Light in photographyPhoto I & II

2012

LIGHT

Direction from where the light hits the subject

Crucial to any good photograph

Can be manipulated through camera settings or external sources, both need to be controlled for the best quality photograph

Types of light

The sun

Photography’s most basic lighting option is the sun and is also one of the most versatile. It can be warm and highly directional, casting long shadows. Behind clouds, its light can be blue, diffuse, and shadow-free. As it crosses the sky, the sun serves as a front, side back and/or hair-light. It always looks natural – because it is – and it is always free.

Window light

A flash is not used. The main source is light from a window, possibly using a reflector as the only fill.

Cool light

Cool light are daylight balanced LED or florescent light, which deliver color and quality similar to the “old style” studio strobe or flash units.

One big advantage: continuous light source. This means you can see the lighting effect before you shoot it.

Can be reflected into umbrellas or through softboxes, light tenets or other diffusion material.

um

bre

llas

softboxSoftbox is most popular for its soft, even light. Softboxes are used heavily in portrait photography and many other types of commercial photography.

It is an effective, lightweight tool for reducing a light intensity without sacrificing softness.

The Softbox eliminates hot spots and evenly distributes the light as well.

Light tent

http://olddogphoto.com/2008/03/17/light-tent/

Hot lights

Halogen lights are another continuous light source option for easy studio work.

Though they are not cool like the ‘cool lights’, they can pack a lot of power into a single head.

Studio photography

Most photographers try to soften lighting, whether it be for art photography or products.

It is the most flattering lighting on people and objects.

It is one of the easiest techniques.

3 ways to soften light:Diffuse

Bounce

both

diffuseDiffusion is when something translucent is placed between between the light source and the object

Outdoor cloud cover can diffuse direct sunlight to soften light and shadow.

Direct sunlight: will create hard shadows on your model’s face/object.

In Studio:

1. Place cloth between subject and light

2. Shoot the light through a soft box or white studio umbrella

3. Place the subject inside a white studio ‘tent’

Bounce

Bouncing light scatters rays of light in different directions and creates softer shadows.

Methods:

- Pointing it upwards: bounces off ceiling before hitting subject

- Bouncing off reflector, wall or a free-standing “flat” (a portable partition)

- Pointing the light into the inside of a studio umbrella so it bounces off and towards the subject.

Photos of objects

w/white light

w/yellow light

w/daylight (sun)

w/daylight (in shade)

w/bounce

w/diffusion (green/blue/red)

w/class lighting

In the dark w/ different lights

w/window light

Light box

FlashMost cameras have a built in flash that operates in several modes.

Automatic

Fill flash

No flash

Flash with red-eye reduction

Slow-sync flash

Auto(matic) mode

The camera gauges the available light and fires the flash if needed

Most commonly used in amateur photography

Fill flash/force flashThis mode triggers the flash regardless of the light in the scene

Especially helpful for outdoor shots, where there is natural light

e.g. outside in sunlight, your camera might see no-need for a flash but it can create harsh shadows, fill flash adds additional light on the face that cancels out the shadows by adding additional lightWith a properly exposed background, and also a flash-illuminated subject that's got proper flash exposure, the two light sources (flash and ambient light in the scene) are balanced, and neither will appear overly dark or light. This usually gives us a very natural-looking picture. It can also brighten otherwise subdued faces, lighten shadows from harsh sunlight, or sometimes just add a little sparkle in a subject's eyes.

Flash

When you don’t want flash

To make the most of the quality of the existing light, it might be what makes your photograph compelling in the fist place

Or when shooting highly reflective objects, such as glass or metal, because flash can cause blown highlights

Flash with red-eye reduction

Flash reflects against the subject’s retinas, the result is the ‘red eye’ problem

Red-eye reduction mode aims to thwart this phenomenon by firing low powered flash before the ‘real’ flash goes off or by emitting a beam of light from a lamp on the the camera body for a second or two prior to capturing the image

Why? It ‘pre’lights the image, causing the pupil of the eye to shut down a little, thereby lessening the chances of reflection when final flash goes off.

Slow-sync flashSometimes nighttime flash/night portrait mode

Increases the exposure time beyond what the camera normally sets for flash pictures

With a normal flash, your main subject is illuminated, but background elements beyond the reach of the flash are dark. The longer exposure time provided by slow-sync flash allows more ambient light to enter the camera, resulting in a lighter background

Careful! It can result in a blurred image: both camera and subject need to remain absolutely still during the exposure in order to avoid that issue. Using a tripod is useful.

Colors can appear in slightly warmer because of the white balance issues.