2.2.2: The Power of Directional Lighting

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Mrs. Strite

Digital Photography

The Power of Dirctional Lighting

Lesson 2.2.2

• Reminders & Review

• 3 Main Light Directions

• 2 additional Light Directions

• Reflectors

Agenda

Padlet Link

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• Monday - 10/28: 2.2.3: Directional Lighting Assignment
• Wednesday: 10/30: Unit 2 test
• Friday: 11/1: Unit 3 starts

Reminders

Book a Time

In today's lesson, you will learn how the different directions or positioning of light impacts the subject in your photograph.

TWO Main Types of Light Sources:

• Artificial: flashes, strobes, & fire
• Natural: sun, moon, & stars

RECAP 2.2.1

How the characteristics of a light source's intensity, color, size, and distance from the subject effect the lighting and mood of an image.Hard Light: adds dimension and depth to an image by creating contrast and a strong sense of drama.Soft Light: has soft shadows from a diffused light source that is flattering for portraits.The direct sunlight preset is calibrated to use neutral color or fairly normal white balance setting under the mid-day sun.

Lesson 2.2.2

The Power of Directional Lighting

• back-light
• front-light
• Reflectors
• rim light
• side-light

Vocab

Objectives

Overview

• IDENTIFY the characteristics of directional lighting: front-light, side-light, and back-light in photography

• IDENTIFY the types and sources of reflectors in photography

• MATCH lighting techniques to the photographs composed by applying each technique

• MATCH the sources of light reflectors with their uses

DIRECTION of LIGHTING

Light in photography refers to HOW the light source is positioned in relation to your subject. Understanding the position of your light source is essential because it determines how light falls on your subject. It also affects the quality and intensity of light in your photographs.

The THREE main directions of light used in photography are:

• front-light
• side-light
• back-light

For your test you will need to where the shadows fall on the subject!

DIRECTIONAL LIGHTING

Different directions of light create different shadows in photographs. Shadows are important in photography because they can add dimension or depth to your images. Changing the direction of the light will create more or fewer shadows, allowing you to achieve the effects you want on your subject or the mood you want to portray in your image.

HOT SPOT

Shadows

Subject

Light

Setup

In this setup:

• Shadows fall BEHIND the subject.
• Light spreads evenly across the photo, with no section more or less exposed than the rest.
• Limited to no shadows
• Photographs are bright and sharp

The illustration to the right shows a front-light setup, in which the light source is behind the camera but in front of the subject, as seen at the bottom part of the image.

Front Lighting

front light

Setup

This type of light direction is perfect for:

• Still life photography
• Product photography
• Portrait photography

Front Lighting

Front Lighting Examples

Front-light setup are:

• The absence of shadows can make the photograph look flat.
• A lack of texture or depth can make subjects look boring.
• It doesn't allow much room for creativity in photography.

Front-lighting setups:

• illuminates a subject or an object evenly and without any shadows.
• It creates an aesthetic, flattering and balanced look.
• It achieves ideal results for portraits, fashion, and beauty shots.

Disadvantages

Advantages

Shadows

Subject

Light

Setup

In this type of setup:

• The angle can vary between 0 and 90 degrees. 45 degree is the most flattering angle.
• The side of the subject or object facing the side-light is illuminated.
• Shadows fall on the OPPOSITE side of the direction of the light.
• Textural features, emotions, depth, and patterns can be captured in detail.
• Great for landscape because it picks up texture!

The illustration to the right shows a side-light setup, in which the light source is placed on one side of the subject and at right angles to the subject.

Side Lighting

Side Lighting setup using Natural Light

Side Lighting Examples

Check out the Texture on the orange.

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Side-lighting can be used for portraits. In this example, soft light is used so the shadows are still dramatic with softer transitions.

The pervious photographs showed the play between light illuminating one side of the subject and shadow hiding the other side in darkness. LOWER intensity and SOFT light is preferred when taking portrait using side-lighitng because it can EMPHASIZE the texture of the face. HARD light with HIGHER intensity is preferred for creating HIGH contrast with HARD shadows on the subject.

SIDE light

Setup

Side-Lighting is used in the movies!

Side-light setups are:

• Shadows can fall in unwanted places if the angle of light is not adjusted properly.
• Photographs may look unflattering due to excessive contrast & texture.

Side-lighting setups:

• It captures a three-dimensional aspect of the subject.
• It makes the subject stand out from its background.
• It emphasizes depth and texture prominently.

Disadvantages

Advantages

Shadows

Subject

Light

Setup

In this type of setup:

• All the shadows fall in FRONT of the subject, which results in a dark silhouette.

• A rim light effect is created when a bright light outlines the subject. The rim light effect separates the subject from the background and gives portraits a nice pop and a halo effect.

The illustration on the right shows a back-light setup in which the light source is placed behind the subject.

Back Lighting

Back-Lighting setup using Natural Light

A back-light setup increases the 3-dimensional & dramatic appearance of the subject as it creates more of a shadow area in the image. HARDER & HIGHER the light INTENSITY is used with back-lighting to create images with HIGH-CONTRAST and a DRAMATIC LOOK!

Back light

Setup

A back-light setup increases the three-dimensional feeling of the subject as it creates more of a shadow area in the image. The harder and higher light intensity is usually used for the back-light to create a high contrast image that looks very dramatic.

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Rim Light Halo Effect

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Silhouette

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Back-light setups:

• It lacks details in the subjects or objects.
• The intensity of light needs to be precise to create an impactful photograph.
• The probability is high of a back-light setup causing unwanted light in the form of rays, circles, or polygons that make the photograph look hazy.

Back-lighting setups:

• It creates silhouettes that make for a modern-looking photograph.
• It creates contrast by adding light to a dark subject.
• It captures a story rather than facial expressions or emotions.

Disadvantages

Advantages

This setup is useful when you want to:

• create a deeper, darker mood in the photograph
• show forms in a soft and lower-intensity light
• create an air of mystery or darkness by casting dramatic shadows that conceal most of the forms beneath them

If using a natural source of light, such as sunlight, you can use this light set up on an overcast day or when the sun is directly overhead. While indoors and using artificial lights, ceiling lights can be used to produce this effect.

Light from above

This setup is useful when you want to:

• create a deeper, darker mood in the photograph
• show forms in a soft and lower-intensity light
• create an air of mystery or darkness by casting dramatic shadows that conceal most of the forms beneath them

Light from above

Light from below the subject lends a strange appearance to even the most familiar things. You can see this type of light direction on someone standing over a campfire or holding a torch from below.

Light from below

In this light setup:

• using soft or diffused light with lower intensity can show forms effectively
• using hard light with higher intensity can cast dramatic shadows and conceal most of the forms beneath them

Light from below

In photography, a reflector is a tool that reflects or redirects the existing light. Reflectors are used to fix or fill in the shadows created by different directional lighting. When shooting outdoor portraits during the day, a reflector can be used to soften the harsh shadows on the face and prevent a back-lit subject from becoming a silhouette. In front lighting, a reflector can add interest or drama to the image.

Reflectors in Photography

Reflectors in Photography

Reflector is used in this photograph

Compare the two photographs captured using side lighting below to understand how reflectors fill in the shadows by reflecting the existing light in the scene.

White and silver reflectors are the most often used colors.

Reflectors in Photography

• A white reflector reflects soft light.
• A silver reflector reflects slightly brighter light than a white reflector does. However, it does not change the color of the light.
• A gold reflector is designed to change the color of the light. It reflects warmer tones on the subject. Gold reflectors are not used very often in photography.

Photography reflectors come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors and the color of the reflective surface may change the light that is bounced back.

Four-in-one photography reflectors have white, silver, and gold sides as well as a black side for blocking unwanted light.  These photography reflectors are generally portable and easy to carry around.

Sources of Reflectors in Photography

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as a Mian Light Source

How to use a reflector

Ceilings & walls

Walls and ceilings act as large reflectors of light.They bounce back the main light and create soft and subtle lighting in a scene.

Fabric

Different colored fabrics are used as a reflector in photography as they bounce back a softer light than other reflecting sources. While and light colors create a subtle effect while using brighter colors can modify the color tones.

White Foam Core Foam

A white foam board is used in outdoor shoots to bounce back the existing light. They are durable and do not shake in the wind. A white color chart sheet can also be used as a light reflector.

RIM Light

Mirrors as Reflectors

Mirrors and aluminum sheets often reflect too much light back onto the subject. Photographers use mirrors to create a rim light effect.

A) light coming from behind the subject, creating a dark silhouette portrait

C) light coming from one side of the subject, emphasizing the detailed features of the portrait

B) light coming from the front of the subject, creating a bright and sharp portrait

MATCH the description of each directional lighting with the photograph demonstrating that lighting type.

Fabric

Mirror

Walls & Ceiling

White Foamboard

D) reflects softer light than all the other reflecting sources

A) mainly used outdoors - does not shake in the wind

C) large reflectors that create a subtle lighting effect in the scene

B) often used outdoors to create a rim light effect

MATCH the description of each directional lighting with the photograph demonstrating that lighting type.

Summary

Monday, you will learn about the different portrait lighting techniques used in photography.

• the three main directions of light: front-light, side-light, and back-light
• how the three main directions of light impact subjects in a photograph
• two additional directions of light: light from above and belowthe advantages and disadvantages of using each type of directional lighting
• how different color reflectors reflect different tones of light
• how different materials can be used as sources of light reflection and the use of each source in photography

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Any Questions?

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Back-light refers to a light source that is placed behind a subject or an object.

Back Lighting

Side-light refers to a light source that is placed on either side of and at an angle with respect to a subject or an object.

Side Lighting

Front-light refers to a light source that is placed directly in front of a subject or an object.

Front Lighting