Mood & Lighting choice part 2

Now, where were we?

moving on to the 4th lighting choice, I have to go out on one and say that, OK this one may be seen as a bit cliche', but hey, cliche's became what they are by 'working' so to speak.

As you can see, the ol' torch under the chin routine. well, its not that simple to be fair, i can assure you of that, but agreed, the effect is similar. back when i can even research, lighting below a subject upwards, gives an eerie almost supernatural feel. how many of our dads tried to scare us and our 4th grade chums that Halloween by gurning and flashing a torch under his chin? just me? oh... well the point I'm driving at, is that its almost instinct that we know this lighting position is ''scary''.

To be perfectly honest, I didn't think I'd ever use this lighting effect for fear of being ripped into by the platitude police. however despite this, I do have a few parodies in mind.

Swiftly moving on, I hope i won't earn myself the tag of a bromide, but this photo is similar to the one just stated: low light aimed upwards, however it is brought in a lot closer, so the light and shadow that is cast, is highly intensified compared to having a distant light source.

I've tried to make myself look as neutral as possible, as not evoke any type of reaction based on anything but the light source, and still i look like a baneful kidnapper. I'm seriously considering the surgery guys! In all seriousness, I will bring the lighting to blame.

Famous B movie Director 'Ed Wood' (who is an actual hero of mine i might add) was noted in saying: ''...A light underneath a malign character is so effective in the western world because we are all aware of the burning lights from hell that may, or may not shine upward through them...''

That says it all really doesn't it? that may be the reason we find that direction so menacing in the first place, and i think the stronger light source in this portrait only intensifies the vice that the subject shows. I may not necessarily use the upward angled light source for my final piece, but am considering using what i found with the stronger light source.

Sticking with this, as i did start to see something i really liked, i continued to use the upward angled light in an attempt to strengthen the balefullness that the subject gives off to its audience.

Now, it may take a second look to see what has changed (and no, I don't mean the topless chap, i mean the lighting changes) but all I've done, is once again pulled the light slightly away and angled it upward, however this time, I also angled the camera at the same gradient as the light source was coming in.

This effect is abundantly used in cinema, old and modern, and was commonly put to use when trying to portray the power or significance of someone or something in a scene.

This is actor Tom Hardy, posing for the film 'Bronson'. If you compare this to what he usually looks like, you'll be pleasantly surprised what a little lighting and make up can do to someone.

Hardly the tank he's made to look like in the film poster is he? now i know you could argue about the expressions on his face etc. but the fact of the matter is, the seedy almost sepia looking portrait is what makes Hardy look Malign. In discovering this, I'm quite entrigued to see how this could contribute to my final photoshop portrait of myself.

Part 3 coming up...