In Tim Meyer’s Lighting and Portraiture workshops, students are introduced to the origins and chronology of art. Tim walks us through the evolution of styles providing examples of period artists. We are asked to consider art history and the development of technique as an opportunity to explore the elements of our own personal journey and discovery of our own artistic voice. While I would look to Tim or materials from his classes to reveal the development of contour in art, the addition of specular highlights found personal intrigue with me.
While Tim experimented with and recommended placing a light within a light, that is two lights concentric to each other, with a large and small modifier. Subsequently, each generating a circular highlight on the subjects face, large and small for the appearance of specular highlights on cheek bones, bridge of the nose, tip of the nose and chin. The larger light source creating the Portrait Lighting pattern, generally with broad highlights and the small light source creating a series of faux “specular highlights”
Having myself written a coffee table book, “Creative OCF Lighting Techniques for Photographers”, to provide examples, lighting diagrams, pull back photos and descriptive text on the use of flash illumination, positioned off camera, I recognized that in order to create a Hollywood 40’s look, I had favored relatively small light modifiers.
Hollywood 40’s lIghting Workshop at the CAF in Mesa, AZ (tap to expand)
In the example photo above, while the subject’s face is fairly small with respect to the overall image, close examination of the photo reveals specular highlights on our model’s face. Click on the photo to enlarge it and see if you can detect the specular highlights from the Main light, a 24” octagonal soft box.
Taking this approach a step further, I developed the following technique to generate a very pleasing lighting pattern, filled with lovely faux specular highlights.
As seen in the above photograph, the placement of small light sources in this configuration produces a lovely series of faux specular highlights, easily seen on our model, Tamilla Minovarova’s face. (tap to expand)
While the above photo clearly depicts the methodology of this lighting technique, as in any lighting scenario, it is of great value to carefully place the lights as shown and with a user selected aperture, measure the light sources with a light meter and then carefully examine the resulting photo on a digital screen, either one’s camera preview of a tethered device. While this pull-back photo shows our model looking straight on for lighting symmetry, the technique can withstand various angles, as will be seen.
The resulting portrait with the faux specular highlights clearly seen. (tap to expand)
As mentioned, this lighting technique has potential in non symmetrical model poses as will be see in the following photos, where additional elements have been brought into the scene.
This closeup of the final image shows that the faux specular highlights are still present. (tap to expand)
For this composite image, I photographed the antique spotlight separately and blended it in with the primary subject. Then added the smoke and light rays. (tap to expand)
While there were an array of photos taken with various outfits during this photo session, I will include another pose with the yellow dress, perhaps to follow up with additional outfits in the future to add to this post. The following image is a composite again to locate the elements, such that some additional photoshop work can be added. However, I find it to be an interesting image to include with this article.
Finding the Light in Nature - I discovered when looking through some nature scenes, that this studio based photo of Tamilla fell naturally in place with the setting depicted above for a curious composite. (tap to expand)
An interesting final image to include with this article on lighting for specular highlights in portraiture.
While the specular highlights are somewhat subdued in this photo of Tamilla, the lowering of intensity for the two backlights placed greater emphasis on the contouring of Tamilla’s facial features.
In this photo of Trinnity Williams, photographed against a solid gray roll of 107” wide background paper, a smokey backdrop is fairly easily added by cutting out the image in photoshop and adding a replica of the original image directly under the masked cutout and applying the hard Light blending mode. (tap to expand)
If the reader of this blog post will carefully examine the pictorial lighting diagram included near the top of this article, noting that clicking on the photo will enlarge it, there is the recipe for a self assignment in experimenting with this lighting technique. I also plan to create some future lighting workshops, locally in the Phoenix, AZ area as well as provide ongoing instructional workshops for the Professional Photographers of America Affiliate Guilds. I plan to incorporate three topics; Finding Your Photographic Voice (your style), Pricing for Profit (from real world experience) and a full day photographic lighting workshops. These workshops will be announced as they are planned and organized. Sincerely, David Lloyd, CPP
This photo of me was taken by my daughter, Cindy Christi in a planed photo session for her professional headshot. To test the lighting, I asked her to take a photo of me, her Dad.