Langford’s Advanced Photography 7th Edition

7 LANGFORD’S ADVANCED PHOTOGRAPHY

Setting up camera and lights
The camera lens should be fitted with a lens hood as deep as possible. If a bellows style ‘pro
hood’ is being used, it should be extended until it can just be seen in frame then racked back just
out of frame. The hood is the first guard against light spilling on the lens and causing flare
(which reduces contrast as light bounces around the interior of the lens and onto the film or
sensor, and can cause aperture-shaped flare spots of light). Background lights should be fitted
with barn doors to mask light both from the lens and from spilling on to the subject. Any
additional spill on to lens, subject or background should be flagged off, using black card,
polyboard or fabric stretched on frames and clamped in place or set on separate stands.

The backlight should be fitted with barn doors, a honeycomb (or ‘grid spot’) or focusing
spot to contain the spread of light. Prevent light spilling on to the subject and background.

If flash heads are being used with umbrellas they should be fitted with wide-angle reflectors
(or ‘spill kills’). These reflectors will direct all the light into the full width of the umbrellas and give
one or two more stops illumination than if allowed to spill. They will also prevent unwanted light
leakage onto other area of the set.

Front fill light

A very large umbrella or softbox set directly behind the camera provides a shadowless light into

all areas of the scene; shadows are projected behind the subject. By careful adjustments of its

power in relation to other lights on the scene it can be made the

main light or a very subtle fill source (Figures 7.15 and 7.16).

The light must be large enough to wrap around the camera,

tripod and photographer. The eyes of a sitter will reflect the white

shape of the light and the black silhouette of the photographer

(the photographer literally puts their image, in silhouette, into the

image). This lighting reveals its ‘unnaturalness’ but makes clear

reference to an idealized fashion lighting style where every

blemish and wrinkle must be eliminated through flat frontal

Figure 7.15 Front fill light using a lighting. An even more flat shadowless light recurs in fashion
very large umbrella or softbox set photography with the use of the ring-flash – a doughnut-shaped
directly behind the camera. light which encircles the lens. The light, designed for shadowless

scientific specimen photography, can be seen in close up by

the doughnut-shaped highlight around the pupil, and by the

dramatic falloff across the skin towards the edges of face and

limbs.

Used in conjunction with a lighting setup described above it

can be set to two or three stops below the exposure from the main

light on the subject for the most subtle of fill effects. Shadow

areas of the background can be coloured by adding gels to this

Figure 7.16 Front fill light with light source. The colour will be eliminated on the subject provided
additional lighting. the main light is a couple of stops brighter.

Three (small) source lighting with a small source front fill has

been widely used to emulate 1940s style film-still photography. The mainlight here is the rimlight

set at approximately 110° from the camera axis. A backlight, either with a snoot or a honeycomb

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(gridspot) is aimed down onto the hair and shoulders of the
subject. The front fill will be set two or three stops lower than the
mainlight. The backlight is at least one stop brighter than the
mainlight (Figure 7.17).

Balancing foreground and background lighting

On location it is often desirable to match the power of

Figure 7.17 Small source lighting supplementary lights to the existing lights, for example when a
with a small source front fill. subject is standing with their back to a window or other bright
light source.

An exposure can be made for the subject by measuring the light falling on the face using an

incident meter (with an invercone or flat diffuser) aimed from face back to camera. This

exposure, with no additional light would result in the subject being reasonably well exposed but

the background overexposed.

To balance the lighting take a meter reading out of the window, or towards the background

light, using a meter in the reflected light mode or by using a spot meter or an SLR camera. An

exposure for the background would result in a underexposed subject. (If the meter is pointed at a

sky full of white clouds and the reading from them is used as the exposure, then the clouds will

be exposed as a mid-tone grey; the land below would tend to be underexposed – darker than a

midtone. A blue sky metered and exposed in the same way would correctly result in a midtone.)

Flash can be used in the foreground to balance the light on the subject with the light outside.

(HMI light could be used, or tungsten lights with full blue filters to correct the colour balance to

that of the daylight – 5400 K.)

If the background reading is f/11 then the flash should be set to achieve a reading of f/11 on

the subject. The shutter speed should be that for the background exposure (provided it is not

faster than the maximum synchronization speed you should use for the particular SLR or DSLR

or other camera with a focal plane shutter).

The nature of the foreground light – source size, direction and colour should as always

be designed to be justified, if it is to support existing foreground lighting, or motivated,

if it is to imply a certain source or location, or stylized to reveal information or suggest

a genre.

Darkening backgrounds with flash
This is a dramatic lighting method. It is extremely effective against cloudy skies in early evening
or morning; with this method the foreground subject will be perfectly exposed and will shine
out from brooding darkened backgrounds (Figure 7.19). Tests with Polaroids or digital cameras
are recommended.

Balance the foreground flash with the background ambient light by matching the flash
power to the ambient light exposure. The simplest way to darken the background, leaving the
foreground correctly exposed, is to increase the shutter speed. With a high-speed flash, like a
flashgun, the shutter speed will have no effect on the flash exposure in the foreground (where
the flash duration is less than 1/1000 sec). Each increase of shutter speed will underexpose the
background ambient light by one stop.

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Method 1 – Increase shutter speed

Ambient light exposure f/11 @ 1/60

Flash Exposure Background

f/11 f/11 @ 1/60* Balanced

f/11 f/11 @ 1/125* 1 Stop darker

f/11 f/11 @ 1/250* 2 Stops darker

f/11 f/11 @ 1/500* 3 Stops darker

Method 2 – Increase the flash power on the foreground

Ambient light exposure f/11 @ 1/60

Flash Exposure Background

f/11 f/11 @ 1/60 Balanced

f/16 f/16 @ 1/60 1 Stop darker

f/22 f/22 @ 1/60 2 Stops darker

f/32 f/32 @ 1/60 3 Stops darker

*Synchronization
If you are using a focal plane shutter camera make sure that the shutter speed does not exceed
the synchronization speed of the camera. For example, the background reading for the scene
here could also be taken as

● f/5.6 @ 1/250,
● the flash could be set to f/5.6 and
● expose at f/5.6 @ 1/250.

These settings would be fine for modern SLR cameras from the late 1980s onwards, but many
early models could only synchronize up to 1/60. If you use 1/250 with such a camera more than
half of the image will have the flash obscured by the shutter (Figure 7.18).

Leaf shutters will synchronize throughout their speed range as the shutter is always fully
open when the flash is fired.

Slow duration flash heads
Many portable flash kits and studio flash heads have a long flash duration at full power (some
can be as long as 1/90).

To darken backgrounds with such lights use ‘Method 2’ above, with a shutter speed no
faster than 1/60. Then the foreground will not be underexposed due to the shutter ‘clipping’ the
flash – i.e. shutting before the flash has finished its full duration.

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LIGHTING CONTROL 7

Regular electronic flash
1

2 Brightness

3 Time
Norm Long pulse flash
sync

4

5 Brightness

2nd Time
blind
sync

6

Figure 7.18 Regular flash is so brief that it can only be used with a focal plane shutter that opens fully at some point of time (near
right sequence). This flash may be fired when the first blind is fully open, or just before the following blind starts closing for mixing
sharpness and blur. Long-pulse flash, however, is slow enough to use with faster shutter speeds where only a slit moves across the
focal plane. It fires when the first blind starts to open (far right sequence) and maintains even light until the shutter has completed its
action.

It is not always desirable to have the foreground ‘perfectly’ exposed. If the background is the
most important feature of the shot, or if the subject should be shadowy or mysterious, then

underexpose the foreground by
decreasing the flash power but leaving the
camera set for the ambient light.

Flash – darkening the foreground
Decrease the flash power on the foreground

Ambient light exposure f/11 @ 1/60

Flash Exposure Foreground

Figure 7.19 The exposure of the foreground flash has been first f/11 f/11 @ 1/60 Balanced
balanced with the sky by matching the flash power to the ambient
light exposure. Then the shutter speed has been increased by three f/8 f/11 @ 1/60 1 stop darker
stops, so the sky is dramatically darkened by underexposure. The flash
has been bounced from an umbrella and filtered with a quarter f/5.6 f/11 @ 1/60 2 stops darker
orange gel to suggest a warm, medium source, interior light. By Andy
Golding. f/4 f/11 @ 1/60 3 stops darker

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Still-life photography

Still-life photography encompasses pack shots and product shots for advertising, catalogues,
brochures and web sites; food photography, car photography as well as realms of fine art
photography. Lighting requirements range from the emulation of natural light to highly stylized
light.

The painterly top/side medium light source formed by a softbox, lightbank or strip flash
(a long thin softbox) is often favoured not only to suggest products in the artist studio (raising
the status of products to that of art), but also suggesting the domestic setting with light flooding
across the objects from a nearby window. Detailed fill lighting is often achieved with mirrors
and foil.

At the other extreme objects are often made to appear in a pure space, as though floating in
thin air, with highlights running the length of the surfaces. On a small scale this is achieved by
setting the objects on a translucent light table, which is under lit. The light is balanced to a
softbox the width of the set suspended above. At the greater scale cars are set on ‘infinity curves’
or ‘coves’ – a white painted surface gradually curving from the studio floor to the ceiling. The
cove is evenly lit and again balances to an overhead lightbank which is sufficiently long to throw
a highlight along the curves of the car’s length.

Small precious objects frequently set in a light tent – a translucent fabric tent with an aperture
for the lens to peek through. When lit all round the tent becomes a large light source which
reduces the contrast by filling in shadows, keeping the exposure range within useful limits
(Figure 7.8).

Location interior lighting

Photographing rooms and people in them, presents a number of lighting problems including low
light levels, colour temperature differences and extreme contrast. If there is too little light for the
required exposure then a monolight kit can be used to substitute as the primary light source or to
supplement the available light.

Monolights as principal light source
A two-head monolight kit is unlikely to cover a large space of more than 20 m deep but within
this the options are to create even lighting throughout by using umbrellas, softboxes or by
bouncing the flash off the ceiling.

For a little more drama then use one head with an umbrella behind the camera as a front fill
source and highlight your subject, or a detail of the room with the second head fitted with a
reflector (or more focused through a snoot or honeycomb).

If an exposure of around f/11 can be achieved, then shooting at 1/125th is likely to ensure
that the available light is overwhelmed by the flash.

A typical tungsten-lit living room might require an exposure of 1/8 second at f/11
using 100 ISO film. Exposing for the flash at 125th will render the tungsten light four stops
underexposed. In these circumstances the photograph will be dominated by the flash
lighting. If the flash lighting is uncoloured the light will be of neutral colour on daylight
film. The resulting photograph is unlikely to reveal the atmosphere of the room’s original
lighting.

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To create more atmosphere then either match the flash lighting to the style of the available
light or let the available light become a significant component of the exposure.

Matching flash to the room lights
An umbrella light or softbox can be used to suggest the light from ‘medium’-sized light sources
such as window light or from table lamp shades. Use the direct flash from a reflector to suggest
light from small sources such as overhead room lights or spotlights. To match them for colour
use quarter or half orange lighting gels to imitate the warmth of tungsten light.

Matching the exposure to room lights
To retain the atmosphere of the room and to make best use of the effect of the existing lighting,
balance the flash exposure to the available light. If the flash exposure is f/11 then take an
available light reading at f/11. The reading might be in the region of 1/8th @ f/11. Using this
exposure will give an equal balance of flash and available light. An increase of the shutter speed
will reduce the effect of the available light by one stop, a decrease will increase it. The flash
exposure will be unaffected.

Flashguns

The integral flash of a compact camera, the pop up flash of an SLR, the separate flash unit, can

all be controlled to subtle effect. Flash will reveal detail in dark shadows, bring a sparkle to a dull

day, freeze motion and can provide a sense of movement, resolve colour balance clashes in

complex lighting environments and carefully filtered will warm up or cool down selected

elements of the scene.

Yet for many users the flashgun is only resorted to when light is too low for acceptable

exposures. Results tend to be dreadful: in the foreground over-lit faces with hard-edged

shadows, the background in inky darkness and garish white light overpowering atmospheric

interior lighting or exquisite sunsets.

The latest generation of

dedicated flashguns and

Voltage cameras will resolve the

Flash Strong Week exposures for you, mix flash
cut-out reflection reflection and available light, balance
switch the flash with backlight or
ST triggers allow you to increase or
C

A decrease the flash to your

1/30 000 second 1/1000 preference in thirds of stops
(Figure 7.20). But any
Duration of flash second

combination of camera and

Figure 7.20 Near right: basic circuit of self-regulating flashgun (batteries not shown). flash – old, new, cheap or top
C: light sensor behind pre-set neutral density filter. Some types use apertures of various of the range can be
sizes instead. A: analogue control chip. T: thyristor switching device. C: main capacitor, manipulated to allow you to
feeding flash tube. Far right: light reflected from subject to sensor causes a small charge control the flashlight and
to accumulate. When this reaches a set level the flash is terminated. So the closer or prevent it dominating the
paler your subject, the briefer the flash (blacked-out sensor setting is manual mode).

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photograph. The trick is to take control of the flash rather than allow it to dictate the play of light
in the photograph.

Check your camera’s handbook to discover if it has a maximum synchronization speed;
new SLR film cameras with focal plane shutters may allow a speed of 1/250 (the faster the better
for use with bright daylight), older models perhaps 1/125th, 1/60th or even 1/30th. Digital
cameras and compact cameras vary considerably. (Flash will synchronize at most shutter speeds
when used with leaf shutters since the flash is fired when the leaves are full open.) Using a speed
faster than the synchronization will result in the flashlight being cut off in the frame, but it is by
using slower speeds that the flash effect is lessened and the impact of the ambient light
heightened.

Exposures in interiors at night, living rooms, restaurants, café, bars, using 100 ISO film,
might be in the region of f/4 at 1/15th; using flash at a synch speed of 1/125th would result
in the ambient light being underexposed by three stops (eight times less light). The room
lights will barely be revealed, the background will appear to be in near darkness. Reduce
the shutter speed to 1/30th and surrounding light will be just one stop less (half as) bright –
revealing much more of the lighting quality of the environment. Lower the shutter speed to
1/15th and flash and available light will be equally balanced. Now though the shot will be
overexposed, as there is light coming equally from the interior and the flash. Stop down the
aperture (f/5.6 @ 1/15) and the exposure will be correct, with the room light and flash equally
mixed (so-called ‘mixed flash’).

This effect is achieved automatically with many newer cameras by locating the ‘slow-synch’
setting in the flash menus. The camera’s exposure system will match the flash to the surrounding
lighting conditions.

Without a tripod the slower shutter speeds will result in some blur – both from moving
subjects and from camera shake, but the flash will freeze elements of the scene and often give an
effect of dynamism and action. Cameras with focal plane shutters normally fire the flash near the
start of the exposure (when the first curtain of the shutter has crossed the sensor or film plane),
so moving elements in the scene are frozen by the flash then blur from the ambient light
exposure appears ahead of them. To make the ‘trail’ appear behind the movement check the
menus of your camera to see it can allow for ‘rear curtain synch’ whereby the flash will be fired
at the end of the exposure.

To show up background lighting or skies behind your subject simply match the flash and
background exposures. If the evening background or sky exposure is 1/30th @ f/5.6, set your
camera accordingly; then set the flash to f/5.6. In the resulting image the foreground subject will
be lit to the same value as the background (the flash is balanced with the backlight). An increase
of one stop of the shutter, here to 1/60th, will darken the background perhaps giving more
drama in the sky, yet not affect the foreground (the flash fires at 1/1000th of a second or faster so
is unaffected by the faster shutter speed).

This balancing act is automated by many modern amateur cameras with a ‘night portrait’
function, usually indicated by an icon of a silhouette head and shoulders with a star behind.
Professional DSLRs will achieve this effect with matrix metering and ‘slow-synch’ settings.

In bright daylight the same balance can be achieved by again matching flash foreground
exposure to the value of the sunlit background; this is the look of the paparazzi photography in
magazines and in the more garish photography of the documentary artists movement of the

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