Nxapp Guide1 Shooting 3

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About Light



56 Shooting Guide Book

The practical use of light in photography is very important. We see and write things

with the help of light and technically speaking we are seeing the light that is reected

o objects, not seeing the objects themselves. Because of this objects can appear

totally dierent depending on the light conditions.

It is often said that photos are pictures painted with light. How you use light deter-

mines whether you will take a good shot or not. And to make it more dicult light

changes constantly and there are numerous types of light sources. To deal with light

appropriately, you need to understand the nature of the light and gain experience.

Read the light to

view the photo



57About Light

Light can be natural (sunlight) or articialiy derived from a variety of sources that can

illuminate your scene.

The two light sources look similar but are actually completely dierent. The area pro-

duced by each light source, the spectral quality of the light, color temperature and the

amount of light are not the same.

Natural light is a plentiful source that changes constantly. The environment we are in

changes continually while the sun remains the same. The earth's rotation changes

day to night, changes the seasons and impacts the environment. These factors pro-

duce very dierent and attractive natural light. The ever-changing beauty of natural

light poses diculties for photographers. They have to wait for the right moment and

even delay a photo shoot when the conditions are not right. The biggest disadvantage

of natural light is that you cannot control it.

Articial light comes in various types and colors. It is dicult to predict how they will

appear in actual photos. But that unpredictability also brings positive unexpected re-

sults. Cameras are tools for fun and amusement, so take your time, try anything you

want and enjoy the moment.

Natural light and articial light




Light contains dierently sized wavelengths. You may have seen a photo with various

colors made up of white light split by a prism. If you look at the spectrum of white light,

you will recognize it is divided into the seven dierent colors of the rainbow. Shorter

wavelengths have larger refraction properties and make the color blue. Longer wave-

lengths have smaller refraction properties make the color red. White light has the

three primary colors: blue, green and red. The combination of these three primary

colors results in white light.

If the proportion of the primary colors is not balanced, it will no longer look like white

light to the naked eye. Relating this to something we see regularly: the light at dusk

contains an overwhelming amount of red hue and the sky at dawn has a lot of blue

light.

Light and color



59About Light

The three primary colors are not always balanced. A clear day at noon is an example

where the three primary colors are in a balanced combination. Except for these few

hours almost every light source has dierent colors that are not close to the propertiesof white light. Our eyes however, are not sensitive enough to detect these changes.

Human eyes are very adaptable. This adaptability has two categories: changes to light

and shade, and changes into color. If you suddenly walk into a dark room, it is dicult

to make objects out at rst, then after time their outline becomes visible. On the other

hand, when you come into bright sunlight, it is hard to see what is ahead for a short

time. Your eyes then adjust to the change in light. Your eyes' irises act like the aperture

of a camera, controlling the size of the hole and reacting to brightness.

As with brightness, color adaptability works the same way. The brain obtains the color

information from the optic nerve in the retina. During this process, any color imbal-

ance is adjusted. Color adaptability is a crucial dierence between what we see and

what the camera shows when it takes a photo. Image sensors on digital cameras do

not have the same adaptability that human eyes have and record the exact colors of

the light source. As a result the colors that we see are sometimes expressed com-

pletely dierently in photos.

This does not only apply to color dierences but it is good to have a basic understand-

ing of light and color, the raw material of photos.

The dierence between photosand what you actually see




The image sensor of a digital camera does not have the same adaptability that human

eyes have but it does have the ability to help you control colors in a photo. This can be

done by controlling white balance. Adjust colors to match the way you see it or show

color in totally dierent ways. This is one of the biggest advantages of the digital cam-

era. Giving you color control has changed many photographic practices including theuse of many, dierent color-compensating lters to adjust color.

The point to keep in mind is that color distinction is fundamentally subjective. There

is no need to obsess over the subject's intrinsic color. The color of an object is deter-

mined by the color temperature of the light source and the exact color is actually hard

to determine.

What is important is that you need to understand the dierences between what you

see and perceive, and what the digital camera records. Based on this understanding,

you need to extend your ability to produce the desired impression of colors and the

sensitivity of beauty.

Adjustable digital colors



61About Light

Natural light changes constantly. Direct sunlight makes objects look vivid and their

shadows dark and obvious. Diuse light can spread widely making objects look soft

and warm. The color of a red sunset inspires people and the blue hue of dawn de-

scribes itself. Photographers select the right time for set up to get the perfect condi-

tions in their shot. Watching seasons change can have them waiting months for the

right moment. The sun's light that seems to be unchangeable but changes all the

time is also an excellent object of expression. The innite changes and the possibilities

that the sun creates is a much cherished subject of photographers.

Changes of natural light during the day




Imagine that the darkness disappears slowly at dawn. Objects reveal their shapes and

the whole world turns blue. Without direct sunlight, only the skylight brightens the

world before the sunrise. The skylight colors the whole world in blue.

In broad daylight, you can t deep blue lters to the lens and underexpose to express

the dark atmosphere of dawn on purpose. In these circumstances you can create a

monochrome photo which has a single hue, regardless of the subject's color.

Monotone photos simplify a scene and hide complicated and disorderly backgrounds.

Monochrome eects work well in the city's forest of buildings or by a river where there

is spray or mist. Enhance and emphasize the theme by arranging the background and

the particular quality of light.

Bluish hues of dawn



63About Light

When the sun rises, the situation reverses. The cold blue hue disappears without a

trace and the world begins to turn red. At sunset or sunrise when the sun is tilted,

sunlight comes through the thick atmosphere to reach your eyes. To get through the

thick atmosphere, the blue light with a short wavelength is reected and scattered,

and only the red light with a long wavelength can reach your eyes. The intense red

light is generated this way.

Sunrise is short and dynamic. The sun comes up and it ends abruptly. Because of this

photographers taking shots of a sunrise need to do preliminary research on time and

location and then, choose the best place to set up a tripod. For beginners it is more

dicult but there is a tip to get you started. Do not focus obsessively on the sun. The

morning sun creates a fantastic atmosphere. When sunrise is over, the sun continues

to rise in the sky. Concentrate on the subject in the light from the other side, and then

you can capture unexpected and fascinating scenes.

Red light after sunrise




As the day progresses the sun rises higher. The atmosphere gets thinner and direct

sunlight and sky light combine as white light. The color temperature function in digital

cameras is based on white light on a sunny day at noon. Using this white light it is pos-

sible to represent the exact color of a subject without distortion.

Natural white light



65About Light

After noon, the sun is lower in the sky and the white light changes to red and the color

temperature falls gradually. The sun dropping moderately generates the warmth of

the afternoon sun and creates a warm and cozy atmosphere.

While adjusting the white balance to compensate color you may add warmer colors to

the photo. If these are very dierent from natural white light, it will look more natural if

the photo has warm colors rather than cold colors.

Warm and cozy late afternoon




By sunset, the glow of the setting sun creates a very intense atmosphere. When you

see a sunset, you will probably press the shutter button in wonder of its beauty. The

western sky where the sun sets is eye-catching, but the other side of the sky is equal-

ly beautiful. During sunset the western sky is a bright red color, but the eastern and

the northern sky turns cold deep blue or violet. The red color has a lot of underlying

shades. This means that you can capture unexpected, wonderful moments. It helps to

vary the exposure while taking lots of shots to get a range of shots.

Red light of sunset



67About Light

The sun has set, but you can still take great shots. This time lasts a little over 10 min-

utes and is what we call the Magic Hour. Right after sunset and before darkness sets

in, the color creates a unique atmosphere. This magical, reddish color changes from

moment to moment and has its own charm, suitable for use in movies. It is such a brief

moment and it fades so quickly that it is easy to miss.

Too short magical time




The ever-changing natural light has its own allure. However there are particular times

that photographers like and don't like. Photographers tend to avoid working at noon.

The light is directly overhead and makes short and unattractive shadows. It is very

close to white light and hard to create dramatic eects with. Objects also tend to not

look stereoscopic at this time of day.

Times favored by photographers are limited and are related to the inclination of the

sun. At sunrise and sunset, when the sun is leaning at a good angle is a preferred time.

The angle of the sun produces a warm, comforting, soft light source. It is direct light,

but it strongly illuminates the subject and also strains the eye. You will be impressed

by the eects of a sunset reecting o someone's face and buildings, the scenery of a

bluish riverside and the dreamlike color of the sky after the sunset.

Moments to avoid or not miss



69About Light

Photos are basically at but we do get a sense of dimension from them. There are

many factors contributing to a 3D eect. One of them is the expression of texture. It

makes us feel softness or roughness on the surface of the subject.

It is the shadows which make the texture. Once the shadows separate the light and

dark areas you can sense the texture. It does not matter if the surface is uneven and

bumpy. If the direct light removes the shadow, you cannot recognize the texture and

3D eect in the photo.

Also you need to use a light source delivered at a right angle to show the texture and

3D. Do not use direct light or backlight. Use a side light source as much as you can to

give a 3D eect to at photos.

Light which makes textures




Sunlight also displays various changes in color. These changes occur constantly and

are mostly not recognized. It is more accurate to check the color on the digital cam-

era's screen than to see it with your own eyes. Press the shutter button and nd out

the color of the sunlight surrounding you.

How to read the light

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