In Lightroom you can fix a series of images all at once using the Quick Develop Panel in the Library Module. While this tool lacks the precise adjustments you can make to an image in the Develop Module, it offers a quick solution for getting started fixing your images.

To make use of the Quick Develop panel you should be working in the Library Module, in Grid View. So open the Library module and click G to select Grid view. If you are in Loupe view the changes you make will be applied only to the most selected image regardless of how many images you have selected in the Filmstrip.

If you typically use the Auto Tone feature in the Develop module to quick start fixing your images, select all the images to fix in grid view and click the Auto Tone button. Every image will be assessed and then adjusted according to its particular needs.

How fixes are applied

In the Quick Develop module, when you choose to adjust, for example, the Exposure on a series of selected image, each image will be adjusted by the same relative amount. So, if you select a series of images and click the single right pointing arrow, you will add +0.33 to the current Exposure value for each image. So, if an image had a starting Exposure setting of 2.00 it will be increased to 2.33. The single left pointing arrow moves Exposure -0.33. If you click the double arrows you will increase or decrease exposure by 1.0 for every image. Each adjustment works in a similar way although the relative values will vary.

One feature of the Quick Develop module which is useful is the White Balance tool. If you have a series of images all shot in similar light you can select them and adjust the white balance for all of them by choosing a different White Balance setting from the dropdown list or by adjusting the Temperature (Blue/Yellow) and/or Tint (Green/Magenta) sliders.

Hidden Options

There are some options hidden in the Quick Develop panel. If you hold the Alt key (Option on a Mac) the Clarity and Vibrance adjusters change to allow you to adjust Sharpening and Saturation. Notice that Sharpening is an all in one setting and that it lacks the ability for you to alter the Radius, Detail and Masking which you can do with the Detail panel sliders in the Develop module.

How I use it

I use the Quick Develop panel to make quick edits to a series of images at one time. I’ll assess the images to see if they need a particular adjustment such as increasing the Exposure if they are all a little underexposed. I also like to increase Clarity and Vibrance.

So, I’ll select the images in the Grid, click to increase Exposure and then again increase Vibrance and Clarity.

Using the Quick Develop panel to make fixes to all images saves me a little time later on when I switch to the Develop module and apply additional fixes on an image by image basis.

One Gotcha to be aware of

If you want to remove the settings applied to an image you can do so using the Quick Develop panel. Select the image and choose Reset All. However, be aware that when you do this, you will remove not only all settings applied to the image using the Quick Develop panel but also any changes made to it using the tools in the Develop module.

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips. Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips, Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras.

Lightroom Quick Develop Panel

At dPS headquarters this week we were discussing our post production workflows, tools and the things we’d like to know more about post production.

So we thought it might be a good discussion starter too.

What one thing about post processing photos do you wish you understood better?

Answering this will help us as we create more tutorials and articles on the topic.

Also:

What is your preferred post processing platform?

Is it….

• Photoshop
• Lightroom
• Aperture
• Picasa
• iPhoto
• Gimp
• Your camera’s bundled software
• Something else (or some combination of the above)
• Or Perhaps you don’t really do post processing

Looking forward to hearing about the tools you use!

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips. Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips, Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras.

Tell us About Your Post Production Workflow

A Guest post by a
Eric Kim.

When it comes to street photography, I am a huge believer that there is no “best” camera for street photography. Ever different camera has its own strengths and weaknesses, and are all used in different situations. I have shot with many types of cameras, including point and shoots, disposable film cameras, DSLR’s, and even rangefinders.

Recently I have been shooting quite a bit with my rangefinder, and it has truly helped my street photography from both a technical and artistic point of view. Although rangefinders can be expensive, I believe that they can be a great investment. There are many strengths that rangefinders have over many other traditional types of cameras when it comes to street photography. In this blog post I will best outline my thoughts on how shooting with a rangefinder will make you a better street photographer.

1. You master the basics

When I started photography, I had a weak understanding of exposure and how it translated into ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. I had no idea what a “stop” was, and how my DSLR would calculate the ideal exposure. Although I knew the basics, I was more reliant on my camera to help determine the settings for me, which crippled my perception of how to use manual settings.

However with my Contax IIIa film rangefinder, it became a totally different ball-game. The camera is fully-manual, which forced me to truly understand the relationship between ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. The first few rolls of film I shot with my rangefinder were horrible– either too overexposed or underexposed. After many rolls of practice and diligence, I now know exposure like the back of my hand and no longer need to rely on a light-meter to gauge my shots.

Now I can look at the sky and based on how h3ly the light is, I will know exactly which settings to use. When I walk into the shade, I will instinctively lower my aperture by a stop (or even two) based on the darkness. It gives me a h3 sense of liberation and freedom, and a peace of mind that I am controlling my camera– rather than my camera having a mind of its own.

2. You will get more keepers

The frustration of shooting with a DSLR for street photography is that I often take way too many images– most of them which don’t make my “keeper” pile. With my 16 GB CF card, I can easily take a thousand photos yet only have 5 truly remarkable shots.

Shooting with a rangefinder is different. They are much more simple than DSLR’s, which helps you focus on taking each image individually instead of just shooting your camera like a semi-automatic gun. This especially is true when it comes to shooting with film. Each roll of my film only holds 24 exposures, which means that every shot I take has to count. This makes me question which shots I truly want to take and which shots aren’t worth it.

3. You will be more discrete

There is no secret that rangefinders are simply more low-key for street photography than DSLR’s. When shooting with my rangefinder, people rarely notice that I am taking photos of them because the shutter is nearly silent and my camera looks far less threatening. However when I am shooting street photography with my bulky DSLR, they always notice the loud clacking sound of my shutter and feel more threatened with the “professional-looking” body.

One of the most important things about street photography is to be invisible and not stand out in the crowd. Therefore if you wish to get every possible advantage to capture photos without your subjects noticing, shooting with a rangefinder is key.

4. You will anticipate the shot before you take it

When shooting street photography with a rangefinder, you have to focus manually for everything. Although it may seem as a burden at first, it rather liberates you as a street photographer and gives you more flexibility. The reason I say this is because when you are shooting street photography, it is essential to pre-focus your shots, especially when you have to capture “the decisive moment” in a fraction of a second. For example, I always keep my lens at a 5-foot focusing distance, and keep my aperture at f/16 or f/11 to ensure that my shots will be in focus. I have noticed that autofocus can be quite lousy for shooting street photographs of moving subjects with a DSLR, and manual focusing works far greater.

5. You have a greater field of vision

If you have ever shot with a rangefinder, one of the first things you will notice is how large and bright the viewfinder is. Also because you aren’t looking at a scene through the lens of your camera, you have a much larger peripheral view. Therefore when you are trying to frame or anticipate a shot, you will be able to see everything that is going in front of you with the optical viewfinder. Viewfinders on most DSLR’s are quite pitiful, with the small and dark view they provide. To take great street photographs, it is important to not have your vision obscured in any way.

In conclusion, using a rangefinder for street photography can definitely help you become a better street photographer through its strengths (and limitations). However don’t expect to buy a new Leica M9 and expect all of your images to come out great. Remember, it is never the camera—but the photographer who takes the images. Giving better paints to an expert painter will help him or her create better paintings, but giving better paints to an amateur won’t do the same.

Have you ever shot with a rangefinder before? Share your experiences by leaving a comment below.

About the Author: Eric Kim is an international street photographer based in Los Angeles. He has traveled the world and shot street photographs in Paris, Florence, Rome, London, Korea, Prague and has even taught a street photography workshop in Beirut, Lebanon.

You can read more of his insights about street photography on hisblog, and you can follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr.

He is also teaching a street photography workshop in Brighton on May 21st. Please check out the Facebook invite!

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips. Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips, Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras.

5 Reasons Why Shooting With a Rangefinder Will Make You a Better Street Photographer

One of the problems with macro photography is a need for ample light. Shooting in daylight is always a pleasure but not always practical depending on the weather and the subject being shot. With focusing distances somewhere around an inch or two between the front of a lens and the subject, on camera flash is not a very viable solution for an even, consistent effect. Even taking the flash off camera is not optimal without some willing assistants or a well laid out shooting area. Considering moving from subject to subject? Then a handheld flash solution looks even less enjoyable.

Enter the specialized macro flash. In this case, a MT-24EX by Canon (lent to me by the fine folks at BorrowLenses.com). While a ring flash can give a nice even light and works in certain macro situations, the macro flash (actually two strobes with one triggering unit) takes this a step further by allowing for different angles of light as well as adjusted ratios between the two. This particular strobe also can control a third strobe to add in another light dimension.

The MT-24EX attaches to the hotshoe of SLRs just like any flash and then uses an adapter ring sized to the particular lens to be fitted (52mm and 58mm are the current choices). The ring screws onto a lens as any filter will and then the flash mount clips onto the ring with an easy to use quick-release system. Each of the strobes has its own holder on the flash mount to make break down into a nice, small package easy.

The unit has a few useful features. First, the unit can switch between manual and TTL metering control and I found the results with TTL very satisfying (although not always perfect). The unit’s rear controls are the same as most other Canon strobes except for the + and – controls, as well as the < and > arrows. I much rather prefer the wheel and select controls of strobes such as the 580EXII. Not only will the MT-24EX allow for adjusting the ratio of the strobe units, it can also wirelessly control a third strobe when that strobes is set to slave (or multiple strobes set to the same channel). You will see this in action at the end of the post.

Setup and adjustment of the strobe is fairly easy. The main unit attaches to the camera hotshoe and then the main ring clips onto the adapter, having been previously screwed onto a macro lens. Then the strobes have an easy slide-in clip on the ring. The position of each strobe can be adjusted in two manners: 1) a press of the button shown at right allows the strobe to circle around the lens, covering a range of about 130 degrees and 2) the strobes will pivot in and out, on a marked scale (also shown at right) for objects near and far. The darker hash mark indicates straight forward.

To show the main advantages of this strobe unit, I will present a number of photos with the strobes at various configurations, pivots and ratios.  I have mirrored the image of the flash unit so that the configuration matches the photos.

These first four shots play with the pivot of the units. The first shot is with the strobes angled directly at the pencils, about two inches (6cm) in front of the lens. Then the strobes are pointed straight forward, outward and all the way inward. (click on pencil images for a 2000 pixel wide version) All shots were taken with a Canon 7D, Canon EF 100mm Macro L lens at ISO 100, f/22 and 1/250. The pencils were kept the same distance from the lens in all the images and were approximately 1.5 feet (50cm) in front of a slightly off white wall with very little ambient light.

Next, I played around with adjusting the ratio of the strobes. This first shot below is at 2:1 (left:right) then 4:1 and finally 8:1, the maximum ratio to be achieved with the flash controls.

Now it is time to move the strobe units around the ring to demonstrate the different lighting effects to be achieved. Again, the image of the camera is flipped to match the light configuration of the pencil image. The largest impact these changes have is on the placement and intensity of the shadows on close-up objects.

This last set of images includes the use of a third strobe, a Canon 580EXII, set to slave mode and controlled from the MT-24EX. Each shot is captioned with noted changes. The first shot is the control with a 1:8 ratio and configuration as shown.

Flash C held lower than pencils, firing up with a +2 exp. adjustment

Flash C held directly behind pencils, firiing into lens at +2 exp. adjustment

Flash C held directly behind pencils, firiing into lens at +0 exp. adjustment

Flash C held directly above pencils with +0 exp. adjustment

Lastly, the unit also has a pair of modeling lights which help illuminate subjects both for focusing and to estimate how light and shadows will fall within the scene.

With a the amount of variables available on the Canon MT-24EX flash unit, macro photography becomes far more interesting. The amount of control, both with the individual strobe units (each strobe can be turned off altogether to allow only one strobe to fire), the ratio, the angle and the inclusion of a third flash for additional lighting, makes this kit a worthwhile addition for anyone wishing to become serious about macro work in hard lighting situations. The kit retails for around $800US. Sto-Fen also makes flash diffusers for this particular kit. Thanks again to BorrowLenses.com for the lend. The technical specifications can be found at Canon’s website.

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips. Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips, Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras.

Macro Lighting Advantages Of The Canon Twin Lite MT-24EX

A Guest Post by Larry Lourcey.

How much better would your imagery be if you were more creative? Is there any photographer out there who wouldn’t like to be stronger in that area? Creativity to a photographer is like ingredients to a chef. If you only have salt and pepper to work with, your food won’t taste as good as the person with a cupboard full of spices. So how do you fill up your Creativity Cupboard?

One of the best ways to boost your creativity is through self-assignments. By definition, a self-assignment is something you impose on yourself. There is no money to be gained, no real deadline, and no limit to your creativity. Unfortunately, the lack of deadline often causes us to leave projects on the back burner and eventually forget about them. By having a clearly-defined project, with real deadlines, you will drastically increase your chance of completing the project.

Self-portraits are one of my favorite challenges to work on. The model is readily available, there are no creative limits and they can really help you to grow artistically. A few years ago, I turned forty. To celebrate, I created a project that would combine two of the things people hate the most: turning forty and having their picture taken. The project, called 40@Forty, required me to create a new self-portrait every week for forty weeks and post them on my blog and Facebook. By announcing the project and uploading the results every week, I created a deadline for myself. I knew if I missed a Monday upload, someone would ask – so I did my best to have something ready every Monday. As difficult as it was, it ended up being one of the most fulfilling educational endeavors I have ever pursued.

Your self-assignment doesn’t have to be about self-portraits or even portraiture. Maybe you will choose your favorite album and create an image representing each song title. You could go to a museum and choose your favorite 10 paintings, then try to recreate them photographically – once a week for ten weeks. The possibilities are truly endless. All that matters is that you define your project, set deadlines, then tell all your friends and clients. The time you invest will pay big dividends- so get to it!

If you have any other great ideas for self-assignments, please post them in the comments. Hopefully you will inspire others to give it a try!

Texas-based portrait artist Larry Lourcey has earned the designation of Master Photographer by the Professional Photographers of America. His Photography Blog offers lots of great information, along with a healthy dose of humor. If you dare, you can also follow him on Twitter: @larryphoto

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips. Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips, Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras.

Kick Your Creativity Up A Notch

Can turning pro kill your passion for photography? The importance of personal projects.

Living the dream of turning your passion into a profitable business sounds like the ideal job and, in many ways, it is the best job in the world. But it doesn’t come without its drawbacks.

Of course, the financial security of leaving a 9 to 5 job to be your own boss is the first drawback that would come to mind. Most pros did not quit their day jobs overnight to open a studio. For most it is a very gradual switch and they go from shooting as a weekend and evening gig to a full time job when the client base is large enough to support them. There is one aspect that most photographers do not consider when making the jump to becoming a pro (as in making a living from your photography), it is the simple  fact that at some point, sooner or later, the passion for the craft may diminish or even die.

It happened to me and to a lot of other photographers I know personally or read interviews about. The consequence of turning pro can be the feeling that photography has become a job, and therefore a chore. It took me a while to realize what the problem was and it was gradual. As I was spending each week shooting for work, photography was slowly becoming mundane and I started to leave my camera behind on my days off… Part of it was that I was not always shooting what I loved for work. As a new pro, you tend to want to take all the work you can get, whether you find satisfaction in it or not. Another problem was that, since I was spending a lot of time in the digital darkroom processing client images, I did not feel like processing personal work on my time off. As a result I wasn’t shooting for fun anymore.

What changed my outlook and made my passion for photography stronger than ever?

I challenged myself to work on special projects such as a 52 week project, I gave myself some self assignments on weekends such as doing more street photography, limiting myself to one lens, trying new techniques, challenging myself to experimenting in genres that were outside my comfort zone, etc.

Shooting for a self assigned project about street performers

Photo of the week #21 of my 52 week project

The result was almost immediate. Through sharing my work with others on social media and the blog, my passion for photography was rekindled and my work got better. The results were even apparent in my professional work, I felt more confident and it showed. My renewed passion and confidence gave me the edge to sell myself as a photographer and gain new clients which in turn allowed me to really find a niche and specialize in photography genres that I truly love. Now that I’m busier than ever with commercial photography work, I still do not miss an opportunity to go on photo walks and share my passion with other photographers or photography lovers. I continue to show my work on FB and a personal blog, I also started a commercial photography blog where I post some of my work related images. I keep them separate because they represent two different aspects of the craft that I love but they are intertwined in many ways as they both are a reflection of my personality and my passion for capturing a moment in time.

Interior photography is what I do for work and I love it!

As well as food photography.

If you are a pro photographer and you have experienced the same loss of passion because photography became just another job, I urge you to give yourself some personal projects and to share your work with others in order to find your muse again. If you are thinking of making the jump into pro photography, be aware that this may happen so try to keep the personal projects part of your routine to keep the passion alive!

I would love to hear from you if this is something you have experienced.

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips. Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips, Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras.

The Importance of Personal Projects

A Guest Post by Cameron ShulakAs much as we might hate to admit it, price is one of the most prominent factors when selecting photography equipment. Even to professionals, cost matters, because higher equipment costs mean less cash in pocket at the end of the day. Profit margins may not be an issue for amateurs, but instead it may be a function of what one can afford. We’d all like to have the best of everything, but in reality we have to pick and choose. In this article, we’ll look at some of the strategies to stretch your dollar and get the best gear for your needs.

New vs. Used

It’s always nice to break the seal on a box containing a brand new Canon L series lens, but is it really worth the cost? As photography has become more popular, especially at the amateur level, there is more movement of used equipment throughout the market. Not only does this mean there is more of it, but also that it’s less expensive. Simple supply/demand economics tell us that the more of something there is, the less it will cost. Lenses such as the Canon 70-200’s are extremely popular, to the point where there are hundreds on sites such as eBay at any given time, new and used. Canon lists the MSRP for the 70-200 f/4L USM at just over $800. However, on eBay, just by quickly scanning through completed auctions, the same lens – lightly used but in great condition – can be found for around $550. Obviously nothing compares to a brand new lens, but if you’re willing to settle for one gently used, but still void of any scratches on the body or glass, you can often save anywhere from 20-40% the cost of a new lens. eBay is not the only place to find used equipment; Craigslist is another valuable resource for finding great deals on used equipment. A notable benefit of Craigslist is that the transactions are more interactive and personal, and you are almost guaranteed to be able to see and try the lens before actually purchasing it, a feature not provided by eBay. NOTE: I have had many successful transactions using both of these sites, but always use caution when buying lenses from any online retailer or website. Ensure the quality of the lens is as described, and never purchase a lens with any notable defects. Don’t sacrifice quality just to save $50. In the end that extra $50 will probably mean a nice, clean, like-new lens.

Specialize

If most your photography is sports related, there isn’t a lot of sense in spending much money on wide-angle lenses. Instead the large majority of your lens budget should go towards telephoto lenses. Landscape photographers should probably invest mostly in wide-angles, but somebody such as a wedding photographer might have a need for a wide variety of lenses. Even then, it would still be a good idea to invest in a couple really good lenses, and work with those, instead of having five mediocre lenses. It is okay to have different types of lenses, providing you actually use them. Though if the lens would be used for less than 10 to 20 out of 100 shots, it isn’t worth spending the money on. Spend the money on lenses that will be used for 20, 30, or 40 shots out of 100. Your photographic opportunities may be slightly more limited, but the pictures you do take will be of unequaled quality.

“The Other Guys”

Commonly referred to as off-brands, Sigma and Tamron have recently made a resurgence into the digital photography world. Taking advantage of the fact that Canon continues to raise prices, these two companies offer lenses that often rival the quality of the Canon lenses, and are almost always less expensive by a decent margin. Until recently, my city’s local camera store only carried Canon and Nikon equipment, but recently they have started carrying both Sigma and Tamron. Every time I ask the associate about a certain type of lens, they not only suggest the typical Canon model, but also always point out the Sigma or Tamron counterpart. The store maintains a very high level of quality for the equipment they carry (even the point and shoots begin around $200), so this is even more proof that these two brands offer a high quality alternative to the expensive Canon and Nikon lenses. The off-brand lenses are made in the various mounts for the respective brands, and work just like any brand-name lens. It’s almost hard to call Sigma and Tamron off-brands anymore because of how prominent they have become in the digital industry.

Primes

Primes are fixed focal length lenses, which often feature a high maximum aperture. Zoom lenses other than those typically selling for over $1000 are hard to find much faster than f/4. There are few under $1000, but the current models as fast as f/2.8 are in the $1500 range. Primes, however, are usually extremely fast and don’t demand the price tag of the upper-level lenses. The MSRP for Canon’s 50mm f/1.8 is only $130. Almost the entire lens, including the mount, is plastic, but that little money for that fast of lens is hard to beat. Canon offers other faster and better built versions of the 50mm, but the price tag reflects this. Having a couple prime lenses in the bag is never a bad idea. They are great for those low light situations when even an f/2.8 isn’t fast enough, or when a short depth-of-field is crucial.

What’s the Point?

You may be in a position where money isn’t a factor when considering lenses, but I believe I can speak for most of us when I say it is. The decision between better price and quality is often a tough one, but the best thing to do is research all the available options, and make a decision based on what is best for you. Any of these strategies can be used individually or in conjunction to get the best value for your money.

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips. Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips, Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras.

Small Budget Photography: Lenses

Word is just in from our friends at OnOne Software that they’re running a 2 week special on their popular Perfect Photo Suite.

Until 15 May – you can get it with a discount of $150 USD.

Perfect Photo Suite 5.5 comprises of 7 great tools for photographers that each will work as plugins for Photoshop, Lightroom or Aperture.

In addition to that 5 of the 7 also work as standalone applications without the above tools.

The 7 tools in the Suite (and the problems that they solve) are:

1. Resize images using Perfect Resize 7.
2. Remove unwanted backgrounds with Mask Pro 4.
3. Color correct photos with PhotoTune 3.
4. Put the focus where you want with FocalPoint 2.
5. Get the professional look with PhotoTools 2.6.
6. Add the perfect finishing touch with PhotoFrame 4.6.
7. Add layers to Lightroom & Aperture with Perfect Layers.

Get full details on what’s included and how it all works at Perfect Photo Suite.

Do keep in mind – that the discount ends on 15 May.

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips. Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips, Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras.

Get $150 off OnOne’s Perfect Photo Suite Today

With the ever growing presence of online photo sharing sites like flickr and facebook, amateurs and professionals alike are bombarded with millions of images every day to observe and study.  Photographic masters such as Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, Yousuf Karsh, and Steven Meisel have, for years, been creating iconic images that photographers of all levels have used to study and compare lighting techniques.  It does make sense for a photographer to study photographs to help heighten their knowledge however, taking a more cinematic approach can prove to be not only beneficial but well, relaxing at the same time.  

It’s time to put down the photographs, grab a snack, the remote, and snuggle up in front of the television.  What do I mean?  The entertainment of keeping your eyes glued to the tube for hours on end can often times keep you distracted from noticing the basic lighting patterns that you’re so quick to notice when you pick up a picture, in fact when you start to notice the the different methods used you just might forget to pay attention to the plot.  Make sure you ask for a TiVo for Christmas if you catch my drift.

What to Look For

Classic lighting patterns that photographers of all experience should know have trickled down through world of ancient art, since the days of Michelangelo, Rembrandt and Leonardo Da Vinci.  As we move through the popular TV shows House M.D., Mad Men, and an a blast from the past, Cheers, keep on the look out for the four classic lighting styles:  Short Light, Broad Light, Split Light, and Rembrandt Light.  

Short Light

Short light is when the main light illuminates the side of the face that is turned away from the camera.  In other words the side of the face that is closest to the camera (the broad side) is mostly in shadow and the nose is pointed towards the light.  This tends to be the most popular as it creates drama in a scene by emphasizing the contours of the face but also helps to thin out the face which is most flattering to subjects, especially in women.  

In House M.D., you can see from these cell phone snaps, that doctor 13 (above) is filmed in short light quite often.  Notice how the part of her face that is closest to camera (the broad side) has less light hitting it, resulting in mostly shadow.  Also notice how it creates a thin appearance to her facial structure.  

The same applies to doctor Wilson (above) on the left as well as the example of doctor House and Wilson together outside.  Short light was used here to create the drama associated with the night time environment.  Take it a step further and you can see the addition of a separation light, common to studio lighting to give dimension to the subjects, separating them from the background.

In this dark, dramatic scene of the popular show Mad Men you can see creative director Don Draper (above) short lit as he sits in a dark corner of a restaurant where the presence of a single candle was used as a guide to where the light will shine.

Time warp back to 1986 and you can catch Cheers waitress Diane Chambers (above) being short lit at a restaurant where she ruins a nice weekend for bar owner Sam Malone.  Notice again the broad side of the face is mostly in shadow with a small patch of light.

Jump forward a few seasons and you will see the new Cheers manager Rebecca Howe short lit.  In both examples you can also clearly recognize the appearance of separation lights outlining the actors figures.

Broad Light

Broad light is the exact opposite of short light where the main light illuminates the side of the face turned closest to the camera, hence the name broad.  Here the nose shadow is cast onto the short side and the nose is pointed opposite the direction of the main light.  You tend to see this light a lot in the fashion industry and is becoming more popular in the heavily cinematic shows.  It tends to add weight to the subject and allows you to see more of the face, which traditionally on a woman is considered to be less flattering.  

You can see in these examples above of House M.D. where doctors Taub and Wilson are both board lit.  Notice how their noses are pointed away from the direction of the light where the most illuminated side of the face is closest to the camera.  As before notice the addition of the separation light opposite the main light helping to define the subject.

In some instances you can associate this light as a “power” light, dominating the subject as is the case with Mad Mens Don Draper (above, right)  in the beginning of this scene and Cheers’ Sam Malone (above, left) as he awakes from a horrible nightmare.

Split Light

Split light is pretty self explanatory.  In short and broad lighting there is a visible patch of light on the shadow side of the face however, when the patch disappears and only half of the face is lit this is, as it’s name suggests, split light.  Split light is very dramatic and not used  often in portraiture however it has become more popular in film and television.  Some refer to it as the comic book villain light.

In House M.D., doctor House (above) is very often lit in this method due to his dramatic, vulgar attitude associated with his consistent lying and manipulative trickery.  Sounds like a comic book villain to me!

Mad Men’s Roger Sterling (above) is often seen in split light as well during these intense scenes due to the high stress job of being a partner at the SCDP Ad Agency.  The large foreboding shadows set the mood for the viewer.

Rembrandt Light

Rembrandt light, traditionally, is short light where the nose shadow connects with the cheek shadow creating a small triangle patch of light on the shadow side of the face.  Made famous by master Dutch painter himself, Rembrandt, you can see this effect in not only short but broad light as well.  Keep in mind that Rembrandt light can be both short and broad light but not all short and broad light is Rembrandt light.  HUH?  It’s simple.  If the nose shadow does NOT connect with the cheek shadow it’s NOT Rembrandt light.  Another classic rule to this technique is that the triangle patch of light should be no longer than the nose and no wider than the eye.  You can see in the example below all the images in this post that are also of Rembrandt light.  

In Conclusion

Now that you’ve become more familiar with the four classic lighting techniques and how they’re used in every day popular television and not just photography, next time you plop yourself on the couch to watch your favorite show see if you can spot the different styles.  Keep a close eye on how they’re used in accordance to the environment and mood of the scene.  You might be surprised how often these common techniques show up, and with a little practice how easy they become to spot.  A super quick, fun, and affordable way to train your eye in lighting from the comfort of your own couch.

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips. Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips, Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras.

Using Popular Television to Boost Your Knowledge of Classic Lighting