The ways to light a scene are virtually endless—which can actually be kind of overwhelming if you're just trying to learn how different setups affect a subject. That's why these resources from Michael Quack are so helpful. The German photographer created two slideshows that show you how to produce 111 different lighting effects using a range of lights and modifiers. Check them out below:

Quack uses equipment from German manufacturer Hansel, but it's safe to say that the effects will be pretty much the same regardless of what you use. The slideshow details several effects each setup:

  • How the light effects the face
  • How the light effects the body
  • How the shadow runs behind the model and what the shadow edges look like
  • The spread of the beam, spill, stray light
  • What effect an added lighting unit that delivers a different exposure

Having so many different looks available to peruse is extremely helpful to learn how different lighting equipment affects an image. Of course, you could always experiment with a wide range of setups yourself, but you'd need 1.) access to equipment, 2.) time, and 3.) some kind of advanced knowledge of different looks—for example, silhouettes vs. chiaroscuro.

Both of these slideshows are available to download here and here.

Source: Scribd

Michael Quacklighting
Cinematography & Cameras