Your photo is technically sharp, the pose is right, and yet the result looks flat or somehow unfinished? Often the problem isn't the camera, but the lighting setup. In this video, Matthias shows the mistakes he made himself at the beginning and which he still comes across again and again today. The principles apply equally to photography and videography. Whether you're working with artificial light in the studio or with sunlight outdoors, the mechanisms are the same. Read this guide as a checklist: Go through the points one after another and check during your next shoot where you're currently stumbling.
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Key Takeaways
- Even lighting looks boring. A key light with contrast gives the subject shape and depth.
- The shadow side may be darker, but should never become completely black, so that details are still preserved.
- Light from too high up creates dark eye sockets, the so-called raccoon effect.
- Light sources should not point directly at the subject from the front, but should be offset to the side, by about 30 degrees.
- The color temperature of your lamps must be neutral, otherwise the skin looks discolored.
- Colored surfaces in the surroundings reflect their color back onto the subject.
- An overexposed background makes the subject look milky and low in contrast.
Step 1: Contrast instead of even lighting
Probably the most common beginner mistake is lighting the subject equally strongly from all sides. Two identical softboxes on the left and right look balanced at first glance, but take all dimensionality away from the image. Matthias recommends working with contrast, because a little shadow makes everything more interesting. He himself works with a single light from one side, because it can be set up quickly and is easy to control.
Step 2: Define a clear key light
According to Matthias, a key light is indispensable. Think of nature: there is only one sun, and the light almost always comes from one direction. Your key light should be the strongest light source in the scene. If you use a second lamp, place it significantly farther away or reduce its power. This creates a natural shadow on the face that shapes the contours. A key light is therefore the foundation on which everything else builds.
Step 3: Brighten shadow sides, but don't let them go black
As soon as you work with one direction, the half of the face turned away becomes darker. This is intended, but should not turn into deep black. As soon as no more details can be seen, the image quickly looks off-putting. Therefore, pay attention to the surroundings: White walls and light-colored tables reflect light back and gently brighten the shadow side. Alternatively, you can place a second, significantly weaker lamp on the shadow side. The goal is a middle ground where the contrast is retained, but there is still visible detail in the shadow.
Step 4: Use reflectors for fill light
The principle can also be applied outdoors in strong sun. A reflector on the shadow side specifically brightens the face and softens the contrast. If the sun is very harsh and one-sided, you can alternatively hold a reflector between the sun and the subject so that the light becomes softer. The technique works in both directions, you just have to pay attention to where the main light source is and where you need the shadows.
Step 5: Avoid the raccoon effect
If light comes from too steeply above, the eyes lie in shadow. The face then looks like that of a raccoon, and in extreme cases the eyes disappear completely. This may be intended in horror films, but for most portraits it is unflattering. Therefore, don't position the light too high. A guideline for getting started is a light height at which you can just barely still see the light source in the subject's eye.
Step 6: Check the light reflections in the eyes
The small points of light in the eyes, so-called catchlights, bring portraits to life. Look closely during the shoot: Do you see a reflection of the light source in both eyes? If not, the subject quickly looks lifeless. The reflection doesn't have to be big, a small point of light is enough. Through the position of your light, you can control exactly where this point sits.
Step 7: Check Color Temperature and Color Neutrality
Cheap room lamps or video lights can have an undesirable color cast. Some are distinctly orange, others look cold and bluish or even purple. With strong color casts, you notice it immediately in the face. It becomes difficult with minimal deviations that are hardly noticeable on the display but later make skin tone look unnatural. Matthias advises looking for color-neutral lights for artificial lighting if you shoot regularly. This is worthwhile because the image results become more natural and the colors more accurate.
Step 8: Replace Frontal Light with a Sideways Offset
A hot-shoe flash usually sits directly on the camera and shines frontally onto the subject. The result is flat, faces look two-dimensional, and the images quickly lose their appeal. Matthias recommends holding the flash a bit to the side using a wireless trigger. This may look unfamiliar when trying it out, but it provides significantly nicer light. This trick also works in the sun or with reflected light sources, where you control the direction via walls.
Step 9: Experiment with the Angle
As a starting point, Matthias recommends a sideways offset of about 30 degrees. This direction is a good starting point if you don't yet know how to position your light. At the same time, make sure the light doesn't come from below, as this also creates an unnatural effect. Experimenting is the most important step here, because every subject and every room requires slightly different settings.
Step 10: Recognize Colored Reflections
Colored surfaces in your environment cast their color back onto the subject. Matthias tells of a shoot at the Mannheim Wasserturm, where the abundant green of the trees and the lawn cast a green shimmer onto the skin. A pink wall or a yellowish studio floor can also cause similar effects. Therefore, check which surfaces are near your subject, and reposition if necessary. To begin with, this doesn't need to bother you yet, but it's worth keeping this topic in the back of your mind.
Step 11: Don't Let the Background Blow Out
A background that is too bright, such as a white wall that is additionally hit by flash, can blow out strongly. This reduces contrast, and the subject in the foreground looks milky. This problem occurs especially with backlighting. You have two options to counteract it: Either you put more light on the subject from the front, or you reduce the light hitting the background. A reflector card or hiding the sun can also help.
Step 12: Use Distance as an Adjustment Lever
The brightness of the background can be easily controlled via distance. If you move the subject further away from the background or bring the light source closer to yourself, the background automatically becomes darker. This is an elegant technique with which you can quickly change the look of your image without fundamentally rebuilding the setup.
Summary ??? Lighting: Recognize Typical Mistakes and Correct Them Immediately
The most common mistakes in lighting are even illumination, missing main light sources, light falling too steeply from above, frontal flash directions, wrong color temperatures, colored reflections, and blown-out backgrounds. Each of these points can be improved with just a few steps. Make sure you have a clear main light, allow shadows without letting them go black, and check the light height so that the eyes remain visible. Use continuous light for experimenting, because there you see the effect immediately. With every shoot, ask yourself why your image is lit the way it is, and then deliberately change one variable. Anyone who develops this habit improves their photos significantly step by step.
FAQ
Question: Do I always have to use only one light source?Answer: No. You need a clear main light, but another lamp can serve as a weaker fill light on the shadow side.
Question: How do I tell if my light is coming from too steeply above?Answer: If the eyes are dark or hardly visible anymore, the light is too high. Then you should lower the light source.
Question: How do I notice a wrong color temperature?Answer: You notice strong color casts immediately on the skin. For small deviations, comparing with a neutral reference and checking the images on the monitor help.
Question: What does the raccoon effect mean?Answer: This refers to an unflattering shadow around the eyes, caused by light that is too steep from above.
Question: Why should I offset the flash direction to the side?Answer: A sideways offset creates shadows that give the face shape, and makes it look more three-dimensional.
Question: How can I avoid a blown-out background?Answer: Increase the light on the subject or reduce the light on the background. More distance from the background also helps.
Question: Why should I pay attention to colored surfaces in my environment?Answer: They reflect their color onto the subject, which can lead to greenish or other color casts on the skin.
