My clients are often working with a strict deadline so it's important that I always deliver images on time. One of the best tricks I have learned to save time and impress clients is to improve complexion in-camera using strategic lighting. The less I have to retouch after the shoot, the faster I can deliver files and maintain image fidelity. It's important to keep in mind that the more you retouch, the more you lose detail and clarity.
I often have clients on-set with me previewing my images as they are being captured. With that in mind, I want each exposure to be as close to the final product as possible. To minimize blemishes, fine lines, wrinkles and texture, I use reflectors to bounce more light onto the subject's face. As light bounces away from my subject's face, it minimizes imperfections and creates a brighter overall appearance.
For maximum effect, I place the reflector directly in front of my subject, laying flat. In terms of height, I place it between the subject's waist and rib cage. This technique works best with clam shell lighting where the key light is directly in front of the subject but will also work with an off-set key light.
In the before/after examples below you can see that adding a matte silver reflector softens shadows, minimizes under-eye circles and improves overall texture and brightness.
You can substitute a white reflector in place of matte silver but the effect is not as dramatic. In the example below you can see the effects of a white reflector on the left vs. a matte silver reflector on the right. The matte silver brightens the complexion a bit more while the white reflector is more subtle and understated. What you prefer comes down to personal preference but in general this technique works the best using mate silver.
There's another big advantage to this easy technique. In addition to brightening complexion, adding a reflector adds a second catch light in the eyes. This adds more sparkle and enhances your subject's eye color. This effect is more dramatic when using a silver reflector as you can see in the close-up below.
I like to use collapsible cloth reflectors as they are easy to transport but there are lots of materials that can be used for reflecting light. One of my favorite reflectors is a simple white foam core board. Foam core is affordable and easy to find at craft supply stores. For a matte silver surface, I purchase a few feet of bubble foil insulation at my local hardware store and use Gaffer's tape to secure it to the foam core board. It's inexpensive, lightweight and easy to use.
I hope this tutorial inspires you to give this technique a try. Leave a comment on how this goes for you if you give it a spin. Thanks for reading!
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I am happy to announce that I have a series of upcoming workshops that I will be teaching this fall and winter at Keeble&Shuchat Photography in Palo Alto, California. The first is a 2 part class on creating a visual narrative and using imagery to tell a story. On Saturday, September 27th we will start the day with a presentation on visual themes and view numerous examples of successful editorial stories to serve as inspiration. In the afternoon we will head over to a nearby location to put what we have learned into practice and work with a creative team. All the editorial elements will be in place such as a professional model, hair, makeup, wardrobe and props. Each student will work from a shot list and have the opportunity to photograph three outfit changes with the model and set. With 6 final images at the end of the day, students will have a week following the shoot to complete their post processing. The following Saturday, October 4th, the class will meet again in the afternoon at Keeble&Shuchat to view and critique each student's editorial story.
The class has a size limit so be sure to sign up now while there is still space: SIGN UP HERE
I hope to see you there!
I am excited to announce that I will be judging another photo contest for ViewBug! The theme of the contest is Laying Down which I am very excited about. Submissions will be judged on creativity, originality and in concordance with the theme. The first prize winner will receive a portfolio feature on the popular Blog All That is Interesting and a ViewBug storage hub.
All details of the contest are available here. Enter up to 2 photos by September 4th to be considered. I look forward to seeing your entries!
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I am excited to announce my new workshop schedule for the late summer and fall. As part of this year's classes I will be teaching a Power of Light workshop, hosted by Photoflex. This class covers the fundamentals of lighting by starting with an understanding of the basic lighting principles of brightness, direction, contrast, color, as well as the hard and soft qualities of light. The workshop then builds upon that knowledge to show students that whether it’s one light or ten, lighting is about creating depth, form, richness, texture, and mood.
In addition to the Power of Light workshop I am continuing my popular introductory and advanced studio lighting classes. Check out the schedule and details here. Class sizes are restricted so register now to secure a spot. Hope to see you there!
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Recently I shot images for a feature on hair chalking. Yes, that's right...hair chalking. I did not know anything about this but now I am a big fan. Hair chalking is an easy way to add color to your hair and the best part is that it washes out with 1-2 shampoos. Check out the newest article on the ZLIfe Blog for tips on how to chalk your own hair: http://zlife.zumba.com/look/ready-to-streak-heres-our-how-to/
All details of the contest are available here. Enter up to 2 photos by March 1st to be considered. Also please vote for your favorite images from March 2 - 16.
I look forward to seeing your entries!
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If you missed it, part 1 of the lesson is available HERE.
As part of Photoflex's online Lighting School, I recently produced a 2 part lighting lesson. If you are familiar with my work then you know I really enjoy shooting beauty images. For this lesson I went over how I create a specific beauty look with a sparkling background. You can check out the first of the lesson HERE. The second part will be posted later this month. Hope it's helpful!
Once again I need to thank the wonderful sponsors, Photoflex, Zenfolio, Millers, Keeble and Schucat and Drop it MODERN. I could not have pulled it all of without your help so thank you so much.
Check out the following gallery to see some of the awesome images created by students who attended the workshop: http://lauratillinghast.com/advaug2012
I want to thank Beata Pevny of BZM Studio for taking dynamic behind the scenes images during the class. Check out a few of my favorites below as well as a few of the final images from the lighting lessons.
A huge thank you goes out to my amazing sponsors Zenfolio, Millers, Photoflex, Keeble & Schucat, Drop It MODERN and Shoot Dot Edit. The Zenfolio studio was the perfect space for the class and the wonderful lighting equipment provided by Photoflex made my job very easy. You guys are the best!
Check out the following gallery to see some of the awesome images created by students who attended the workshop: http://lauratillinghast.com/introjuly2012
There are only a few slots left in the advanced lighting workshop. Sign up soon to make sure you get a spot! Hope to see you there!
The rest of Liz's lovely portfolio is available here: http://elizabethchangmakeup.com/
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For those who want to learn more about how I do fashion and beauty lighting, I have workshops scheduled for this summer. All the details as well as registration information are listed here: http://lauratillinghast.com/workshops
I hope to see you there!
In related news, I also did a Blog post for Drop it MODERN on lighting. You can check it out here: http://blog.dropitmodern.com/?p=3680
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More information on what will be discussed, as well as registration, are available here: http://lauratillinghast.com/workshops
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"A good home page delivers a message to the reader and search engines. Laura Tillinghast Photography shows the photography in large format, with information supporting the images, but not competing with them visually."
Check out the full article here, it is chock full of great advice: Expert Web Design Advice for Photographers, May 2012
For those of you looking for an affordable service to host your photos and site, you must check out my provider, Zenfolio. They offer an easy to use interface and lots of tools to help you make your site unique and reflective of your own style. They have a 14 day Trial you can set up to see what you think. If you do decide to sign up, feel free to use my code Laura-20 to save 20% off of the first year's service. Enjoy! :)
As a regular contributor to the magazine, I am lucky to get a variety of assignments. For this year's Spring issue, I created an image for an article on which foods contain vitamins that promote healthy joints. It was fun to work with such varied and colorful elements. Check out the article below!
You can check out Zenfolio's awesome and affordable web hosting services here: http://www.zenfolio.com/ If you decide to sign up, feel free to use the code LAURA-20 to save 20% off of the first year's subscription.
MpixPro is my all time favorite lab. They always deliver amazing results with the fastest turnaround time I have ever seen from a digital lab. Check out their extensive product line here: http://www.mpixpro.com/
