Photography Lighting Principles and Techniques Questions and Answers Flashcards

What is the main characteristic of Rembrandt lighting in portrait photography?

Answer: A triangle of light on the shadowed cheek beneath the eye

Rembrandt lighting is identified by a small triangle of light that appears on the shadow side of the face, just below the eye, created by angling the key light approximately 45 degrees to one side and above.

When using off-camera flash, what does TTL metering stand for?

Answer: Through The Lens

TTL stands for Through The Lens, a metering system where the camera evaluates a pre-flash exposure reading through the lens to automatically set flash power.

What is the purpose of flagging or goboing a light source?

Answer: Blocking light from spilling onto unwanted areas

A flag or gobo is an opaque panel used to block or shape light, preventing it from hitting areas of the scene where illumination is not desired.

Which lighting ratio would produce the most dramatic contrast between the lit and shadow sides of a face?

Answer: 8:1

An 8:1 lighting ratio creates three stops of difference between the highlight and shadow sides, producing the most dramatic and contrasty look among the options listed.

What effect does adding a gel to a flash unit primarily achieve?

Answer: It changes the color of the emitted light

Gels are colored transparent filters placed over a flash to alter the color of the light output, commonly used to match ambient lighting or create creative color effects.

In high-speed sync flash photography, what trade-off occurs compared to normal sync?

Answer: Maximum effective flash power is significantly reduced

High-speed sync works by pulsing the flash rapidly as the shutter curtain travels, which distributes the flash energy over time and significantly reduces the effective maximum power output.