Make it Monday: Lighting Schemes

Still Image from Verosky's Three Rules of Lighting for Photography Video

In many of your courses at AiP Online, you will be asked to use tungsten lighting kits. Today we are going to watch a few tutorials that explain the basics of lighting your subjects in the studio.

I've copy and pasted four video tutorials as seen on Ed Verosky's YouTube Channel that I thought you might like to check them out. These video tutorials should be watched in the order that they appear below and may help you better understand how to light your subject in the studio.

Some of the information in the tutorials you have received from the modules in your online classrooms although it is always a good idea to hear it from a different source as well. Please click on the keywords below to activate the links for each video.

Three Rules of Lighting for Photography
One Light Portrait Setup
Using a Reflector for Fill Light
Three-Point Lighting for Portrait Photography

In the first video titled Three Rules of Lighting for Photography, you'll learn about the basic rules of light. One of the rules that Verosky discusses in the video for example, is that light always travels in straight lines - as you can see from the image above. Verosky also discusses how one could achieve soft lighting.

Still Image from Verosky's Three Rules of Lighting for Photography Video

In the second video titled One Light Portrait Setup, you'll learn how to take a compelling portrait photograph with only one light. In Verosky's example within the video, he's using a paper backdrop, a light stand, a light source and a translucent umbrella and of course, a subject. The light source that he is actually using is a flash unit and the umbrella is a shoot-through umbrella.

Still Image from Verosky's One Light Portrait Setup Video

In the third video titled Using a Reflector for Fill Light, you'll learn how to take a photograph with a key light and use a reflector as a fill light. The reflector not only "fills in" the shadows but it also reduces the contrast in the image.

Still Image from Verosky's Using a Reflector for Fill Light Video

In the fourth video titled Three-Point Lighting for Portrait Photography is a more "in depth" lesson in the sense that you'll be learning how to use more equipment to set up a successful photograph. In this video, Verosky discusses the key light, the fill light and a back light. The important thing to note about this video is that Three-Point Lighting defines the edge with a highlight, which helps to separate the subject from the background. In the image below, I'd like you to notice how the edge of her fingers have a highlight on them, which separates her from the black background.

Still Image from Verosky's Three-Point Lighting for Portrait Photography Video

Ed Verosky also has a fantastic blog that I highly recommend you look into. He has a number of interesting articles and tutorials throughout the blog. He also includes posts on contemporary photographers that you might like to see as well. To check out Verosky's blog, click here.

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