Contrast attracts the eye of a viewer in a photograph and the most fundamental way to make a portrait effective is to find a way to make the face contrast more with the background than anything else in the photo. As this tutorial illustrates "lighting" in the holistic sense is a function how clothing, background and face combine to create a contrast roadmap it guide the eyes of the viewer to what is most important in the photo.
See Spot
Spot is on low-key (dark toned) background
Spot contrasts with low-key background.
Spot is very easy to find.
See Spot put on a white shirt
Spot is on low-key background
Shirt contrasts most with low-key background.
Spot not most attractive tone in photo any more.
Spot now is very hard to find - Spot is sad.
Not Spot's fault -
White Shirt bad choice for low-key background!
Bad, Bad Shirt!
See Spot put on a bright colored shirt
Spot is on low-key background
Bright shirt contrasts most with low-key background.
Spot not most attractive tone in photo now!
Spot now very hard to find in photo - Spot is sad!
Not Spot's fault -
Bright shirt bad choice for low-key background!
Bad, Bad Shirt!
See Spot put on a dark shirt
Spot is on low-key background
Dark shirt blends into low-key background.
Spot now most attractive tone in photo again!
Spot now very easy to find in photo.
Spot is happy!
Dark shirt is good choice for low-key background!
Good, Good Shirt!
See Spot
Spot is on high-key (light toned) background
Spot contrasts with high-key background.
Spot is very easy to find.
See Spot put on a bright colored shirt
Spot is on high-key background
Bright shirt contrasts most with high-key background.
Spot not most attractive tone in photo now!
Spot now very hard to find in photo - Spot is sad!
Not Spot's fault -
Bright shirt bad choice for high-key background!
Bad, Bad Shirt!
Spot remembers dark shirt worked before
Spot puts on dark shirt
But Spot is on high-key background
Shirt still contrasts most with high-key background.
Spot still not most attractive tone in photo.
Spot still very hard to find in photo - Spot still sad.
Not Spot's fault -
Dark shirt is bad choice for high-key background too!
Bad, Bad Shirt!
Spot only has white shirt left
Spot spot puts on white shirt
Spot is on high-key background
White shirt blends into high-key background.
Spot now most attractive tone in photo.
Spot now very easy to find in photo again!
Spot is happy!
White shirt is good choice for high-key background!
Good, Good Shirt!
Well boys and girls, what did Spot teach us in this lesson?
- A white shirt can make Spot easy or difficult to find, depending on the background tone.
- A dark shirt can make Spot easy or difficult to find, depending on the background tone.
- A colorful shirt will make Spot difficult to find on any background.
- Spot is easier to find on low-key backgrounds when Spot wears dark clothing -- I know clothing is a big word, it means the same as shirt.
- Spot is easier to find on high-key backgrounds when Spot wears light clothing -- clothing includes the pants too.
- Spot has the same light on face in all the photos, so light on face has nothing at all to do with how easy it is to find Spot in the photo.
- Contrast, not the face or the light on the face determines what the Center of Interest in a photo will become.
- Faces are easier to find in a photo when they are the Center of Interest.
Thank you boys and girls for your attention. In the next lesson Dick and Jane will join Spot for a game of "Hide the Doggie."
*THOU = The Hard Of Uunderstanding
Holistic Concepts for Lighting
and Digital Photography
This tutorial is copyrighted by © Charles E. Gardner. It may be reproduced for personal use, and referenced by link, but please to not copy and post it to your site.
You can contact me at: Chuck Gardner
For other tutorials see the Tutorial Table of Contents