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The
Modelling Light
Light, uninhibited by clouds or filters, travels in straight lines;
objects in its path cast sharp shadows. The relief or contours of
objects may be exaggerated with dramatic effect. By moving the point
source of the light, or the object itself within the path of the
light, you can control the shadow effect. This is called modelling
and the light creating this effect is referred to as the modelling
light. Alternatively, when modelling becomes the main objective
of the lighting set-up around which all other lights are then secondary,
it may be referred to as the Key Light.
Your Paglight is excellent when used away from
the camera as a modelling light, because it gives you the ability
to choose between the PowerArc and a wide range of halogen quick-change
plug-in lampholder units. These units can be swapped in seconds,
regardless of the lamp being hot or cold.
Of course, I must add that great care should be taken when removing
a hot lamp and it should be immediately placed into its heat-resistant
lamp protector to cool. The Paglight has a full range focusing
assembly, giving you the ability to control the beam angle and
therefore the intensity of the light and modelling effect.
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Fig.2 Modelling light |
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Fig.3
Paglight plug-in lampholder system |
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Soft Light
Light that passes through cloud or
diffusion filters, or is bounced off opaque surfaces, loses its
directional properties and becomes soft light. This light can
be used to soften the harshness of direct light shadows, or modelling
light shadows, whilst also increasing the ambient light level
around or falling on the subject. When working outdoors an opaque
reflector board is often used for this purpose, provided there
is adequate available light. This aspect of lighting is also referred
to as fill lighting.
Your Paglight, when used either on or off the camera, is ideally
suited for situations that require a soft fill light, and this
is achieved by using the flip-in diffuser, supplied as part of
the Rotatable Accessory Kit (Model 9959). For super-soft lighting
effects you can add PAG's Softlight Diffuser screen assembly (Model
9983) to the barndoors. The Paglight's spot and flood control
used with the soft light filters gives further control over the
soft light intensity.
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Fig.4 Soft, reflected fill lighting
Fig.5 Paglight with Softlight Diffuser
Kit
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Rim
Lighting
Direct unfiltered light can be used to silhouette an object or person
from behind. This light is usually positioned slightly high and
outside the scene in such a way as to light the edge or rim of the
subject. This will give the intriguing effect of light coming from
a window somewhere out of shot, and this extends the viewer's imagination
beyond the limits of the framed image. This effect is often used
in portrait photo-graphy to outline the subject from the background,
where the two would otherwise merge.
Great care must be taken not to overdo rim lighting, as it
can be very distracting. You may have noticed this in some portrait
photographs where strands of hair, picked up by the rim light, glow
brilliantly against the background and look strangely unnatural.
Rim lighting requires careful control, and for this reason you will
find that using a Paglight is ideal. First choose the appropriate
plug-in halogen lampholder or the PowerArc unit, and then use the
spot-to-flood beam angle to control the spread of backlight. Finally,
by adjusting the barndoors to flag off any direct spill light from
flaring into the camera lens, you will achieve the desired backlight
effect.
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Fig.6 Rim lighting only |
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Front
Lighting
Front lighting is normally used
to lift the exposure level.
It can also be used to soften the harsh shadowing which is sometimes
caused by direct sunlight, or a modelling light which is being used
to light the rest of the scene. In order to be effective without
being obvious, front lighting is very often diffused (soft). Front
lighting is usually positioned just above the camera lens axis and
fixed to the camera top via the accessory shoe or carrying handle.
This light looks straight at the subject from approximately the
same point of view as the camera lens, and it is often referred
to as the `basher'.
The Paglight was specifically designed for camera top operation
and it fulfills this duty extremely well. When lighting an interview
in subdued light conditions, or when supplementing poor daylight
with a single light source, it is all too easy to over-light the
subject with front light. It is important to use the spot and flood
facility in combination with the diffuser, to control the light
spread and intensity.
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Fig.7 Front light only |
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