Image Processing Reference
In-Depth Information
Simplicity can also be very effective. Single-source studio lighting has a very
dramatic look and you use only one light.
Fig 5.14
an example of
single-source lighting with no
bounce card.
There are all sorts of lighting combinations, but trying to maintain one main
shadow with a key light is the best place to start. When you light a person or
object, start with the key and see what it lights, then start building with rims
or fill, turning each light on and off to see if you really need it and what its
effect is on the person or object. The use of reflector boards and foam core
can be very effective as fill light and can be illuminated from the spill of a key
light. These lighting techniques have been simulated in painting for centuries.
Sfumato is the technique of blending colors with similar mid-tones and
creating gentle gradients of color and light, and chiaroscuro is the much more
dramatic use of single-source lighting that creates high-contrast lights and
darks. Leonardo da Vinci was a master of the former and Rembrandt mastered
the latter.
Moving or animating the lights in a shot is another element to consider when
preparing your preproduction. We have moved light sources with the light
painting technique discussed earlier. You can also move lights on stands
frame by frame with guides for smoother effects. Use your software capture
program to gauge the light movement. Professionals often use computer-
operated motion control to move lights around a set. It is virtually impossible
to achieve the same lighting effect in postproduction. Rheostats or dimmers
are another way to fade lights in and out of shots. If you are turning lights on
and off constantly, then consider using rheostats to help extend the life of
the bulbs. Switching bulbs on and off can be very hard on the filaments in the
bulb, and they burn out a lot faster.
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