As I was saying, I'm not the best at blogging... :) Back after over 2
years... lol...
Anyways, I'm back and got some more info. The reason for yet another post on lighting is because it is so very important...
Let’s look at the 4 aspects or qualities of light, that we should take into account:
- Colour
- Contrast
- Direction
- Quality
We don't need to have a lot of professional equipment to take good photographs. Yes, in a studio you can have multiple light sources, and it does enhance portrait shots. But on a low budget, with little props, if we consider the above 4 points, and think a bit about what light sources we have to play with, it can make a great difference.
Colour - In the outdoors, during day time, one of the biggest light sources we have is our Sun. The colour is warm. Indoors, we have different types of bulbs - some warm, some bright white and so can be cooler. Then we have the flash (built-in or external), which are cooler too. So when composing a shot, take into account the colour type of the light source.
Next, let’s look at contrast. Depending on what you are trying to achieve, you should see what you are trying to frame. Do you have vibrant colours? A lot of white or a lot of darker shades? The histogram on the camera can show you the spectrum of colors. From 0 which is black to 255 which is white. Histogram of 255 is all white, and too much white causes the picture to be burnt. Ideally, the majority of your picture should be in the middle, so not too much black or white. Obviously, this is not a rule. Like if you taking pictures at night time, or with no ambient light, there will be a lot of blacks. Many times, to get different types of effects you can have too much blacks and or too much whites too.
Direction - very important. I discussed about this in my first post, years back... :) Basically, you need to always look at the direction your light sources are coming from and how they hit your subject. The picture can change dramatically based on the direction your light is coming from. I do a lot of photography at parties and events where the subjects are always moving. So I do use the flash a lot, but with an external flash with a movable head, you can avoid hitting the subject straight in the face (if they are too close). So in a sense, I am changing the direction of the flash light.
Quality - the actual quality of light would also matter. For example, if you have a red lamp that has a normal bulb inside, it will emit reddish light. Now with this you cannot expect to get a normal warm shot. This is an extreme case, but in general to get good shots you need to have good quality light. If you are not using a flash, and are shooting indoors, then you must have the place lit well, else with people moving, you will have double images with most cameras (not all of us can afford high end super flash shutter cameras).
Disclaimer: I am not a professional photographer. I'm camera shy, and hence am the one standing behind the camera and like taking photos of others... :)
Anyways, I'm back and got some more info. The reason for yet another post on lighting is because it is so very important...
Let’s look at the 4 aspects or qualities of light, that we should take into account:
- Colour
- Contrast
- Direction
- Quality
We don't need to have a lot of professional equipment to take good photographs. Yes, in a studio you can have multiple light sources, and it does enhance portrait shots. But on a low budget, with little props, if we consider the above 4 points, and think a bit about what light sources we have to play with, it can make a great difference.
Colour - In the outdoors, during day time, one of the biggest light sources we have is our Sun. The colour is warm. Indoors, we have different types of bulbs - some warm, some bright white and so can be cooler. Then we have the flash (built-in or external), which are cooler too. So when composing a shot, take into account the colour type of the light source.
Next, let’s look at contrast. Depending on what you are trying to achieve, you should see what you are trying to frame. Do you have vibrant colours? A lot of white or a lot of darker shades? The histogram on the camera can show you the spectrum of colors. From 0 which is black to 255 which is white. Histogram of 255 is all white, and too much white causes the picture to be burnt. Ideally, the majority of your picture should be in the middle, so not too much black or white. Obviously, this is not a rule. Like if you taking pictures at night time, or with no ambient light, there will be a lot of blacks. Many times, to get different types of effects you can have too much blacks and or too much whites too.
Direction - very important. I discussed about this in my first post, years back... :) Basically, you need to always look at the direction your light sources are coming from and how they hit your subject. The picture can change dramatically based on the direction your light is coming from. I do a lot of photography at parties and events where the subjects are always moving. So I do use the flash a lot, but with an external flash with a movable head, you can avoid hitting the subject straight in the face (if they are too close). So in a sense, I am changing the direction of the flash light.
Quality - the actual quality of light would also matter. For example, if you have a red lamp that has a normal bulb inside, it will emit reddish light. Now with this you cannot expect to get a normal warm shot. This is an extreme case, but in general to get good shots you need to have good quality light. If you are not using a flash, and are shooting indoors, then you must have the place lit well, else with people moving, you will have double images with most cameras (not all of us can afford high end super flash shutter cameras).
Disclaimer: I am not a professional photographer. I'm camera shy, and hence am the one standing behind the camera and like taking photos of others... :)
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