Oftentimes, photos taken by the casual masses are done under full or partial lighting (from the very bright to the very dim to the very grainy), directly as a result of the physical settings of where they were shot. These types of photos are not meant to be artistic in the objective sense but they can be subjectively and even unintentionally.

But let’s talk about the intentional sense – and let’s use an example: a headshot. Headshots are traditionally captured with full lighting (flash photography) so that resumes, website about pages – anything relating to identification is accurate with respect to true appearance of a subject (hair, eyes, skin, etc.) Why mislead people who you may end up working with and meeting with a headshot that hides these features behind an “intentionally creative facade,” whatever that means? Are there scenarios where such is even appropriate?

Well, let’s name a few and explain. The explanation first: selectively lighting (and hence darkening) parts of a face changes how we perceive the mood of its subject. After all, smiling, frowning, and specific posture alone immediately evoke a physical mood of the subject photographed; but when considering the amount of lighting used, the overall feeling is enhanced through tone, subtle or dramatic – it makes a headshot more eye-catching than otherwise. Not to mention, creative.

Depending on how strong of a light is used and how warm or cold its temperature is, manipulating the angle of which the light(s) are facing towards a subject leads to some interesting effects and usages in media. Darkening half the face (split lighting) for example, offers a harsh contrast between what the subject is showing and what they are hiding.