Generally, the second (fill) light should be weaker than the main (key) light. The fill light certainly shouldn’t be stronger or closer than the key light, because this would produce grotesque shadows that come from beneath the subject, like you’d find in a horror movie. You may want to vary the height of your lights. If you think the light looks too flat, consider raising your top light to pull out some more shadows. If the shadows still look flat, turn down the power of your bottom light. By turning down the power of the bottom light, you’re reducing the fill light and more of the shadows on the face can now show through. Many beauty campaigns will have a little bit of fill so that the face still has shape, but overall the image has an airy feel. The higher the light is, the more prominent the shadows that help sculpt the cheekbones will appear. For any of these lighting setups, any f-stop is acceptable. I generally shoot beauty somewhere around f/8 or f/11 because I want to keep all my details in the shot very crisp. Sometimes I’ll go the other extreme and use a very wide aperture for a narrow-depth-of-field effect. It all depends on what you want to achieve creatively. With the light just above eye level, tilt the dish down toward the model at a 45° angle. This step is important for clamshell lighting. To create the clamshell effect, you can now place the reflector beneath the chin or chest of your subject.

I like going with a second light, rather than a reflector. It’s easier to control, and doesn’t require any holding–though if you do go with a reflector, you can always have the model hold it, or an assistant of some sort. Evening Out the Second Light I have actually owned one of these and used it for headshots and portraits for a time. While it did do the job, I preferred the simpler one-light, one-reflector setup. For those looking for the combination of shape and light control this offers in a clamshell setup, it might be worth looking into if it is available to fit lighting gear.Figure 1. Lighting digital diagram demonstrating the light setup in Figure 2 (created using Set.a.light 3D). The exact light settings will vary based on the studio space and the camera settings. You should set these based on your vision for the shot.

The easiest way to add the reflector is to have the subject hold the reflector about waist level. The reflector should also be at a 45-degree angle, bouncing the light up like the bottom of that clamshell. That means the edge of the reflector farthest from the subject should point up slightly. Thanks to Chris for the FAQ to those who have never heard about clamshell lighting. Please don't call me jerk anymore cause I have adrenaline shot after those words - the body just reacts to old instincts of a starting fight game when the opponent is not a person anymore but just a jaw, liver, spleen and solar plexus. I loved that game but those days are long gone and dusted and I don't want that memories to be reminded. Thank you in advance. Let's be civilized In our discussion. Saying that I'm saying nonsense is not that nice but I'll live with it, but saying that I'm an idiot is over the top. Let's get it over with.For this reason, it’s important that you make sure that both catchlights are present in the shot. Make sure that your top and bottom light stay in front of your subject without going too high or low, because the farther you move them up (in the case of the top light) and down (in the case of the bottom light), the more you risk losing one (or both) of the catchlights. While you will find some budget swing away heat presses ( Geo Knight offer the Jet Press hobby/craft presses, and Hix have the SwingMan Hobby Lite) generally speaking, clamshell presses are less expensive than swing away. Lighting can make or break a portrait. In my experience, it’s often what turns an ordinary snapshot into a professional-looking image. Clamshell lighting is a technique that’s simple yet powerful, and it can take your photography to the next level. Otherwise we will end up calling each other jerks cause we hurt each other feelings without any benefits of getting better in what we love. Constructive criticism and additional experience is always welcome in this topic.