Sketching legend:
Even in the 21st century, in the age of computers, image processing and digital cameras, photography is still "painting with light". However, if you look at most photo books and photo magazines, you get the impression that the camera technology alone determines whether you take great photos. The subject of "lighting equipment" is neglected, sometimes not even mentioned at all.
I don't want you to misunderstand me at this point: A versatile, well-made, digital SLR camera with high-quality optics, plus a powerful computer, extensive software, great accessories etc. are important for hobby photography! But I know many photographers who own two or three cameras but have no lighting equipment whatsoever.
There is often a misconception that as soon as you also use a flash system for photography, the photos look "artificial", "studio-like" or simply "less atmospheric". Just three months ago, I met a dedicated amateur photographer at a photo festival where I was leading a workshop as a lecturer, who told me enthusiastically about the many "natural" lighting moods he likes to photograph.
However - according to his mistaken opinion - they only exist somewhere, but cannot be recreated "artificially", i.e. with the help of a flash system. He was of the opinion that these lighting moods, which he loves so much, can only be found with a lot of luck and that in such cases the "lucky moment" is decisive, or rather the skill of the "original" photographer who recognizes ("sees") such a lighting situation and then photographs it masterfully perfectly and without any further aids.
I had two objections to this: firstly, it is very unsatisfactory if you only rarely find such great lighting situations, especially as you don't always have a model with you to photograph. And secondly, life would be much easier for photographers if we were able to create such fantastic lighting moods ourselves so that we could then take the remarkable photos when we have the time and inclination and a suitable model available!
In short: I don't want to be satisfied with being at the mercy of chance, but want to create the conditions myself, creatively and creatively, to be able to take expressive photos. As part of the workshop at the photo festival, we recreated such lighting situations and the amateur photographer in question was so enthusiastic about it that he contacted me the same day to find out about suitable flash units.
Controlled lighting conditions in the studio
Many amateur photographers have set up their own small photo studio in their basement, attic or living room. Others are members of a photography club, take courses at the VHS or attend photography workshops in order to photograph models under ideal "laboratory conditions", i.e. with studio flash equipment and different colored backgrounds and various accessories. Studios have a special appeal for many amateur photographers, as they have the aura of the highly professional. The advantage of a photo studio is that you can devote yourself to your shots without having to worry about space, allowing you to realize your own ideas creatively with different light shapers.
Strangely enough, it's mainly professional beginners and dedicated amateur photographers who are "dying" to work with models in front of a neutral background. At the beginning of my career in 1998, I also had the fervent wish to only photograph in front of backgrounds (made of cardboard) where I could photograph the models as a whole without any other disturbing background destroying the "professional" - or so I thought at the time - image effect.
Today I tend to use props and carpets and other floor coverings so that the location doesn't look like a photo studio...
Shadow-free lighting
Many viewers and photographers consider (largely) shadow-free lighting, combined with a high-key image character, to be the non-plus-ultra of lighting options. The reason for this may be that the prevailing opinion is that such lighting requires more skill from the photographer than other types of lighting, although in my opinion the opposite is more likely to be true.
Nevertheless, soft, shadow-free lighting of the model has become indispensable in erotic photography.
The absence of shadows flatters the model in a glorifying way, skin imperfections are not emphasized but gently illuminated, and the soft light gives the photo a "delicate" character. A natural pose additionally supports the soft, dreamy image statement.
Grazing and sidelight in the studio
As a rule, lighting is striking and expressive when it hits the model from the side as side or grazing light, creating dark areas of the body in shadow as well as bright areas. Side light has a good modeling effect on the shapes of the body, in contrast to "flat" front light.
Side light is usually placed at an angle of around 45° to the axis of the subject. The strong shadows that occur here can usually be easily reduced using fill light or a second light source.
Grazing light, i.e. direct side light that hits the subject at an angle of approx. 90°, as effect lighting for nude shots is a popular method for emphasizing and highlighting the shapes of the body, such as a model's beautiful bottom.
This is also an excellent way of emphasizing the well-built, muscular parts of men in particular.
Your (male) model will be thrilled with the photo results!
Grazing light is used to achieve plastic-looking results, which experience has shown enhances the erotic effect of the corresponding parts of the model's body (as here with the bottom). Whether the strong shadows resulting from this direct sidelight should be brightened or rather remain unbrightened to emphasize the three-dimensional character of the nude shot is up to the photographer's taste and the intended image idea.
For this shot, I used a second light of almost equal intensity, also from the side.
If you use lights directed at the model from both sides, this is also referred to as "light tongs". Maria proved to be really athletic during our shoot, because it wasn't easy to hit the center of the small trampoline with pinpoint accuracy time and again, while still "conjuring up" such beautiful and elegant figures in the air. Maria probably had to complete around 200 jumps, and many more beautiful photographs were taken in my studio that day.
Backlit shots in the studio
Backlit shots in the studio, or indoors in general, are much more challenging to achieve. The use of a lens hood is an absolute must in order to avoid light entering the lens. It is not uncommon to have to take additional measures; I often set up two screens ("light absorbers") behind which I step in order to photograph through them.
When determining the correct exposure, it is important that you measure the lights with the light meter by holding the light meter with the calotte in the direction of the bisector between the photographer and the model.
Light reflections in the eyes
In erotic photography, light reflections in the eyes are desirable in most cases, as they make the model's gaze "lively" and "clear". However, if this small light reflection is omitted, the gaze can appear "cold", "dead", "impassive" or even "threatening".
If you have decided on a lighting set-up that does not "automatically" lead to a light reflex in the model's eyes, you can help yourself by using a small system flash unit attached to the camera's hot shoe.
This, set manually, should then be strong enough to create a light reflex in the eyes, but at the same time weak enough not to disturb the lighting situation.
The light reflections in the eyes also make the model's gaze appear "clear" and "lively" in this shot.
Simulation of outdoor shots in the studio
You don't always have the time or the budget to take the planned photos at the most suitable location. I have already had several requests from various clients to simulate outdoor shots in my studio. The choice of appropriate backgrounds and a natural-looking light (with a main light source and - if at all - a brightener) are usually enough to create the impression of a distant (often exotic) location. For example, I was once able to create the impression of the sea with waves simply by choosing a linoleum floor I had bought especially for this purpose and using it as a background.
But just as important as an appropriate background, which should be photographed out of focus if possible (by using a telephoto focal length with as open an aperture as possible) to create a more authentic effect, is the right lighting for the scenery.
In nature, there is only one source of light, the sun, which, depending on the weather, sometimes casts its rays diffusely, sometimes harshly towards the earth.
All other natural light on earth are reflections, and you should proceed in the same way when setting up the lighting to achieve photos that look as authentic as possible.
Lighting conditions on location
Unlike in the studio, you have to "fight" with more difficult lighting conditions as soon as you take photos on location. Depending on the wind and weather conditions, the sunlight can be subject to strong fluctuations in brightness when clouds (fields) pass by, which makes correct exposure difficult. Especially if you measure the light with a hand-held light meter and then photograph with manual camera settings, you should make sure to constantly measure the brightness of the object (our model).
Now many of you will say that you don't care about all this because you prefer to use the light meter built into your camera anyway. But believe me, light metering (measuring the light actually present on the object with a hand-held light meter) is always preferable to object metering (measuring the light reflection of the object rather than the light itself)! The disadvantage of object metering (e.g. with a light meter built into the camera) is that a correct measurement is only guaranteed if our model is dressed in neutral gray, has the same face and hair color and is also standing in front of a neutral gray background. Fortunately, this will not often be the case, but the light meter assumes that the object to be measured has a neutral gray reflection in terms of brightness, because the light meter has to take some kind of reference value in order to be able to take a measurement.
So if you rely solely on your built-in light meter, the background may influence the measurement to such an extent that your subject is overexposed or underexposed. And even if - by chance - a measurement has resulted in an approximately correct time/aperture combination, this does not mean that the lighting situation cannot change in such a way that, for example, the prevailing light on the model has remained the same, but dark clouds have suddenly appeared in the background, which would mislead your camera's automatic exposure system and lead to an overexposed main subject.
A dark background, e.g. dark tree trunks, will influence the exposure metering if you use the object metering method with your camera's built-in light meter. The result would be a much too overexposed model (if, as here, the background takes up a lot of space in the image composition). It is better to use a hand-held light meter to measure the light directly on the subject.
Photographing with mixed light is not easy because changeable weather or cloud movements prevent constant brightness. The new generation of battery generators make working with flash units outdoors a pure pleasure, but as soon as cloud movement causes the brightness of the sunlight to change, the proportion of natural sunlight must be constantly measured if you want to achieve consistent results. But I promise you, if you take on this challenge, you will be rewarded with extraordinary results that are not ordinary!
Available Light
Unlike studio shots, which can quickly appear too "sterile" due to perfect lighting, it is possible to convey an intimate, erotic character in available light erotic photography. The term "available light" is associated with photos taken with little available light. This is why low-key style photos are generally the first choice for realizing your own image ideas with available light.
In order to appear more credible and therefore more erotic, such photos can also be photographed blurred. This enhances the image statement and you can dispense with the use of an annoying tripod.
Exposure times of around 1/8 of a second are well suited to achieving a wiping effect that is strong enough to be clearly perceived, but at the same time not too strong to make the subject unrecognizable.
The picture was taken in a hotel room at 4 a.m., with the aid of the floor lamp, which is still partially visible at the top of the picture.
Shooting in sunshine
When my father gave me my first pocket camera when I was about 10 years old, he gave me the well-intentioned advice to make sure that the sun was always at my back, otherwise the photos wouldn't turn out well.
Simplistically, this may have been correct for the cameras of the time, but this has long since ceased to apply to the ultra-modern digital SLR cameras with their numerous highly developed automatic functions. The built-in automatic exposure functions usually recognize when the lighting situation is difficult and control the shooting parameters (time and Blender) in such a way that satisfactory results are achieved in most cases.
On the contrary: today, after more than 30 years, with a good portion of experience in my photographic "rucksack", I would say that taking pictures in direct sunlight is one of the most difficult shooting situations that a demanding photographer can encounter. Because when the sun shines directly, there are also many shadows, and especially in model photography, hard shadows, especially on the face of the female model, are neither beautiful nor easy to get rid of.
Hard shadows on the model's face only don't bother models with perfect skin; for everyone else, skin imperfections such as pimples or scars and pores are unattractively emphasized. Sometimes this can look like a moon crater landscape if you enlarge the photo and only look at the face.
That's why good make-up is an essential part of preparing for a shoot in the sunshine. Sometimes it helps to make skin imperfections appear to disappear if the model is looking directly into the sun. This provides very short shadows, a perfect beauty light. But who always wants to take pictures when the model stretches her head up unnaturally and is constantly blinking?
It is better to use a diffuser, such as the Sun Swatter from California Sunbounce, which is attached to the Bom-Stick (a kind of monopod) and held between the model and the sun. This softens the contrasts (there are diffuser coverings of different strengths) and enables beauty-style shots.
If you have neither a model with skin like a baby's bottom that is suitable for sunlight nor a diffuser, the only option is to choose locations that provide natural shade, such as in front of large house walls or under treetops. Be aware, however, that shots under trees can cause a slight green cast unless you use a skylight filter on the lens.
Corrective action would then have to be taken during image processing. Colored house walls will also distort the light, so all these solutions are merely makeshift solutions and the purchase of a suitable diffuser is actually a "must" for every photographer who wants to take photos in sunshine.
If you can influence the time of day at which the photos are taken, you should choose the morning or evening hours, as the light is less intense here due to the low position of the sun and also allows interesting possibilities for playing with the - long - shadows.
For this photo, too, I should have - actually - used a diffuser to soften the bright areas directly illuminated by the sunlight (left side of the model, especially the left forearm).
But in the late afternoon, when this photo was taken, the sun was already relatively low in the sky, so the contrasts were no longer quite so strong.
Also, which is also a good way to soften contrasts, I used a reflector to the right of the model to lighten the shadows; and as a result, the sunlit areas in the photo are not too distracting.
Don't be afraid of natural backlighting
Another way to take photos in sunshine is to place the model between the camera and the direction of the sun, i.e. against the light. The result is - usually - very atmospheric, sometimes even romantic. In my opinion, this is the best way to deal with strong contrasts in sunshine! Even though many photographers say that backlit shots are difficult, I think the opposite is true.
However, the use of a lens hood is strongly recommended! What sounds like a matter of course here is unfortunately not practiced at all: I experience time and again at my workshops that the lens hood, which should always (!) and everywhere (!) be attached, remains in the photo backpack or is even screwed onto the lens - upside down for storage - without any effect.
In some cases, you can even leave the incidence of light ("light reflections") as a creative element in the photo, giving it a very soft, romantic flair. In the seventies, in the days of hippies and flower power, this was common practice.
Especially for models with long (or wispy) blonde hair, the backlight creates a beautiful halo of light (also known as a "halo").
This photo was taken on a small hill late on a Sunday afternoon, whereby the difficulty was not in coping with the backlight (two large brighteners were perfectly sufficient), but in pushing the heavy motorcycle up the narrow hill and back down again after the photos.
Especially on the beach by the sea, the decision to use backlighting is often the only way to cope with the strong light contrasts.
Shooting in the rain
You will rarely take erotic photos in the rain, because the model cools down too quickly, the camera can get wet and damaged, the earthy ground softens and becomes muddy, and neither the photographer nor the model will be in the mood to carry on. But if the photographer and model do get their act together and go ahead with the photos as planned, the result can be extraordinary and atmospheric shots. However, you should take pity on your model and stop the photo session at the latest when she starts to shiver from the wind and cold.
The lighting conditions are often much better in the rain than in the sunshine, as the rain clouds usually provide a beautiful, soft light with little contrast.
When it suddenly started to rain - contrary to the weather forecast - the model and I initially wanted to cancel our photo shoot. But as we had both been looking forward to it for weeks, we decided to carry on despite the bad weather.
The decision was made easier for us because it was already quite warm that day at the end of May, so at least the temperatures were still bearable for the nude model.
I was sitting in the spacious luggage compartment of my Opel Omega Caravan for this photo, so that I and - more importantly! - the equipment was protected from the rain. Despite or perhaps because of the rain, this photo shoot was a lot of fun!
Outdoor sidelight
Side light outdoors can produce just as interesting results as in the studio. The difference, however, is that you can control the intensity of the light much better in the studio and shape it to your liking. In the great outdoors, on the other hand, you can only marginally influence the sunlight, for example by using aids such as reflectors and diffusers. But changing entire backgrounds, depending on the image section of course, is probably beyond the scope of our possibilities.
Side and grazing light is excellent for emphasizing the body contours of nude models. Especially when photographing (well-built, muscular) men, this type of lighting offers interesting opportunities to emphasize the men's muscles even more photographically. Photos taken with side light are particularly expressive, especially in black and white.
This photo was taken in Ibiza in October 2007. I was traveling alone with the model, looking for interesting locations, and what I liked most that morning were the old gnarled trees (I photographed them in black and white) and then the prickly, juicy green cacti, which formed a beautiful contrast to the model's delicate skin. 
Between the cacti we then discovered huge spider webs with fat disgusting spiders lurking in the middle, which is why we only took a few photos at this point.
A sample contract for a model release is available as working material.
