Ring-a-ring
N-Photo: the Nikon magazine|February 2022
James Paterson gets creative with ring lights for stunning pet photos and flattering portraits
James Paterson
Ring-a-ring
The Mission

– Learn how to use a ring light for pet photos and portraits

Time

– One hour

Skill level

– Intermediate

Kit needed

– Ring light

– Stand

– Tape

– Blanket

Ring lights have been used for distinctive photos for a long time, but in the past couple of years – thanks to the pandemic and endless video meetings – they’ve become increasingly popular.

A ring light eliminates shadows, resulting in simple, flattering lighting over a face. The 360 degrees of illumination helps to give skin a flawless look, it fills out bags under eyes and reduces wrinkles. As such it’s a popular choice, not only for Zoom meetings but also among YouTube vloggers and for fashion photography. Besides the characteristic shadow-less illumination, it also results in wonderful circular catchlights in the subject’s eyes. It’s this that makes a ring light a great choice for pet photos, as eyes are such an important feature for conveying the character of subjects.

In this project we’ll explore several creative uses for a ring light. For our pet portrait here we’ve used two rings – one inside the other – to create a double ring catchlight. We’ll also look at other ring light tricks, from using it as a backdrop to breaking up the ring shape with tape.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 2022 من N-Photo: the Nikon magazine.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 2022 من N-Photo: the Nikon magazine.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

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