Once you’ve created the “clamshell” setup, with your lights nicely positioned in the shape of a clam, you’ll want to fine tune the strength of the lights. Technically, you can use clamshell lighting in most portrait situations. It works well on most subjects, and will give you images that are bright and eye-catching. You can use clamshell lighting for family portraits, for corporate headshots, for fashion shots, and much, much more. Also note that, while clamshell lighting does offer a lot of flexibility in terms of positioning shadows, it’s generally not very slimming; most of the shadows under the subject’s chin are pushed away by the bottom clamshell light, so a better alternative (when the goal is to slim down the subject’s face) is to go with butterfly lighting. Clamshell Lighting: A Step-By-Step Guide

Note that clamshell lighting doesn’t create much in the way of shadows, which means that it’s not an especially strong lighting pattern if you’re aiming to create drama. It’s a flattering type of light, but not a moody one. While you only need two lights to create the clamshell pattern, you’re always free to add additional lights to the setup. Generally, the second (fill) light should be weaker than the main (key) light. The fill light certainly shouldn’t be stronger or closer than the key light, because this would produce grotesque shadows that come from beneath the subject, like you’d find in a horror movie.In terms of light modifiers, unless you have a particularly harsh shot in mind, I’d suggest working with softboxes or beauty dishes. These will allow you to soften the light and create a more flattering result. Clamshell Lighting Basics You should look for one that provides enough light to see what you’re doing, but not so bright that it causes you to squint. We have a huge range of task lighting available in store and online, including the classic FORSÅ collection, LED-powered YPPERLIG table lamp, and RIGGAD, which comes with a wireless charging pad in its base. Focused task lighting relieves stress on your eyes, compared to relying on a single, main light in a room. You should also give some consideration to the kind of bulb you’ll use with your desk light. For this reason, it’s important that you make sure that both catchlights are present in the shot. Make sure that your top and bottom light stay in front of your subject without going too high or low, because the farther you move them up (in the case of the top light) and down (in the case of the bottom light), the more you risk losing one (or both) of the catchlights.

As I mentioned in an earlier section, clamshell lighting, when done properly results in a double catchlight. You can play with different combinations of lighting strength, though to do this with a reflector you’ll want to move it closer and farther away from the subject’s face. Adding a Third Light First, place your main light (the key light) above and in front of your subject. A 45-degree angle is popular, though you’re free to experiment with slightly adjusted lighting positions for different effects. I like going with a second light, rather than a reflector. It’s easier to control, and doesn’t require any holding–though if you do go with a reflector, you can always have the model hold it, or an assistant of some sort. Evening Out the Second Light

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You’ll want this light to be in front of you (i.e., the photographer), so that your camera is able to sit just below it for a straight or raised angle. The most common clamshell lighting setup involves two lights, such as strobes or speedlights. You can get away with a light and a reflector, but this will limit your flexibility somewhat (and ideally you’ll have both a second light and a reflector on hand, so you can play around with different looks). Note that both the key light and the second ( fill) light should now both be in front of you, the photographer–and your aim is generally to shoot the model from head-on, with a lens that pokes out from between the two light sources. Of course, you can ask the model to turn their head and strike different poses, but be careful to maintain the same shadow presence that you see from very straight clamshell lighting. You’ll need light stands (so that you can carefully position your clamshell setup), and you’ll want a flash trigger (because each flash will need to come off your camera).Please copy the voucher code, go to the basket and paste it into the voucher code box. To the Cyber Monday Sale