MAKING PORTRAITS 175
The Basic Set-up
Figure 8.1 is a diagram of one of the simplest possible studio portrait set-ups.
In it is a single bare bulb that has been placed to one side of the subject. He
is sitting several feet in front of the plain blue seamless paper background.
is positioning is important. Were he closer to the background, his body
would cast a potentially distracting shadow on it.
Figure 8.2 is a portrait made with the lighting set-up we have just
described. In some ways, it is a satisfactory picture. It is sharp, properly
exposed, and acceptably composed. However, it suers from one very
serious fault—harsh, distracting, and very uncomplimentary shadows.
Now look at Figure 8.3. It shows the same young man in the same basic ...