How do I photograph a candlelit subject against a pure black background?
Asked 12/4/2015
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I’m trying to recreate a candlelit portrait where the subject is lit by candles but the background stays completely black. When I expose brighter, the background starts to show; when I underexpose, the subject becomes too dark. What setup and exposure approach will help keep the background black while still lighting the subject properly?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
10y ago
2 Answers
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It is hard to tell with this small version, but the image might be a composition of two images. If there were several candles lighting the person I would expect multiple shadow lines, eg. from the arm. One could also have a look at the catchlight in the eyes in a high-res version.
To get the background dark enough, in addition to the other suggestions, you need to shut out all other light. You can expose a shot without the candles for the highest exposure to know what your limit is. Then you can add candles to illuminate the subject as much as needed. the background should almost not be affected since the light intensity falls off proportional to 1/r².
Originally by user45637. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user45637
10y ago
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Use light control and subject-to-background distance more than extreme exposure changes. Start with a truly black backdrop and place the subject well away from it. Keep all other ambient light out of the scene, then expose for the subject’s skin, not the background. Because candlelight falls off very quickly with distance, the subject can be lit while the background stays much darker if it is far enough behind them.
A useful test is to make an exposure without the candles and see the brightest exposure you can use before the background becomes visible from ambient light. Then add candles and adjust their placement/number to light the subject more without significantly lighting the backdrop.
If the reference image shows unusually clean lighting, it may also be a composite of two images rather than a single exposure.
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