It's ok to have the main light higher than that. It was the IBL that was wonky.

I suggest you get to know your lights now that you're using VSS.

Use a simple figure as you did above - not with a lot of environment and props. Set your background to black.

Turn off your IBL and just use one infinite light. Try it at 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 100%, 110%. Save these renders for reference.

Then turn on just the IBL and try it at 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%. You're trying to get the IBL to represent the ambient, secondary lighting that is bouncing off other things. Pick a setting that is pretty dark overall.

Then add your main light back again, at 60, 70, etc.

Save all these and compare them. Look at them again the next day. This is time well spent.

Then change your main light to a spot light, point it at his neck, and do it all again.

Try lighting from the side, front, above, and behind.

Try IBL + two infinites, one in front, one from side or behind. Try them at 40+40, 40+60, 40+80, and try stronger light in front and also stronger light in back.

Later when you want a certain effect, you can look over your test renders and know what to pick without experimenting.

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Renderosity forum reply notifications are wonky. If I read a follow-up in a thread, but I don't myself reply, then notifications no longer happen AT ALL on that thread. So if I seem to be ignoring a question, that's why. (Updated September 23, 2019)