For our continuing series on portrait lighting, we've got Kat Armendariz, Kat on the Web, from hushXpose in Las Vegas to give us a better idea of what loop lighting is and how to create it.
In the video below, Kat dives deep into the setup that's required to get the classic loop lighting look, which creates a shadow from the nose that loops down onto the model's cheek.
As Kat explains in the video, the loop lighting shadow is created by lighting the scene from roughly a 45-degree angle from the model.
Likewise, the light must angle down toward the model to get the location of the shadow just right, as shown in the diagram below.
If you caught Kat's tutorial from last week on butterfly lighting, you might remember that the beauty dish light is double diffused and it is set at half power to get a beautifully soft light.
As you can see in the self-portraits Kat took, this setup generated a perfect loop lighting pattern on her face - the shadow is nicely rounded and extends slightly downward from her nose toward her cheek.
As Kat mentioned in the video, if you use a neutral backdrop like the White Chalk backdrop from Click Props Backdrops, you can get playful with the color, pattern, or texture of the model's clothing. You could also add props for interest or add colored lighting without things looking crazy!
This is just another way you can use a simple and classic lighting setup to create more interesting and unique photos.
And all that was done in just a couple of minutes. Nice!
Learn More:
- How to Create Short Lighting for Portraits in Under Two Minutes
- How to Create Beauty Portrait Lighting in Under Two Minutes
About Kat
Kat Armendariz is a published studio photographer in Las Vegas. She has a passion to create out-of-the-box portraiture and to give women an experience that will be a stepping stone to new found confidence.
Her photo studio sits in the heart of Las Vegas where she gets to work with incredible clients from all over the globe. Her studio, hushXpose, is a compilation of her two studio names: Hush Hush Shoot (boudoir photography), and Pose Las Vegas (glamour photography).
hushXpose offers an all-inclusive Hollywood experience where Kat and her all-female team work with clients one-on-one to create custom sets and scenes tailored to their clients.
Kat and her husband, Ephraim Armendariz, also own the US District for Click Props Backdrops, which specializes in professional-grade heavy-duty vinyl studio backdrops. Click Props Backdrops let you choose from an extensive and exclusive range of multi-award-winning backgrounds and floorgrounds to give you the opportunity of offering clients a multi-set portrait experience.