Table of Contents

Introduction

1 A Very Brief History of Photographic Portraiture

Styles

2 Light Dynamics and the Portrait

LD... Light Dynamics

Specular or Diffuse

Intensity

Direction

Color

3 Lighting Sources and Equipment

Creating Light

Continuous Light

Ambient Light

Window Light

Strobe Light Sources

Power Requirements

4 Light Modification

Modification Optics

Basic Reflectors and Domes

Soft Light Modifiers

Hard Light Modifiers

Modifying Intensity

5 Exposure and Metering

Basic Daylight Exposure

Unmetered Electronic Flash Exposure

Light Meters and Basic Metering

Substitution Metering

Tonal Placement

Testing for Exposure

Speed Testing Digital Photography

6 Lighting Ratios

Fit

Lighting Ratios

7 Lighting Patterns on the Human Face

Planes of the Face

Approach

Lighting Direction

On Axis Lighting

3/4 or 45-45 Lighting

Split or 90° Lighting

Lighting Patterns

8 Lighting Setups

One Light

Two Lights

Three Lights

Four Lights

Clamshells

Form Fill

Walking the Light

Accents

Glamour Lighting

9 Backgrounds

Seamless Backgrounds

Painted Backgrounds

Post-Production Backgrounds

Constructed Indoor and Outdoor Settings

Found Backgrounds

10 Mixed Ambient and Electronic Flash Lighting and Exposure

Outdoor Lighting and Exposure

Backlit Outdoor Situations

Expanded Range Situations

Indoor/Outdoor Situations

11 Portrait Compositional Basics

Balance

Lines

Shape

Similarity

Juxtaposition

Color

Texture and Pattern

Volume

Size

Symbolism, Content, and Meaning

12 Posing

Posing Basics

Physical Posing

Head Placement and Rotation

13 Facial Analysis

Analyzing the Face

After Analysis

Round Face

Long and Triangular-Shaped Faces

Flat Faces

Expression

14 Relating to the Subject

Confidence

Comfort

Fulfillment