It’s easy to achieve the desired lighting in large, luxurious studios. There’s plenty of height and a clean, white floor. You can also find all the equipment you need. Anyone can take a decent shot in such a studio, but what about a more compact space like a small home studio where you could create something creative and cool?
We’ve probably all felt the fear of arriving at a location and finding out that it’s a small space. I have done portraits of people in their homes with the smallest spaces, hair salons that had wall-to-wall mirrored walls and corporate offices with horrible coloured carpets and walls. When everything goes well, and you have plenty of time, space, and kit ….. , then anyone can do a decent job. But what about the other 91% of jobs?
It is important to learn how to adapt to any set, even if it is just a small bathroom. Knowing a few tricks that will help you make the best use of your space is also a great idea. In today’s post, I will show you how to create a top light that is effective, even when there is limited space.
Why are top-lights used so often on larger shoots? They’re also almost always present in movie sets, but why is that? The main reason is to separate our subject from the backdrop. When height is a problem, many photographers use simple edge-lights to achieve this. However, it can be difficult to create an even light spread across the sides of the head and the top. Here’s where top-lights can be used.
This requires a lot of height, as you need to have enough space for the light modifier and the actual light. It does require a great deal of height, as not only do you need the space to place the modifer, but also to allow the light to reach the model. This eliminates many smaller spaces and rooms, including home studios ….. , but there’s a solution.