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8/12/2019 photography course papers

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Outdoor Lighting Page 1

WELCOME

Welcome to the second lesson in the Digital Secrets series. In this lesson, well be looking at theamazing power of outside light.

Amateurs dont really think about light, whereas to a professional, its all important.

The quality of light can transform your photographs, so pay close attention to what were going to tell

you today.

And make sure you carry out the Challenge. Its a vital part of this course.

Good luck!

The Digital Secrets Team

1.INTRODUCTION

One of the most profound factors in your quest for taking better photos which is often overlooked by

amateur photographers is the awareness of the lighting around your subject.

This can literally make or break a photograph. The way light illuminates your image varies greatly

depending on:

The type of light source (natural vs. artificial) The angle and strength of light

he Secrets of

Digital Photography

Lesson Two : Outdoor Light


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FIGURE 2.1

When your natural light is filtered completely such as on an overcast day where no shadows are

present the light will beflat.

However, the colours in your image will be much more vibrant and well-saturated with brilliant detail

when compared to an image with hard lighting (see Figure 2.2).

3.LIGHTING ANGLES

You may have noticed that sunlight makes different angles throughout the day. It varies from the low

angle that skirts along the horizon in the evening to being directly above at noon.

You can use these angles to drastically change the colours, depth, and overall mood of a photo.

Since photographs are only two-dimensional, we rely on light to accent the depth of a photograph by

highlighting different textures and casting strong shadows.

These seagulls have been

shot in a hard light. This

highlights how white thei

feathers appear.

You can also see how well

defined the shadows area.


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FIGURE 2.2

When an image is lit from directly behind the photographer, the light is cast in a way that eliminates

any shadows and greatly decreases any sense of three dimensional space.

This front lighting is neither a good thing or a bad thing in itself, but it can be depending on the area of

photography you are pursuing and the mood you are aiming for.

For example, if youre trying to capture a mountainous landscape and want to illuminate the rockyledge, this would not be ideal lighting since you will lose a substantial amount of shadows and texture

in the process.

Figure 2.3 below shows a tree that is front lit; and as you can tell, the texture and shadows are minimal

making the image very dull looking.

This cormorant was

taken on an overcast

day, which provided a

pleasing soft light. See

the incredible detail of

the feathers and a

strong saturation of

colours.


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FIGURE 2.3

However, if you were taking a photo of a horse and wanted even lighting cast over the entire body, a

front lit composition would work quite nicely, as seen in Figure 2.4.

FIGURE 2.4

The front lit

direction of light inthis image is

unflattering if you

wish to obtain a

highly detailed

landscape with an

obvious sense of

three dimensional

space.

In this image, the sun isbehind and above the

photographer.

This casts an even light

over the entire horse.


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FIGURE 2.5

Alternatively, when the sunlight hits your scene from the side (known as side lighting), the shadows

become more visible, since the angle of the sun lights only one side of your subject.

This contrasts nicely with the more powerful highlights that are added to the side facing the sun.

The opposing highlights and shadows add more texture and increases the three-dimensional look ofyour photo, as shown in Figure 2.5.

Finally, when a light source is directly in front of your camera illuminating the other side of yoursubject that you can not see, youre then working with back lighting, which refers to your subject

being back lit.

This can be a highly dramatic way to capture your image especially in portraiture since you are

simultaneously seeing a dramatic sunset (or sunrise) in high contrast to the shadowy outline of yoursubject (Figure 2.6).

Depending upon the angle of your camera, you can also see very stunning and elongated shadows, as

well as a soft, golden hue to your entire image.

Since the sun is cast from

the side in this image, the

highlights on the tree and

lamp post adds to the

overall drama in this

photo.

This plays nicely againstthe strong shadows cast

along the pavement.


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EXERCISE

Wait until theres a sunny day. Take 20 backlit shots of nature, preferably early in the morning or in the

evening.

Print the photos, and draw conclusions as to which worked well, and which did not.

FIGURE 2.6

NOW WATCH A VIDEO

Natural light in travel photography

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygeixGd8ZMw

4.THE GOLDEN HOUR

When you think of beautiful sunlit images, were instantly transported to our favourite landscape

You can see where the light

source (the sun) is by

following the reflection in the

left-hand side of the image.

Not only is the subject shown

in complete shadow, but the

flowers in the front are

showered with a soft, golden

light that brings the entire

image together nicely.


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whether its a location weve visited in person or have seen in an image.

Depending on what time of day it is and what season were working in, the impact of outdoor lighting

can drastically change. Many photographers choose to shoot their subjects whether theyre models orlandscapes during what is called the golden hour, which refers to the hour after sunrise or before

sunset.

During this time, the outdoor light gradually becomes more golden in its colour as it draws closer to thehorizon. This casts a very pleasing warming effect to the tones of your entire image.

On top of this gorgeous lighting, the angle of your light source (the sun) is much more intense whichprovides some very interesting shadows and highlights to work with.

Figure 2.7 below shows how the dramatic angle of the sun illuminates the subject while giving theentire image a stunning golden hue.

FIGURE 2.7

The angle of the sun during these two hours also has the ability to outline your image with light in themost dramatic way. This almost-white, bold outline to your subject can be especially dramatic if taken

when your scene is wet with dew or frost (for example, a flower taken first thing in the morning after a

frosty night).

The sun - which is directly

behind the giraffe in this

image - is at such a dramatic

angle that no light is visible

on the front side of the scene.

This creates a high-contrast

dark outline to every subject

in this image (the trees and

the giraffe).

In addition, the light of the

sun brings the image

together in a stunning

monochromatic golden-red

hue.


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However, to capture the few moments when the angle of the sun is just right to cast this special lightingtakes a bit of practice, patience, and good timing. The end result as shown below in Figure 2.8 is

quite worth it.

5.OVERCAST LIGHTING

As mentioned briefly in section 2.1, the soft, directionless light of an overcast day can be very flattering

to an image. This is because the saturation of the colours will increase dramatically.

This kind of outdoor light is especially desirable in portrait photography (weddings in particular),

where you would generally benefit from a soft, pleasing light.

FIGURE 2.8

People enjoy their photos free of harsh shadows across their face. These shadows can accent features in

an unnatural way (such as the nose) and also increase the appearance of aging by highlighting wrinklesand shadowing the eye area.

Wedding photographers typically enjoy a day where the sun is completely hidden or at least filtered

somewhat with passing clouds as new brides will enjoy photos that provide them with an even skintone and an overall soft appearance, as seen in Figure 2.9.

As you can see, this

blade of grass is

outlined nicely by the

light of the rising sun.


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FIGURE 2.9

Most rules of photography are not general enough to be applied in every situation you encounter. Youll

notice us repeating this many times throughout these lessons as its very important that you learn this

experimentation is keyin photography, even if it means breaking the rules laid out for you.

These lessons simply present you with information that can take months or even years to research on

your own so that you become aware of the vast world of photography and all the avenues it has to offer.

However, dont be discouraged from applying techniques to certain styles of photography. We just wantto explain how to execute them in a clear and concise manner.

Let's use the previous section on overcast lighting as an example. If its your desire to take portraits

using hard, high-contrast lighting, then by all means experiment with that and see if the results arepleasing to you.

Many photographers have found successful careers by breaking the mold and branching out into areas

of photography previously unexplored, so we implicitlyencourage you to do the same!

Although the day was sunny

as you can see in the

background the

photographer intentionally

placed this happy couple in

the shade, which provided

the soft, pleasing light

needed to capture this type of

image.


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CHALLENGE TWO

TAKE ASTUNNING OUTDOOR PORTRAIT

Using the techniques introduced in this lesson, find someone willing to model for you (or you can do aself-portrait if the pickings are slim) and take their portrait outside on a sunny day.

Make sure to explore the different angles of the sun, or at least pick a time of day beforehand that youwould like to experiment with. Also try turning your model so that the sun reflects off of them at

different angles and see which is the most pleasing to you.

When finished, find a spot of shade (if possible) and take some shots using the overcast, soft light thatis filtered through.

Alternatively, if its a cloudy day, you can just wait for a cloud to pass to obtain some overcast lighting.

Take care to remember the techniques introduced in the previous lesson involving perspectives,

background imagery, foreground interest, etc - they can always be applied to any photograph you take.

Expect to take at least fifty photographs and narrow them down to your top three.

Points to consider:

What thoughts do you have about lighting, perspectives, and the overall mood or imagery youwere aiming for?

What was your thought process behind picking your final three images and why do you thinkthey stand out from the rest?

Make sure to detail any changes you would have made if you had the chance to repeat thisproject.

COMING UP IN THE NEXT LESSON

1. The different types of indoor light.2. Whats the purpose of using indoor light?3. How to use candles and side lights for better indoors shots.4. How to combine light sources.


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5. What are the technical issues that you should consider when using indoor lighting?

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