Master Lighting Guide for Wedding Photographers.pdf

MASTER

LIGHTING

GUIDE

for Wedding

Photographers

BILL HURTER

Amherst Media ®

PUBLISHER OF PHOTOGRAPHY BOOKS

DEDICATION

The first book I wrote for Amherst Media, Portrait Photographer’s Handbook, was, by far, the hardest. Every word had to be per-

fect. Since my job as an editor prevents me from shooting day to day, I wondered how I could ever illustrate such a book with

great photographs by great photographers. The answer came in the form of a pep talk from Monte Zucker, who died during the

preparation of this, my twentieth book for Amherst Media.

Monte told me that any image he ever made was mine to use if it would help the project. Furthermore, he gave me the for-

mula I needed to entice other world-class photographers to participate in my book projects. With predictable confidence and total

self-assurance, he “guaranteed” others would follow and the ones who didn’t want to participate I’d be able to count on one hand.

He was, of course, right. It was just one more instance of Monte reaching out to help a colleague succeed. That’s what he did

and what he was best at. Without the need for personal acclaim, he has helped innumerable people like myself by giving a part of

himself to help them succeed.

I dedicate this book to my dear friend and mentor, Monte Zucker, without whom, so many of us would have, perhaps, never

found the magic.

Front cover photograph by Mauricio Donelli.

Back cover photograph by Michael Costa.

Published by:

Amherst Media, Inc.

P.O. Box 586

Buffalo, N.Y. 14226

Fax: 716-874-4508

www.AmherstMedia.com

Publisher: Craig Alesse

Senior Editor/Production Manager: Michelle Perkins

Assistant Editor: Barbara A. Lynch-Johnt

Editorial Assistance from: Carey A. Maines

ISBN-13: 978-1-58428-219-8

Library of Congress Control Number: 2007926867

Printed in Korea.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechani-

cal, photocopied, recorded or otherwise, without prior written consent from the publisher.

Notice of Disclaimer: The information contained in this book is based on the author’s experience and opinions. The au-

thor and publisher will not be held liable for the use or misuse of the information in this book.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. ALL ABOUT LIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Simplicity is Essential . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Light is Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Photons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

The Behavior of Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Refraction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Absorption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

The Intensity of Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

The Color of Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Achieving Color Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

2. LIGHTING BASICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Two Primary Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Key Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Fill Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Size of the Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Lighting Ratios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Determining Lighting Ratios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Lighting Ratios and Their Unique Personalities . .19

Metering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

3. CONTROLLING STUDIO LIGHTS IN THE FIELD . . . . .24

Studio Strobe Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Monolights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Power-Pack Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Types of Strobes and Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Barebulb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Barn Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Diffusers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Flats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Gobos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Grid Spots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Reflectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Parabolic Reflectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Scrims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Snoots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Softboxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

Spotlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Umbrellas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

The Perfect Fill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

TABLE OF CONTENTS 3

Fill-Light Distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

Multiple Catchlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

Setting the Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

Background Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

Hair Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Fill Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Key Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

5. INDOOR LIGHTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Continuous vs. Instantaneous Light Sources . . . . . .51

How to Light Wedding Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Types of Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Even Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

Light Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

Feathering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

Window Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

Advantages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

Challenges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

Direction and Time of Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

Subject Placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

Metering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60

White Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60

Fill Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60

Diffusion Window Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62

Mastering One Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

Handheld Video Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

Diffused Straight Flash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65

Bounce Flash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65

Multiple Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

Remote Triggering Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

Reflected Light Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Specular Highlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Diffused Highlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Shadow Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Shadow Edge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

4. BASIC PORTRAIT LIGHTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Basic Portrait Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Key and Fill Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Hair Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Kicker Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Broad and Short Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Five Basic Portrait-Lighting Setups . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Paramount Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Loop Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Rembrandt Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Split Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Profile Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

The FIner Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

Overlighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

Key-Light Distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

6. OUTDOOR LIGHTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

Finding the Right Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69

Shade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69

Working at Midday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70

Low-Angle Sunlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72

Reflectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73

Positioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74

Natural Reflectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

Fuzzy Duenkel: Multi-Purpose Reflectors . . . . . .75

Subtractive Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

Too-Diffuse Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

Overhead Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76

Diffusion Screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76

4 MASTER LIGHTING GUIDE FOR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS

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