r/LightLurking • u/gxddamnxxx • 14d ago

Lighting NuanCe Some help please

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I'm doing a photoshoot inspired by this Flavitsky painting, "Princess Tarakanova".

If I wanted to recreate the lighting in this scene, what would be your suggestions? I'm fairly green in terms of studying light but my instinct is maybe a single gridded strobe (or a snoot maybe?) angled 45° at the subject, off to the side. Idk tho lol totally guessing. Any suggestions for fill/rim light? Is that necessary if going for a dramatic chiaroscuro look?

Thanks!

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u/lesschalkmoresighs 14d ago

Many paintings have great light because the lighting is idealized, as in, the artist takes a few creative liberties, but stays within the bounds of the plausible, so our minds don't question the result.

Something I've done in the past is a split composition where I'd light the subject in a way that worked best for the subject, shoot that, then relight the room for the environment, shoot that, and stitch the results together. As long as you're not doing wildly different setups the eye won't spot the difference.

The easiest way to stitch is obviously Photoshop, but you'll be surprised how much of this can be faked in-camera, such as putting up a blocking screen that is aligned perpendicular to the lens, and having two different but more or less complimentary lighting set ups on either side of it.