Further lighting experiments

F3.2 - front person out of focus

F4 - back person out of focus

Reflecting light from behind model off white wall behind camera

Lowered aperture (4 - 6.3) - Clearer image, less faded

Brightened flash -  hair becomes less visible

Removed white reflector behind camera - darkens face

Black background, side lit

Lowered aperture (6.3 - 8) - more flattering, less washed out

Lowered aperture (8 - 14) - much darker, more moody

Raised aperture (14 - 10) 

White background, side lit

Lowered aperture (8 - 10)

Different model - less flattering on skin tone and colours for this model

Facing away from light

Light directly behind model

Attempt at 'cat eye' effect; two box lights, reflector underneath

Increase flash - well lit everywhere, minimal shadows

Lit from directly above, reflector underneath

Increase flash

Increase aperture

Lower aperture

• 500D - less flattering for skin than 550D
• Studio was difficult to set lights up at various angles

I enjoyed playing around with more lighting styles and angles, and also learning about aperture, rather than just 'warm,' soft' or 'sharp' lighting. I liked the photos where the depth of field made the background out of focus. Bouncing light off a white wall behind the camera created a very nice effect where the sides of the face were almost glowing and the features were crisp, however having the flash too bright began to fade the outline of the model into the background, and having the aperture too high made the image far too bright. I like the effect created when the white reflector behind the camera was removed, as I felt it created more mood and atmosphere, warming the face in gentle shadow. However the face was less crisp and the colours more blended; something that perhaps could be altered after taking the photo. I liked using the black background because, again,  I felt it created more atmosphere as there was more shadow on the model. I particularly liked the photos with lower aperture settings which seemed more tonal and emotional. We found it difficult to create a 'cat eye' effect in the studio we were using due to limited resources, however by using two large box lights on either side of the camera did mean the model was fully lit, with hardly any shadows. Finally, lighting the face from above proved more atmospheric, creating shadows under the nose, cheekbones and eyes; using a reflector board underneath meant these shadows were not too harsh.