Rolando Gomez’s LIGHTING for GLAMOUR PHOTOGRAPHY Techniques for Digital Photographers Amherst Media® PUBLISHER OF PHOTOGRAPHY BOOKS Check out Amherst Media’s blogs at: http://portrait-photographer.blogspot.com/ http://weddingphotographer-amherstmedia.blogspot.com/ Copyright © 2010 by Rolando Gomez. All rights reserved. All images by the author unless otherwise noted. Published by: Amherst Media, Inc. P.O. Box 586 Buffalo, N.Y. 14226 Fax: 716-874-4508 www.AmherstMedia.com Publisher: Craig Alesse Senior Editor/Production Manager: Michelle Perkins Assistant Editor: Barbara A. Lynch-Johnt Editorial Assistance from: Sally Jarzab, John S. Loder ISBN-13: 978-1-58428-999-9 Library of Congress Control Number: 2009939767 Printed in Korea. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopied, recorded or otherwise, without prior written consent from the publisher. Notice of Disclaimer: The information contained in this book is based on the au- thor’s experience and opinions. The author and publisher will not be held liable for the use or misuse of the information in this book. CONTENTS ABOUT THE AUTHOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 PREFACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 A Growing Trend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 The Importance of Good Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 1. LIGHTING BASICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Qualities of Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Direction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Intensity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Contrast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Continuous Lights: Fluorescent and Tungsten . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Flashtubes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Ring Flash and Novelty Ring Flash Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Novelty Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Things to Consider When Purchasing a Ring Flash Unit . . . . . . . . . . .42 On-Camera Flash or Speedlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Natural Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Open Shade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Lighting Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Paramount Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Loop Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 Split Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 Rembrandt Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 Find, See, and Feel the Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 Practice Makes Perfect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 Quick Reaction Timing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 2. WHITE BALANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Custom White Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 White Balance Tricks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Color the Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Give Your Subject a Tan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76 Instant Sunsets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 3. LIGHT MODIFIERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82 The Physics of Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82 Scrims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86 White and Black Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86 Cutters, Flags, and Gobos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87 Gels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89 Softboxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90 Metal Grids, Louvers, and Honeycombs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 4 LIGHTING FOR GLAMOUR PHOTOGRAPHY Strip Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95 Octaboxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98 Umbrellas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98 Metal Reflectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100 Beauty Dish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101 How It Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102 4. METERING AND EXPOSURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104 The 90 Percent Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107 Clothing Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108 Separation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108 Adding Detail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108 Composition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108 The Sunny 16 Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109 5. SUPPLEMENTARY LIGHTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112 Rim, Hair, and Accent Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112 Kickers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115 Lighting the Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115 6. THE CALIFORNIA SUNBOUNCE WAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117 White, Silver, Gold, and Zebra Reflectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118 Black Reflectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121 In Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121 CONCLUSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122 RESOURCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123 INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125 ABOUT THE AUTHOR olando Gomez, a Lexar Elite photographer, transitioned from combat R photography to glamour and fashion photography in 1999 and still free- lances as a photojournalist. Known for his “flamour” (fashion and glamour) style of photography, he’s taught over 450 workshops and seminars in Mexico, Canada, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and the United States. He also provides private photography instruction and private glamour photography. Rolando has had photo assignments in thirty-nine countries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Texas, San Anto- nio, where he graduated summa cum laude. In 1994, he was named one of the top-five military photographers by the Department of Defense. In 2007, he conducted a three-country European tour for Calumet Photographic. A former U.S. Army Staff Sergeant, he was the personal photographer for General George A. Joulwan for four years and spent twenty-six months doc- umenting the Latin American drug war in South and Central America, for which he was awarded the Department of Defense Meritorious Service Medal (DMSM) as a buck sergeant. Rolando’s work was the subject of a September 2006 Rangefinder cover story, “Mysteries of Lighting.” He was honored as a lighting master at Photo Plus Expo in 2004, 2005, and 2006. He has written three popular books: Garage Glamour: Digital Nude and Beauty Photography Made Simple (Am- herst Media, April 2006), Rolando Gomez’s Glamour Photography: Professional Techniques and Images (Amherst Media, 2007), and Rolando Gomez’s Posing Techniques for Glamour Photography (Amherst Media, 2008). In 2009, he lectured at Photo Plus Expo on “Internet Strategies and Guer- rilla Marketing.” That same year, Rolando released his fifth photography book, Photographic Therapy: The Power of Photography to Help Build or Rebuild Self- Esteem. The book is free for download at www.freephotographybooks.com, and in the first three months after its introduction, it was downloaded over 30,000 times. Rolando lives in San Antonio and is the father of five beautiful children, in- cluding four gorgeous daughters and one handsome son. To learn more, please visit him at www.rolandogomez.net. 6 LIGHTING FOR GLAMOUR PHOTOGRAPHY PREFACE s I say in all of my books, creating a book is sometimes fun, sometimes Ahard, sometimes sad—and sometimes you just want to quit. I’ve never considered myself a quitter, but the past two years have been very difficult— not just for me but for many people and for many reasons, not just the tough economic times. ABefore I agreed to write this book, I consulted friends and family. Should I do it again? I asked. Most said yes. Some people wondered, do you have time? Still others asked, is it worth it? Obviously, with such a busy schedule, I asked for a bit of help from a good friend, photographer and filmmaker, Tom Suhler. Authors of how-to photography books stand a better chance of getting hit by lightning than making the New York Times Best Seller list. For us, writing books is obviously not about the money. I’m not sure where I find the time to take on the task, but my passion for creating images drives me to spread the gospel of photography and share information to help promote not just glam- our photography, but all forms of photography. There is no substitute for putting This book limits me in space (thank goodness!), and it’s impos- sible to put everything about photographic lighting in one book. what you read into practice. One of the world’s greatest photography schools is Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California; even they spend years teaching their photographers how to become photographers—I can’t do it in ten books, much less four. Not to mention, there is no substitute for putting what you read into practice. So get your friends, families, and loved ones in front of your camera and practice. Find a military service member or veteran and offer them free photos for their friends, family, and loved ones. The end PREFACE 7 result is, you get to practice to become a bet- ter photographer. I’ve been shooting for over thirty years, and I’m still practicing. We are all students of photography. No one ever gradu- ates from photography; they just have the op- tion to move forward another level with hard work, commitment, and passion for the craft. A GROWING TREND This is my fourth book for Amherst Media and my fifth book overall. Obviously, Am- herst Media believes in my writing and photo- graphic talents, and during these tough eco- ABOVE AND FACING PAGE—Before breaking out artificial light, I’m always nomic times, their ability to take one more looking at the natural light. If it will suffice, I will use it—especially dur- chance on me says a lot. Not many in this in- ing the later hours of the day, as in this image of Eleya in the Virgin Is- dustry give the genre of glamour photog- lands. I purposely strive for this warmer, natural-light look; notice how raphy much respect, but that’s changing due the warmth of the rocks adds to the image, matching the similar tones to the popularity it has gained through digital to the model’s skin. Asking Eleya to hike up her skirt (facing page) helps add just the right amount of sexiness to the image and also cre- photography and the advent of the Internet. ates action. (CAMERA: Canon EOS 5D fitted with a Canon 85mm f/1.2L I still remember the days when I would ap- 1 USM lens. SETTINGS: 85mm effective focal length, /200 second shutter proach a potential sponsor at an annual pho- speed, f/6.3, white balance at 6000K, ISO 100) tography trade show, only to be laughed away. Most of the photo industry executives I’d speak to would tell me how much they loved my work, but they were always concerned about the public’s views on sexily photographed women. I spent years building my name and credibility and have begun to succeed with sponsors, as I’ve shown them that the genre of glamour photography is here, has always been here, and will always be here. Many subjects enjoy glam- our photography as a form of photographic therapy—the art of helping build or rebuild a subject’s self-esteem. For more on photographic therapy, down- load my fifth photography book, Photographic Therapy: The Power of Photog- raphy to Help Build or Rebuild Self-Esteem, for free at www.freephotography books.com. THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD LIGHTING I believe that good lighting is the key to making great images. If an image is not properly lit, then the subject’s self-esteem may take a hit. My first sponsor was Dynalite. I spent three-plus years using their products for my personal and commercial photography, and it was my lighting of choice for my photog- 8 LIGHTING FOR GLAMOUR PHOTOGRAPHY LEFT—Beautiful skylines can add cool elements to an image, especially when working with low-light and at night by simply using fast, or wide aperture lenses. When I’m on loca- tion, as in this image of Eleya while at the Palms Casino, Sky Villa Pent- house suite. Super fast lenses, like my Canon 85mm lens, will create ap- pealing backgrounds when used at their widest aperture, especially with lights at night. New digital cameras today also allow for high ISO’s and low noise, or electronic grain. So I simply asked Eleya to sit on top of the retractable television and care- fully framed the image to capture the background lights while illuminating her solely with ambient room light. raphy workshops. Eventually, I was courted by Hensel lighting, a lighting sys- (CAMERA: Canon EOS 5D Mark II fitted tem comparable to Dynalite in some ways, with higher-end products too. It with a Canon 85mm f/1.2L USM lens. SETTINGS: 85mm effective focal took me three months to make the switch, and when I finally did, I realized 1 length, /80 second shutter speed, some of the things that I was missing that helped take my photography to the f/1.2, white balance at 4400K, ISO next level. Then came Broncolor and Profoto, asking me to try out their lights, 2500) and I began the journey of taking my photography to an even higher level with their help. In these ten-plus years of hosting workshops where sponsors FACING PAGE—With Elite Agency model Jenni at a higher vantage point, I was have supplied me with the tools for my attendees, I’ve learned one thing: light- able to capture her warmth (empha- ing makes the ultimate difference. It’s not about the make and model of the sized by the warm, late-day light) camera. Rather, it’s the quality of the light and the quality of the glass I’ve used and contrast it with the cool blue to capture the images with that have helped me throughout my photographic sky. Notice the direction of the light; career. it comes from the side, not from the We all start somewhere, and if I could do it all over again, I’d have saved front. This also accentuates the fact that she is looking into the empty enough money to start with the best lights, like those from Dynalite, Hensel, space I’ve left in the image. (CAMERA: Profoto, or Broncolor, instead of starting from the bottom and working my Canon EOS 5D fitted with a Canon way up. I’m sure it would have saved me a lot of heartburn over the years, and 70–200mm f/2.8L IS USM lens. SET- my photography would be even better. As photographers, we should always TINGS: 120mm effective focal length, strive to make each image better than the last, and with a great set of lights, 1/640 second shutter speed, f/5.6, it’s that much easier. white balance at 6000K, ISO 100) ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my family, friends, and loved ones who have stood by me through the years. I also want to thank fellow photographer Tom Suhler. 10 LIGHTING FOR GLAMOUR PHOTOGRAPHY