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Shoot a high-key portrait
Techniques
19 September 2007 15:59
If you reckon that bright, smooth and sharp shots like this are beyond your reach then we’re going to make you think again. With the cost of setting up your own home studio down to as little as £200 (that’s roughly the same price as an on-camera flashgun), this professional-looking portrait style is definitely within your reach. To get you started, here’s exactly how we created our image.
Stand roughly 4 metres in front of the white backdrop – this is where you’ll be shooting from. Now position your main light at head height to your model and to your immediate left (or right). Put a softbox on this light (or an umbrella if you don’t have one) to create a flattering, diffused effect. Turn on the main light and set it to between a quarter and half power, depending on the power rating of your lights.
Plug the flash sync cord into your camera and use the mode dial to select manual exposure mode. Select the lowest ISO value possible, which is usually ISO 100, then set your shutter speed to 1/125sec and your aperture to f/11. Now position your model roughly halfway between the main light and the backdrop.
If you have a lightmeter you can now take a reading off the main light, but with digital there really is no need. Simply take a test shot and check the image and histogram on the LCD screen. If the light is not quite right, adjust the power of the flash and take another test shot. If necessary, you can adjust the aperture to change the exposure, but aim for an aperture of between f/8 and f/11 to keep your background out of sharp focus.
Put a spill kill reflector (aka dish) on your background light, to focus the beam, and turn it on. Position it so that the area behind your model is lit. Set it to the same power as the main light – we’re not using a diffuser on the background light so it should be more intense and will hopefully give us a bright white background. Take another test shot and adjust the power of the background light to suit.
You’re now ready to take some shots, just make sure the model knows where to stand so your exposure remains consistent. If you’re after a more even light coverage with fewer shadows you can also position a reflector next to your model’s face, on the opposite side to the main light. This will bounce some light back onto the darker side of the face.