Lighting Ratios For Portrait Photography
In portrait photography, lighting ratios are comparisons of the main light in a photo to the lesser light which fills in shadows.
This main light is known as the "key light" and the lesser light is called the "fill light.
" A lighting ratio can be expressed (K+F):F, where the main light is K+F because it includes both the key light and the fill light.
In other words, lighting ratios express the level of light on the brightest lit areas in a photograph compared to the least lit parts.
This ratio is also known more simply as "contrast".
Considering lighting ratios is important for portrait photography.
The four most common lighting ratios for portrait photography are 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, and 4:1.
The lower ratios, 1:1 and 2:1 can be used for most photography needs.
These ratios make the entire photograph easier to see, so it is often used for family photographs, or facial photographs of small children and women.
When the fill light is equal to the key light, or the ratio is 1:1, it is called flat lighting because there is no contrast and few shadows in the photograph.
If you are taking a photograph of a small child or a baby that moves, you should use a 2:1 or 1:1 ratio because small kids and babies can move very quickly quickly and are hard to get to stay still, so it's difficult to get a portrait in which in the entire face is sufficiently lighted.
A stronger fill light ensures that you can take a photograph of them without too much shadow on the face even if they won't face the key, or main light.
For portraits of women, 2:1 is the ratio that is commonly used.
A lower ratios, and lower contrast, help to high light women's hair while leaving just enough shadow to show the features in her face.
For this reason and to make sure background items aren't too dark, 2:1 is also used for most portraits of models.
3:1 can be used if a 2:1 lighting ratio doesn't include enough shadow, or if it 2:1 portrait seems too bright.
This ratio is a good choice for photos of men or any portrait used for professional or business purposes.
For black and white photography of any kind, 3:1 is the best choice since 2:1 will usually seem noticeably bright and a darker 4:1 will have more black and darkly shaded areas.
As with the ratio 3:1, 4:1 works well for pictures of men.
This ratio gives a more "dramatic" impression to a portrait.
For general photos of men, or photographs intended to a portray a person as a business professional, this is the best lighting ratio to use.
As the ratio of key light to fill light rises, the photograph appears more and more dramatic and the shadows in the picture become darker.
For this reason, the most common lighting ratios for portrait photography are 1:1 through 5:1.
But, while anything higher than 5:1 is generally not the best choice for facial photographs, these higher ratios can be used, and often need to be used, for photographs or portraits which include more of or all of a person's body, or for side-shots of the face.
In these kinds of pictures, you usually want to have more light on one side and for the shadow to be emphasized on the other.
Higher ratios are also best for dramatic photographs which include a group of people.
Remember that choosing a lighting ratio is a highly subjective process.
There is never a "best" ratio for any photograph.
Photography is an art, and the choice of lighting ratio should be experimented with just like everything else in the photographs you take.
This main light is known as the "key light" and the lesser light is called the "fill light.
" A lighting ratio can be expressed (K+F):F, where the main light is K+F because it includes both the key light and the fill light.
In other words, lighting ratios express the level of light on the brightest lit areas in a photograph compared to the least lit parts.
This ratio is also known more simply as "contrast".
Considering lighting ratios is important for portrait photography.
The four most common lighting ratios for portrait photography are 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, and 4:1.
The lower ratios, 1:1 and 2:1 can be used for most photography needs.
These ratios make the entire photograph easier to see, so it is often used for family photographs, or facial photographs of small children and women.
When the fill light is equal to the key light, or the ratio is 1:1, it is called flat lighting because there is no contrast and few shadows in the photograph.
If you are taking a photograph of a small child or a baby that moves, you should use a 2:1 or 1:1 ratio because small kids and babies can move very quickly quickly and are hard to get to stay still, so it's difficult to get a portrait in which in the entire face is sufficiently lighted.
A stronger fill light ensures that you can take a photograph of them without too much shadow on the face even if they won't face the key, or main light.
For portraits of women, 2:1 is the ratio that is commonly used.
A lower ratios, and lower contrast, help to high light women's hair while leaving just enough shadow to show the features in her face.
For this reason and to make sure background items aren't too dark, 2:1 is also used for most portraits of models.
3:1 can be used if a 2:1 lighting ratio doesn't include enough shadow, or if it 2:1 portrait seems too bright.
This ratio is a good choice for photos of men or any portrait used for professional or business purposes.
For black and white photography of any kind, 3:1 is the best choice since 2:1 will usually seem noticeably bright and a darker 4:1 will have more black and darkly shaded areas.
As with the ratio 3:1, 4:1 works well for pictures of men.
This ratio gives a more "dramatic" impression to a portrait.
For general photos of men, or photographs intended to a portray a person as a business professional, this is the best lighting ratio to use.
As the ratio of key light to fill light rises, the photograph appears more and more dramatic and the shadows in the picture become darker.
For this reason, the most common lighting ratios for portrait photography are 1:1 through 5:1.
But, while anything higher than 5:1 is generally not the best choice for facial photographs, these higher ratios can be used, and often need to be used, for photographs or portraits which include more of or all of a person's body, or for side-shots of the face.
In these kinds of pictures, you usually want to have more light on one side and for the shadow to be emphasized on the other.
Higher ratios are also best for dramatic photographs which include a group of people.
Remember that choosing a lighting ratio is a highly subjective process.
There is never a "best" ratio for any photograph.
Photography is an art, and the choice of lighting ratio should be experimented with just like everything else in the photographs you take.