From the course: Portrait Photography: Ten Styles with One Light

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Clam shell headshot

Clam shell headshot

From the course: Portrait Photography: Ten Styles with One Light

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Clam shell headshot

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- A fun way to use front lights for a head shot is to do a clam shell light. And that means that you'll use your main light pointed just slightly downward from in front of your subject, and then you'll also have a reflector down underneath shining upward, illuminating the darker areas under the chin and nose. To do this, just position your front light directly over the camera, tilted downward maybe 45 degrees, so that the catch lights are falling in your subject's eyes, and then bring a reflector nice and high. This could be just a piece of foam core, it could be your 5-in-1 reflector as well. Bring that up under your subject's face, and just adjust the height of that until you like how it looks. Many times you'll see a clam shell lighting setup in beauty ads for makeup or hair. It makes the skin really glow and gives a very even look. You might also use it for a bridal portrait or something else where someone has gone the extra mile to really look their best with great makeup and a…

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