Way back in the early nineteenth century, portraiture was born. Since the invention of the camera in 1827 portrait photography was the earliest method of capturing memories. It was seen to be the most cost effective and accessible method. Before the popularity of the camera, distinguished figures used portrait paintings as a means of capturing memories.

 

The relatively low cost of the daguerreotype in the middle of the nineteenth century led to the popularity of photography. All over the world, studios were established with some producing more than five hundred plates a day. Technical challenges of a thirty second exposure time and the aesthetic of a painting resulted in a specific style of its time.

 

Subjects were generally seated against plain backgrounds and soft lighting was lit from the light of an overhead window and whatever else could be reflected with mirrors. More creativity and freedom to discover new options was a welcomed relief when the equipment became more advanced and images could be captured with shorter exposure times.

 

So what is portrait photography? It is the capture by means of photography of the likeness of a person or a small group of people in which the face and expression is predominant. The focus of the photograph is usually the person’s face like other types of portraiture although often the background and person’s body can be included in the shot. The objective of portrait photography is to display the likeness of the subject, the mood and its personality.

 

Unlike other photography, portraits are usually produced for non professional models such as family members and friends commemorating special life moments. The uses of the photographs are intended for private and not usually displayed publically in a photographic exhibition.

 

Other portraiture such as fine art to commercial are publically displayed with images used to illustrate a company’s public profile, promotional use and even for sale in art galleries around the world.

 

The photographer has control over the lighting of the composition of the subject when portrait photographs are composed and captured in the studio. They can also adjust the direction and intensity of the lighting. There are several common lighting plans used in portrait photography:

 

This is one of the most basic lighting plans using three and sometimes four lights to model (meaning to bring out the three dimension details of the subject’s features). There are three main lights used in this plan including the key light, the fill light and the rim light.

The key light which is also called the main light is usually placed to the right of the subject’s face. It is placed between thirty and sixty degrees off centre and a little higher than eye level. This light is the brightest in the lighting plan.

The fill light fills in or softens shadows of the opposite side of the face. It is placed opposite the key light. It is about one third to one quarter of brightness compared with the key light. The lighting is expressed as a ratio of 3:1 or 4:1. When the lighting is 3:1, it is often referred to as Kodak lighting, as this was the ratio as suggested by Kodak in the early instructional books of the company’s cameras.

 

Mimicking the natural light that is created by placing the subject near a window, is the purpose of these two lighting settings. Daylight falling onto the subject is the key light and the reflection from the walls of the room is the fill light. Hundreds of classical painters and the early works of photographers showcase this lighting and is often referred to as Rembrandt lighting whereas modern photographers have chosen to add one or two lights to this lighting plan.

 

The third light in the three point lighting plan is the rim light. Sometimes called a backlight or hair light, the rim light is placed behind the subject out of picture frame and higher than the other lighting. The point of the rim light is to provide separation from the background but not as bright as the key light.

 

Another common lighting plan is butterfly lighting and this has been very popular over the past decade. Only two lights are common in this case. The key light is placed directly in front of the subject and a bit higher than the three point lighting plan. A reflector is placed below the subject’s face to provide fill light and soften shadows.

 

You would recognise the butterfly lighting style by the strong light falling on a subject’s forehead, the bridge of the nose and the upper cheeks and by the distinct shadow below the nose which looks like a butterfly. This style of lighting was a favourite of famed Hollywood portraitist George Hurrell. Sometimes this style of lighting is called Paramount after the movie studio of the same name.

 

In addition to the above main lighting plans, there are also accessory lights that enhance the photographs such as the kicker and background lights. Of course other lighting equipment such as the flash, soft box, snoots, gobos, barn doors and flags help to create softer lighting and focus the lights where the photographer wants them.

 

There are many styles and techniques of portrait photography from the facial expressions and details of the eyes and lips to the individual features of a subject such as the hands, eyes, torso or legs.

Viva Photography specialises in portrait photography and places an emphasis on capturing the subject in their most natural way.

Contact us today for more information or to make a booking.