There are many completely different lighting types on the market to select from, however in the case of easy, stunning portraits, it’s laborious to go previous clamshell lighting.
What’s clamshell lighting?
Clamshell lighting is a easy, two-light setup. Place each lights dealing with your topic at a 45-degree angle, have your key gentle (the principle one) angled up and your fill gentle angled down.
It offers stunning mushy, even lighting to your topic’s face, nearly like a mushy glow. It will get its title clamshell lighting as a result of clamshell-like form that the 2 lights make collectively.
Tips on how to setup clamshell lighting
Establishing the lights is fairly simple, I exploit a 36″ (90cm) octobox on my key gentle and angle it down, and a 16.5″ (40cm) magnificence dish on my fill gentle and angle it up. I’m utilizing two Godox AD400 Professional lights, the important thing on 1/32 energy and the fill on 1/64 energy. I’m standing behind my lights and capturing by way of them (see beneath set).
My digital camera settings on my Sony a7R III are ISO 100, f/4.0, 1/200s, and it was shot at round 75mm on my Tamron 28-75mm lens.
You may create a variation utilizing one gentle as your fundamental gentle and a reflector as a fill. This isn’t fairly the identical, nevertheless it’s related.
The ultimate outcomes
Whereas I really like some nice dramatic gentle on a few of my inventive portraits, it’s laborious to beat a lovely well-lit portrait. The clamshell setup offers stunning, mushy gentle with mushy shadows and magical catchlights.
Clamshell lighting works rather well on anybody; it’s flattering for women and men of all ages, so it’s an excellent setup to have in your information financial institution.
Wish to be taught some more practical two-light setups? Click on right here for extra.
Mannequin — Andrea Gardiner & Emily Reinhard. Emily’s make-up by Teighan Felton.
