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The Lifeblood of the Image

Light is the lifeblood of a photograph like blood is to our bodies, without either, we have nothing. As photographers, we rely on light to give us the ability to reproduce life in our subjects and images through the addition or subtraction of light.

We can manipulate this effect in many ways, including the selection of the proper light modifiers and for our light source to match our desired result. Ultimately it’s still-light that photographers control to produce lively, still photographs.

Still-light is about control, controlling how the subject appears through the control of light itself. This control can change the mood and story of the photograph instantly. As an example, utilizing a 7-inch reflector on a studio monolight with a 20-degree grid will direct light in a tight path, or swath, across the subject, thus creating a beam of light surrounded by dramatic shadows that brings life to the image.

This intermixing of lights and darks, also known as chiaroscuro, creates the illusion of a third dimension, or depth that helps set the mood or tone of the image instantly—hence why controlling the shadows and the highlights are so important when producing a photograph.

Some photographers control light through umbrellas, some through soft-boxes, others through grids, some through flags, scrims, gobos, black-cards, cutters and the list goes on, but ultimately it’s a photographer’s style that will dictate which light modifier(s) are chosen to create the desired image.

I personally prefer soft-boxes and often with grid fronts. Soft boxes are easier to control and represent a geometric rectangle of light and not the scattered pattern produced by a typical umbrella found free in most lighting kits. Add to that thought, the human form is a more rectangular, geometric shape than round when it comes to my subjects.

Take a Chimera large Super Pro Plus soft box. It’s roughly 4- by 6-foot in shape, similar to a window—window lighting is some of the best lighting and thus this box helps replicate that effect. Another great technique I enjoy is the Chimera Super Pro Plus strip boxes, especially the medium strips, combine them with the Lighttools 40-degree (egg crate) grids and you have a tight, rectangular swath of light that is excellent for subtracting light off the background—works superb for illuminating fine-art nudes too.

Ultimately, regardless what light modifier you choose, it should create the desired lighting effect. Here’s an example list on how I consider light modifiers when choosing the proper one (tool) for my images:

1. Soft Boxes—the larger the box and the closer it’s placed to a subject, the sweeter and most forgiving light source it becomes. Ultimately soft boxes are the best method for controlling light in portraits, glamour, beauty, nudes and more.

2. Umbrellas—Great for when it rains, however they provide bad luck indoors. Seriously, the problem with umbrellas is that they scatter light everywhere, though some of this scattered, uncontrollable light is eliminated when the studio flash is through the umbrella rather than bounced out of the umbrella. Still, umbrellas provide less control of light and are great for illuminating a background behind a subject, but not as effective when focusing light directly on the subject. They do however create great catch-lights, but this is also possible with the Chimera Octabank soft boxes too, while controlling light much easier.

3. Studio Head Reflectors—another favorite light modifier since they tend to provide the tightest light control short of louvers. Reflectors come in various sizes, including 7-, 9-, 12-inch and larger, though my favorite is the 7-inch which accommodates the standard metal, honeycomb grids. Rarely do I use these reflectors as a main light source, however, they provide accent, hair and rim lighting in an image, especially with grids placed inside the reflector itself. Every photographer needs at least one 7-inch metal reflector with a grid kit that includes a 10-, 20-, 30-, and 40-degree grid.

4. Reflector Panels—my favorite reflector panels are the German-engineered California Sunbounce Pro and Mini reflectors. They are light-weight, built ruggedly and break down to a very compact travel size. Reflector panels normally come in silver, white, gold, zebra and even black.

Black is more for subtracting light while the others are used to manipulate reflected light. Silver is the more reflective surface which can provide for harsh and dramatic shadows. Gold is great for locations that have cool light, such as open-shade areas or during gloomy overcast days. White is the softest look and works great for fill while Zebra fabrics are a marriage of the affects afforded by gold and silver and provide harder but acceptable shadows while casting warmth from the gold overtones without being to overpowering.

Black works great as a flag, cutter or gobo, thus subtracting light for the most part. However, you can use black to add light, like when a model has platinum blonde hair and a darker skin tone. When black reflectors, or flags, are placed around the subject’s hair, it introduces detail into the hair as the panel will absorb most of the light while still reflecting black-toned light. Black often provides harmony between highlights, mid-tones and shadows.

While there are many other light modifiers and even the light modifiers mentioned above that are used in many different ways and scenarios, there are a few two things to keep in mind with all of them.

First, through the inverse square law the background of an image becomes brighter when the light modifier (light source) is moved farther away from the background while maintaining the same subject to background distance and the exposure is set for the subject. The overall contrast in the image increases and shadows become harder and more dramatic.

Second, through the same inverse square law, the background darkens when the light modifier is moved closer to the background while maintaining the same subject to background distance, with the exposure set for the subject. The overall contrast in the image is also decreased and shadows become softer and less dramatic.

Ultimately choosing the right light modifier for your light source is like choosing the right blood-type for a transfusion, choose the wrong one and you have nothing.