RESOURCE: Photographing A Variety of Skin Tones

BRIEF HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHING SKIN TONES

With mass production of photographic film in the 1950s, the default for photographing skin tones, determined by film manufacturers in order to capture a broad spectrum of color values, was based solely on white skin. This standardized method of lighting and photographing skin was known as the "Shirley Card" system. It wasn't until the 1970s and 1980s that color film manufacturers began to develop film and camera technologies that could capture a wider variety of skin tones. 

Check out these essays and videos discussing this history and the current bias that the photography industry has towards darker skin tones.

SUPPLEMENTAL ESSAYS

Download Buolamwini, Joy_When the Robot Doesn't See Dark Skin.pdf

from Aperture, 2019, I page
This essay discusses the ongoing problem with photographic technology's inability to recognize darker skin tones.

Download Lewis, Sarah_Racial Bias and the Lens.pdf

from Aperture, 2019, 4 pages
This essay briefly discusses the photography industry's bias in regards to skin tones.

McFadden, Syreeta_Teaching the Camera to See My Skin Links to an external site.from BuzzFeed, 2014 - link to web article

 

TUTORIALS FOR LIGHTING

A majority of lighting demonstration videos out there default for white/light skin. Here are some great tutorials for photographing darker skin tones.

Also, these videos discuss using specific lighting equipment but please don't be discouraged. You can achieve similar results with the lights you have in your home. 

  • This excellent tutorial shows lighting set ups for a wide variety of skin tones, including sessions where you might be photographing multiple people with varying sin tones. 

 

  • This video has some great tips for doing self portrait lighting set ups for darker skin tones. Hallease is a really wonderful filmmaker and photographer who has a variety of tutorials on her YouTube page and blog. She also provides details on her lighting kit set up. 

 

  • This video shows some great examples of light a variety of skin tones in both artificial and natural light.