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.
- 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
- Key · 120cm octa, close, feathered
- Fill · A third of the key
- Rim L · The left edge
- Rim R · The right edge
- Background · A soft grade up the muslin
- Softbox · from the lighting plans
- Grey muslin, 3m · Muslin