When the face of your subject is toward the light and the body away from it, the light flows better and enhances the shape of the person being photographed. This rule revolves around creating beautiful shapes. The photo no longer has a 2-dimensional surface, but a flawless 3-D shape. Additionally, it creates a sense of normality, as the viewer sees a real person instead of a 2-dimension photograph.

In the poses where the model’s face is toward the light, the photograph will surprise with an evenly lit complexion. This makes the model enjoy a natural glow, with less wrinkles and bags under the eyes and other flaws.

Conversely, if the face is turned away from the light and the body into it, half of the face is covered in shadow, and all wrinkles and lines around the eyes and the mouth become more pronounced. Moreover, due to the direct lighting on the body, shadows are eliminated so the body becomes as shapeless as a 2-dimension photograph, without real curves or a real structure.

Getting the right lighting is quite a simple process, as long as you follow this rule. For instance, if the light is on the right side of the camera, make sure to get the model’s body pointing to the left side and the face to the right side of the camera. Do exactly the mirrored pose if the light comes from the left of the camera. However, do not do this in an extremely manner. All you need is enough light that hits the body from a steep angle and the right amount of shadowing.

If you want to do more of a head shot, you can have a bit of shadowing along the jaw line and around the nose. By doing this, you can actually accentuate certain features of the model which makes her face slimmer and more attractive.

To recap, do not forget the golden rule: the face toward the light and the body away from it. Just follow this guideline to create astoundingly beautiful pictures with your model. Lastly, team up with the model by telling her these lighting secrets – this is teamwork at its best!

I wish you good light!
Michael