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How to Achieve Good Lighting in Portrait Photography

Portrait photography is the art of not only photographing people but also making them look good. One of the most important elements of high-quality portrait photography is the photographer̵7;s use of light ̵1; harsh light creates hard shadows that put too much emphasis on certain features, while soft light can produce a photograph lacking in definition. Achieving good lighting takes years of practice and an understanding of the way light interacts with your subject.

Things You'll Need

Natural light
Mannequin head
Artificial light
Reflective material

Instructions

- 1
  Set up a makeshift photo studio in a well-lit room of your home. If you do not have access to professional lighting equipment, soft light from a window can help fill in the gaps on a subject̵7;s face.
- 2
  Turn off the automatic flash on your camera. You only want light from your light sources hitting the subject, and the flash on a camera is often harsh and overly bright.
- 3
  Place a mannequin head or similar object in the portraiture area while you balance out the light. Sorting out lighting problems is easier before your subject arrives.
- 4
  Place artificial lights around the room to help soften shadows and even out the light distribution. You can use any type of light in your home, from desk lamps to floor lamps.
- 5
  Bounce light up onto the bottom of your subject̵7;s face to lessen nose and eye shadows. You can accomplish this bounce by placing a reflector just below the subject ̵1; white poster board and polystyrene make excellent makeshift reflectors.
- 6
  Position one light to lighten the hair and create highlights. Hair lights are important, especially for subjects with dark hair.
- 7
  Test your lighting setup before you start the portrait session. If everything looks good, you are ready to work with a subject. You will still need to make small adjustments, but you will be better prepared to create perfect light.

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