In order to take great portrait shots of your little clients, you must master the lighting patterns that capture their true essence and bring out their inner beauty.
But for several photographers, there's nothing as difficult or intimidating as photographing children. Kids are tough to direct and even tougher to keep still, so if you haven't yet mastered portrait lighting for kids, that can make your job even harder, it's about that time you do.
To help you do just that, we've put together a list of 4 portrait lighting patterns that every childcare photographer should master.
1. Loop lighting
The most popular portrait lighting pattern, loop lighting, is created when the light source is positioned at about a 45-degree angle from the child, creating a small shadow on one side of the face. The feature of this type is unique since it creates a small shadow of your child's nose on their cheeks. However, the shadow of the cheek and the shadow of the nose do not touch.
This type of lighting pattern adds depth to a photo without creating any dark or dramatic shadows, making it ideal for childcare photography, which helps bring out the details in a child's face.
2. Rembrandt lighting
Rembrandt lighting is a lighting pattern that is characterised by a light source that creates a triangle of light underneath the kid's eye or a distinctive triangle of light on one cheek. This type of lighting is often used in portraits to create a sense of drama or moodiness.
3. Split lighting
When you employ this pattern of lighting, half of the kid's face is lit by the light source, and half is in shadow. This creates a more dramatic image and can be used to highlight certain features. To achieve this look, simply position your light source to one side of your subject or the kid.
4. Broad Lighting
When doing broad lighting, the photographer angles your kid away from the main light source and another side towards the camera. This type of lighting is used to minimise facial imperfections and make the child look their best. And similar to its name, a broad lighting pattern is used to widen a slim face but is also ideal for highlighting the cheeks.
5. Butterfly Lighting
This lighting pattern is created when the light source is placed directly in front of the kid, creating a butterfly-shaped shadow under the nose. To create this type of lighting pattern, you'll need a reflector to bounce light back onto the subject's face.
6. Short Lighting
When the key light is placed to the side of the subject, it creates a short lighting pattern. Short lighting is often used to create a slimming effect and can be very flattering for your subjects.
To create a short lighting pattern, you'll need to place your subject with their body facing away from the light source. Then, position the key light to the side of the kid, making sure it's pointing towards their face. You can experiment with different heights and angles to find what looks best.
Understanding all the lighting patterns and efficiently working with them isn't easy. However, when you hire our best childcare photographers in Sydney, you get the expertise of professionals who have the right knowledge on varied aspects of kindergarten and preschool graduation photography in Sydney, including numerous lighting patterns. Contact us today for more information.