A good source for lighting ideas

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I found the book "lighting for nude photography" by Rod Ashford to be an
excellent guide for the use of lighting. Each photograph in this book is
accompanied by a layout drawing showing lights/cameras/filters/boxes used
and their placement. There are also descriptions of film and camera settings
for each photograph.

Just thought it might be a good time to mention how useful I found this
book.

Rick

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-photoforum@listserver.isc.rit.edu
[mailto:owner-photoforum@listserver.isc.rit.edu] On Behalf Of Les Baldwin
Sent: Wednesday, October 01, 2003 4:07 PM
To: List for Photo/Imaging Educators - Professionals - Students
Subject: Re: First portrait session (part deux)

Hi Greg,

Also I'd like to get further winded...

I often will look at catalogs of fashion wear and try to figure out just how
the photographer worked the lighting, camera angle,
pose and focal length. I may or may not try to dupe it exactly (usually not)
but picking apart each subtle nuance of the images are how I learned much of
my photography.

I try and look at the entire image to determine the time of day, size of the
light modifiers used and the angle the sun or light source was at, during
exposure. This to me is the most critical aspects to the image. If you can
break it all down, you can then apply some or all of the images
characteristics to your next shoot. Oddly enough many fashion style shots
are done with the camera at the models hip or even knee level. Yes it shoots
under the nose but for full length shots no one seem to care.

Images created with less than half of the person showing are elevated toward
the head and specifically the eyes. Now, in the shots you showed the eyes
were bright and had great reflections in them. Those are good things, and
you need to make sure that all of your images strive for that look. The eyes
are often the first center a viewer will see when looking for the first
time. It's natural. Eyes in shots with no highlights are perceived to be
lifeless and even cold. I have often added or subtracted the highlights in
portraits to make the image more visually pleasing. This has always been
done even by painters. Often you will find that the right lighting for the
face, is the exact wrong lighting for the eyes.  This to me is where PS
sings. I do use PS  for touchups, small scar removal and occasionally for
SFX. But I try my best to get all of the shot "in camera" as opposed to
doing it later w/ PS. Also you can shoot with the idea of using one or more
of PS's tools in a very specific manner. Lets say that the model wants to
have the gray removed in her hair or highlights added without going to the
chemical route, all of that can be done w/ PS. Portraits are not the actual
way the subject looks, but often are better than they feel. Make-up,
hairstyles, and clothing are not everyday items for most subjects, so you
have to study these and help them to make the correct decisions to look
there best.

take care

Les Baldwin



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