Page 25 - Fuse Magazine - Volume 41 2018

s K I L L s

STEP bY STEP STuDIO LIgHTINg bASIcS

4

experiment with exposure
In manual mode, set the Iso to 100, the
aperture to f/8 and the shutter speed to the
fastest flash sync speed (usually 1/200 sec).
Take a test shot. If it’s too light, either lower
the flash power, increase the f-number or
move the light further away. If it’s too dark,
do the opposite.

5

strike a balance

With two lights, it’s all about the ratio
between them. Turn on one light – we used a
softbox from above – and expose for it. This is
your key light. Now turn it off and turn on the
other light – an umbrella from below, here.
aim for one or two stops of underexposure.
This is your fill light.

6

blow the hiGhliGhts
We can get a fresh high-key look with just two
lights. here one softbox lights the face, while
an umbrella is angled at the background. The
umbrella is fired at a higher power than the
softbox, so it blows out the backdrop. a little
reflected light creates a nice highlight along
the cheek.

Quick tip

For close-ups like our main shot, bring your
lights in tight so they’re just outside the
frame. This increases their size in relation to
the face, and fills out the shadows.