Studio photography varies from scenic photography as the environment is completely controlled. Photographers do not have to worry about external light, thus they are able to become creative in how the subject is lit. Minimalist lighting techniques can provide a striking image, if positioned correctly.
Hard Light
Hard-light studio lighting can be done using one or two standard lights. This form of minimalist lighting does not require additional materials, and is best done with no ambient lighting, such as the sun or an overhead room light. Position your subject and turn on the light(s). Position the first light at an angle to highlight areas of the subject you wish to capture. If you wish to capture the depth of a subject's face or body, position the light so its beam is shooting down or up at the subject. This will highlight the shape of the subject. To create an abstract image, use one light and position it so it is pointing up/down on the subject at a 60-degree angle. This will create harsh shadows, which are sometimes ideal for character-type photographs.
Diffused Light
The diffused-light technique uses a single light and a photography umbrella. If you don't wish to buy a photography umbrella, spray paint the underside of a regular umbrella a metallic gold or silver. Position the light up to four feet away from the subject and place the light either in front of the subject or off to the side if you wish to highlight the left or right side of the subject. Turn on the light and manipulate the umbrella so the reflected light casts a glow onto the subject. This minimalist lighting technique is ideal to soften the features of a person or create a warm glow on a static object, such as flowers.
Silhouette
Silhouette lighting highlights the edges of a subject, and is best used to diminish the major details of a subject. Since this minimalist lighting technique doesn't place light directly on a subject, it isn't ideal for every type of photograph. To create this technique, position your subject and place a single light directly behind the subject. The placement of the light will vary according to the areas of the subject you wish to highlight. To highlight the upper edges of a subject, place the light closer to the ground and point the light beam up toward the top of the subject. To highlight the entire subject, position the light 2 to 4 feet behind the subject and point the light beam at the middle of the subject.
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