Lights, Camera... Nude!: A Guide to Lighting the Female Nude for Photography Read Online Free PDF Page A

striking composition can be achieved with lights from above, and the side, and with less fill light. Again, when photographing the nude, use only the minimum number of lights you need.
     
    The more frontal and/or diffused your light is, the more flat the model will appear, and the shadows will disappear. If a large diffused light is moved overhead, it begins to simulate the effect of natural daylight, showing your model as we are accustomed to seeing.
     
    With side lighting and direct (undiffused) lighting, your model becomes more three-dimensional, and harder shadows begin to define the subtle curves of muscles and roundness of limbs. Side lighting also evokes a mood of late afternoon or early evening depending on the angle and quality of the light. Side lighting is normally more dramatic and is thus regularly used in lighting nudes.
     
    Your background also helps you to sculpt with light. Darker backgrounds allow you to merge the unlit side of your model into the darkness without excessive fill light.
     
    With a single gridded light, the figure emerges from shadow. The lights reveal the edges of the torso, while the feet recede into the darkness.
     
    The model’s face in this image is in shadow. The light on her front is controlled by a grid, and the light behind her only barely lights her profile.
     
    Model Zone: The model’s movement zone is exact due to the limited output angle of the grid on the strobe spotlighting her derrière. Her leg hides the monolight and light stand providing the backlight.
     

     
     
     
    Photo 39: Sculpt with light
     
    Model: Narzahni C.
     
    Light #1 : A monolight attached to an 84-inch silver parabolic lighting modifier, with a white diffuser (a.k.a. brolly box, or umbrella softbox).
     
    Light #2: A strobe head with a 7-inch reflector is covered with a sock diffuser, and a 40-degree grid. It is close to the model, producing a light circle on her body about two feet wide.
     
     
     
    Lighting Diagram 7: Sculpt with light
     
     
     
     
     

Beauty Dish and Softbox

     
    Model: Anna F.
     
     
    Lighting Setup# 8 Category: Soft light Skill: Moderate Light Kit:3 Heads:3 Model Zone: Small
     
     
     
     
    Photo 41: Beauty dish only
     
    The photos here illustrate the different kinds of light output by various lighting modifiers.
     
    Light #1: “ wrong ” location
     
    In this shot the edge lighting is too harsh because the beauty dish is in the wrong location (at least for this setup), 90° to the right of the model, where the softbox should be. The model’s front is in darkness because the light coming from gridded beauty dish is too restricted to spill over to her face and body.
     
     
     
    Photo 42: Striplight softbox only
     
    Light #2 :
     
    Compare the previous shot to this one where the beauty dish is replaced with the softbox only, 90° to the right of the model. Notice the softer, fuller lighting due to this larger diffuser.
     
    Without a grid, the light spills over more on the model and background.
     
    Photo 43: Beauty dish and softbox (opposite)
     
     
     
     
     
    Photo 44: Softbox and beauty dish
     
    With the softbox (#2) and beauty dish (#1) combined, the beauty dish has been moved to a 45-degree angle to the model ( see With the softbox (#2) and beauty dish (#1) combined, the beauty dish has been moved to a 45-degree angle to the model (see Lighting Diagram 8). ).
     
    The beauty dish is about 3 feet above the model, angled down at about 35-degrees. The softbox is as low as possible and flanked by two flags (black foam board clamped to light stands). Both lights are diffused, giving a soft effect, but the back leg is too dark.
     
     
     
    Photo 45: Softbox, beauty dish, and snoot
     
    Light#3 : This light adds a snoot to the model’s left and the back of the leg receives light, giving the figure definition. The shadows on the floor will give you clues as to the exact light angles.
     
    With the snoot, a diffuser is attached to the light head at the back of