In The Dramatic Portrait: The Art of Crafting Light and Shadow from Rocky Nook author/photographer Chris Knight discusses portraiture with a novel approach to light and shadow, which allows you to elevate your photography to the next level. Knight begins with the history of portraiture in ancient Egypt and Greece and moves on to the awe-inspiring treatment of light and subject by artists such as Caravaggio, Rembrandt, and Vermeer. He then shares his hands-on exploration of light and shadow and offers numerous lessons to improve your portraiture.
Topics
- The qualities of light: Hard, soft, and the spectrum in between
- The relationships between light, subject, and background and how to control them
- Lighting patterns such as Paramount, Rembrandt, loop, and split
- Lighting ratios and how they affect contrast in your image
- Equipment: From big and small modifiers to grids, snoots, barn doors, flags, and gels
- Multiple setups for portrait shoots, including those that utilize one, two, and three lights
- How color contributes to drama and mood, eliciting an emotional response from the viewer
- How to approach styling your portrait, from wardrobe to background
- The post-processing workflow, including developing the RAW file, maximizing contrast, color grading, retouching, and dodging/burning for heightened drama and effect
- How all of these elements culminate to help you define your personal style and create your own narrative