Lighting for Portraiture

Lighting is probably the single most important technical aspect of portraiture. Personally I would prefer to have my portrait taken by someone with a Box Brownie camera who understood lighting rather than a person with a Hasselblad who knew nothing about lighting. The word Photography mean writing or drawing with light. Successful portrait photographers study and use light to enhance their subjects.

Simple lighting techniques are invariably the most successful. One light source (the sun or white wall or a window) with one set of shadows and highlights is nearly always preferable to multiple light sources and shadows.

Controlling Contrast - the Big challenge!

Your major challenge as a portrait photographer is controlling contrast. Ideally you are aiming at a ratio of 2:1 from one side of the face to the other for colour negatives and 3:1 for black and white negatives. In other words a variation of 1 to 11/2 stops from one side to the other. In 'European' conditions, where there are more overcast skies, this is not all that difficult. However, in 'Australian' light, with direct sunlight and harsh shadows, there is a real challenge for the portrait photographer.

Modern portrait film loves low contrast scenes! Here are some techniques to reduce contrast (in priority order):

  Move into an area of open shade

  Wait for an overcast day or a passing cloud

  Shoot very early morning or very late afternoon

  Use a reflector for the shadow side of the face

  Use a diffuser between the light source and subject

  Use fill-in flash (1 to 2 stops below metered exposure)

  Use a lower contrast film

  'Overexpose' and 'underdevelop' film

  Use a graduated filter sideways

  Use a polarising filter

You can ignore all of the above if you buy a villa in the south of France!

Observation

Study the lighting on people's faces in the lounge room, cafes and classrooms. When you see lighting that enhances the subject's features analyse why - the light source, colour, intensity, sharpness or diffuseness, its direction and duration. Then make a note of where you are, the time of year and time of day. This information is valuable in terms of building up a repertoire of shooting locations. 

Three rules for portrait lighting:

Keeping it simple means using just one light source. Sometimes people get enthused with the idea of studio lighting. Studio lights can and do produce fabulous results. However, using multiple light sources before you learn to use ONE light correctly could simply be compounding the errors.

Keeping it soft means avoiding using the direct, harsh Australian sunlight. There are of course exceptions. Direct sun and sharp shadows may suit the stockman in the Kimberley or the swimmer at Cottesloe. However, the challenge becomes even greater for the photographer needs to preserve the feel for the light and at the same time ensure there is precious detail in the shadows. Cloudy, overcast conditions, very early morning or very late afternoon lend themselves to portrait lighting. To soften the harshness of the light a reflector can be used to bounce light back into the shadow area or a diffuser used between the sun and the subject to soften the light source.

One of the best sources of quality soft light is window light Window light is reliable, flattering and potentially very creative. Avoid using direct sunlight through the window. Instead, try using diffused or reflected light. In other words try to achieve minimum shadows. The window frame then becomes a giant light box. The closer you position the subject to the window, the higher the light readings, and the greater the contrast. Sit the subject on a stool and get them to turn their body and face so that the window light catches their face at different angles.

A large light-coloured wall is essentially a huge reflector. Use this wall as a light source not as a background. A wall like this used in combination with a window provides wonderful lighting opportunities.

Keeping a portrait shadowless is not always desirable however in general terms shadows should be small, soft and subtle. To achieve this, start with a soft light source, such a hazy sun. Secondly, position the light source or the subject's face so that the light source is just slightly off the head-nose axis and slightly above eye height. Study the shadow under the nose. There should be a small, almost imperceptible shadow. Avoid crossed or multiple shadows.