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Lighting diagram for a portrait

A grey muslin, a big octa, and restraint. The octa stands camera-left at head height and a touch above, close enough that the light wraps; a panel camera-right returns a third of it so the shadow side keeps detail. Two tubes behind the talent, one each side, draw the edges that lift her off the cloth, and a low practical throws a soft grade up the muslin so the background reads as depth rather than as a wall. Everything is aimed at one face: if a source cannot say what it does for the face, it goes back on the truck.

Grey muslin, 3mTalent85mmA cam2.0 m · SBKey1.6 mFill2.3 mRim L2.3 mRim R0.8 mBackground1 m
  • Talent· 1.6m off the cloth3.0 m × 2.3 m
  • A cam· Portrait length, eye level3.0 m × 4.3 m
  • Key50°5600K· 120cm octa, close, feathered1.7 m × 3.3 m
  • Fill90°5600K40%· A third of the key4.3 m × 3.4 m
  • Rim L30°5600K60%· The left edge1.8 m × 1.1 m
  • Rim R30°5600K60%· The right edge4.2 m × 1.1 m
  • Background4300K25%· A soft grade up the muslin3.0 m × 1.4 m

The packing list this plan writes

  • Key · 120cm octa, close, featheredlighting
  • Fill · A third of the keylighting
  • Rim L · The left edgelighting
  • Rim R · The right edgelighting
  • Background · A soft grade up the muslinlighting
  • Softbox · from the lighting plansgrip
  • Grey muslin, 3m · Muslingrip