First, the characteristics of light:
DIRECTION
Light from front - even, descriptive, visa photo
Side light - dramatic shadows on one side of face
Back light or Rim light - silhouette, shadows/no detail in face, outlines shape of subject, defines subject from background
Light from above - dramatic shadows, eyes hidden, mysterious, interrogation light, Phil Collins light
Light from below - "creepy" light, scary, eyebrow ridge shadows, Happy Halloween
Rembrandt lighting - light from above, 45 degree angle from subject, looks "natural" to us because we are used to seeing the sun above our heads
For reference here is a self portrait by Rembrandt, note the triangle of light underneath the left eye.
As you can see the direction of the light completely changes the shape and look of the face and therefore the overall mood or feel of the photo.
INTENSITY (and Inverse Square Law)
Intensity is the relative brightness of a light source. Some light sources have variable intensity that you can set on the lamp itself. We did not have lamps with variable intensity so instead we relied on one of the laws of light to control intensity - the Inverse Square Law.
Inverse Square Law says that light intensity changes in inverse proportion to the square of the distance from the source. In simpler terms, moving the light closer and farther away will make the light more or less intense. The "inverse square" part basically means that every time you double the distance of the lamp from the subject you lose 2 stops of light.
Lamp approx. 2 ft. away from subject
Lamp approx. 4 ft. away from subject (increase of approx. 2 stops of light)
Note: the exposure settings for the above two photos remained the same.
QUALITY
Hard Light - high contrast, shadows have hard edges, emphasizes texture, similar to a sunny day
Soft Light - lower contrast, shadows have softer edges, texture is de-emphasized, similar to cloudy day
We created soft light in the studio by using a diffusion panel in the studio and by bouncing the light off a white surface.
You can diffuse a light by bouncing it off a large, white surface such as a wall or piece of mat board or foam core, you can also pass it through a sheer white panel like vellum, tracing paper, or semi-sheer fabric.
Keep in mind
1. SAFETY - DO NOT PUT ANY DIFFUSER TOO CLOSE OR DIRECTLY ON A LAMP unless it is specifically designed to do so and
2. different materials will create more or less diffusion and will also cut down on the intensity of the light.
REFLECTORS, CONTRAST RATIO and COLOR TEMPERATURE
Next week we will talk more about color temperature as it relates to white balance, but for now we discussed that each light source has a particular color to it, called color temperature.
We also learned to use a reflector to control contrast ratio.
No reflector - deep shadows on one side of face
With white reflector - some fill on shadow side of face (contrast ratio approx 1:4)
With gold reflector - warms up color temperature and gives more fill than white because it is shinier (contrast ratio approx 1:2)
USING MULTIPLE LIGHTS
Next we built up to a 3-point lighting set-up
TWO LIGHTS
Two lights, even (1:1) contrast ratio
One light was moved farther away to create less intensity of light on one side which make it a fill light:
Two lights - Key and Fill (contrast ratio approx. 1:4)
Key Light only (main/brightest light)
Fill only (less bright light used to fill in shadows)
3-POINT LIGHTING SET-UP
Key = Main/brightest light
Fill = Less bright light, fills in shadows
For this we moved one lamp farther away to use the inverse square law to create less intensity
Back Light = light to separate subject from background
For this we used a small, handheld lamp directly above and then behind the subject
A simplified sketch of 3 point lighting from above (note that this diagram does not indicate that the key is brighter than the fill)
Next we added a backlight from above to create a hair light
Key, Fill and Backlight - Three-point lighting put together, backlight is above head
Next we added a back light from directly behind to create a rim light effect
Key, Fill and Backlight - backlight is directly behind head
Key, Fill and Backlight - backlight is directly behind head
Last we tried a hair flip with backlight!
HOMEWORK
- Assignment 6 - Lighting, due next week to blog and Google Drive
LOOKING AHEAD
Remember that in two weeks (10/29) is:
- Midterm exam (please study the Exposure handout, all readings, and quizzes, and everything from this week's lighting lesson. More study guide material forthcoming)
- You will have to choose the photographer for your oral presentation (so start thinking of one now)
No comments:
Post a Comment