Often, beginning photographers perceive light as a factor that affects the technical conditions of shooting. If a photographer cannot appreciate all the possibilities of light patterns, his work will not receive sufficient expressiveness. Uncertain lighting solutions have a negative impact on photographs.
Impressions of objects, both in photography and in life, are created thanks to lighting. It so happens that the bright light of the sun evokes joyful feelings in a person. At the same time, twilight has a peaceful effect on the psyche of the observer, and darkness is alarming. Lighting can present reality from different angles. Light can manipulate a person's consciousness, causing a variety of feelings.
When photographing anything, you must take into account, in addition to the quality of light, how the shadows fall, how contrasting they are, what the chiaroscuro pattern is, how soft or hard the light is.
Some characteristics of light that a professional photographer should take into account:
- light sources
- direction of light rays
- light intensity
- spectral composition of light
- color and texture of the illuminated object
The combination of these parameters in various combinations allows you to obtain a wide variety of color patterns. It will be very difficult for a novice photographer to understand the intricacies of setting up and assessing lighting. That is why it is worth highlighting the most basic nuances in constructing artistic light to obtain an interesting picture in a photograph.
1. Landscapes, sports competitions and other staged photographs with action taking place in the frame look best in contrasting lighting. The photo should convey the depth and shape of objects. The viewer will not be able to appreciate the photograph if for him it merges into one continuous mass.
2. In photography, the relationship of light and shadow to each other is very important. Contrasting, sharp transitions create a clear pattern. If the transitions from light to shadow are soft and flexible, then the volume will not be so pronounced. The outlines of all objects will be soft. Softness can give a photograph some uniqueness.
3. We must not lose sight of the reflectivity of surfaces and the characteristics of the light falling on the subject. These factors determine the brightness of the image and the subject itself. Reflectivity is color and texture. The characteristics of light are its strength, spectrum composition and direction of incidence of the rays.
By looking closely at light and shadow, you can create unusual artistic effects. For example, on a sunny day, trees cast a patterned, lacy shadow, and on cloudy weather, the light scattered by clouds fills the frame with pastel colors.
The construction of light in photography plays a key role. Understanding the principles of construction and applying this knowledge in practice will help you create a frame with a high-quality, harmonious and effective cut-off pattern.
Hello! Welcome, Timur Mustaev. The topic of interaction with lighting - rules, diagrams, types, etc. – should be at the top of every photographer’s list. I guess that many of you have heard about the main light source, that is, the one that creates the pattern itself on the object.
But he is far from the only one; without knowing about others, it will be difficult for you to create good photo. Moreover, filming conditions vary. So, how many of you have heard fill light in photography? What does it mean?
Let me start by briefly identifying the important luminous fluxes. These are four types that can be combined as desired:
- Drawing(RS) is the main and most powerful light source in the pavilion. The sun can be considered as its counterpart in a street photo shoot. The PC is clearly aimed at the model and creates the main play of light and shadow.
- Filler. More about it below.
- Background(FS). One or two devices are installed directly in front of the background. FS is needed to highlight, change the tone or color effect in the background.
- Modeling. It is often aimed at a particular detail, such as the model's hair. It makes them stand out, highlighting them with golden reflections. The size of such a light beam can be adjusted.
You can also note the so-called back modeling. In this case, light lines highlight, for example, in a portrait photo, the shape of the head and torso. The model is thus separated from the background part.
Types of light: fill
Let's move on to full description filling light flow (FL). It is considered auxiliary and less powerful. It is not always used, but when it is necessary to create uniform lighting on an object (model) or throughout a specific area.
Are there a lot of unwanted shadows and generally strong contrast in your photos? ZS is definitely what you need. In addition to softening the transition from light to shadow, it also makes volumes more pronounced and gives faces a realistic roundness. In most cases, such filling with light seems to even out the tonal properties of the object.
By what features can you understand that the light (device) is a fill light?
- Wide dispersion angle. This depends on the nozzle chosen.
- Low light intensity. The power on the device can always be reduced.
- Soft light is provided by the fabric surface of the glass.
- The internal reflective surface is usually matte.
How to get such light?
In order to obtain such indicators, special materials are used for GS. In particular, it should be a large softbox, i.e. a device of a square, elongated rectangular (street) shape or polyhedron (octobox), and a stream of light passes through the fabric.
Unlike hard reflectors, such a box imitates natural light from a window. Sometimes photo umbrellas or a large white canvas are used to further soften the shadows.
We mainly talked about the design and possibilities of lighting in studio spaces, but various lighting equipment can also be used outdoors. They are easy to move and easy to handle: catch the beam and reflect it onto a low or unlit part of the subject. As you can imagine, they work with reflected light.
They also create fill light. Reflectors can have a white, silver, gold or black screen. White is considered the most neutral and versatile, while black is needed to absorb light.
Colored options are not for everybody, as silver gives a colder, metallic tone, while gold gives a warm tone, enhancing yellow shades. Windows, light walls and the ceiling are all also examples of reflectors that are at hand.
Light layout
And finally, a little about the layout of light sources, of which there are a great many, and they depend on the purposes of photography. The most convenient order of turning on the light is as follows: first drawing, then on the background and, if required, filling, modeling.
Sometimes you can take only one of them, for example, a drawing one, sometimes two identical ones - for a special dramatic shot, and sometimes all at once.
The last combination is considered the most difficult, because you need to position the devices so that the light of one does not interrupt the other. It is especially necessary to ensure that there are no double shadows that sometimes arise in the presence of RS and GS. The fill source should not be visible to the viewer.
Directly, the GS can be installed in a forward or diagonal (45 degrees) position to the model. It is believed that this way he will best work on softening shadows and contrasts. For example, the model is in the center of the room, a key light is directed at her from the right, and a fill light is directed at her from the left.
In this case, the background is illuminated from both sides, and a modeling device is turned on behind the person. The height of the device's tripod is also adjustable. The classic scheme includes fewer sources - three, and always with a filler, in addition to RS and FS. In this case, the ES can be placed both from the side and from the front - depending on the location of the main source and, it turns out, as if in opposition to it.
If you have a studio with good light from the window, use it to fill in the shadow areas. Only the windows will have to be covered with cloth. And now you get even, soft lighting! An excellent option is the window as a drawing source, and the additional illumination is a fill source. In principle, built-in and external flashes can perform this task quite well.
That's all for me. Goodbye readers! Learn, practice. And remember, light creates a photograph!
All the best to you, Timur Mustaev.
Lighting is one of the main and decisive components in successful photography. Light can highlight certain areas of a photo composition and give it a special flavor. Proper lighting gives the object in the photo sharpness and a good outline. Learning to see and capture photos in a favorable light is an art. With the help of light and shadow, outstanding photo artists are able to draw entire pictures.
Side glow
Side light is one of the most common types of lighting used by modern photographers. This type of lighting gives the object in the photo additional volume and depth. Often used in portrait photography, can be beneficial when photographing architecture.
Backlight
This is a very popular type of lighting nowadays. Backlight is the light that is located behind the model or any other photographic object, the light coming from all sides due to the subject of the photo. With the help of such lighting, silhouettes are easily drawn, rays of light emanating from behind the model, fog, and dust are visible. All the smallest objects in the air caught in a beam of light acquire a clear outline.
Diffuse glow
This is a soft light that is formed naturally in cloudy weather, even light without glare and hard shadows. In diffused lighting, it is good to photograph portraits; the model’s face is evenly illuminated, and there are no gaps in colors. The soft glow is also suitable for outdoor photography.
Hard glow
This type of glow is formed under natural conditions in bright sunshine. Hard light is characterized by hard shadows, overexposure is possible. With this type of light, special attention You should pay attention to setting up the equipment, in particular, monitoring the exposure. Most photographers try to avoid harsh glows, as this can cause large drops in colors.
Spot glow
A fairly common lighting used by modern photographers. This type of lighting gives the photograph a special drama and depth to the picture depicted. The entire emphasis is on the object of light refraction. With spot lighting, a deep contrast is formed between the main picture and the illuminated object. This technique is widespread in cases where it is necessary to highlight a certain object from the entire picture.
There is a huge amount various types lighting, they can occur separately or in combination. Can be artificially formed different types lighting. There is no photography in art certain rules lighting, you can be fully creative and form your own style in lighting. Knowing the types of lighting will help you determine in what lighting your photo will look best. Depending on the desired effect, apply required type glow, and your photos will acquire an irresistible, desired style.
Let me point out from the outset that it doesn't matter what camera you use. You can apply your knowledge about light by taking good photographs digital camera, and on the phone. Photography and light go hand in hand. Simply put, if there is no light, there is no photograph. Light is so important for great photography. I'll ask you to put your camera down for a moment and watch. Just look at the light, its color, how it falls on people and objects. What shadows are created?
Try looking at it in different times days:
1. Early in the morning before sunrise and during dawn
In the early morning, you will see the light change from cool blue to red, orange and yellow. It will change from a soft, shadowless light to one that gives shape and texture to everything it touches. If the weather is right, at the end of the day you will witness the same process in reverse - a transition from warm to cool shades!
Beginning photographers try to photograph the actual sunrise or sunset. Instead, try looking at how the sun hits trees or plants, or a person's face and clothing. When the sun is low in the sky, it creates gorgeous shapes and textures. On the beach, look at the texture of the sand, the shape of the rocks and shells scattered everywhere
2. Noon
Noon is best left to the clock hands! This may be the worst time for photography. This is the same light you see in office spaces with ceiling lighting. This will give your portraits an ugly look like the image above.
What to do? There are two simple solutions. Turning on the flash is one option. The second is to hide in the shadows on outdoors or use light from a window indoors
3. Light from the window
The light from the window is a wonderful directional light. What does directed mean? This is light that comes from one direction, one source.
We can often see a person standing with his back to the window, and his face remains in the dark. Instead, place it perpendicular to the window, using the light to illuminate one side of the face. You can use window light with equally effective results whether you're photographing a person or an object.
Try using this type of light when the sun is not shining directly through the window. Choose a cloudy day, use a north-facing window, or photograph after the sun has moved away from the window.
4. Stormy weather
The light changes as you move in and out of the storm. See how the colors of flowers, leaves and even cars come to life as the weather changes. You can of course add saturation in Photoshop, but it will look much more realistic if you can photograph it rich color which happens at the end of a thunderstorm.
And don't be afraid to go out in the snow or rain with your camera. You will discover a whole new world that most people hide from. You will witness scenes that are usually not seen. I guarantee people will go, “Wow, how did you get that picture?!”
5. Seasons
Your observations of light will tell you a lot. I think you'll start to see what I don't see. I really hope so. Another thing you may notice is that the light changes throughout the year as well.
For example, the position of the sun in the sky changes. In the summer here in southern Ontario, the sun rises directly outside my east-facing back door. Come November, this same fireball rises about 45 degrees further south or to my right. So now he's lighting things from a completely different angle than he was in June, creating various shapes and textures for objects in the same space. How cool is that!
Another piece of the lighting puzzle I've discovered is that the light becomes clearer and sharper, almost overnight, as we move from August to September. The hazy air of August creates a softer light because it is filled with particles, scattering the light around. When the air cools in September, it becomes fresher and cleaner, giving us clearer light. This is in southern Ontario, but I guarantee the same effects will occur in your time and location.
Don't be afraid of the weather
People in these latitudes often complain when temperatures reach -20 degrees Celsius. It's time to grab your camera and go out into the world. In our winters the weather is very gray. Ninety percent of the time when it's very cold, we get fresh, clean, beautiful light with those gorgeous blue skies.
I realize I'm talking about my home, but I ask you to start observing how the seasons and weather influence the weather. What time do you like visually? When does color appear? Perhaps you like soft light?
Conclusion
What's really amazing about photography is that 7 or 70 of us can photograph the same scene, and usually we all see a different perspective. When we communicate, we learn. My recommendation? Be yourself and share.
The main goal of studio lighting is to imitate natural light. In the first photographic pavilions until it was invented artificial lighting, natural light was used. This is what the first pavilions looked like.
Studios were usually located in the attics of houses, as filming required a lot sunlight. There were wide windows in the roof and light came through them. If it rained or the weather was cloudy, the shooting was postponed.
The first studios worked with contrasting, hard lighting, but with the development of technology, studios began to be arranged with windows facing north in order to avoid direct sun rays. The photographer had the option of opening the windows or covering them with frosted glass or curtains. Used for illuminationreflectors made of polished copper sheets.
In the picture you see the classic lighting scheme that is still used by all photographers in the world. The light comes from above and from the sides from the windows, the light is soft and can be compared to lighting from a large softbox. With the help of reflectors, the shadow side of the model is highlighted, and the reflector above the model’s head provides contour illumination of the hair and allows you to “separate” the figure from the background. This is the classic lighting scheme. It is often called Rembrandt's because the artist painted his portraits in this manner.
How artificial light is installed in studios today.
Painting light - the main luminous flux that forms a light-tonal or light-and-shadow pattern. The most powerful light source.
Key light can be hard or soft. If the light is hard, the shadows will be sharp and contrasting. For hard light use reflectors small size Andportrait plateswith a silver surface. For soft light you need softbox or scattering nozzles onto a reflector or plate. We must not forget that the farther the light source is from the model, the harsher the light will be.
Options for location of the key light source:
- Frontal
- Anterodiagonal
- Side
- Posterior diagonal
- Back-up
This is what the cut-off pattern will look like when different options lighting:
front lighting
front diagonal lighting (key light on the left)
side lighting (key light on the left)
back-diagonal lighting (key light on the left)
In a classic design, the key light is usually placed in a forward-diagonal position, at an angle of approximately 45 degrees relative to the camera-model line.
The light source is placed slightly above the model's head. If you set it too high, the shadows will creep down, you will get shadows under the eyes and a long shadow from the nose. If it's too low, the shadows will creep up and the face will look wide and creepy.
Here are the options for upper and lower light, as an example of the distribution of shadows.
overhead light
bottom light
The power of the key light should be approximately 1-1.5 stops brighter than other sources. In order to receive harmonious light, you need to be able to coordinate the action of all lighting devices.
Fill light- a source of diffused light that plays an auxiliary role in cut-off lighting, and a major role in light-tonal lighting. The goal is to highlight shadows and soften the light and shadow pattern. In light and shadow lighting, it reduces the contrast of the image and makes it possible to reproduce shape and texture in the shadows. It should not be noticeable as an independent light flux.
For fill light, a softbox or reflective panel is usually used, onto which the fill light source is directed. Fill light is usually placed behind the camera, front or front diagonally.
This is how the filling of the shadows will change depending on the strength of the fill light source.
weak shadow filling
medium shadow fill
strong shadow filling
Modeling light- a narrowly focused, not very intense stream of light, which is designed to emphasize the shape and texture in the shadows (texture of hair, clothing, neck line, shoulder, etc.). It is also necessary to separate the model from the background.
Usually this source is installed in the rear diagonal, sometimes in the back direction.
Light-forming attachments are used to obtain a narrow light spot: tube (Snoot), reflectors with curtains (Barn Doors), sometimes strip boxes.
The brightness of the light modulation in the shadows should not exceed the brightness of the highlights formed by the source of the key light.
Background light - a light source designed to illuminate the background.
The purpose of background light is to separate the model from the background, give the photo volume and show perspective. Usually, attachments for background light are used - standard reflectors (sometimes with curtains), a tube, a bucket. The background can be colored using filters. For a photon pattern, you can use gabo, which gives some kind of pattern (window, leaves, spots, etc.). You can make gabbo yourself or use some available means (baskets, other objects with holes). If the background is not evenly lit, an additional feeling of space is created. That is, the abstract background is illuminated unevenly, thereby creating the illusion of aerial perspective, where light is perceived as distant and dark as close.
The background light source is coordinated, if possible, with the direction of the key light source.
This is what a portrait will look like with one, two, three and four light sources:
one light source (drawing)
two light sources (key and fill)
three light sources (key, fill and background)
four light sources (key, fill, background and hair modeling)
This is what a classic four-source circuit looks like:
It is usually recommended to turn on the background light source first. Then the key light turns on. As described above, the nature of chiaroscuro will depend on the intensity of the key light source, its distance to the model, the installation height and the direction of the light source. Then, depending on the artistic task, the fill light source is set (strong or weak shadow filling). And at the very end is the modeling light source.
There are many options for the sequence of turning on light sources. The main thing to remember is that you are shooting a portrait and the person should ultimately look like himself.
