Lighting To Improve Facial Characteristics

alaios

Dear all,

I am starting this to allow a discussion on my most common problem I have to face when shooting.

Most subjects complain about a specific facial characteristic and I am always try to think what to change to "hide" problems.

In my last scenario I was given only 5 minutes to take few portraits shots for a corporate type of shooting. My subject knew that I am very new into this but he explained me that anyhow his colleagues for corporate shots have in best case a point and shoot camera type of shoot.



I said ok, since I am always in for any practice.

These are the four bests I was able to give him after this short shooting period.




#1







#2









#3










#4



(I think my best is the #2).

After I returned the shots I got two comments

1. "Oh Shit one eye is larger than the other." I think that the problem is on the eye lid... I have spent some time trying to think how I can improve that with light.. but I have got no good alternative. I know that I can put the larger eye away from the camera but then I always run with the troubles with the overall posing... changing the posture to keep the masculine pose

2. He also commented about his nose. He has this bump since he was a boy but he thinks that shows overly large. If I had more time I would like to try either to light up more the nose or use some shadows.. Although both changes would alter completely the nature and the idea I had for the lighting (broad light for a corporate shot).



How do you react at such cases? How easily you change your lighting gear and what you leave for post processing?



Regards

Alex

--
“The fact is that relatively few photographers ever master their medium. Instead they allow the medium to master them and go on an endless squirrel cage chase from new lens to new paper to new developer to new gadget, never staying with one piece of equipment long enough to learn its full capacities, becoming lost in a maze of technical information that is of little or no use since they don’t know what to do with it”
(written at 1927 by Edward Weston)

Dooginfif20

I think of all your shots, the 1st is the only keeper to me. 2 is shot too high, and 3 & 4 is shot too low. The eye thing you cant fix with lighting at least not to my knowledge. I either do an eye swap (take the other eye and flip it over) or use liquifiy to stretch the eye/shrink the eye lid. As for the nose issue this I think you can fix with lighting. People with a larger nose shouldn't be lit from a 45/45 config because all this does is throws a shadow. Also having them turn their heads even the slightest will make the nose look longer. Try shooting straight on, with them straight at you with a beauty dish if you have one. Also looking at your catch lights I think your lights are too far away. Hope this helps.

Mitchell

What focal length are you shooting here?

alaios

Thanks for the eyes. I typically shoot with 75mm since I am shooting at people's offices and their room space is limited.
This was a 45, 45 setup with a main and fill light. Next time I might try a main light centered to the subject and reflector below to fill in the neck area
Alex

JonaBeth Russell

I think #1 has the best composition, #4 has the best lighting (both eyes are shaded a little). In #1, my only dislike is that one eye is dark, the other completely lit up.