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What Kind of Lighting Set Up Do You Need for Beauty Shots?

Beauty shots are a staple of the fashion and beauty industry. It is a close-up shot taken from the shoulder upwards. It focuses on the model's face, skin, makeup, hair and accessories. It can also be the close-up of a product advertised in a television commercial. Such shots are mainly used for cosmetics print advertisements or magazine editorials on cosmetics, skin care products and make-up products.

Butterfly
- Butterfly lighting is a good setup to light up the face for a great beauty shot. Celebrity photographers use a single camera and a reflector to create an angle so that the light falls directly on the face of the subject. The soft light is created using a 63 inch satin umbrella with a single 400WS strobe head. It is brought close to the subject to completely illuminate the face and eliminate any shadows from the photographer or the lens in that close position. The light is placed high on a boom so it is over the camera and pointing down directly at the subject. This type of lighting adds width to the face and adds a glow to the fully illuminated eyes.
Beauty Dish
- A beauty dish is a round, flat dish usually 18 to 36 inches in diameter and made of metal. It has a smaller opaque dish inside that reflects the light directly on the subject's face. Use a diffusion material to soften the light for a great glowing effect. This type of setup will help retain the skin texture and details. Place the dish as close to the face as possible but at a higher level, maybe a 45-degree angle. A hair light and fill light is also a part of this set up.
Clam Shell
- Use a soft box for this setup. A soft box is a shroud used to cover a light source so that the light is forced through a fabric diffuser. The inside of the box is lined with aluminum to reflect the light. The diffuser can be removed to allow direct light or an umbrella reflector can be used. Place a large soft box directly in front of the model, just above the head pointing downward at the model. A second soft is placed directly beneath the first one with the light pointing upwards. This lighting setup allows just enough space for the camera to see through.
Backlighting
- This lighting arrangement gives a pure dream-like quality to the beauty shot. The light is extremely flattering and less retouching is needed to clean up facial flaws or blemishes. Shoot in a white space with white background, white ceiling and white reflectors. The subject is seated between a white wall with a camera on the left and a movable white wall on a camera on the right. There should be some white wall in front to reflect the light. This provides even lighting to the front on the face. The strobe is aimed at the wall behind the subject. Exposure is based on the light reflected on the face.

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