual effect of lighting and the height of the lamp. We should place the center of the soft box facing the subject's hair, the lower part of the soft box facing the person's face, and the upper part of the light box facing the background. Because the center of the soft box emits light is the brightest, and the four sides are darker. Usually the difference between the center and the edge is 0.8 to 1 stop. Therefore, the brightest light source is used to illuminate the most light-absorbing hair, which will make the hair appear transparent and layered; the lower part of the relatively weaker softbox is used to illuminate the face, so that the light on the face and hair can be illuminated. Balanced; shining the upper part of the softbox towards the background will enhance the brightness and depth of the background. In this way, the entire lighting effect is three-dimensional, transparent and rich in layers. Under normal circumstances, the triangle light does not need to be used to light the hair. The purpose is to make the picture natural and realistic and reduce the feeling of deliberate use of light. When the position of one light is determined, another light is at the same height and illuminates the subject from the other side. The floor lamp cannot be too bright or too dim. Excessive brightness will cause the outline of the face and neck to disappear, and it will make the face and neck feel connected. If it is too dark, the meaning of the triangle light will be lost, and there will be no sense of transparency and brightness. Therefore, if the intensity of the three lights is the same, a flat light effect will be produced. We only need to change the distance of a certain light to produce a change in the light ratio.
High and low triangle light (high and low V-shaped light)
High and low triangle light is a more trendy and fashionable lighting method. It is what portrait photographers have learned through continuous practice. Developed on the basis of triangle light. The purpose is to add some layered changes on the basis of flat light. This change also caters to people's continuous innovation and change requirements.
The specific method of using high and low triangle lights is to form a vertical line between a light on the ground and a light on the ceiling track. Choose a good angle to face the subject, and the other one forms an inverted light on one side of the two lights. triangle. The third light can be moved forward, backward, raised, and lowered to meet various light ratio requirements. The two lights on the vertical line can determine their angle and position according to different face shapes and modeling requirements. Therefore, the high and low triangle lights are not only as bright and crisp as the triangle lights, but also can be rich in layers and have a strong three-dimensional effect. The key to the application of this kind of light is that the position of the high and low lights is on the same plane as the direction of the person's face. When the person's face rotates, the high and low lights will also rotate accordingly.
Surrounding triangle light (surrounding V-shaped light)
Surrounding triangle light is also called surrounding light. This form of lighting is creative and avant-garde, especially for shooting close-ups and half-length portraits. It is particularly expressive and is particularly popular among young people. The application methods of bracketed triangle light and triangle light are basically the same. The difference is that bracketed triangle light pushes the subject of the triangle light closer to form a soft box and the soft light box refracts each other to produce a light field that radiates to the character's face. The details are diluted, the eyes and mouth are highlighted, and the face appears bright and clean. If the exposure is appropriately overexposed, the contrast will increase and the effect will be more obvious. However, when the exposure is too much, all the fine layers on the person's face are removed, and the image may be different from the person's face. If the distance between the soft box and the character is increased, there will be no refraction between the light boxes, and the surrounding triangle light will become a triangle light.
High and low light
High and low light evolved from the high and low triangle light by removing the side light, becoming a vertical lighting with one high and one low. The photographer chooses the best angle according to the modeling requirements, one high and one low, and the subject is illuminated in the same direction, forming a strong contrast, and the character's transition from bright to dark is well represented. This kind of light is rich in connotation and good at expressing the personality of characters. It is often used in artistic portraits and is also used in wedding photo studios. The key to making good use of this kind of high and low light is to choose the angle. If you want to express the character's personality, you can use 120-degree side backlighting. In order to express texture and three-dimensionality, you can use 90-degree side lighting. In order to express the character's mental outlook, you can use 45-degree lighting. To make good use of high and low light, you must carefully observe the changes in the characters' expressions and feelings under high and low light. The usual change rule is that when the light box moves forward, the dark area of ??the character increases, the connotation is rich, and the imagination space increases; when the light moves backward, the light-receiving surface increases, the imagination space decreases, and the character is bright and peaceful. When the light is close to the character, the contrast is increased and the character's image is distinct. The light is far away from the characters, the tone is rich and the contrast is reduced.
Single light
Single light here refers to the lighting method in which the subject is illuminated by a single light. There are usually several ways to use single light lighting. One is to use a soft box or reflector to illuminate the character, making the subject of the character more prominent and contrasting. The other is to use a single spotlight, or use an ordinary flash and a honeycomb to project light onto the character's face to enhance the facial expression. Because the light-receiving area of ??the characters is small, the contrast is enhanced, and it is better at expressing the character's personality and emotions. The third method is to combine a single light into a large soft box, such as 2m x 3m, and use a light with a large index to illuminate the character like a wall of light, giving the feeling of natural light, and the photos taken will have low contrast. Natural and real. In this method, in addition to a main light, a background light is also added. The angles of the main light are mostly 45 degrees, 90 degrees and 120 degrees, and the height angle of the light can also be adjusted as needed.
Butterfly light
Butterfly light, also known as dish light, is a special lighting method in portrait photography. The main light is placed directly in front of the character's face, projecting onto the character's face in a 45-degree direction from top to bottom, projecting a butterfly-shaped shadow under the nose. In a sense, butterfly light is an oblique top light, and it is also a way of using front light or down light. The entire face has a large light-receiving area and small shadows. There is only a small butterfly-shaped shadow below the nose and some shadows on the lower parts of the cheeks. The strongest part of the light shines on the bridge of the person's nose, and then the light spreads to both sides, so the transition of the character's face Round, clean and bright. In wedding photography and artistic portrait photography, butterfly light can create a sense of beauty. It can be used for oval faces, especially for young women. Butterfly light can be used as a single light, or the main light can be combined with an auxiliary light. The auxiliary light is placed behind the person to outline the face and glow, creating a three-dimensional effect from the low-key background, which is more artistic.
Photography with color light sources
Photography with color light sources can bring ever-changing novel effects to our photos, create various moods and atmospheres, and create various characters.
Using color light sources, usually the subject is photographed with a single light, and the background light is used to match the entire atmosphere. The position of the single light is 45 degrees from the front of the character, slightly higher than the person's head. The light can also be moved forward and backward as required. Insert filters of different colors in front of the reflector of the lamp to create different effects. For example, orange represents nostalgia and nobility; green represents love and tranquility; light blue represents freshness, coolness and the softness of the character's skin; red represents heat and passion. Photographers can also use mixed color light sources to shoot, that is, using two lights with different color filters. It should be noted that the two kinds of light cannot cross. They hit different parts of the character respectively to produce a color contrast effect.
Application of background light in wedding photography
1. Parallel background light. Place a light on the left and right behind the character to illuminate the background, so that the background produces a relatively bright and uniform light effect. This kind of lighting is suitable for taking photos with bright effects. The method of use is to illuminate the background light at a 45-degree angle behind the character. The farther the light is from the background, the more even the light will be. The height of the lamp is similar to the position of the character's head.
2. Center background light. This lighting method is the most commonly used background light source in modern portrait photography. It can highlight the theme and express a three-dimensional effect. The lighting method is to place a lamp behind the character and shine it towards the background. The light will spread from the center to the surroundings, creating a glowing effect. The subject will be highlighted by the background light. Place the height of the light in the middle of the subject. If it is not convenient to place the background light behind the character, you can add a honeycomb to the light to shine from the side to the background.
3. Directional background light. Shoot the light from one side to the background to generate a directional light source, which is suitable for the creative needs of the environment and atmosphere. For example, shoot works that are nostalgic and express the strong personality of characters.
4. Outline background light. The light shines on the character from behind, creating an outline of the character. This kind of background light source can show characters three-dimensionally, with strong visual impact. It can also be used with other background lights at the same time to produce a harmonious picture effect.
5. Transmit background light. Place the light source behind the background cloth or artificial background to transmit the light to produce various light effects, especially suitable for small photo studios.
The above various background lights can create better picture effects according to the content requirements of the photo. However, it should be noted that different color filters have different light blocking rates, and the brightness or exposure of the light must be appropriately increased. .