#CAPTUREPERFECT 3.1 BLACK BORDER FULL#

Or, do you want to make a face appear thinner? A stronger ratio (perhaps 4:1 or 8:1) and split-lighting approach may be just the ticket.

Want to create flat lighting scenario to, for instance, make a thin face appear broader? Add fill light to the shadow side of the subject in order to bring the ratio to 1.5:1 or even 1.1. With wide digital latitude, stronger ratios are possible, and subtle differences are often more evident. When working with film, photographers had to keep their ratios fairly tame, often a 4:1 or 5:1 ratio at most, to ensure holding detail in the shadows. So, 2:1 is one stop, 4:1 is two stops, 8:1 is three stops and so on. By extension, 1:1 is perfectly flat-no difference in brightness between highlight and shadow. That means a 2:1 lighting ratio represents a subject with a highlight side and a shadow side that are one stop different.

#CAPTUREPERFECT 3.1 BLACK BORDER FULL#

When measuring the amount of light falling on a subject, a doubling (or halving) of a lightвЂ™s intensity is equal to one full stop. The higher contrast of a strong ratio packs more drama than a lower ratioвЂ™s flat illumination. And, because those ratios say a lot about the lighting style and overall look and feel of a portrait. Most commonly, specific lighting ratios are useful in portrait lighting because they express a contrast value between the highlight side of the face (the cheek closest to the main light) and the shadowed side (the cheek opposite the key).

And, to make the ideal exposure in camera in order to maximize detail in shadow and highlights, as well as the ideal overall вЂњlookвЂќ of an image, mastering lighting ratios is as important as ever. But in reality, RAW files still have their limits.

With RAW digital capture, it seems like we can almost always pull detail out of the darkest shadows, and rescue all but the brightest highlights from becoming blown out pure white. Lighting ratios were especially important in the days of film, because the limited contrast range meant you had to be especially precise when balancing shadows and highlights. A stronger ratio is higher contrast, while a lower ratio represents flatter illumination. Ultimately itвЂ™s a measure of the contrast within a scene, between highlight and shadow. A lighting ratio is the difference between the brightness of the main light and the fill.

Captureperfect 3.1 black border