Rangefinder Magazine
September 2005

Click Here for printable version of this article.

Back to the Future With Ken Cook by CharMaine Beleele
Classic Lighting for Portraits  

California photographer, Ken Cook of Cook’s Photography in Salinas puts me into a time machine. I am transported to the Metropolitan Photographic Arts Gallery 2099. I see the darkened “Hall of Classical Portraiture,” blocked off with velvet ropes. The dusty sign reads, “Exhibit Closed for Updating—Watch This Space for the Latest Holographic-photo-nuclear-neonography, Coming 2100.” I am left with a deep sense of loss. Then Ken assures me that the future is fluid, and the time machine vision need not come to pass. If the photographers of today learn to analyze the face and choose flattering lighting patterns, then perhaps the mythical “Hall of Classical Portraiture” will endure.

Master Photographer Ken Cook has been creating award-winning portraits in a four-generation studio for 51 years. He has taught classical lighting and posing at Winona School, Brooks Institute and at the Pacific Northwest School of Photography. He has lectured in 35 states in this country, Canada, Germany and Austria. He beams when he says, “Photographers in 33 foreign countries are studying my new DVD.” He has won many accolades and awards in his 51-year career, but now his primary mission is to pass the legacy of classical portraiture on to the younger generation of photographers. His mood becomes serious when he says, “We few remaining classic photographers are all in our 70s and 80s, and time is running out. If we don’t pass on what we’ve learned from the golden age of photography in the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s to the Digital Age, then classic portrait photography will become extinct.” This is the spirit of the poem printed at the end of Ken’s teaching DVDs. In it his wife, Patria, who has always been his staunch supporter, writes, “God must take from the old to bring forth what will be new. There must be a revival of the beauty of the blessed creative minds.”

Ken explains his mission, “In much of today’s photography, a woman’s portrait has to stand on her beauty alone.” He deplores the fact that the only merit many of today’s portraits have is the beauty that God and the make-up artist have provided. Ken has censured many of us, saying: “The photographer either ignores or has forgotten the skills to apply light to make the best of a woman’s beauty. Young, talented photographers get excited by the emotional moments, but they must learn the essence of making imperfect people look good.”

Ken explains, “Light patterns will set you and your studio apart. It is a real power. People are so thrilled by the portraits because they have never seen themselves in properly flattering light.” He adds, “Our goal is to use all the tools we have to make the face look the best it can be. My mentor, Vince Thomas, now 89, not only taught me wrap-around light, but he also taught Don Blair. He saved us from careers of flat light.”

Giant parabolic lights and barn doors are not the only way to create wrap-around light to flatter the face; Ken invented a fantastic Westcott contraption known as the “Master’s Brush.” Although it replicates the 16-inch reflectors in lighting quality, it fits on my existing lights like a simple softbox, and it even has its own barn doors. It creates a perfect and reliable light for the center of the face, with a sweet fall off so the ears are shadowed. With it, you can paint with light, much to my amazement, and it is portable.

Ken explained to me the time-honored seven basic lighting patterns and how they might solve lighting issues faced by portrait photographers.

1. The Loop Light (Modified Butterfly): Ken says this is “the most commonly overused lighting pattern in photography today.” He emphasizes, “Actually, this pattern became popular because you do not need a fill light. A reflector is adequate. The pattern is convenient, but you must remember that the flaw in the modified butterfly is that it lights the nose.” Its telltale sign is the shadow under the nose. It is almost like the butterfly, but the shadow under the nose pulls down about an inch under the nose, on the shadow side of the face. The flaw in this pattern is that “in most cases, a broad smile will widen the nose and highlight the nostril that you want to keep in shadow.” Modified Butterfly Light: Master’s Brush light is high and about 30° to the right of the nose. The cast shadow is left of the nose, between the nostril and upper lip. The cast shadow does not touch the upper lip. A 16x20 Westcott softbox is beside the camera for flat fill.

2. The Butterfly Light: The hallmark of this pattern is a small butterfly-shaped shadow just under the nose. “This is not a corrective light. It was originated for the gorgeous movie stars of the 1940s,” Ken explains. “To use this pattern requires a beautiful young face with nice hollow cheekbones. With it you can place a perfectly symmetrical butterfly-shaped shadow under the nose, and a shadow on each side in the hollow of high cheekbones.” Butterfly Light: The Master’s Brush is aimed straight down at the nose. The cast shadow is centered evenly between the nostrils and upper lip. A 16x20 softbox is beside the camera for flat fill.

3. The Split Light: “Highly dramatic, this pattern divides the face right down the center, following the line of the nose,” Ken says. The nose cuts the face in half, and one side is lit, and the other side is in shadow. He adds, “This is a powerful corrective tool. Notice it is impossible to catch a nostril highlight. One main advantage of split light is that it is perfect to shoot under puffy eye bags. Remember to use a fill light because using only a reflector will leave the eyes dead.” Split Lighting: Same as “short” but looking straight ahead, splitting the face evenly in half. The split can come from either left or right.

4. The Short Light: Looking at the nose as dividing the face into two unequal sides, we can see the light is on the short, (smallest side) of the face. The broad side of the face is in the shadow. “This light pattern is often used the least, because it requires real skill and careful practice. It is easy to use too little fill or to use too much fill when using this pattern, which destroys the look.” This lighting would work for a subject with a wide nose and one eye smaller than the other. Ken suggests, “Shoot with the small eye to the camera. With short light, only 25% of the nose will be in light, the rest in shadow, so the bridge of her nose will appear to be tiny.” Short Light: Master’s Brush light is even, level with nose at 90°.

5. The Broad Light: Again, Looking at the nose as dividing the face into two unequal sides, we see that “the light is on the broadest, (widest) side of the face.” Notice how the shadow appears to push the ear back against the side of the head. Broad Light: Master’s Brush light same as “short” lighting but on opposite side of face. No reflector, just flat fill.

6. The Rembrandt: “The light falls from a 45-degree angle in this lighting pattern from the classic old masters painted portraits.” He adds, “Notice also the shadow of the eyelash. I like to call it the signature of the eyelash.” My favorite part of this pattern is the delicate triangle of light that gleams on the cheekbone of the shadow side of the face. This is not a corrective light. Ken teaches, “Use it for beautiful faces! Reserve it as a show-off light!”

He cautions, “This is only for serious or Mona Lisa facial expressions. If you allow the client to crack a big smile, you will see pockets of shadow under the eyes and deep folds at the sides of the mouth. The nose will spread and the nostril will be lit.” Rembrandt Short: The Master’s Brush light is high and 45° to the right of the nose. The cast shadow touches the very edge of the upper lip, producing a light triangle on the cheek on the shadow side of the face. Never let the cast shadow touch the teeth when smiling.

7. The Rembrandt Broad Light: “This pattern is the little sister of the Rembrandt pattern. The difference is that it sends more light to touch the broad side of the face.” In fact it is the same as the Rembrandt light, except the light is on the broad side of the face. The triangle is still visible on the other cheek. For one subject Ken suggests, “Turn her so the nose almost breaks the outline of her face, but does not.

Using the Rembrandt Broad will give her spectral highlights that will distract the viewer from her ear, and the natural darkness caused by the Master’s Brush or feathering the barn doors will put her ear in shadow.” Rembrandt Broad: Same as Rembrandt Short but opposite side of face. Flat fill eliminates the need for a reflector.

Ken says, “We are blessed to be in a business you can’t master. It is permissible to break the rules any time. You should know what has been handed down from classical times, both in the golden age of photography and in the old masters’ paintings.” This is why Patria Cook wrote, “Nothing can move a human soul so much as a human beautifully portrayed.” So, maybe we won’t lock the museum doors against classical portraiture. Instead, perhaps mentors like Ken Cook will help new generations of photographers to open a new golden age of timeless beauty, a 21st century Renaissance. Have the courage to find or review some building blocks for your personal renaissance at www.cooksphotography. com/. You can also discover more about corrective lighting in his DVD series, “How to Survive in an Imperfect World.” And if you are having trouble swimming with the sharks of your competition, visit with Ken at cook@cooksphotograpy.com. Then we can all “go back” before we shape the beauty of the future.

CharMaine R. Beleele is a photographic artist, speech communications professor at the University of Arkansas, a writer for Rangefinder and WPPI Photography Monthly, and a correspondent for the Arkansas Catholic Newspaper. She can be contacted via her web site: www.angelkissedphotography.com/.