Article DetailsStudio Portraits at Home |
| Date Added: January 08, 2010 11:21:42 AM |
| Author: |
| Category: Portrait Photography |
| Elaborate studios are not necessary for portraiture. In fact, very little room is required for head and shoulder portraits, and a corner of the home living room is usually more than enough space for a simple lighting and backdrop set-up.
Light sources Lighting is usually the first consideration for portraiture and often a single light source is all you’ll need. Your primary light source can be as simple as window light. The great masters of portrait painting such as Rembrandt were skilled at using window light and reflectors. Modern films and wide apertures remove the need for lengthy shutter speeds to a large degree, but the single main light source is still considered the most viable option for modern portraits. A gold or white reflector should be placed to reflect light back onto the shadow side, while still allowing for the interplay between light and shade to create shape and mood. You can use a commercially available reflector such as those made by Lastolite and Inca, or you can simply make your own using some custom wood or card. A gold/white combination is excellent as you can choose either side of the reflector, depending on whether you wish to “warm up” the skin tones or simply reflect white light back onto the subject. The reflector will usually need to be quite close to the subject if it’s to be effective. |
