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Light
Photography is also known as the ‘art of painting with light’ – without light entering the camera it does not record any image. Camera’s rely on natural or artificial lighting but they each require different knowledge and techniques to ensure the best use is made of them.
Natural light is the most effective and simplest light source available. The most attractive light is found at the beginning and the end of the day. Light at the beginning of the day is soft, sometimes with the slight haze of mist with a pale glow and creates a natural colour palette that is slightly muted. Light in the late afternoon and at sunset creates more intense colouring and a strong attractive glow, particularly with skin tones. Midday sun is difficult to work with because of the high contrast that results between light and dark – the camera is unsure which part of the photograph it should expose for. Midday sun only throws small shadows, leading to a lack of depth or perspective in a landscape, or unflattering, deep shadows in a portrait. Suprisingly, you can actually get better results with your photographs on slightly overcast days than bright, sunny days, creating more interest with shadows, diffused lighting and interesting skies.
When you take a photograph the camera chooses an exposure value (EV) based on the amount of light received by the film or sensor and is determined by how wide you open the lens diaphragm (aperture) and by how long you keep the film or sensor exposed (shutter speed). The effect an exposure has depends on the sensitivity of the film (ISO) or sensor. Automatic exposure is a standard feature in all digital cameras. All you have to do is select the metering mode, point the camera and press the shutter release. Most of the time, this will result in a correct exposure. The metering method defines which information of the scene is used to calculate the exposure value and how it is determined. Metering modes depend on the camera and the brand, but are mostly variations of the following three types: matrix, center weighted and spot.
It is important to pay attention to the light as you photograph. One of the more common mistakes is taking photographs of people in uneven light which results in dappled or unflattering shadows on the face. The camera struggles to choose which area of the face to expose correctly – the dark or light areas. One technique to rectify this is to use fill or forced flash to create more light on the face by filling in areas of shadow. Another common error is unintentionally photographing the person where they stand in shadow but the background is very light, creating a silhouette effect. In order to avoid this you need to expose for the correct area – the person’s face by, in auto exposure mode, half depressing the shutter button when directly focused on the subject before recomposing the photo as necessary. In this case you will most likely ‘blow out’ the highlights (light areas) of the image but the subject will be well exposed.
Indoor light has its own challenges. The natural light indoors may seem bright but commonly it is not strong enough to allow for well exposed images. To compensate it may be necessary to change the shutter speed, or use the flash. When there is not enough light for the camera your images will show signs of blur or ‘camera shake’. The use of a tripod can help when the subject is static but animated subjects will still blur. Ensuring your subjects are positioned as close as possible to a large, well lit window will give you the best results.
Indoor light also has other drawbacks – the types of light in a home causes differing color casts that cameras may not automatically compensate for. A normal household bulb (tungsten) emits an orange light while fluorescent lights give off a green cast. Many camera models offer the ability to change the white balance to compensate for the various colour casts caused by artificial and natural light conditions.
Most people try to overcome the limitations of natural light by using the flash but built in flashes are often too harsh creating ugly shadows and glare. In some cases you may be able to reduce the power of the flash for more pleasing results. An external flash fitted onto a hot shoe can allow you to manipulate the light by ‘bouncing’ it, therefore diffusing the light’s intensity.
Night photography creates an entirely new set of requirements. In order to capture the image as much light as possible needs to be let into the camera requiring that the shutter be left open longer. The use of a tripod is essential to ensure that the photo does not result in blurring. Manual focusing may be necessary, the ISO may need to be increased and the EV compensation may need adjustment.
DCMag UK Master Light Series: Light's Character
School of Photography Free Night Photography Course
Ephotozine Guide to Color Temperature
EPhotozine Better Built in flash
Phototexels Indoor Low Light
About.com Exposure and Metering
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