Originally posted by marcotk
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The "black squared" one is another soft light, also being used as a key light....The front of that black square box on the light, has a white panel on the front that serves the same purpose as the white umbrella.
The small lights on the floor are being used (as far as I can tell) as rim lights, which put a small but intense edge on the subject being photographed. They can also be used to partially eliminate the shadow that the subject casts on the background.
The setup that is generally used is: Key light(s) in front or slightly to the side....Reflected lights used as "fill" to decrease shadows and illuminate detail that might be lost in shadow.....and backlight or rim lights, to separate the subject from the background, thus giving depth to the shot.
A good lighting kit can consist of anywhere from four lights, to as many as one chooses to use. I think that most static subjects can be well lit with four: a key light, one or two soft lights for fill, and a backlight.
Playing with natural light is fun, as well, using reflective material, like a white card or foil covered piece of cardboard to bounce and reflect the light into the right places.
Whether you use natural or artificial lighting, be sure that your camera is balanced to the correct color temperature. The correct way of doing this can be found in your camera manual.
You might want to experiment with various positions, and numbers of lighting instruments, in order to satisfy your particular taste. Just be careful not to overlight, which makes the subject appear "flat", or lacking detail.
There's a site with some good, basic tips at: http://www.tabletopstudio.com/docume...raphy_Tips.htm
Cheers,
Bob.
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