Better Photography - Look at the Light

photo by:ChrisY

Story by: Duncan Wherrett

Photoshop is now one of the major computer programmes around. The basis of it all, however, is the photographic image.

Very often the quality of the original image can get overlooked or can be considered unimportant. We hear sentences like: "Oh that'll do - we'll fix it later in Photoshop".

Perhaps it can, but starting off with a better photograph in the first place can save a lot of trouble later.
Well begun is half done.

Light does have a special place in photography, but all too often it is largely
ignored, whereas in actual fact, different light can change the whole scene
dramatically. Good photography requires lighting rather than light and when
shooting outside, the light can be controlled and used in much the same way
as it is used when photography is undertaken in a studio.

At the risk of stating the obvious, light is a visual thing, and it should be
considered in its own right and used and controlled as much as possible by
being more selective about the time and place when the photograph is taken.
A change in the light will change the landscape and with a little practice these
changes will soon be noticed.

Spring light in the early morning gives a feel to
a scene not found later in the day.

Early morning light and sun have a unique quality not found at other times
– a freshness and sparkle with or without any mist. Such circumstances
give a special feel to most situations, and it can be worth rising for an early
morning walk in order to catch these moments. The atmosphere of a scene
will, therefore, be greatly influenced by the light and the same scene can look
very different in the sun, under cloud or in the numerous changing weather
conditions.

Evening light adds warm tones and, with long dramatic shadows, will give extra modelling to the subject. The same scene photographed with a high sun in the middle of the day can look flat and uninteresting.

The low sun emphasizes the shape and character of the scene.

Back light, that is shooting into the sun, also has its own qualities, giving attractive halos to the subjects.
If there is water in the scene, such as a lake or river, then the use of back light will put a real sparkle into the water.
With the sun in front of the photographer, the water has a sparkle it would not have if the sun had been in any other position.

Even the sun behind the photographer can be effective sometimes, although it is not generally recommended, because it will make the subject look too flat and characterless. The very low sun over one's shoulder late in the day, however, can give colours a strength and richness not normally seen.
It's under such circumstances, with the sun behind the photographer, that rainbows are usually seen.

Perhaps one of the most appealing types of sunlight is that of dapple light,
with a strong sun shining through trees and lighting up the subject in patches.
In any season, such sunlight can really make the picture, with its depth and
multitude of tones. If there is any early mist around, the sunlight might be
seen as shafts of light and with autumn leaves there is likely to be an extra
warm glow to the colour of the light.

Dapple light can give an interesting look to a scene.

There can be situations where a cloudy day is best. Strong sun gives a
bright picture but it also gives high contrast. When the sun is shining in a
narrow street or a picturesque alley in a Mediterranean village, some of the
street will be in strong sunshine and some of it will be in shadow.

This will give a contrast range which is so extreme that it will not be possible to produce a good print through a normal printing system. In such circumstances, if you can manage to photograph that side street or market corner on a cloudy day or when no sun is directly on that area, then the lighting will be much more even and all of the detail will be printable.

Certain lighting conditions can definitely be a bonus:

• sun poking through the clouds
• sun on rain-covered ground
• a shaft of sunlight coming through a window or doorway.

All this means that it is not advisable to shoot too quickly, but to look at the
light and consider its effect. The sun brings out colours and brings everything
alive so it can be worth waiting perhaps 10 minutes for the weather to change, or going back on another more suitable occasion.

A potentially good picture can be a great disappointment purely because
the light at the time does not do the scene justice. It can often be better to save the film on a very dreary day and return later when the sun has moved round to the best side of a building or landscape.

Just a short walk might be sufficient for that gap in the clouds that will
send out shafts of sunlight; or try using the gathering storm clouds to your
photographic advantage before running for cover.


Tip:

* Look at the light, and its effect on the subject
* Don't shoot too quickly but be prepared to come back when the light might be more suitable.

Article Directory: http://www.articlecube.com

Photographs which illustrate the points described here can be seen at
http://www.photoshop-tutorials-plus.com/photography_tips.html
A reminder then that better photography makes later work in Photoshop easier.
http://www.photoshopinaday.com

How To Manage Digital Photography Lighting

大稻埕 Dock, by Enid Yu.

By: Connie Fillmore

Photography blends science with art. The photographer is the artist who engraves his creation with light and shade. Science has gifted the artist a technically advanced digital camera for him to captivate life with it. But he must know to decipher the codes of light

And, Let There Be Light...

Natural light sources like the sun and the moon are considered the best light sources. These lights often invade indoors and make natural shots come alive. Men have created artificial lights like the ordinary bulb, the tungsten halogen lamp or the bright photoflood.

There are various types of lighting, the photographer can employ. The most common is the Directional lighting provided by flash, tungsten or several sources and can be used from the front, back or side.

Front lighting is the most in vogue but it reveals every detail. The light is at the back of the photographer beaming at the face of the subject highlighting every detail. This often results in an unexciting and flat look of your subjects. Another technique is to mystify your subject by lighting up from side. The main illumination from side adds interest and vigor with presence of dark shadows.

In Back lighting the source light remains in the rear of the subject shining in the face of the camera. So, you must be very careful while using this mode otherwise the subject will appear like a silhouette. The main advantage here is, you will be able to capture the natural expressions of your subject in an outdoor shoot, as he will not squint facing bright light.

You can employ Cross lighting where strong directional light comes from both sides. But this method is only suitable for studios with bright flash or tungsten lights.

Lighting For Digital Photography

Digital cameras may offer a wide range of easy lighting modes but there are challenges for the artist in his path to perfection. You must adopt the trial and error method and acquire the knowledge of lighting.

Most digital cameras have preset digital photography lighting modes or 'scenes' for different lighting situation. There is the indoor mode to click without flash, which is particularly useful in art galleries or museums, the night and portrait mode allows you to take pictures of your subject with a gleaming backdrop at night using a slower shutter speed.

The digital cameras provide an automatic setting for white balancing .You can determine the baseline white in your image against which, other colors will be rendered. Your camera may have a histogram to evaluate exposure in different digital photography conditions. Most cameras have various options like daylight, cloudy, tungsten and more.

What Is Auxillary Lighting?

If you want to create art using light and shadow, the Flash unit alone is not enough. Here, auxiliary lighting comes in. If you decide to shoot portraits or product shots in a studio then auxiliary lighting is not optional but necessary.

For great results use head and kicker lights. Flashlights do not generate heat like floods and spots, so are more suited for portraits. Make sure the flash suits your digital camera. If you want to shoot still shots or product shots, continuous tungsten light is the cheapest and best. A range of wattage bulbs and reflectors will help you control the intensity and direction of light too.

If you don't have money you can rent lights. Top studios have various assortments of flash units, flood and spotlights.

How to use light

Light is made up of all colors. If seen through a prism it bursts into different colors. You are free to experiment with the rainbow. Artificial lights have their own characteristics. The photographer can utilize different light sources. You can alter white setting for a different effect. Most digital cameras have color setting modes to achieve accuracy of the colors.

Direction of light is important in digital photography. People look best in diffused sidelights and backlight produces a halo effect while overhead lighting produces sharp contrast of light and shadows. Strength of light is also an essential factor. You can have placid effect from diffused lighting and sharpness from strong light.

Indoor lighting gives you ample scope to shoot nice pictures. You can assemble light as per your choice and can even harness sunlight when it enters your house to soften your image.

Outdoor shots are more challenging. It leaves you at the mercy of Mother Nature. While landscape looks good in soft light, the wildlife is captivating with fine details in bright light. So photographers try to capture wildlife just before dusk or before dawn.

In digital cameras, you do not need to worry about ISO film speed. Most digital cameras have preset ISO setting. However, experimentation is the perfect way to curb imperfection. So inflame your imagination and hone your skill. You are ready to enter the luminous empire of photography.

About The Author

Connie Fillmore is a successful writer and publisher of photography related issues, for more informative articles go to http://www.digitalphotographyguy.com.