Cosmetic Lighting and Portrait Photography
Cosmetic Lighting and Portrait Photography
Overview
How many times have you heard someone say "that's a terrible photograph of me"? Alternatively, even said it yourself?
The point of cosmetic light is avoid unflattering lighting and viewpoints. Photographe Paris
Modelling and texture is a consequence of lighting. Moving the angle of illumination even closer to the subject/camera axis generally flattens modelling and reduces texture, while increasing the angle increases both.
Similarly, more directional (intense) lighting produces harder shadows, while less directional (soft) lighting diminishes them.
The following tips describe how to deal with common problems by making simple changes. Experimentation is needed to achieve ideal results.
Making faces wider or narrower
Not many individuals have perfectly symmetrical faces. As an example, one side might be slightly wider or flatter than the other. If the subject is illuminated so that the main light falls on the side that is wider, and the other side is kept in shadow, the viewer's imagination will lead them to think that the shaded side is equal to the lit side. The overall impression is going to be that this face is wider than it truly is. Conversely, if the narrower side of the face is illuminated, the viewer will think that the face is narrower than it really is. Photographe Portrait
This illusion can be varied by changing the angle of lighting, as well as the maximum effect originates from very dark shadows, since this leaves more to the viewer's imagination.
Altering eye sockets
If the subject has deep eye sockets, lowering the main light will provide more illumination, and make the eye sockets appear shallower.
Conversely, shallow eye sockets, or bulging eyes may be altered by raising the main source of light, and moving it further away from the subject/camera axis (i.e. more to the side). This needs to be done along with making the fill-in light just a little brighter, and the overall effect is a flattening from the planes from the face.
Large noses
Large noses could be de-emphasized by moving the primary light source even closer to the subject/camera axis. This can cast a nose shadow in the upper lip, instead of the cheek, so making the nose look less large. Photographe Portrait Paris
Attractive hair or baldness
Hair could be emphasized by raising the main light as well as the camera view point. The topic will need to be repositioned slightly, so they search for towards the camera. With a bald subject, this is could have the exact opposite effect and additional emphasize their baldness.
Chins
If the subject has a weak chin, get them to tilt their head back a little, which will make their chin stick out. Have the subject tilt their head forward reduce its prominence if they have a strong jaw.
Soft focus
Soft focus reduces and skin blemishes. Soft focus can be achieved by using the largest lens aperture possible (however the effect will largely be based on the capabilities of your camera lens). Briefly, larger apertures use a smaller depth of focus, so any feature beyond the focal point will be very slightly blurred. You should always focus on the eyes, but this becomes doubly important when employing any form of soft focus.
Overview
How many times have you heard someone say "that's a terrible photograph of me"? Alternatively, even said it yourself?
The point of cosmetic light is avoid unflattering lighting and viewpoints. Photographe Paris
Modelling and texture is a consequence of lighting. Moving the angle of illumination even closer to the subject/camera axis generally flattens modelling and reduces texture, while increasing the angle increases both.
Similarly, more directional (intense) lighting produces harder shadows, while less directional (soft) lighting diminishes them.
The following tips describe how to deal with common problems by making simple changes. Experimentation is needed to achieve ideal results.
Making faces wider or narrower
Not many individuals have perfectly symmetrical faces. As an example, one side might be slightly wider or flatter than the other. If the subject is illuminated so that the main light falls on the side that is wider, and the other side is kept in shadow, the viewer's imagination will lead them to think that the shaded side is equal to the lit side. The overall impression is going to be that this face is wider than it truly is. Conversely, if the narrower side of the face is illuminated, the viewer will think that the face is narrower than it really is. Photographe Portrait
This illusion can be varied by changing the angle of lighting, as well as the maximum effect originates from very dark shadows, since this leaves more to the viewer's imagination.
Altering eye sockets
If the subject has deep eye sockets, lowering the main light will provide more illumination, and make the eye sockets appear shallower.
Conversely, shallow eye sockets, or bulging eyes may be altered by raising the main source of light, and moving it further away from the subject/camera axis (i.e. more to the side). This needs to be done along with making the fill-in light just a little brighter, and the overall effect is a flattening from the planes from the face.
Large noses
Large noses could be de-emphasized by moving the primary light source even closer to the subject/camera axis. This can cast a nose shadow in the upper lip, instead of the cheek, so making the nose look less large. Photographe Portrait Paris
Attractive hair or baldness
Hair could be emphasized by raising the main light as well as the camera view point. The topic will need to be repositioned slightly, so they search for towards the camera. With a bald subject, this is could have the exact opposite effect and additional emphasize their baldness.
Chins
If the subject has a weak chin, get them to tilt their head back a little, which will make their chin stick out. Have the subject tilt their head forward reduce its prominence if they have a strong jaw.
Soft focus
Soft focus reduces and skin blemishes. Soft focus can be achieved by using the largest lens aperture possible (however the effect will largely be based on the capabilities of your camera lens). Briefly, larger apertures use a smaller depth of focus, so any feature beyond the focal point will be very slightly blurred. You should always focus on the eyes, but this becomes doubly important when employing any form of soft focus.