In this post, I'll discuss some simple lighting set-ups, along with what they do.
The 2 set-ups are:
1. Harsh lighting
2. Diffused lighting
Harsh lighting can be defined as a light directly from the source, without any alteration.
Soft lighting can be defined as a light that has been altered such as by placing a material in
front of the source to soften it, or to bounce the light off a white or metallic reflector.
Harsh Light Diffused Light
The 2 set-ups are:
1. Harsh lighting
2. Diffused lighting
Harsh lighting can be defined as a light directly from the source, without any alteration.
Soft lighting can be defined as a light that has been altered such as by placing a material in
front of the source to soften it, or to bounce the light off a white or metallic reflector.
Harsh Light Diffused Light
1. Strong bright areas (highlights) 1. Soft bright area (highlights)
2. Deep shadows - very little detail 2. Softer shadows - more detail
Harsh Light
Soft Light
In the above 2 examples above I have a harsh light set-up and a soft-light (diffused) set-up. These are finished images form 2 light sources and 2 reflectors. I'll illustrate the lighting procedure below, so that you can actually see what the lights and reflectors are doing.
A Direct (Harsh) Light Source Set-up
1. Main light - 11:00 o'clock position about 7 feet high, and aimed 45 degrees downwards
2. Main light with a fill light. The fill light is at the 5 o'clock position, at 6 feet high and aimed downwards at 45 degrees.
3. Main light with a fill light, and a silver reflector aimed to the front of the car on the right (grill).
4. Main light with a fill light, and 2 silver reflectors-1 aimed to the front grill and 1 aimed to the side of the car. The last reflector creates "subtle" reflections. Look at the large highlights (bright spots) on the metallic wheels, and a small highlight on the right hand.*
*By double-clicking on an image, you can enlarge it to look at more detail.
