Studio Setup basic

A basic starting point for metering your lights for a typical portrait:

• Take independent readings of all lights
• All the lights should read the same except for your main light
• The main light should read 1-1½ stops above the common reading
• The camera should read 1 stop above the common

In the portrait studio there are two divisions of lights:

• Ratio lights - Main and fill
• Separator lights - hair and back

Ratio lights are the lights that determine the difference between the light and shadow areas on the subject.

Main light - This is the dominant light. Its intensity should always be greater than the other lights. It is the light that will be moved and modified to produce the desired look of the portrait. It determines the direction of the shadows.

Usually in a classic portrait this light is equipped with a soft box. This is because the soft box creates a soft light, which is most flattering to your subject. It is common knowledge in photography that the bigger the light source, the softer and warmer the light appears on the subject. So move the soft box as close to the subject as possible with getting into the frame of the picture.

Be sure to watch the height of this light relative to your subject. You want to be sure that you can see the catch light in their eyes. The catch light really brings the eyes out and makes them sparkle. It is what brings life to your portrait.

Fill light - This light places an important role in the overall quality of your portrait. It is the light that determines the light to shadow ratio of your portrait. It fills in the shadows to give them detail. This light is often a bounce light, a light with a large umbrella, a soft box, or even just simply a large reflector of some sort.

The separator lights are really a matter of choice. You can use one or the other, or both. Its up to you and the vision you have for your photograph.

Back light - This light is needed to create separation between the background and the subject. This will give your portrait dimension. Without this light your photograph will look flat. It is also used to establish the tonal values of your background by adjusting the lighting intensity or even using gels. It can also provide an area of concentration on the backdrop.

The background light usually has a parabolic reflector used with barn doors, grid, snoot, or other modifiers.

Be careful when using this light because it can easily become too prominent or distracting if it is used wrong.

Hair light - this light also creates separation between the subject and the background. It is especially necessary during a low-key work. A hair light can be a soft box, or a reflector with barn doors or snoot, usually attached to the ceiling or boom above the subject. It should be place slightly behind the subject. Be sure that it is not shining light onto their nose or causing a glare in your camera.

Here is a diagram of what your studio set up will generally look like

Photo Studio Setup