Corporate portrait
For my corporate studio portrait, I have decided to take the image of the manager (Lisa) that runs the boarding house (Mackillop House), I am currently living at. This type of image of her could be used on the house website or for promotional flyers. Mackillop house is run for young rural girls that are moving to Canberra for the first time, so it is important that the portrait I take of Lisa, portrays her as a warm, friendly, approachable person, whom runs a house where someone like myself would like to live and feel relaxed and at home.
To do this, I have researched some corporate portraits, with nice subtle lighting on the subjects faces. I want this type of lighting as it brings out the nicer side of a person, rather than the dramatic, angry personality shadows around the brows and eyes can develop.
Here are some examples:
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NIWA Photograpy, 2010, NIWA Corporate Photography, Viewed 6th December 2011, <http://www.niwaphotography.com/corporate_studio_portraits.html>. |
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Viewed 6th December 2011, <http://www.pbase.com/singapore_photography/image/86623522> |
I have done some research on some lighting set ups to achieve this kind of portrait and have come up with these:
Paramount Lighting
Paramount lighting is great light for portraits, it can sculpt the face with light. The effects of highlighting and defining features to enhance or soften the overall look will pay off in the final print.
· The key light is placed at a 45-degree angle to the subject.
· A backlight is used for separation from the background.
· A hair light is used. Not a spot, a soft box (preferably) or diffused light above the subject.
· A fill reflector is used on the dark side of the subject.
Basic Lighting Set Up
This is the most versatile of the three lighting set ups. This set up travels well and is quick and easy to set up. Many different variations can be used with this basic system. You can use a bright window for one of the lights, a white wall for the reflector, a remote for the fill or backlight. So, this set up can be modified to fit any situation either in the studio or on location. If a bulb burns out or the photographer only has one light and flash, with the proper positioning, this lighting set up can be achieved with minimal equipment. That is the beauty of this particular lighting technique.
· Subject should be about 3 to 5 feet from the background (this it to avoid shadows behind the subject.
· Main light should be at a 45 degree angle to the subject, and about 3 feet away.
· Fill light should be directly in front of the subject, but angled slightly above, this light should be about 8 feet away.
· Background light directed at the wall is used to create separation between the subject and the wall.
· Reflector, held below the subjects chin angling up to the face is used to remove any harsh shadows from around the neck and eyes.
The Lighting set up that I have chosen to use is the Basic lighting set up. This is mainly because I am looking for simple lighting, and this is an easier set up to arrange, than having to try and get the hair light right. I am also restricted to my time slot for the studio and this set up will be more quick and efficient, yet will still achieve great results!
Using lightingdiagrams.com I have constructed the following lighting diagram of the basic lighting set up, for me to refer to while working in the studio:
Couples Portrait
As soon as I read the brief for the couple’s portrait, I had the idea of what I wanted to do and who I wanted to photograph straight away!
So my idea was to photograph my best friend Hayley and her partner Eric. Both of them live back in my home town of Boorowa and since I don’t get to see them very often any more, I thought it would be nice for them to come and get a portrait together. The two of them have been together for about 4 and a half years and now have a baby on the way. I’d like to make the portrait of them a nice pre-baby couples shot.
Ideas for my portrait actually came from some portraits I’d seen of my Aunty and Uncle together at their place. The images of them were set against a black backdrop, and their dark clothing seemed to blend into the background. This then drew more attention to their faces and the emotion between them. This is what I want to achieve in my own images.
Here are some examples:
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Lenkus, L 2011, Linnea Lenkus Fine Art Portrait Studios, Viewed 6th December 2011, < http://www.linnealenkus.com/couples1.html>. |
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Lenkus, L 2011, Linnea Lenkus Fine Art Portrait Studios, Viewed 6th December 2011, |
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| Viewed 6th December 2011, |
While researching, I have found that in typical portrait photography, you only usually use one light source on the subjects face/faces. So for my portrait of the couple I will be using a softbox, placed to the right of the couple at a 45 degree angle. I will then need a reflector to get even lighting over both the subjects’ faces. The reason I’m not placing the sofbox directly in front of the couple is because there will be too much light casting onto the background and my black backdrop will no longer appear to be black.
For this shot I will then need another light source directed behind the couple, this will appear as an heir light, creating some separation between the background and the subjects. I will need to flag this light so I don’t get any unnecessary lens flair.
Here is a lighting diagram I have constructed to refer to when needed:
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