In some instances, such as in artistic photography, or portrait for effect, you'll want these kinds of shadows. For standard portrait photography though, you'll want to eliminate shadows.

Figure B shows an example of shadow for effect. This is known as the "Rembrandt effect," although a rather mild version of it, with one side of the subject illuminated, and the other in shadow. In this particular instance, it was a mistake though. One of my flashes failed to fire.

FIGURE B

A flash that failed to fire resulted in a Rembrandt effect. Click picture for a larger image.

For portrait lighting with a single light, you'll need an off-camera flash. If your camera has a PC or hot shoe connector, then you can use an external flash and cable to move the flash away from the camera. By positioning the flash at an oblique angle from the camera and subject, you'll be able to make the shadows more manageable.

Figure C shows how you can position a single, off-camera flash in order to reduce shadow. You'll still have some shadow, particularly under the nose, chin and behind the subject. By getting the camera and light in just the right positions, you can reduce or hide the shadows pretty well.

FIGURE C

Single flash portraits are possible with the correct setup. Click picture for a larger image.

A reflector positioned below and in front of the subject will help reflect light under the chin and nose, reducing or eliminating those shadows. You can also tape a piece of tissue or tracing paper over the light. This acts as a diffuser, similar to a softbox, and will soften the light, reducing harshness.

Two lights
Using two lights will provide the best results for portrait work. By positioning the lights appropriately, you can eliminate or cancel out any viewable shadows. Again, the use of umbrellas, reflectors, or softboxes can soften and smooth the light.

Figure D shows one lighting setup that I use quite frequently.

FIGURE D

This setup can be used to enhance one aspect of a subject. Click picture for a larger image.

The key, or main light is positioned at a 450 angle from the subject. The secondary, or fill light is then placed next to the camera. You want to place the lights at the level of the subject, or just slightly above. You can see from the illustration how the lights will cancel out the shadows from one another, with the only shadow being directly behind the subject and not visible.

Figure E shows another two-light setup.

FIGURE E

This is great general use lighting configuration. Click picture for a larger image.

In this case, the lights are placed an equal distance from the subject, both at a 450 angle. Provided you're using lights of equal strength, it won't matter which one is the key light and which the fill light. If one is stronger than the other though, you'll want to make that the key light. Keep in mind that this setup has the potential to take up a lot of space, which is why I frequently use the configuration from Figure C.

Even if your camera doesn't have a connection for an external flash, you can still use one to reduce, or control shadows. You can use your on-camera flash as the main light to trigger a slaved external flash.