Useful tips

How do you set up lighting for professional headshots?

How do you set up lighting for professional headshots?

My standard setup consists of a large soft light source to the left or right of the subject, a reflector under the face, and another reflector opposite the main light source. I shoot hundreds of headshots per year using this simple setup.

What lighting works best for portraits?

One Light Portrait Lighting Patterns

  1. Diffused On-Camera Flash. The Look. A simple diffused on-camera flash works as a fill light.
  2. Bounced On-Camera Flash. The Look.
  3. Butterfly Lighting. The Look.
  4. Clamshell Lighting. The Look.
  5. Loop Lighting. The Look.
  6. One Light Rembrandt. The Look.
  7. Rim Lighting. The Look.
  8. Split Lighting. The Look.

What kind of lighting do I use for a business portrait?

The hair/rim light uses a 30 degree grid as well as the background light (play around and try some with the light off you may like the result). This diagram is what I use for most of my Female Portraits and it also works well for Business Portraits. The setup is three lights; key, hair, background and three white or silver reflectors.

What should fill light be set to for portrait photography?

If your fill light is set to the same power as your key light, then the portrait will be flat and the lighting very even. Sometimes you want this but most of the time you want a little bit of definition.

What should the lighting ratio be for a portrait?

If your key flash or strobe is at ½ power and your fill flash or strobe is at ¼ power then you have your 2:1 ratio. 1:1 lighting ratio on the left, 2:1 lighting ratio on the right. If your fill light is set to the same power as your key light, then the portrait will be flat and the lighting very even.

What’s the name of the main light source for a portrait?

Butterfly lighting (also called Paramount lighting) is named after the butterfly-shaped shadow that’s created beneath the nose. Place the main light source above and directly behind your camera, pointed down slightly on your subject.