Direction of light in photography

Direction of light in photography Photo I&II

Direction is important because it effects the shadows and brings out (or minimizes) the texture of the objects in the scene. Direction of light

If the light is coming from behind the camera and is almost in the same direction as the camera lens. • The lighting will be ‘flat’ because the shadows are not visible (whether its hard or soft lighting). • A variation is high front, which casts a shadow under the subject’s nose in a portrait. Front lighting

Your camera's flash is the most common type of front lighting. Pros: • Provides the most information to the camera by lighting the entire scene. • Easiest type of light to deal with photographically because there are fewer shadows to confuse the camera's light meter. Cons: • Can be a bit boring—pictures lack volume and depth. • Textures and details are minimized. Scenes appear flat with few shadows. • Flash pictures may result in very bright subject areas and very dark backgrounds, if the background is beyond flash range

Move so that the light is 45°off the axis of the camera, and the shadows will fall to the side and become more visible to the camera. • One of the most basic types of lighting setup in portraiture • Also the foundation for many other types of lighting. 45°lighting

The reason that 45 degree lighting is so important is that it’s the perfect angle to create modeling on the human form. • Modeling: showing three dimensionality through the use of light. • When you have light coming from where the camera is, that three dimensionality is lost because shadows aren’t seen on the face. • Put the light off the camera and you get shadows, which gives you 3D, and 45 degrees is the perfect angle to maximize this effect. Light setup

Pros • Can separate the subject from the background. • Conveys depth, as in a landscape at sunset. • Conveys texture, as in a weathered tree, fence, or plowed field. Cons • May be too severe for some subjects, creating some areas that are too bright, and some that are too dark. (Use Fill flash to compensate.)

If the lighting is from the side, you may see strong shadows • This is good for dramatic lighting but should be used with caution • Is perfect when you want to emphasize texture, dimension, shapes, or patterns. • Side lighting sculpts a subject, revealing contours and textures. • Use side lighting to exaggerate dimension and depth. Side lighting (90°)

Light that comes from directly behind your subject • This causes silhouettes, unless light is added from the front (usually with a flash) • It is by far the trickiest to use, but the dramatic results may be worth the effort. Backlighting

Use fill flash—an excellent option for portraits where you want that glowing “halo” of rim light but need to brighten shadows or prevent a silhouette. • Use a white reflector card (poster board works) to reflect light back onto your subject—especially useful for close-ups like flowers. • Move in closer, filling the frame with your backlit subject, so the brighter surrounding light doesn't confuse your camera. Tips for backlighting

Pros • Simplifies a complicated scene by emphasizing the subject, as in a silhouette. • Provides a flattering halo of light in portraits. • Adds strong shadows in landscapes. Cons • Lack of detail in a dark subject. • Causes lens flare resulting in low contrast and strange light spots across the picture. • Using exposure compensation to overcome backlighting results in too-bright background.

http://gkhamzin.blogspot.com/2012/02/tutorials-lighting-rating-1-2-3-4-5-10.htmlhttp://gkhamzin.blogspot.com/2012/02/tutorials-lighting-rating-1-2-3-4-5-10.html

Direction of light in photography