For any of these lighting setups, any f-stop is acceptable. I generally shoot beauty somewhere around f/8 or f/11 because I want to keep all my details in the shot very crisp. Sometimes I’ll go the other extreme and use a very wide aperture for a narrow-depth-of-field effect. It all depends on what you want to achieve creatively. A nother twist on the traditional clamshell lighting is to put two evenly sized lights side by side in front of the model. This creates a narrow opening to shoot through. Notice how different the quality of the light on the face is. The lights are coming from either side and wrap around the face for a different clamshell effect. Butterfly lighting involves placing a light just above the subject, pointing down at an angle just like clamshell lighting. And you can also use a second light or a reflector beneath the subject, pointing upward. I like to shoot for a single catchlight where possible, by careful second light/reflector positioning, and model posing.

So I'm starting with octa up high. That's from a different photoshoot, I was not into dodge&burn that days, but the good thing is that the image pretty much describes where is the upper light and what it's lighting and what not (I'm speaking about shadows on the right side of the model's face). With a minimal amount of gear from just a single light, stand, modifier, and reflector to a two-piece studio kit, the clamshell lighting pattern is a good one for lighting newbies to try. The two lights can be set at even powers. The lower light should never be at a higher power than the taller key light. If it is, the image will have unusual shadows from being lit from below. interior of a modern photo studio 1. Shoot — and Troubleshoot 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 GuideTo fill in the shadows under the chin, add in a reflector. A silver reflector will create minimal shadows, while a white reflector will have a bit more shadow, though still rather subtle. So the heat platen lifts up, not remaining parallel to the lower table as with swing away presses, but with the heat platen facing the operator.

You can identify clamshell lighting in a magazine if you see two distinct highlights or catchlights in the eye. Usually you see one toward the top of the eye, and another a bit further down in the pupil. The shapes and sizes of these catchlights will vary drastically, but when you see the two highlights you can readily identify clamshell. If you like your lights to be glam, you’ve got to go clam! You’ll love every moment you spend in the glow of this light, just wait and sea… Typically, I put the bottom of the beauty dish about eye level with the subject or even a bit lower. The higher the light source is in comparison to the subject, the more defined the shadows become on the subject’s face. For softer shadows, increase the power of the bottom fill light. If you are using a reflector, switch from a white to a silver reflector or move the reflector closer to the subject’s chin.

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While clamshell lighting is somewhat specific to portraits and headshots, it’s a very handy option to have in your lighting recipes. Since it can be done with only one light and a reflector, the cost in equipment is relatively low.

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). 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. And for people with perfect skin (as I have said I plan a photoshoot with one absolutely beautiful young model) the upper modifier can be changed to silver beauty dish. The question is - the lower modifier must be a softbox, or maybe even something like magnum reflector can be used, or even another beauty dish, for example the white one? T he two light sources are a beauty dish (main light on top) and a silver dish reflector (fill light on bottom). Notice that this effect creates darker and more defined edges around the face when compared with other lighting setups, such as the two even-sized softboxes (next image). Considerations for Your Clamshell Lighting Setup From here I add the lower modifier (you can see that octa is angled, cause it's in the frame). I didn't want it to be angled actually but we had less than five minutes and I didn't pay enough attention to that.

The Eye Lighter

The second light should look like the mirror image of the first. This is the bottom half of the shell to the first light. This is probably the no1 reason that many people prefer swing away heat presses over clamshell presses. Here’s the same image taken with a softbox instead of a beauty dish. I centered a 2×2′ softbox as the main light, and two small silver reflectors to add the fill light.

For this lighting setup to be most effective, try to use two evenly sized light sources. This will create identical lighting on the left and right sides of the face. If you use two different modifiers, then the light may be uneven and will not give you symmetrical lighting on the face, which is the goal of this light setup. This image uses two equal-sized softboxes that create two squares surrounding the pupil. These interesting catchlights create a surreal and beautiful effect in the eyes. Clamshell Variation Clamshell lighting is when the photographer uses two frontal light sources to illuminate the subject, helping to minimize shadows and often giving a glowing effect. I think it's appropriate in this case - we're creating a very 'fantastic' fembot look, not looking to replicate reality.Clamshell lighting is when the photographer uses two frontal light sources to illuminate the subject, helping to minimize shadows and often giving a glowing effect. Though usually achieved by using studio strobes, it can also be achieved using constant studio lights. Think of your two light sources as the shells, and your subject is the happy clam in the middle.