5 in 1 Spotlight Templates
Get started with this simple employee spotlight template that’s perfect for organizations that value a clean, modern aesthetic. This spotlight template includes elegant accents that highlight professionalism.
The spotlight effect amplifies your self-consciousness when you discover a flaw, even though others probably haven’t noticed. This can be particularly distressing in social situations.
1. Soften Hard Light
Many photographers will tell you that soft, shadowless light makes everyone look great. However, there are times when hard lighting is more appropriate-for example when you want to make a subject look scary or edgy.
When it comes to hard lighting, the size of the light source is the key. The larger the light source, the softer it will be (think about the sun with a big fluffy cloud in front of it). If you have a smaller light source, try placing a large piece of diffusion fabric in front of it. This will effectively turn the fabric into a new light source, and create much softer light.
Another way to soften hard light is by getting your lights closer to the talent. This will soften the shadows that are created by your lights. It’s a common mistake for first time DPs to pull their lights further back in an attempt to soften the light, but this will only lead to harsher shadows. Instead, be sure to get your lights as close as possible to the talent.
2. Bring Detail Into Shadows
Spotlights offer a way to mould the light, giving it a curved surface that can fill in shadows. This makes them ideal Outdoor Wall Washer for bringing detail into heavy shadows caused by backlighting. This technique is especially good for food photography.
There are a lot of things that can be changed with spotlights, many of which come down to what it is the spot light is pointing at (it’s target property). But there are also a few properties specific to spotlights such as its penumbra and decay rate.
Having a few of these handy is always good when creating 3D objects, but it’s especially important when making real-world products that you can easily change the lighting. This is why we have made it easy to create and alter reflectors using the new reflector tool.
Although these 10 examples only scratch the surface of what you can do with a 5 in 1 reflector, we hope that they will help you learn how to use these tools in your work. Please take the time to duplicate these setups on your own, and be sure to experiment with different variations.
3. Fill in Shadows
To brighten up shadows and add contrast to your image place a silver or white reflector at the side of your subject facing toward the light. The reflector will fill in the shadows and lighten up your subjects face and body, allowing you to control more detail from the highlights without over lighting the darks.
The power setting determines how powerful the spotlight is, and can be set in either Lumen Wiring Harness or Watt (Lumen is recommended). The check box allows you to switch between a constant total light output and a constant illuminance when adjusting the Beam Angle. Illuminance is more accurate but the difference will only be noticeable when using a texture with a very large scale.
5. Soften Hard Light
Hard light can look great, but it’s often unflattering to talent. Soft lighting softens shadows, allowing talent to show off their natural beauty. A few simple steps can turn any harsh light into a soft one.
Light modifiers are great for turning hard lights into soft ones, but they’re not the only way. In fact, a simple white sheet or the shear scrim included in your 5-in-1 reflector can do the trick. You can also use a barn door to clip diffusion paper or color gels to, which will soften the light without changing its intensity (you’ll still need to adjust your exposure settings).
If you don’t have any diffusing materials on hand, try looking at the edges of your shadows. If they have a definite edge, it’s hard light; if the edges transition smoothly from highlights to shadows, then it’s soft. This technique is especially useful if you’re shooting YouTube videos, as it will help your video clips look more professional. It’s also a great way to light a subject whose skin tone would otherwise look too dark under direct sunlight.
