Studio & Portrait Photography Techniques Flashcards
7 cards from real Photography and Media practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Studio & Portrait Photography Techniques flashcards as text
What is 'butterfly lighting' (also called Paramount lighting) named after?
Answer: The butterfly-shaped shadow it creates under the subject's nose
Butterfly lighting is named for the distinctive butterfly-shaped shadow that forms directly below the nose when the key light is placed high and directly in front of the subject.
In studio photography, what does 'sync speed' refer to?
Answer: The fastest shutter speed at which the camera sensor is fully exposed during a flash
Sync speed (or X-sync) is the fastest shutter speed at which the entire camera sensor is exposed simultaneously, allowing the flash to illuminate the full frame without dark banding.
What advantage does a 'continuous light' source have over a strobe in portrait photography?
Answer: It allows the photographer to see exactly how light falls on the subject before shooting
Continuous lights (like LEDs or tungsten) show the photographer exactly where highlights and shadows fall in real time, making it easier to adjust placement before capturing the shot.
What is the recommended approach to achieve a 'blown-out white' background in a studio portrait?
Answer: Light the background separately with enough power to overexpose it by 1–2 stops
To achieve a blown-out white background, it must be lit separately with lights powerful enough to overexpose the background by at least one stop relative to the subject exposure.
What does a 'ring flash' produce that makes it popular for beauty and macro photography?
Answer: A shadow-free, even illumination with a circular catch light in the eyes
A ring flash surrounds the lens and fires light from all directions simultaneously, producing virtually shadow-free, flat illumination and a distinctive ring-shaped catch light in the subject's eyes.
What is the primary purpose of using a reflector on the fill side during a portrait shoot?
Answer: To bounce light back into the shadows, reducing the contrast ratio
A reflector bounces existing key light back into the shadow side of the subject's face, reducing contrast and filling in harsh shadows without adding an additional powered light source.
In portrait retouching, what does 'frequency separation' allow a retoucher to do?
Answer: Edit skin texture and skin tone/color independently on separate layers
Frequency separation splits an image into a high-frequency layer (skin texture/detail) and a low-frequency layer (color and tone), allowing retouchers to smooth skin tone without destroying natural texture.