Basic Clamshell lighting
The clamshell setup, aka butterfly setup, is probably one of the simplest and most effective beauty setups, which has the advantage of being expandable into more complex setups. This easy setup does not require a lot of expensive gear and is probably the one setup that forms the basis for most of my beauty lighting setups.
It’s called a clamshell setup because it consists of a top light, either an umbrella (preferably a white bounce umbrella) or a beauty dish, positioned above the model head and pointing downward at about 45° towards their face and another light low down, pointing upwards at the models face at around 45° and 1-1.5 stops less power. This gives you a nice contrasty top lit effect from the key light which is toned down and controlled by the bottom light.
The real beauty of this setup is that if you only have once light, you can substitute a reflector for the bottom light but you will need to play with the angle a bit to get the effect you want.
DIY BOOM
The one problem with clamshell lighting is that you need to use a boom for the top light otherwise you end up with a light stand in front of your lens. Now we don’t all have booms lying around but it’s really easy to make one out of two light stands.
Disclaimer: Please be aware that this is only for use with small light flashes and should never be used with heavier studio lights and although I have used this trick myself on many occasions, by trying this you do so at your own risk and I cannot be held responsibility for any loss, damage or injury that may occur as a result of following these instructions.
What you will need:
1. 2 x Medium weight light stands
2. Cable ties
3. Gaffer tape
4. Sand bags
Now all you have to do is cable tie the leg from one stand to the upright from the other.
You need to make sure that the upright stand is weighed down with sand bags or weights and that the cable ties are strong enough and tight enough and if in doubt as to how many to use, err on the side of caution and use more.
It is also a good idea to wrap gaffer tape around the overlapping poles for extra strength.
You can adjust the height by raising the upright stand and you can adjust the angle by adjusting the legs of the stand that is acting as the boom.
So there we go one easy DIY boom.
Over the next few days I will post some easy ways to extend the basic clamshell setup.
