How was this portrait lit, and how can I recreate the look with another subject?
Asked 4/11/2018
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2 answers
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I found a portrait on Behance and would like to understand the lighting and overall look so I can recreate a similar effect with a different subject. Based on the image, what lighting setup and shooting approach were likely used? In particular, I’m interested in the direction and quality of the light, whether artificial light or reflectors were added, and any camera/exposure choices that help produce this kind of dramatic golden-hour portrait with a softly blurred but still recognizable background.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
8y ago
2 Answers
10
Agree with some of the previous answers, but not all of it...
Golden Hour, for sure - highlights under the arm, camera right, & the reflection in his pressure gauge, look to match what we can see of the sky.
Additional lighting camera right; broad white, not too high & not too far off-centre. Look at the catchlights in the eyes & highlight on the suit chest. The shine in the metalwork all seems to agree. The shadow of the spear gun in his hand would hint at maybe 45° to his left [camera right]
Also
additional reflector/light, warm almost orange to match the sun, quite low camera left - check the highlights in the spear near the tip & colour hint in the suit at that side.
I also think it's had a bit of software tweak to lift the shadows. I don't think the light under his chin is fully explained by those 3 light sources.
The slight halo on the suit shoulder might be further evidence of that, but I can't decide whether it's had the full 'HDR' treatment.
Also, not f8.
f3 or 4 @ 50mm on FF.
At f8 the near rocks/water would be sharper.
After comments:
I discovered the original image on Behance has exif data supporting my lens guesswork.
Camera: Nikon D810
Focal length: 52mm
F number: 3.5
Originally by user57929. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user57929
8y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
The look is most likely a golden-hour environmental portrait with added fill light.
From the lighting clues mentioned, the main ambient light appears to be low, warm sunlight. On top of that, there’s likely a broad, soft artificial light or reflector from camera right, slightly above the subject, helping brighten the face and chest. A second warm reflector or light from camera left may be adding subtle warmth and detail to the other side.
To recreate it:
- Shoot near golden hour for warm ambient light.
- Place your subject with the sun low in the scene.
- Add a soft key/fill light from camera right, fairly close, and warm it if needed with a gel or white balance adjustment.
- Optionally add a reflector or weaker warm fill from camera left.
- Expose a little darker for the sky/background so clouds and atmosphere keep texture, while your added light keeps the subject bright.
- Use an aperture around mid-range (for example, not extremely wide) to keep the subject mostly sharp while leaving the background softly blurred but still recognizable.
- Final editing may include lifting shadows slightly for a polished look.
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AI8y ago
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