Assignment 4

Make a portrait of one of your group members. Select a quality of light to communicate an aspect of your subject's personality.  Make a second portrait that is opposite from the first.

Using one 1600 light, we decided on two qualities of light with Hana -  soft and direct light.

This soft diffused light portrait of Hana was achieved by setting the light high at a 45 degree angle and placed off to the side of the photographer.  We tried several diffusion filters but settled on the Rosco White Diffusion filters as it gave the softest most uniform light.  This soft light portrait of Hana uniformly lit projects friendliness and comfort.  The law of light most at work here is the inverse square law.  With the help of the diffuser, light spreads out as it travels over a distance resulting in a softer, diffused light. 

In stark comparison to the first image where all of Hana's face was lit, the use of side lighting here placed at the same level as her face and just off camera left projects an edgier portrait of Hana.  Harsher shadows and contrasting lines seen down the middle of her face highlight a light and dark side of the subject.  The heavier use of make-up adds personality and meaning to the image.  The law of light most evident here would be that light travels in a straight line, reflecting off her face and dropping off on the opposite side.