Lighting is crucial when shooting fashion photography. It allows you to capture a large number of photographs and ensure absolute light consistency in exposure, color, and image quality. Setting up the studio lighting for fashion photography properly will save you a lot of time in post-production and improve the efficiency of your workflow.
3 reasons to use fashion portrait studio lighting
Photography studio lighting equipment can be divided into two types, continuous and flash. In this part, we will talk about the reasons to use continuous light for studio fashion photography.
To give subject brighter, more colorful eyes
We want to bring focus to the subject's eyes in fashion photography, and we could do so with artificial lighting. To assist bring attention to the eyes, we often use a reflection of the lighting itself in the subject's eyes.
The relation between the pupil and the iris, and how we might use this relationship to bring attention to the subject's eyes, is sometimes missed by photographers. Everyone we shoot has a black pupil that fluctuates in size based on the lighting conditions. The iris constricts or enlarges in response to the pupil's enlargement or constriction in response to the ambient brightness. This effect might be extremely obvious if the individual has brightly colored eyes. If we want to draw emphasis on the eyes, we should photograph the person with the pupil tiny and the iris big. Soft, continuous studio lighting is a good choice to create this condition.
To preview the final images in real time
Studio lighting for fashion photography of continuous type allows you to see the final photograph as you shoot with a mirrorless camera. You can see how shadows and highlights fall on the face. It will be obvious if the color temperature is not the same. If it is properly adjusted, your subject will look gorgeous regardless of how unfavorable the ambient lighting is.
This fashion portrait lighting also makes small and big changes to the setup simple. If the subject moves out of the sweet area, you will be informed, and it will be simple for you to reposition the subject or change the lighting. When the subject looks to be well illuminated, you may shoot with confidence, knowing that the resulting shot will be as lovely as the scene in front of you.
To capture natural expressions more simply
Continuous light is one of the best studio lights for fashion photography to create softer and more delicate ambiance. While the subject must mentally adjust to feel comfortable under the relative brightness, this only takes a minute, and they are then comfortable. The subject is less conscious of when you take a shot since there is no flash tube to fire when you click the shutter button. You can chat with the subject more when you utilize continuous lighting, which increases the chances of catching a real emotion.
Constant illumination also enables the rapid capture of several photographs. You can fire at will if the person is laughing or delivering a story. And it is feasible to create a constant appearance and color in your photographs regardless of the time of day or location of your shot.
Studio light setup for fashion photography: Three commonly used types
Here we will talk about the types of studio lighting for fashion photography that a photographer can work with. As a beginner, you can generally deal with two types of it. On the contrary, as you gain expertise, it becomes second nature to include additional sorts for different effects.
Modeling light for illuminating features of subjects
This is the primary light that will light up the model's features. It produces photos with a lot of contrast and drama. It is often positioned at a 45-degree angle from the camera's line of sight to the model.
If you're working with natural light for studio photography fashion like sunshine or moonlight, a side window can serve as your primary source of illumination. Position your model at an angle. To avoid direct, bright sunshine, use a white transparent curtain to disperse it.
Fill-in light for softening hard shadow
It is used as a supplement and softens the harsh shadows cast by the modeling light. This is typically half the power of the primary source and is commonly accomplished by either placing the light away from the model or lowering its power by half. It is usually placed near to the camera.
If the light source comes from the side window, your fill-in may be light reflected off almost any form of reflecting surface, as long as luminance is adequately bounced back. This manner, you can illuminate the black shadows on your model's face.
This setup is also suitable for setting up studio lighting for family portraits. And you can click the link to acquire more setup ideas.
Effects lights for more creative fashion photography outcomes
There are three basic types to work with:
- Background. This studio lighting for fashion photography defines the shape of subjects. It also emphasizes details in the background.
- Top light. Its main use is to highlight the hair and give it shape and body.
- Back Light. Typically, it is positioned behind the model to provide a rim-light on the head, face, and shoulders. Contrast this with the background one, whose primary function is to illuminate the background. Use it properly, and you will get amazing outcomes.
You may easily create more imaginative photography art if you learn more about the directions of studio lighting for fashion shoots and use it in your work by experimenting and trying out new ideas. Make careful to strategically direct light to your advantage the next time you're posing and directing models.