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Making a portrait with lights in the background
Let a pattern, a few soft points or one lamp become part of a portrait.
Woman in Sailor-Style Outfit Poses on Stage · Photograph: Yenra
Captured: 2015:05:23 21:06:50
Background lights can describe a place and give a portrait a rhythm of its own. They might form a bright pattern, soften into a few points, or appear as one lamp beside the model. A small change in where you stand can give those lights a different relationship with the face and the frame.
Include a pattern of lights
Rows of purple and white lights remain easy to recognize behind the model. The costume, gesture and repeating points share the frame, making the setting part of the portrait’s character.
Look at the points nearest the head and shoulders. Some sit in open background space; others meet the outline. For a new photograph, try a small camera-position change and notice how those relationships shift. The model can stay comfortably in place while you explore the framing.
Begin with enough room to include the setting, then make a closer version if you wish. Comparing the two can help you choose how much of the light pattern you would like the portrait to hold.
Give softer points room around the portrait
Pink-Haired Woman in Brown Shirt and White Corset · Photograph: Yenra
Captured: 2015:05:23 21:24:25
A few soft light shapes sit above and around this model’s pink hair. Their pale color stands out from the darker setting, while their softened edges leave room for the face, hands and clothing to carry detail.
Notice the size of the points relative to the face and the spaces between them. You can begin this exercise with any portrait you already have: describe where the background lights sit, then imagine one framing change you might enjoy trying.
When making a new frame, choose focus and brightness for the result you want. A background with clearly described lights and one with softer points can both be useful. The bokeh lesson offers another way to explore the appearance of out-of-focus areas.
Place one light beside the subject
Playful Moment in the Garden · Photograph: Yenra
Captured: 2015:05:24 20:11:54
The garden lamp appears to the left of the model, separated from the face by dark background space. Its warm glow gives the eye a second place to visit. Much of the frame remains quieter, so a single point can have a clear presence.
For your own experiment, choose a comfortable place to stand or sit and look for one visible light beyond the model. Try leaving it beside the subject, then changing your viewpoint enough to move it within the frame. Compare what it adds in each position.
These finished photographs offer ideas about visible placement and color. Let the light available in your own setting guide your choices, and use any recorded settings as starting points for experimentation. Review the variations with the model and keep one arrangement you would like to explore again.
Look back with curiosity.
- What do the background lights add to the setting?
- Which placement gives the face room?
- Would you enjoy a more distinct pattern or softer points?
Keep exploring
Exploring bokeh · Choosing a portrait background · Noticing bright accents in a dark photograph
Browse the complete Animazement 2015 gallery.