Content

• Content
• Steps
• Method 1 of 4: Backlighting
• Method 2 of 4: Side lighting
• Method 3 of 4: Diffuse light
• Method 4 of 4: Artificial Lighting
• Tips

Light is the source of energy in the universe and a key element in many religions. Light is also the photographer's most important assistant. The word "photography" itself is of Greek origin and literally means "painting of light". Photographers have learned to use light in all its forms, from the glare of the sun on the water to the shadows cast by a burning candle.

Content

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Backlighting

1. 1 Get to know backlighting. Backlighting is a type of lighting in which the light source is behind the subject. And like most other phenomena in photography, backlight itself is neither good nor bad.
   • Backlighting can be used to achieve a specific effect. However, if you accidentally light up the subject in this way, most often the photo will not come out very well.
   • To practice backlighting, try photographing the sun setting over the trees at sunset. You will see that the sunset will only leave the outline of the trees. In this case, backlighting suits you, since it is part of the artistic technique.
2. 2 Remember that the light source does not have to be bright to create backlighting. For example, if you shoot a subject against a bright sky, the subject will be backlit even if the sun is behind the clouds.
   • There are two difficulties with backlighting.The light meter of your camera evaluates the shooting conditions, and the processor selects the appropriate aperture and shutter speed values ​​for these conditions.
   • However, this principle of operation has a significant drawback.
   • The camera cannot read your mind, and therefore it does not know what kind of photo you want to take. In most cases, this is not a problem, however, when backlit, there are always several options for shooting the subject, and the camera does not understand which of the possible effects you want to achieve.
   • If you want your photo to show only dark silhouettes against a bright background, use matrix metering, as it will take into account all available light and adjust aperture and shutter speed accordingly.
   • If you want to photograph a dimly lit subject against a bright background, the camera may decide that the subject is much more illuminated than it actually is.
   • The reason is that the camera will think that your subject is not an element of the big picture, but the only thing in the frame, so the subject will be under-exposed, as a result of which it will look more like a silhouette in the picture.
   • To avoid this effect, you need to use fill flash. This flash will illuminate your subject without obscuring the background with its light. Now let's move on to the next type of lighting.

Method 2 of 4: Side lighting

1. 1 Understand how side lighting works. Depending on the angle at which the light falls, some part of the object will be in shadow and some will be illuminated.
   • Place the light to the side of the subject for dramatic effects.
   • You can put a person by the window with one shoulder facing the camera.
   • Ask the person to move in front of the window - this way you can change the depth and shape of the shadows on the face.
   • The camera will fully expose the lighted side, while the unlit side will remain in the shade. If you are not achieving this effect, there are two ways to remedy the situation. One is to use the fill flash discussed above.
   • The second method is to shoot only with natural light - this will soften the whole picture.
   • You can also use white reflectors or objects that replace them (for example, whatman paper) - they will help highlight dark areas, which will make the picture deeper and more expressive.

Method 3 of 4: Diffuse light

1. 1 Understand what diffuse light is. Diffuse light is a type of lighting in which special devices are used to adjust the intensity of the illumination, which avoids overexposure in certain parts of the image.
   • Sometimes the most important thing is to know for sure when you shouldn't take picturesbecause the available light may be too bright and harsh.
   • In this case, it is necessary to soften and diffuse the light in order to remove harsh shadows and make the photo less contrasting.
   • Remember that there are times in the day that are best for filming and there are times that are worst for filming.
   • It is best to shoot when the sky is a little cloudy or when the sun is hiding behind clouds.
   • A similar effect can be achieved by placing your subject in shadow. In this case, the picture will come out more natural due to the absence of harsh shadows.
   • The worst time to shoot is at noon, that is, when the sun is shining brightest.
   • Most budding photographers believe it's best to shoot on a bright sunny day because there is so much light needed at that time.
   • Unfortunately, this kind of lighting dims the colors and makes the shadows too deep. The best photos are taken in soft, diffused light.

Method 4 of 4: Artificial Lighting

1. 1 Understand how artificial lighting works. Artificial lighting is lighting created by non-natural light sources. Such sources are flashes and various lamps.
   • The built-in flashes are easy to use because almost everything is automated. At the same time, they cause red eyes.
   • You can get rid of the red-eye effect with an external flash. This flash can only be connected if the camera has a hot shoe.
   • If you notice red eyes only after taking a picture and copying it to a computer, you can fix it using almost any photo editor.

Tips

• Remember to adjust the white balance when shooting indoors.
• Built-in flashes often cause red-eye when a person is looking directly into the camera. This is due to the fact that the stream of light from the flash passes parallel to the axis of the lens at a very small distance from this axis. To avoid this effect, ask the person to look slightly to the left or right of the lens.
• For subjects that are more than 4-5 meters away from the camera, use a powerful external flash.
• Most cameras with built-in flashes cannot illuminate objects more than 3 meters from the lens. Check the manual for your camera or read about it on the manufacturer's website.