It’s possible to get amazing results even if you’re using a single light source, and Adorama shows us how to do it using the Chimera Lantern.
Whether you’re looking into experimenting with a new lighting technique, or simply want to keep your shoot minimal, a single light setup will do the trick. There are many different ways to do this, but Adorama adds one more to the list. In a recent episode of OnSet, Daniel Norton demonstrates how to achieve simple but beautiful headshots in the studio using the Chimera Lantern, a less commonly used light shaper.
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If the Chimera Lantern is new to you, Norton describes it as one of his favorite light modifiers that is commonly used in filmmaking to cover wide areas of scenes. It’s basically a giant diffused ball like a lightbox and it scatters light in all directions to produce a soft light perfect for portraits. In the video below, he demonstrates two ways to use this modifier to produce flattering light for many kinds of portrait shoots.
The first way to use the Lantern is as you would a softbox, by covering the back part to direct light toward the model. In this way it doesn’t waste the light, and you get a little bit of contrast and slightly dramatic fall off shaping your model’s face.
The second method is to use the Lantern as is, without the covers, to shine light in all directions. A couple of V-Flats placed opposite the Lantern will create fill by bouncing some the light onto the subject. This produces a diffused, more even lighting with reduced contrast. So, with this light modifier, you have two ways to get simple but flattering looks for your portraits. If you’re a filmmaker, it’s a plus that you can also use this for your videos!
Screenshot image from the video