Subtracting light
© 2008 Melissa Rodwell Photography LLC.
One of my lighting “secrets” is subtracting light from a set. Of course, you have to know how to light if you’re going to figure out how to not light. There are a number of ways to achieve this. When I was still learning lighting, I would set up my lights in an organized fashion; key light, back light, hair light, etc. if you have a basic lighting set up, you can start there. Then it’s time to play! Start by removing the key light. How does it look? Too dark? Either turn it back on but turn it down to a lower setting. Or if you placed your key in front of your model, put it to her side. Put a soft box on a light head, then take a V flat and cover half of the box. Subtracting light, see? It’s all about taking away the light, but leaving enough there to get a good exposure. You can also leave your key in place but remove the back light or hair light. Or eye light or background light. One of the things I love to do is to over-expose my back lighting and letting that light “fill” my model. I let it wrap around her so it is actually used as a broad key light source. It’s tricky, especially in digital where you can’t blow out your whites. But it can be done.
Duvetyne? Know it. Love it. Get it. The film industry uses it by the crates, it’s used on sets to black out windows. If they have a schedule to shoot a night shot during the day, they cover the windows with duvetyne and it creates a total blacked out set. Duvetyne , when used on a small still shoot, actually absorbs light. So if you’re model is being lit on one side, you can put duvetyne on the other side of her and you will have truly split lighting. Try it with black paper or a large black flag. Put it up to someone’s face, you’ll see it gets darker where it’s reflecting. And it’s the same theory as reflectors just the polar opposite.
Or, as I mentioned before, you can also try black V flats and flags. They work wonders in subtracting light. I use flags everywhere. I use more flags than lights, actually. I flag my camera for back light flare. I flag the model. I flag the lights to subtract light. The flag is your friend.
I hate to admit this, but in my opinion most photographers over light their shoots. They use too much light and the shots become flat and boring. I know there is a tendency to do this when you’re first starting out and learning the craft. You want everything to show. It doesn’t make for an interesting picture most of the time, though. Mood and edge are created by using less light and more interesting angles.
Another thing you can try is moving your models around and away from the light. Another one of my tricks is that I will place the model about a foot in front of the key light. I then duvetyne one side of where she is standing and over expose between a stop and a stop in a half. Throw a wind machine on her, and voila! It’s a pretty interesting shot. This is how I lit Heather, the model in the picture above. I actually had her hold herself up on top of a box covered with duvetyne so we could get a lot of shadow in there. Then I moved the light about a foot behind her and over exposed about 1 stop.
Practice makes perfect and it’s hard to get it perfect until you can actually “see” the shadows lighting the models. Again, though, when you’re just starting out, light a set and then start taking away lights and test each phase. You can look at your results and start to train your eye on what works and what doesn’t work. Try it and let me know how it works for you!
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Amazing post on Subtracting Light – Thank you for your tips they are very helpful and I’m definitely going to try them on my next shoot
i work in television and film so i definitely agree that one should know how to properly shape and control light with flags and cutters and all that good stuff. one thing i wanted to ask was if you could post quick sketched diagram or maybe just a little bit more clear description on how you lit the photo above. I cannot visualize the set up for some reason. thanks!
Hi Daniel, thanks for your comment, I’m gonna be shooting next week and I’ll be filming it. I will most likely replicate this lighting for at least one of the shots, and I will explain it on the video tutorial. But Real Quick, basically the light was about 2 1/2 feet from her head, paramount style, and about 6 inches just behind the front of her face toward the back of her head.. I hope that helps, I’m a terrible draftsmen I can’t draw worth shit, hopefully the tutorial will help you. Check back.
Hey M, great tips on subracting light. I will def be trying this, now that I know my 4 light set up. I especially want to try the over powering the back light to use as a fill. You just use the back light and what other light to acheieve this? Just the back light?
Yeah, Court, mainly just the back light. You can add some light fill with foam core.
Thank you, great post. I have been wondering why my photos have been so flat and boring. Now I know. I am going to try this this weekend.
Could I also use a black reflector to block light from the models face if I placed it right next to it?
Great post! I just re-started photography after a 20 year break and have set up a mini-studio in my home. I have found in a short time that I am fighting over lighting and your statements about subtracting lighting rings very true. Now I have to figure out how to fit still more stuff in a tight space! I have found lighting a white back from behind it with multiple lights gets some really nice effects if you keep the key light from spoiling it.
To Joe, yes, you can use anything black to block light from the model’s face. Sometimes I’ve used a black flag placed right up next to her face in order to create shadow and reflect darkness on the skin.
Hope this helps!
Great stuff !Very helpfull ! Let’s the brain work.
I liked your note on overexposing the backdrop to create wrap around lighting. I use that technique often myself. I fire a couple strobes at about 45 deg into a white or studio gray backdrop, and use that as the only lighting. I love the soft glow and very gentle transitions you get from that. Almost like having a 9×9 soft box.
BTW, great blog, I’m subscribing!
Rahul
Eye of Ra Photography
http://www.eyeofraphoto.com
Indeed I plead guilty I do “overlight” my pics, and like you said
it gets boring not only for the audience but also for myself.
Had the background lights wrap the model once (as an accident)
model was standing to close to the flagged background) and I liked it indeed,maybe do this more often , but now I’m first going to focus
on letting some lights go and embrace darkness…
On addition , flags can be pretty cheap if you make them yourself
and you can have to for one : Foambord covered with black material one side , white on the other side.
Voila flag and reflection “screen” for a very sensible price
bye
Kef
Thank you for a great post. I consider myself a beginner in lighting craft and your tips are very insightful! I was experimenting with studio strobes and small flashes in outdoors setups and I find everything you say about flagging is a total true. Thanks again!
The lighting techniques that you have discussed here are awesome. Especially the idea of over exposing the back light. Very nice post. Keep it going.
Great tips!!!
Whoa! That picture is awesome. You’re really getting a cool effect. It reminds me of a shot from the that new movie “Spirit” or “Sin City.”
I heart your blog. It gives me a lot of better understanding about lighting and fashion photography. I have one question though, what’s a V Flat? English is not my first language so I’m unfamiliar to some names. Thank you.
I think i got it…
thank you…