Chapter 6: Lighting Concepts and Patterns

Congratulations — you’ve made it to the fun stuff! Now that you have a solid understanding of the technical aspects governing your Speedlite, it’s time to put all that knowledge into practice and start creating great images. You’ve learned how to control your flashes off the camera wirelessly, how to set up and work with masters, slaves, ratios, and groups, and how to dig deep into your Speedlite’s menus. So what’s missing? One word — practice! This is the entire point of the book: to get you out there creating the kind of light you’ve always wanted. In this chapter, I pull it all together by showing you practical applications for your new Speedlite know-how. Combined with details about my recommended gear, example images, and tons of lighting diagrams and behind-the-scenes shots, this chapter is your recipe guide for great lighting. Let’s get cookin’!

Concepts of Lighting

Speedlites enable you to produce professional lighting in the studio and on location in a variety of situations, such as environmental portraits, business portraits, weddings, and events. When working on location, you will often use your Speedlites in conjunction with natural light (possibly from a window, skylight, or the sun), incandescent light, fluorescent light, or some combination of the three. Location lighting can be tricky outdoors, sometimes fooling the camera’s metering system. Seeking open shade for your subject, using an overhead diffusion panel, and having multiple Speedlites to light the subject, create fill, and illuminate the background are a few of the ways to manage the challenges of exterior shooting.

Using multiple Speedlites wirelessly is the way I like to work because it offers maximum creative flexibility, portability, and convenience. The wireless E-TTL system does a great job on its own in most cases, but it also allows you creative control over the lighting output through ratio controls and Exposure Compensation. These options are essential in shooting situations where you want to able to control and fine-tune the lighting that’s been created by the E-TTL system.

Studio lighting

If you are fortunate enough to be able to set up a dedicated space for indoor photography or want to establish a studio of your own, Speedlites can help you create professional looks and styles. If you’re just starting out and experimenting with studio lighting, a living room, basement, or garage will do just fine. Creating lighting diagrams and making notes about exposure settings, flash ratios, and power levels in a small book or on a diagram creation website, such as www.sylights.com offers the advantage of quick reference and repeatable results. The more you work with your equipment, the more intuitive the process will become, and the easier it will become for you to create the light you want.

When you set up for shoots, it’s a good idea to have a plan of action, otherwise known as the concept. I like to sketch out a detailed plan of how the subject will be lit, the lighting pattern I’ll be using, and the necessary equipment, makeup, wardrobe, and props. Most importantly, I jot down a few thoughts about the intent of the image. Addressing these issues well before the shoot helps clarify the way you want the final image to look and helps the shoot day run smoothly. Developing a concept for the finished image is known as previsualizing and is a tactic used by top portrait photographers, including Annie Leibovitz and Mark Seliger. Careful planning helps create more thought-out images and gets you one step closer to achieving your goals.

When you’re planning out your photographs, keep these ideas in mind:

▶ Visual impact. The first thing to consider is how to create a photograph of your subject that has strong visual impact. You have several tools at your disposal to achieve this, such as composition, color, background, your f-stop and shutter speed selection, and lighting intensity and placement. Breaking down the shot in terms of the individual problems that need to be solved will reveal several creative solutions.

▶ Direction of light. Especially when you shoot with a mix of ambient and flash lighting, the direction of the lighting is very important. You must take into account where the ambient light is coming from and where the shadows are falling, and try to mimic that in your lighting placement. You can use reflectors and fill flash to brighten dark areas, but avoid crossed, overlapping shadows. We live in a world with only one sun, and your lighting pattern should appear natural. Overlapping shadows is a dead giveaway of poor flash use. The indoor studio relieves you of that burden and gives you complete control over the lighting, so this consideration becomes less significant.

▶ Amount of light. The terms high-key and low-key are designations photographers use to describe bright and dark lighting setups. High-key lighting is bright and evenly lit, usually with a bright background, as illustrated by Figure 6.1. Conversely, low-key lighting is dramatic, often featuring dark, shadowy areas, as demonstrated in Figure AA.1 in Appendix A.

6.1 This headshot of entrepreneur Frauka Kozar is an example of high-key lighting. Exposure: ISO 100, f/10, 1/100 second with an EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM lens.

By comparing Figures 6.1 and AA.1 in Appendix A, you can see how using high- or low-key lighting can completely change the feeling of an image.

6.2 For the lighting setup in the high-key headshot shown in Figure 6.1, I used two Canon 580EX II Speedlites, one left and one right, each fired into a Photek Softlighter II umbrella light modifier using the RadioPopper PX System for full E-TTL control. Placing the subject close to the background allowed maximum use of the two lights in the setup, lighting not only the subject but also creating a high-key background.

Portrait lighting types

Lighting patterns are described using terms like key, fill, and backlight, which address lighting placement, intensity, and the size of the light source. Familiarizing yourself with these terms will help you better understand and be more conversant in the language of light.

▶ Key. The key or main light is the dominant light source that illuminates the subject and tells the story. It can be a shaft of sunlight, a reflected light source, cloudy sunlight, or a flash.

▶ Fill. This is an additional light source directed toward or reflected back onto the subject to open up the shadow areas in an image.

▶ Backlight. This is a light source placed behind the subject (or coming from behind the subject in the case of the sun). Backlight is used to help separate subjects from backgrounds and to add edge or rim light to the subject.

6.3 In this setup, I’m using one Canon 580EX II Speedlite to light my subject, a Lastolite TripGrip diffusion panel to soften the light, and a Lastolite TripGrip gold reflector to add fill light and warmth. I’ve got a second Speedlite on the camera acting as a master in conjunction with the RadioPopper PX System; however, you could just as easily use a long E-TTL cable.

6.4 The resulting image proves that with a little know-how and the right equipment you can achieve professional-looking results. Exposure: ISO 200, f/2.8, 1/160 second with an EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM lens.

6.5 Here the gold reflector has been removed; notice the reduced warmth in the highlights of the subject’s hair. Exposure: ISO 200, f/2.8, 1/125 second with an EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM lens.

The two basic types of studio lighting techniques for making portraits are called broad and short lighting. You have probably already shot some portraits using these styles and not even thought about it. I like to try different types of portrait lighting patterns during shoots to produce a variety of images with disparate looks and feelings.

Broad lighting refers to lighting patterns where the largest portion of the subject’s face, angled toward the camera, is illuminated by the key (main) light (see Figure 6.6). Short lighting, on the other hand, is created when the key light is positioned to illuminate the side of the subject’s face that is turned away from the camera, emphasizing facial contours and slimming the face (see Figure 6.8).

Both the broad and short light example images are lit using a 43-inch Westcott Apollo Orb and one Speedlite. Notice the round catch-lights in the eyes and soft quality of the light. The catch-lights produced by octabanks are considered by some to be more natural looking and, therefore, favored over softboxes.

6.6 Model Samantha Hagle lit with broad lighting. Simply said, when most of the face is lit and facing the camera, it is called as broad lighting. This lighting pattern is not ideal for women in most cases, as it adds weight to the face. Compare this image with the short light example that follows (Figure 6.8) and you see why short light is preferred for its slimming effects on the face. Exposure: ISO 100, f/3.5, 1/60 second with an EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM lens.

6.7 Broad light diagram. With broad light, the side of face toward the camera is lit.

6.8 Short lighting illuminates the side of the subject that is turned away from the camera. Exposure: ISO 100, f/3.5, 1/60 second with an EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM lens.

6.9 Notice how the light is positioned to illuminate to side of face turned away from the camera in this short light diagram.

Broad and short lighting techniques apply outdoors as well. When you’re shooting portraits outdoors and using the sun as your main light and the Speedlite as a fill, the same techniques can be applied. Using sunlight as your main light source, positioning your subject to take advantage of these principles can produce flattering results for your outdoor portraits.

NOTE Lighting ratios represent the difference in light intensity between the shadow and highlight areas of your subject and how much detail they contain. Lighting ratios are expressed numerically, for example, 2:1, which means one side of the subject is twice as bright as the other. You use ratios when you are planning how much contrast you want in a lighting pattern. You can get very accurate measurements for lighting ratios using Speedlites in E-TTL mode. You can adjust ratios by making adjustments on the master unit for each flash or the Canon ST-E2 or ST-E3-RT transmitter.

Other lighting styles to consider include the following:

▶ Hard lighting. Hard light, also known as specular light, can be used in photographs to create contrast, drama, texture, and highlights. Typically light from an undiffused source or a source placed a good distance from the subject, it’s considered harsh, especially for portraits, because the light is strong, contains a lot of contrast, brings out skin texture, and highlights flaws.

6.10 Bare flash aimed directly at the subject produces hard and moody light. This look is great with fashion and gritty urban portraits. Exposure: ISO 100, f/2.8, 1/250 second with an EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM lens.

NOTE The farther the light source is from the subject, and the smaller it is, the harder the light will appear.

▶ Diffused/soft lighting. Soft light is more desirable when producing portraits that are meant to be flattering. Soft lighting is created by firing your Speedlite through a translucent umbrella, softbox, fabric panel, or diffusion dome over your flash head. These techniques produce a more natural-looking lighting effect with more realistic-looking skin, as shown in Figure 6.12.

▶ Bounced/angled lighting. Creating bounced or angled lighting involves aiming your Speedlite toward a white or lightly colored ceiling. Alternatively, the flash can be moved off the camera and trigged remotely, into a reflective umbrella or reflector, using the previously mentioned OCF extra-long E-TTL cord or OC-3 Off-Camera Shoe Cord. Bouncing the light off these reflective surfaces scatters it and causes the light rays to strike the subject from many different angles, producing a softer, more diffused quality of light.

6.11 Two bare Speedlites placed at opposite sides of the subject in Figure 6.10 provide key and fill light. Using the RadioPopper PX system allows me to operate wirelessly in full E-TTL mode using High-speed sync. Doing so enables me to shoot with a wide aperture. For urban location shoots like this, the Manfrotto 5001B compact light stands are fantastic.

▶ Front lighting. This is the kind of light created from a camera-mounted Speedlite or an onboard pop-up flash and is often the least flattering type of lighting. This is because front lighting from Speedlites creates flat lighting with no modeling, compresses the subject, and exacerbates any shiny areas on a subject’s skin. However, when used in the studio with large diffused light sources like a beauty dish, an octabank, or a softbox at slight to steep angles, this type of lighting can be very forgiving and provide a beautiful, glamorous look.

▶ Mixing ambient light with flash. Requiring slightly more skill to manage, photographers are often faced with situations that necessitate mixing ambient light sources in a scene with light produced by flashes. Available light can be the existing indoor ambient lighting or the naturally occurring light streaming in from a window. You may even want to preserve the warm tone of the existing ambient room light and only use flash to add fill light to the scene. Or you may want to omit the ambient light altogether and rely solely on your Speedlites.

6.13 The soft lighting in Figure 6.12 is achieved by using a very large light modifier (source) and placing it very close to the subjects.

Mood and drama

The subject can be strong and visually interesting, but you create the most mood and drama in your images with creative use of lighting where it’s all about the feel of the photograph. Hard lighting can be useful in this instance, where you may want a harder look, stronger shadows, and chiseled features. It can mimic the lighting of an urban street scene at night or full-on direct sun.

Mood and drama work in concert with your subject to establish a sense of time, place, or location in your given scene. The lighting you choose to use, whether natural or stylized, should serve a storytelling purpose for your subjects and the image. It should be a supporting element that helps create a unique image about who they are, what they do, and what their lives are about. Mood and drama are the cornerstones of successful portraiture and are driven by creative use of lighting as well as composition. Being sensitive to the role lighting plays in creating mood and drama will help take your photography to the next level and differentiate you from less skilled photographers.

6.15 The harder quality of light in Figure 6.14 was created by using a smaller source, a Westcott 3 × 4-foot softbox placed approximately 10 feet away.

Lighting patterns

Most portrait photography utilizes some variation of five foundation lighting patterns: butterfly/Paramount, loop, Rembrandt/45, split lighting, and modified split/rim lighting. You have probably used these patterns before (and definitely seen them) and just didn’t know what they were called. When planning your portraits, consider these five lighting patterns, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. I also include shadowless lighting information for situations when a modeled lighting pattern is not desired.

Butterfly/Paramount

Also referred to as Hollywood glamour style, this type of lighting is often used in model and celebrity photography. It gets its butterfly designation from the shape of the shadow that the nose casts on the upper lip. You achieve this type of lighting by positioning the main light directly above and in front of your model. Studio photographers usually use a softbox, octabank, umbrella, or beauty dish to create this look.

This lighting style is also referred to as Paramount in some circles. It was used so extensively by Paramount Studios in Hollywood’s golden age that this lighting pattern became synonymous with the studio’s name.

6.17 The lighting pattern for butterfly-style portrait lighting. In this image, I used one Canon Speedlite mounted on Mola Lumi bracket and fired into a Mola Demi beauty dish, one Speedlite for background light, and a Westcott 6-in-1 reflector (silver fabric) placed on the subject’s lap.

Loop

Probably the most commonly used lighting technique for portraits today, a minor variation of Paramount lighting, loop lighting is achieved by lowering the key light and moving it more to one side of the subject. Make sure to keep the light high enough so that the shadow cast by the nose — the loop — is at a downward angle on the shadowed side of the face yet low enough to create catch-lights in the eyes.

6.18 Loop-style portrait lighting. Exposure: ISO 100, f/11, 1/200 second with an EF 50mm f/1.2L USM lens.

In loop lighting, the fill light is positioned on the camera-subject axis. The fill light’s intensity is lower than the main so that it does not cast a shadow of its own to maintain the one-light look of the portrait. To be considered true loop lighting, the loop shadow from the nose area should not touch the shadow area on the side of the face. This is a very flattering lighting pattern used often by most photographers.

6.19 Loop-style lighting pattern. Three Speedlites were used to produce this image. The key Speedlite was placed camera right with a Sto-Fen diffuser, the fill Speedlite right next to the camera fired through a Westcott collapsible shoot-through umbrella, and the third Speedlite was behind the subject pointed toward the background to add separation.

Rembrandt/45

Rembrandt lighting is the name given to the lighting pattern used by the master painter in his studio. This was the naturally occurring lighting pattern caused by a skylight above his subjects. It’s basically broad lighting where the shadow from the nose connects with the shadow on the short side of the face, thus creating a triangle of light on that side of the face. If the nose shadow doesn’t connect with the cheek shadow, it’s not considered Rembrandt lighting, just broad lighting. The Rembrandt style is created with the key light positioned at a 45-degree angle, higher than the subject but still low enough to produce a catch-light in the eyes.

6.21 Rembrandt-style lighting pattern. Three Speedlites were used to produce Figure 6.20. The key Speedlite was placed camera right with a Sto-Fen diffuser, a fill Speedlite camera left fired through a Westcott collapsible shoot-through umbrella, and a third Speedlite behind the subject pointed toward the background to add separation.

Split lighting

Placing the main light at a 90-degree angle to the subject throws the other side of the face into deep shadow and creates mood, drama, and a bit of mystery in your portrait. This technique gives the photographer less of a canvas to work with, because half the face is in shadow, but it can add great power to a portrait. Having a little concealer make-up or powder on hand to help your subjects look their best can help lessen the amount of apparent skin texture. This type of lighting from the side shows off any texture in the light’s path and highlights any skin imperfections. Generally, this pattern is a better choice for portraits of men.

6.22 A portrait using the split lighting style. Exposure: ISO 100, f/3.5, 1/200 second with an EF 50mm f/1.2L USM lens.

6.23 Split lighting pattern. Two Speedlites were used to produce this image. The key Speedlite was placed left fired through a Westcott collapsible shoot-through umbrella and a Speedlite behind the subject with a 25-degree ExpoImaging Rogue Grid pointed toward the background to add separation and a natural vignette.

Modified split/rim lighting

This style of lighting involves adding a secondary light source, often undiffused, to the split-lighting mix to create a rim of light around the subject that separates that person from the background. In Figure 6.24, a rim light is used to create separation of Dennis’s silver hair from the background. This establishes boundaries for his head shape and provides a more three-dimensional look to the portrait. This rim light can also be fitted with a colored gel to add some contrasting or complementary color to the image, while retaining all the separating qualities created by the lights’ positions. In this case, I added a 25-degree grid to both the rim and background light. The grid on the Speedlite illuminating the background helps create separation and a natural vignette.

CROSS REF For more information on grids and gels, see Chapter 5.

6.25 Modified split/rim lighting pattern. Three Speedlites were used to produce this image. One was placed camera left and fired through a Westcott collapsible shoot-through umbrella; two were fitted with 25-degree ExpoImaging Rogue Grids and placed behind the subject. I pointed one toward the background to add separation, and I angled the other and placed it off to the right, aimed at the back of the subject’s head and shoulders to create rim light.

Shadowless

Several configurations of equipment will get you into the realm of shadowless lighting. Ring lights that encircle the lens are often used, as well as positioning light sources above and below or to the left and right of the subject’s face. Combined with setting the light output to equal ratios, shadowless lighting is very forgiving to skin tones and delivers a very clean, stylized look.

6.27 Shadowless lighting pattern. A Ray Flash Ring Flash Adapter from ExpoImaging was used to produce this image.

Using Speedlites for Outdoor Locations

Having several Speedlites to work with is great and something to work toward, but remember, just because you only have one Speedlite in your bag doesn’t mean you can’t create stunning photographs. Photographers do all the time. Although I love having as much gear with me as possible to keep my creative options open, sometimes when you’re on the road you need to travel light. Using reflective surfaces at the locations you’re shooting at to open up shadow areas or using collapsible reflectors is effectively like having that second light source you wish you had but without the expense. Position the subject to take advantage of the reflective surfaces you have at your disposal. Keep in mind that any colors that are part of the surface will also be reflected and can contribute unwanted colorcasts. Surfaces like the exterior walls of light-colored or white buildings work really well. Another approach I like when working with only one Speedlite is to use OCF Gear’s extra-long E-TTL cord. Moving the Speedlite off-camera results in greater control over the lighting angle, and connecting the Speedlite with this accessory still gives you all the advantages of flash-to-camera E-TTL communication. Using the sun as an edge or rim light and a flash as the main light is another useful technique.

Despite their small size, Speedlites deliver a solid punch of light that’s well suited for outdoor lighting. Their small size is also an asset because unlike studio strobes, you can stick them in tight spaces where larger lights wouldn’t fit and create dramatic lighting effects. In outdoor environments, ambient light becomes a major player in your lighting considerations, so you have to decide how you want to handle it.

The first approach is to use E-TTL with fully automatic camera settings and hope for the best. In some fast-breaking shooting situations, this is all you can do, but in my opinion, it should be your last resort. The next method involves using E-TTL but changing the white balance settings to accurately match the natural lighting conditions and adding a colored gel to the flash to match those dominant conditions. The third approach that is a little more creative, and the one I favor from time to time, is to shoot with manual settings, forget accurate white balance for a moment, pick a totally opposite color temperature than what’s needed for the ambient light, and add a gel to the flash to push the Speedlite back to neutral or even warmer. For example, by choosing a tungsten white balance setting when shooting outside (daylight balanced) and putting a tungsten colored gel (full CTO) on your Speedlite, you can create cool-looking images where the background goes blue but the foreground remains tungsten balanced. I discuss color temperature, white balance, and balancing for ambient light in the next section.

6.28 This image of musicians Brittanie England, Nino Angelo Joseph Bosco, and Auston S. Cowan-Bent was made using six Speedlites. Exposure: ISO 100, f/10, 1/125 second with an EF 50mm f/1.2L USM lens.

Whatever you decide, taking a Speedlite along on location shooting is smart insurance that you will get the shot, even under the worst of conditions. Because of their small size, you can quickly make many of the light-shaping tools you may need on the fly from some paper and cardboard. A wide variety of professional third-party accessories is now available for hot shoe–mounted flashes.

The advantages of using flash when making images outside include the following:

▶ Creating fill and edge light. Using a Speedlite as a fill light complements the ambient light and opens up shadowed areas, providing more information and less contrast to the viewer. It also adds nice catch-lights to the eyes that add a little sparkle and pizzazz to the images. Using your Speedlite as an edge/rim light while the dominant light (key light) in the scene is the ambient light is a great way to add separation and dimension. By reducing the flash output, with Flash Exposure Compensation (FEC) or power output adjustments in Manual mode, to levels just under the ambient light, the flash’s contribution to the scene will look natural and less apparent.

▶ Reducing contrast. Speedlites can also improve the tonal range of an outdoor portrait in high-contrast situations. Mostly, I try to avoid direct sun for shooting portraits, but when I can’t, such as during a wedding ceremony, using a Speedlite can help reduce the difference between the brightest and darkest values of the image by raising the values of the darker areas to be more in line with the darker middle tones.

▶ Creating light in the dark. You can create extremely dramatic portrait images by using the changing colors of an evening sky as your background. With your Speedlite as the main light, simply keep shooting as night falls. Watch as the city lights appear, and a whole new background palette is revealed. The shadows grow long, colors intensify, and daylight fades away. As long as there’s enough light to make focusing possible, having a Speedlite along can extend your shooting time and provide a lot of enjoyment in the process.

6.29 Here you see where the six Speedlites were placed and grouped for easy power adjustment at the camera using the RadioPopper JrX System. To get the otherworldly blue sky while keeping the subjects looking like they were from Earth, I shot the image using tungsten white balance and added a full cut of CTO (color temperature orange) gel to each Speedlite. I added 25-degree Honl Photo grids to the flashes in groups 1 and 3, aimed those at the subjects’ faces, and added Honl Photo flags to group 4 to prevent flare from these rim and edge lights.

The preflight

The day before an outdoor shoot, I test all the equipment and systems I’ll be using. I call this the preflight. Referring to my plan for the shoot, I gather all the listed gear, including Speedlites, light modifiers, brackets, light stands, radio triggers, cords and cables, gels, gaffers tape, and so on, and I set up everything as it will be used during the shoot to make sure all systems are go. I make sure the Speedlites are each set up for their respective roles as master and slave, set up channels and groups, dial in any special Custom Functions I may need, test all triggers, make sure I have all necessary brackets, and so on. Taking this extra step has saved me on more than one occasion. There are just so many little odds and ends to remember. Without setting up set and working with your gear, it can be really easy to forget that one small but essential piece. Having everything nailed down the day before and creating a solid plan for the shoot allows you to arrive confident, relaxed, and ready to go.

Remembering light theory

Without getting into a dissertation on photons and Sir Isaac Newton, the light theory I’m suggesting you remember here is simply that light goes in one direction unless diffused or broken up. Of course, you can bend light and shape it with modifiers, but the light should look consistent within the scene. Opposing lights can be used as rim lights or fill, but it should remain low enough in value so as not to confuse the viewer and create crossed shadows. You can get away with more rule-breaking in advertising and product photography than you can in documentary or photojournalist work. Keep the light as simple or dramatic as you want, but remember to pay attention to the shadows to see where they fall.

When you’re using flash, keep in mind that aperture selection controls the amount of light from the flash on the subject and shutter speed controls the light value of the ambient light in the photograph. It is critical to understand this distinction. This is how photographers control flash output and ambient light levels and select settings that make the combination look natural.

TIP Aperture controls the amount of light from the flash on the subject and shutter speed controls the amount of ambient light in the photograph.

Setting power output

With location photography, the ambient light must be carefully evaluated to determine if it is adequate to use as the main light source. The ambient light can provide a sense of the subject’s environment that helps set the prevailing scene, particularly in indoor locations. I try to make the most of ambient light and use it as the main or fill light source when possible. As a result, I use Speedlites to boost ambient light and to help define areas in the scene that are poorly lit or to create edgier light.

To this end, I use the Speedlite’s E-TTL ratio settings or manual power output controls to choose and fine-tune my light for the look I want. Adding light modifiers may absorb some of the power output, but this is no problem for E-TTL to automatically compensate for and is noted and figured into the exposure calculation. Manual flash mode may require you to boost the flash power, which is diminished slightly by modifiers. Make sure that any light modifier or gel does not cover the flash sensors.

Modifiers and Their Qualities of Light

One of the questions I’m often asked is in what situations to use various light modifiers. This is a very personal, artistic, and sometimes business-related decision; therefore, it is pretty subjective. There are some general guidelines, such as using softboxes for softer looks, octabanks for round catch-lights, beauty dishes for fashion, and so on. Lighting is all about modifiers, and as discussed earlier, the right modifier can turn an average image into something truly special. I collect them like baseball cards! Seriously, along with all the other gear you have in your arsenal, your lighting modifiers are just like the tools carried by a skilled carpenter or craftsmen. Each tool has a different purpose and produces a different result. Modifiers with white interiors produce softer results while those with silver interiors produce more specular results; larger modifiers provide a more diffuse light while those that are small yield a harder light. I thought it would be helpful to show examples of images produced with different light modifiers. The following images start with bare flash and build from the there to the very soft light of a medium softbox. Each example was produced using only one Speedlite and one modifier.

Build your collection of light modifiers slowly and take time getting to know what’s possible with each of them. Sometimes I pick out one light modifier and use it for an entire day, exploring the different kinds of light I can coax from it. Again, experiment often and have fun!

CROSS REF See Chapter 5 for more information on light modifiers.

One Light, Two Lights, Three Lights!

Whether you’ve got one light or ten, your only limit is your imagination. One light, along with a reflector or diffuser, opens up a whole world of possibilities. Add to that an extra-long E-TTL cord for off-camera flash, and the world is your oyster! In this section, I walk you through a series of one-, two-, and three-light sample images and diagrams that explain how the images were created, what gear was used, and why. I’ve included a healthy collection of one-light images because I know many people have just one light! Two-light images follow with plenty of behind-the-scenes images giving you a peek at the process. Last but not least are the three-light images; this is where things get really interesting!

One light

Don’t be discouraged if all you have is one light. One light is power; one light is magic! That lonely little light you’re holding in your hands is capable of greatness. If you have any doubts, refer back to Figures 6.3 through 6.5 right now. The following images can all be produced with one Speedlite and various modifiers. In some cases, I’ve shown examples where I’ve used two Speedlites together as one light source to get more power, quicker recycle times, and longer battery life, but they’re all possible with just one light.

Images 6.38, 6.40, and 6.42 are each examples of a technique I learned from my friend and top commercial shooter Joel Grimes. If you ever have an opportunity to take one of Joel’s workshops, do it.

6.39 Lighting diagram for Figure 6.38.

6.40 Changing the position of this one light source creates an entirely different look. Exposure: ISO 100, f/4.5, 1/250 second with an EF 50mm f/1.2L USM lens.

6.41 Lighting diagram for Figure 6.40.

6.42 Moving the light source closer and directly over the lens on camera produces this soft, fashion-oriented quality of light. Exposure: ISO 100, f/11, 1/50 second with an EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM lens.

6.43 Lighting diagram for Figure 6.42.

6.45 Lighting diagram for Figure 6.44. Here I’m using two Speedlites fired into a Westcott collapsible shoot-through umbrella. Both Speedlites and the RadioPopper PX receivers are attached to the umbrella with a Lovegrove Consulting Gemini Bracket.

6.47 Lighting diagram for Figure 6.46.

Next I’ve included two variations of split lighting using one Speedlite and various modifiers. See the split lighting section earlier in this chapter for additional examples.

6.49 Lighting diagram for Figure 6.48.

6.51 Lighting diagram for Figure 6.50.

Two lights

With two lights come two times the fun, two times the possibilities, and two times as much stuff to carry! Two-point lighting allows modeling and sculpting, the use of rim and fill light, lighting in ratios, groups, and many other options. Here are a few examples of how I’ve used two lights.

Two-point lighting is a classic way to light and one that affords many creative possibilities. In the following two light images, I explore how you can achieve multiple looks using the same lighting setup by simply changing your position, the subject’s position, or both.

6.52 Figure 6.44 shows how the sun can be used as a kicker or rim light. In this image, I’m achieving that same look by using a second Speedlite behind the subject’s head. Exposure: ISO 100, f/2.8, 1/320 second with an EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM lens.

6.53 Lighting diagram for Figure 6.52.

6.58 Behind the scenes!

6.60 Behind the scenes!

6.61 Keeping the lights exactly as they were positioned in Figure 6.60, but changing my position, I’m able to achieve another interesting quality of light. Exposure: ISO 200, f/2.8, 1/400 second with an EF 50mm f/1.2L USM lens.

6.62 Behind the scenes!

Three lights

Three times a charm? You bet! Using three lights opens up even more options to mold, sculpt, wrap, and chisel with your lights. You’ve seen some of the classic three-light setups earlier in this chapter, but now it’s time to break out and get a little crazy! The great thing is that after you’ve learned the foundation lighting patterns, you’ll be able to bust out and experiment when the mood strikes you. Lighting patterns are like recipes used in cooking: The real fun is in experimenting! You may have a kitchen disaster every now and then, but that’s half the fun.

6.63 This portrait of engineer Carrie Janello was made in the loading area of the Phoenix Theater in Petaluma, CA. I used three 580EX II Speedlites, Lastolite Strobo 25-degree grids and gels, Lovegrove Consulting MkVII brackets, Manfrotto 5001B light stands, and the RadioPopper PX system. Exposure: ISO 400, f/4.0, 1/60 second with an EF 28-70mm f/2.8L USM lens.

6.64 Lighting pattern for Figure 6.63

6.66 Lighting pattern for Figure 6.65

Practice Makes Perfect

I’ve covered a lot of exciting information about lighting in this chapter. When you’re ready, set aside time to try the following exercises to practice what you’ve learned. Reading is one thing, but doing is another. The best way I know to learn is to get out there and start lighting! You’ll be glad you did.

▶ Use your flash off camera. Pick up an extra-long E-TTL cord (see Appendix C) and start experimenting with off-camera flash. Have a model or friend sit in one place, and make photographs of them while moving your Speedlite to different positions around them. Create sidelight, backlight, and so on. Try to replicate some of what you’ve seen in this chapter.

▶ Decode it. Next time you’re looking at a magazine or movie poster or advertisement, try decoding the lighting patterns used in the images you’re looking at. The catch-lights in the eyes provide great clues!

▶ Experiment with gels and grids. Along with the Sto-Fen filter, gels and grids are very affordable light modifiers. When you can, pick up a few and start experimenting. Try aiming your Speedlite at a white wall and taking a picture without a grid and then with a grid. You’ll see how the spread of the light has narrowed considerably.

▶ Create diagrams. Sign up for a free account at www.sylights.com and start creating your own lighting diagrams and seeing those created by others. Diagrams are a terrific way to start brainstorming your ideas and keep track of what you’d like to try later.

▶ Pick one. Choose one light modifier and dedicate yourself to only working with that modifier for a day, a week, or a month. Restricting yourself like this will help you think outside the box, get to know your equipment, and help you discover new ways to use it.