Learn Some Studio Light Patterns to Better Light Your Models
Sometimes people think that as long as you add in some kind of light your model will photograph great. Which in cases could probably be true, but your photos could be even better. Depending on you you light your subject could change the whole vibe and meaning of a photograph. Have you ever wondered how those magazines get beautiful head shots light the whole face without an imperfection in sight? That’s called the butterfly light pattern. They get a medium to large light source that goes above their model pointing down until there’s a little butterfly-like shadow just under the nose. The Rembrandt pattern is known for being used in Hollywood especially back in the day. It’s where the shadow on the cheek not being directly lit creates a closed triangle just under their eye next their their nose. And the open loop can be hard sometimes to distinguish from the Rembrandt because it’s just a little more light to open that triangle from the Rembrandt and create a loop like shadow down the cheek curving by the mouth.
All of these studio light patterns are created by moving the light at different angles to create more of a mood or feel in your photo. Once again you don’t need to have a studio, or the lights. These light patterns are great for outside or inside and can be achieved with a speed light and a modifier to diffuse the light. I learned about these studio light patterns back in a class I took my Junior year specifically for studio lighting and revisited these techniques this week. Peter Hurley has some great videos called “Illuminating the Face” where he demonstrates these Studio Lighting Patters both in and out of the studio.
For these photos I experimented with both studio lights and speed lights on light stands. For some portraits I had a background light set up behind my model and reflectors to bounce the light for my models. I kept my shutter at 1/200 and my f stop open between f 5 and f2. Always remember to set your white balance to flash when using these kind of lights so your colors aren’t off. The first two photos demonstrate a Butterfly pattern, then an Open Loop, and a Rembrandt.
I didn’t realize my face would be here! Haha! I love your portraits Cynthia! Especially how creative you got with Kylee’s! Check out Kelsey’s lighting patterns blog post!
https://kelseyphillipsphoto.com/2017/09/26/how-to-get-eye-catching-light-patterns/
Love these shots! I like that the faces are really bright but not a harsh light, not too much, but just right. Check out Cassies website: http://cassiewagstaff.org/blog/ and mine too! http://kyleelyncreative.com/