Using an Egg to Understand Portrait Photography Lighting

Lighting  •  Photography Tips  •  Portrait Photography

So, how exactly does an egg teach you about lighting? Well, it’s actually pretty simple. As Joe Edelman outlines in the following video, by standing an egg upright and moving a light in a 360-degree rotation around it and over the the top from front to back, you will be able to see exactly what effect the placement of the light source will give you. Still not making much sense? Take a look at the video and you can see for yourself:

Now that you’ve watched the video, grab yourself an egg, some silly putty to hold the egg in place, and lamp. Do just as Edelman showed you in the video and move your light all around the egg, taking note of where the shadow falls in relation to where you are holding the light. You’ll be able to watch the shadows move around the egg, much like in these pictures:

“If you are going to photograph the human face, this lesson from the egg is invaluable. One last piece of advice, just because you watched the video don’t think you compeletly understand it. You will learn it better by doing it.”