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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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