Another challenge of backlighting is lens flare, which occurs when light enters the lens and creates a hazy effect on the image. This is why I strongly recommend using a lens hood.

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Hi! I'm Jane Allan, professional portrait photographer and founder of The Lens Lounge - photography tutorials and online courses. Here to help you create the photos you dream of by sharing everything I've learned.

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To soften flash light use a light modifier such as a shoot through or reflective umbrella or a softbox fitted to the flash.

Direct light can also be soft, if it’s diffused light or from a large light source placed close to the subject. This applies to both natural light and artificial light, for example:

Directional lighting is used in portrait photography for different effects. For example, side lighting creates shadows that emphasize the contours of the face, while backlighting creates a halo effect around the subject. Overhead lighting can be dramatic, while front lighting can be soft and flattering.

Create top-down lighting by placing the main light source above, and slightly forward of, the subject and pointing it downwards. Make sure you position the overhead light in the right place to get catchlights in your subject’s eyes.

The Cruise Light controller and the included relay box make it easier to control all the Cruise Light Roof bars functions, for example, changing the patterns or switching the bar on and off. All the amber buttons are coordinated with the Cruise Light roof bars functions, and the patterns will be shown on the surrounding LEDs. You also get buttons for approval by day mode, night mode, and Cruise light mode.

Direct light is any light that lands directly on your subject. If direct light isn’t diffused or reflected it produces a hard light quality, because there’s nothing between the light source and the subject. Examples of direct light include:

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Because backlighting portraits, with the main light source behind the subject, creates a halo effect around the subject, it separates them from the background and adds depth to the image.

The Cruise Light wireless controller fits all vehicles and can control all vehicle lighting. It´s all possible because of the included relay box, with six different output channels, a total of 700W. 2x 150W (15A) intended for the Cruise Light Roof bars and 4x 100W (10A) for any type of vehicle lighting.

Front lighting for portrait photography is one of the most common directional lighting techniques used, because it’s the easiest and the first type of light direction we learn.

The relay box can withstand harsh environments, is waterproof, IP-rated according to IP67, and the rubber gaskets protect the cables.

In portrait photography, directional lighting creates depth, texture, and drama by skimming over and defining the subject’s features from a specific direction. Shadows on the subject’s face show the light direction used as they’ll extend away from the direction of the light. You can see this clearly in the photo below.

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To soften shadows use a reflector for fill light, or any reflective surface, positioned below the subject’s chin to bounce the light back up.

Artificial light for side lighting can be created with ambient light of a streetlight, for example, or continuous light such as LED lighting or off-camera flash.

When you use flash off camera you can position the light higher and angled down towards the subject in a butterfly light position, which is flattering for portraits. This creates a distinctive butterfly shadow beneath the subject’s nose and chin, defining the jawline.

Backlighting is great for creating dramatic silhouettes in the golden hour and at sunset. However, you could also create a silhouette indoors by placing the subject in front of a window.

The wireless controller is color-coordinated. Nine buttons are amber, eight are white, and one is blue. The amber buttons are dedicated to the Cruise Light Roof bars and can control the bar functions like changing the patterns or switching them on and off. For most functions, the button will be highlighted on the active ones, and the roof bar patterns will also be shown on the surrounding LEDs. You also get buttons for approval by day mode, night mode, and Cruise light mode.

Of these five, the first three light patterns are a type of side lighting and the other two are a form of front lighting.

Also, I love good news, so if my direction of light tips have helped you to understand portrait lighting, share that too.

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Side lighting in portrait photography creates shadows and highlights on the subject’s face that emphasize and shape the subject’s features.

Late afternoon and the golden hour are the best times to use natural light as front lighting, because of the soft quality of light at this time of day and the lower position of the sun in the sky.

Using directional lighting in photography adds depth, texture, and mood to your images. It creates shadows and highlights to emphasize the contours of your subject. By using directional lighting, you can create a more dynamic and interesting image that gets attention.

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This play of light and shadow creates form, giving a more three-dimensional look to a two-dimensional surface. It also  affects the mood and emotion of an image, depending on how much shadow and how deep the shadows are on a subject’s face.

Backlighting portraits can create strong highlights on the subject’s hair and shoulders, which adds glamour and sophistication to a portrait. However, be careful not to overexpose the highlights.

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Lighting that has no clear direction is flat lighting and is characterized by a lack of shadows and highlights. An every day example of flat light is what you see on heavily overcast days.

The controller fits all vehicles and can control all kinds of vehicle lighting. It´s all possible because of the included relay box and the four output channels with 100 W (10A) each.

Create directional light in photography with natural light or artificial lighting, such as a flash. The direction of the light can be from the front, back, side, or above your subject. Experiment with different angles to see what works best for your desired effect.

Directional lighting can be created with natural light or artificial light. So it’s not about the type of lighting used, but the actual light direction.

Because with side lighting the light skims across the surface of your subject’s face, it highlights wrinkles and blemishes. So bear in mind your subject’s skin and age when using side lighting.

On-camera flash creates front lighting, but isn’t particularly interesting. This lighting technique involves using a flash mounted on the camera and pointed directly at the subject. Rather use a speedlight for off-camera flash for a more interesting and flattering light direction.

This might sound confusing, but stick with me… Directional lighting can be direct light or indirect light. It can also be hard or soft light in portraits, regardless of whether it’s direct or indirect.

Using the sun as frontal lighting makes it difficult for your subject to look towards camera, because they’re looking into the sun and creates hard shadows. So using a diffuser to soften the light creates a more pleasing effect and is more comfortable for your subject’s eyes.

The three main types of lighting directions for photographers to consider are front lighting, side lighting, and backlighting. Front lighting is when the light source is in front of the subject, side lighting is when the light source is to the side of the subject, and backlighting is when the light source is behind the subject.

Lighting, and the direction of light, is one of the most important aspects of portrait photography. Directional lighting makes a huge difference to the final image, depending on how you use it. Put simply, directional light photography uses light coming from a specific direction, creating shadows and highlights to add depth and dimension to the subject.

If you’ve ever sat around the campfire telling ghost stories while holding a flashlight shining upwards beneath your chin, you’ve used monster lighting.

The Cruise light wireless controller is the first to control all vehicle lighting by pressing one button. You get outstanding features to take your driving experience to the next level. For every driver every day.

Indirect light produces a soft quality of light, because it lights your subject without light landing directly on them. This is often considered a better light for portrait photography. For example:

To create dramatic effects in your photos, use directional lighting to create shadows and highlights to add mood to the image. For example, use backlighting to create a silhouette for drama and mystery. Side lighting creates shadows that add depth and texture to your subject, while top lighting can create dramatic images.

I use top-down lighting mainly for full body portrait photography, particularly maternity and fitness portraits, because it’s great for emphasizing the shape the body. With this lighting technique you can create deep shadows, which are fantastic for mood and depth in portraits.

If you want to control all the lighting with the relay box, use the signal cable. The signal cable makes it possible to, for example, connect the reverse light to one of the four channels and use it as a work light with the wireless control. It becomes a double function. By using the Cruise Light wireless controller and the included relay box, you will always be ready to make your passion visible and take your driving experience to the next level. For every driver every day.

For soft light outdoors on sunny day place your subject in the open shade of a building with the light coming from the side. Or for hard lighting outdoors, use the direct light of the sun.

Use the controller wirelessly with batteries (4x AAA, not included). This makes it easier if you work around or near the vehicle and need to change the beam patterns from outside. You can also place it somewhere in your cabin or connect the controller to the included USB cable.

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The three buttons, left, center, and right, are used for traffic advising, flashing from right to left, from the center and out, and left to right. The blue button turns all the connected lighting on and off, and the lights will return to the same status before turning off using the built-in memory function. Pressing three seconds will turn on all channels.

It’s the most commonly used light direction for portraits, offering the most variety of looks, depending on the position of your subject in relation to the light.

Portrait photographers use directional light to flatter their subjects with small changes to the angle and position of the light source to create different lighting patterns.

The last type of light direction used in portrait photography is uplighting, or upward lighting. However, unlike with other directional lighting, you’d never use it as a single light source. Well, not unless you wanted to create “monster lighting”, as it’s jokingly called.

The output channels can be controlled with the wireless control or the signal cable. Use the controller wirelessly with batteries (4x AAA, not included), or place it somewhere in your cabin and connect the controller with the included USB cable. The relay box can withstand harsh environments, is waterproof, IP-rated according to IP67, and the rubber gaskets protect the cables.

The challenge of lighting from above is that it can create unflattering shadows under your subject’s eyes and nose. So take care with light placement.

And that’s exactly why we don’t use it in portrait photography, except as a fill light with butterfly lighting. This creates a clamshell lighting pattern, which is flattering for portraits.