Learning Center
Lighting

Have you ever wondered, “What would it take to visually enhance the quality of my images?”  Well, certainly starting off with enough mega-pixels to create the size output you desire is an important first step.  Then, using a high quality lens is more important than many realize.  Tamron’s high quality range including the “Di” series is a great example of that.  Lastly, following some basic principles of composition and having impeccable timing can create great looking shots that will satisfy most customers.

I have tested Tamron lenses against “name brand” lenses and have proven to myself and others that I can save money or have a wider lens selection without compromising image quality by shooting with Tamron glass.  In fact, in my tests, the Tamron lenses proved superior to the “name brand” lenses I was using before.

But alas, these steps alone do not visually distinguish the pictures taken by amateurs with fancy cameras from the professional images we want to sell [for a lot of money].  So, we must consider the media: Photography is the capture of light, on film or digitally.  If we want to create an image that looks better than what is already there we must control, add to or modify the lighting.  While some of this can be done in the camera or with an “on camera” flash, typically it will require a little more effort than that to create images that are clearly better than average or good.

All of these shots were taken with a Nikon D-100 at 200ASA using a Tamron SP AF28-75mm Di F/2.8 lens.  I used the 75mm setting and stood about 10 feet away.  Please excuse the [not so dynamic] poses; I wanted something easy for the model to maintain while I changed the lighting in order to show you these examples.

In the first example a shoe mount Nikon flash was used.  Due to low ambient light conditions and limited flash power, I shot at f-4 at 1/60th second (hand held) with the SB flash also set at f-4.  Not only does the subject seem flat but you can also clearly see the side shadow created when shooting in a portrait orientation.  Note the blue color shift with an on camera flash while using daylight color setting in the camera.  Using the same settings on the camera the second shot is illuminated by a Lumedyne Head on a Justrite™ camera bracket about 8 inches above the lens.  This creates more dimension with subtle shadows under her features.  Also, the parabolic reflector sends much more light outside of the field of view that bounces back on the subject from different angles off of the ceiling above and the wall to the side.  Using a soft diffuser on the shoe mount flash would help to imitate this but with very limited power available.  Using a diffuser globe on the Lumedyne Head would create even softer lighting effects.

The third shot indoors illustrates just one of many possibilities when using a Lumedyne Head off camera with a small umbrella on a lightstand just an arm’s reach away from the camera.  Note that there is now much more dimension and a softer transition of highlight to shadow.  Using a large light modifier or softbox is also possible and the options are nearly unlimited.  The fourth inside shot shows one example of adding a second Head (bare bulb on the floor behind the model) to the same Lumedyne Signature Series Power Pack.

Once you go outside you have to consider how bright the sun is and how bright you want the ambient light.  For these shots I wanted rich colors (not washed out “high key”) in the background so I chose f-16 at 1/160th second.  The first of these shots is fill flashed with the shoe mount flash set to match f-16.  There is a notable difference between the color of the natural light and the shoe mount flash.  The second shot is fill flashed using the Lumedyne Head with a small umbrella off camera.  Note that this way, you can get a better blend of light from the larger light source and you can choose where the light is best placed for each different situation. 

Lastly the third outdoor image uses the second Lumedyne Head from the same Lumedyne Power Pack with its reflector on a lightstand behind the model to create more depth and better separation between the model and the background.  In this case there is only one direction to shoot towards due to the background and I could not come back when the sun was at a better angle so it was fortunate that the 400ws Lumedyne was bright enough to compete with direct Florida 3pm sun on half of her face while using a Westcott™ umbrella and splitting the power between two heads.

In many cases, photographers will blend these techniques by using a small on camera flash only as a fill light and using a more powerful portable flash like a Lumedyne off camera with a light modifier as the main light.  This technique is as useful in candid situations like weddings as it is on a location portrait.

If you are shooting digital it is easy to confirm your exposures as you’re shooting by previewing the images rather than using a light/flash meter before the shot.  This is incredibly valuable as it allows you to adjust for changing light conditions or to try new set-ups on the fly.  By using off camera light to create dimension and using light modifiers to soften the edges of the shadows we can create images that look more natural or more dynamic than any on camera flash.  In either case, such images can clearly be distinguished from the normal pictures taken by automated cameras.

Lastly, I will point out that part of the perception of your work happens before your customer ever sees your pictures.  If you are using a professional digital camera your customer may not notice the difference between that and “Uncle Bob’s” digital camera.  However when you use professional portable lights while your working on location, your customer will see you using tools that look like studio flashes.  Plus, they will appreciate your efforts even more when they see the results.