Clinical facial photography in a small office: lighting equipment and technique.

The taking of clinical photographs, to record and to utilize during surgery, is an essential aspect of activity in every professional office or department of facial surgery. To obtain the best quality and consistency of results, many suggest the use of a professional lighting system composed of two or more flash units. An entire room, or a large part of it, should be permanently reserved for this use. In the last five years, I have developed and standardized a technique for taking facial photography, utilizing a single flash unit (monolight) in a small area that, after photographing, is cleared to allow space for other activities. A remarkable effort was dedicated to make the procedure easier, to save time, to reduce cost, and to make it possible to take a complete set of shots without the aid of an assistant.