Lighting effects in photography play a major role in creating suspense, mystery, and drama. Many emotions are projected by simply adding a light here and there and sometimes just minimizing it all together. Definitely photography lighting has become a science and not just an art. This article has a few tips to help you with your lighting questions.
Learn the basics about photography lighting.
Take a course from a credible institution and learn how lighting works and its value in photography. Goggle sites and see what institutions are out there that can offer you help. Supplement your knowledge by also grabbing “how to” books. If this is not enough try working with a professional. Hands on experience sharpen skills.
Consider natural lighting.
Use the power of the sun. Sunlight can help you get some great photos for your projects. Learn positioning so the sun is to your side when you take photos. Direct light to your lens causes washout pictures and shadows. Other creative effects using sunlight can be achieved by combining it with the use of natural elements like trees, rivers and mountains. Beaches are great locations for natural lighting.
Try shooting with minimal lighting. Shoot in a silhouette.
Measure your shot. Arrange your subject to pose behind the light and background. Your subject then will be cast fully in shadows. This is another lighting photography effect that a lot of professionals use to create drama in their work.
Learn how to use main lighting.
Main lighting defines your subject from your background. It is usually positioned in a 45 degree angle from your camera shoot. It is usually used for short lighting. Since it’s a short range light and this main light eats up a massive electrical voltage make sure you use thick and long cords before connecting to the electrical main so you can move it around to your intent.
Use different lighting styles to create emphasis to your work.
There are several lighting styles that can be used in photo shoots one of them is called broad lighting. It is a style wherein the light is directly in front of the subject and background. This technique has the ability to cover up the subject’s facial blemishes making her flawless. What an effect! Another known lighting style is called the Rembrandt style. In this style, the lighting is positioned slightly higher. This effect creates shadowing. It’s great way to emphasize hair style.
Use a boom arm lighting.
This fluorescent lighting is commonly used in outdoor photography. It’s simple yet it makes great lighting. It’s the type of lighting instrument you usually see during ambush interviews or where setting up could be too troublesome.
Use background lighting.
Background lighting can be achieved by placing lighting behind the subject and towards the background. Lighting is usually placed on the floor. This technique creates emphasis on the whole picture instead of just the subject. A good example of emphasizing background before the subject is from the lasts scenes of Sound of Music where the VonTrap family was hiking the hills of Austria. The background lighting they used was the sun.
Use light effects.
Light reflectors are popular during pictorials. They are used to reflect light back to the subject depending on the distance of the reflector. You can also modify lighting by altering the channel where light passes changing the size, direction and spread of light.
