All About Photography LightingPhotography lighting is a fun topic to cover and I've had a blast writing several articles that can help provide you with tips for taking better pictures. Although it sound likes one simple topic, it can be quite complicated. There are actually many things to consider. These include the brightness, the direction and the size of the light source.
You can completely change the impact and the emphasis of your subject with small changes in how it is lit. One of the definitions of photography is painting with light.
Four out of Five of these photos were taken using the natural light from windows. Only the guitar player in the middle above is lit from a stage light.
Study the picture of the wooden floor for a minute. The wood actually takes on 5 different appearances because of the lighting. You have the pure white from the direct sunlight streaming through the window. Secondly you have the reflection in the top left corner of the photo of another light object. Then you have the three differently tinted areas near the sunlight reflection: the white-ish in the bottom right, the neutral brown in the bottom left and the warmish brown in the top. Okay, I guess you can tell I am a photography lighting geek. But here we have a single boring subject that takes on five very different appearances within the same photograph. The key thing is to become a great observer of the existing light first. Develop a passion for noticing where the light is coming from and what effect it is having on your subject. One little trick to observing where the main light source is to use the "squinting technique". When you look at a potential scene to photograph, squint your eyes. The brightest areas will become more pronounced in your sight and give you a quick snapshot of your photographic composition. I've linked a bunch of other related articles on more specific topics below. Do you like to photograph people? How about reading this article on Outdoor Portrait Photography? Are you interested in a lighting lesson for flash on camera situations? I chose a boring subject so that you can easily absorb the photography lighting tip in this article: Lighting in Photography. If we had no light, we would have no photography. The first step is see the light. Learning to see the light is a great skill to practice even when you are not taking pictures. And when I say seeing the light, it doesn't mean just looking at a scene. It means asking how is the light effecting my subject. What qualities in my are being revealed and emphasized?
The change from looking to seeing is part of artistic growth. It takes a conscious decision, and with time and practice you will get better at judging how your picture will turn out. This photograph of the rock surface in Zion National park shows the importance of photography lighting direction. The direction of the lighting really brings out the irregular and unique surface of the rock face. The second step is deciding if the light is going to create your desired effect or if you want to modify the light. In this case, modify the light might mean returning to this spot at a different time of day or maybe even a different time of year when the sun is at a completely different angle. Consider whether you want to add flash, add fill light or perhaps adjust the exposure to create a certain effect. You may want to move to a different angle or location to get a different lighting situation.
The 4 Elements of Photo Lighting How to Use Fill Light Photography Lighting Techniques Lighting Photography Portraits. Nighttime Photography Use Morning Light Tips for Lighting Macro Photo Lighting Kits Moonlight Photos. One of the most common mistakes with photography lighting is made by over exposing moonlight photos. Here is the link to access three articles on photographing the moon. In addition to these articles on photography lighting, take advantage of the other articles and tips for taking digital photography on this web site and have fun learning to take better digital pictures. Happy Shooting!
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Look at what a dramatic impact photography lighting has on theses photographs.
