Lighting Ratios and Broad and Narrow Lighting

In this lesson we looked into the Lighting ratio which is created when two lights are in use and we adjust the power of them so that they have certain light ratios to one another. For example 2:1 or 4:4. This means we can control the amount of highlights and shadows there are on the side of the face. The lighting set up is very simple, using two soft boxes facing the model – the same set up as feathered lighting, however with the lights adjusted to the ratios you need. For example for a 2:1 ratio, the power of one light could be 2 and the other should be double and therefore 4. Whereas with a 4:1 ratio, one light could be powered at 1.5 and the other at 6. Here are my final ratio examples:

2:1

4:1

After shooting ratios, we then looked at broad and narrow lighting. Broad and narrow lighting are techniques used to control how wide the subject appears to the viewer. To use this kind of lighting, two lights must be used and one brighter than the other; the brightest being the key light. To determine the difference between broad and narrow light, it is easiest to look at which side of the nose is lit, for example on these diagrams, the brightest light is on the left and therefor the side of the nose that will be lit is the left. Broad light makes the person appear wider, whereas narrow light makes them appear slimmer. Broad lighting is caused when you shoot the side of the face that is lit; on the left according to the diagram as there are less shadows giving less depth to the face. Broad light can be used to make someone look more powerful and is typical used on men to accentuate their features and make them appear more masculine. Narrow lighting is shot on the shaded side of the nose meaning the shadows created by the light are visible and only part of their face is lit making their face look slimmer.Here are my examples:

Narrow Lighting:

Broad Lighting: