Alright, so I’m quite interested in photography… and I want to know how you achieve lighting which results into a photo such as this one:
http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd226/anku1st/Untitled.jpg
Because I want to try it out…
Sit about 3-5 feet from a North facing window. Put a large black cloth behind you, at least 5 feet from you, if you can.
Set your camera on a tripod, grab your ice cream lid, set your aperture to 5.6 or 8, set the focus, set timer, and BAM, self-portrait.
If you have to dark a shadow on the left side of your face, place a white sheet or reflector just out of frame on that side, face high. Shadow’s gone.
4 Responses to “How can I achieve this lighting in photography?”
sit next to a small window that has a light colored window sill at the bottom so that in your example pic it is to your left. The eyes are like mirrors. They will reflect all things bright in front of them, making them stand out if they happen to be physically sitting in a darker area.
References :
try a lower wattage amber light to the side. You may have to move it around a few times to get that feel. make sure there are no other light sources coming in… use black drapes or a very dark room with no windows to do this in.
References :
took some courses in photography in art school
The window lighting is a good idea. It crate nice soft natural shadows.
Avoid using the flash, or try to reduce the effect. Flash often dominates the picture and you can’t see other sources of light.
One thing I have tried is putting a note card to block the flash. You can try note card or something like scotch or glade wrap over the flash to reduce the intensity, as well as play with the settings.
Another good idea is to have a mirror opposite the window. It would create a nice feel light, and make the shadows nicer and less drastic.
Some rim lighting ( or weak like source opposite the camera and behind the subject) is a good way to separate the subject from the background.
Also this kind of picture would work best on a cloudy or better yet foggy day. Foggy days are best for outdoor as well as window shooting. Just make sure you pick the right setting and use a tripod because this is a low light situation.
You can also use bracketing, where you take pictures at ,bellow and above a set light value. So some pictures are darker and other is lighter
you may want to read on
3 point lighting
bracketing
low light photography
http://www.mediacollege.com/lighting/three-point/
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/.....bject.html
http://photo.net/learn/portraits/
References :
Sit about 3-5 feet from a North facing window. Put a large black cloth behind you, at least 5 feet from you, if you can.
Set your camera on a tripod, grab your ice cream lid, set your aperture to 5.6 or 8, set the focus, set timer, and BAM, self-portrait.
If you have to dark a shadow on the left side of your face, place a white sheet or reflector just out of frame on that side, face high. Shadow’s gone.
References :
Freelance photographer.