Chapter 14: Lighting – The Setup

One of the most frequently asked questions is: “How do I set up the light in my photos so they look like yours?” It’s no secret, but a simple trick that is also Joe McNally’s mantra: The bigger the light source, the softer the light. Therefore, in this chapter I am going to show you some light setups and explain why the light looks as is does.

14.1  Super Soft Light

This is one of my typical shots: a portrait of a businessman. Tricky, because of the glasses.

Figure 14.1: Example for extremely soft lighting.

But first things first. The main light source is an Octobox, an octangular softbox.

In contrast ...

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