Finally got the lighting right on a portrait after 15 attempts

It clicked when I moved the virtual light source 30 degrees left, and the client said 'That's exactly the mood I wanted.' Anyone have a go-to lighting setup for digital portraits?

3 comments

3 Comments

campbell.tara1mo ago

Remember trying to get the right light for a pet portrait last month. The cat's black fur just ate all the light. Ended up using two desk lamps from the side and a piece of foil as a weird little reflector. What's the trickiest subject you've had to light?

robertgreen21d ago

Mirror finish stuff is a nightmare. Watches, chrome car trim, polished metal anything. The reflections are so sharp they show your whole setup in the shot. Had a client with a vintage motorcycle gas tank and the foil trick backfired hard because it just turned into a funhouse mirror of my living room. Had to drag it into the garage and shoot with an overcast sky through the window to kill all those crispy reflections. Still ended up cloning out my own reflection from the curve of the tank in post.

the_angela1mo ago

I always start with a 45-degree key light and a big white bounce board. That combo gives me soft shadows and catchlights every time.