| Want to know a little more about lighting for your | | | | and dark characterized by the light source. Contrast is |
| photography? Want to know the foundations of light | | | | also a light quality that can be measured in the same |
| as it's presented to you in the environment or in the | | | | way as brightness, in stops. This means contrast may |
| studio? This article describes the basics of light and | | | | also be altered at many stages of the photographic |
| how to communicate and understand its | | | | process. |
| characteristics. | | | | Color |
| There are two methods to control light, directly or | | | | The color quality of light is fairly complex and needs to |
| indirectly. | | | | be broken down into several areas to understand |
| Direct Control | | | | more clearly. These are: color balance, tone, color |
| Direct control is described as creating absolutely new | | | | temperature, primary colors, color effects and many |
| lighting environments. This element of lighting control | | | | others. Color can be measured with a color meter. A |
| appeals to the photographer who wants total control | | | | color meter is similar to a light meter except that it |
| over her photography. This photographer will precisely | | | | measures color balance in terms of neutrality. |
| create desired lighting effects from a blank canvas, | | | | Specular |
| even something that has perhaps not been | | | | Specular light originates from one specific point and |
| demonstrated previously. This control is usually | | | | travels in a narrow beam. Both the sun and a light bulb |
| constructed in a studio environment. | | | | are examples of specular light. Specular light is |
| Indirect Control | | | | perceived as hard light. |
| Indirect control is using lighting that already exists. This | | | | Diffuse |
| is the photographer who analyzes the environment | | | | Diffuse light comes from a large area and scatters in |
| and responds accordingly. Or it's the photographer | | | | all directions. It is not a single light source and can be |
| who searches or waits for particular lighting | | | | described as having an infinite number of sources. An |
| characteristics that are desired. This control is usually | | | | overcast cloudy day can be a diffuse light source, fog |
| sought and manipulated in the environment. | | | | or pollution haze can be a diffuse light source as well. |
| Both methods are equally effective, one is not better | | | | Diffuse light is perceived as soft light. |
| than the other; they are simply different. There are six | | | | Direction |
| visual qualities of light that are common to both direct | | | | The direction of light controls the formation of |
| and indirect control. These are: | | | | shadows, provides weight of texture, form and space. |
| 1. Brightness | | | | The photographer needs to pay attention to direction |
| 2. Contrast | | | | for dynamic lighting effects. |
| 3. Color | | | | Putting it all together |
| 4. Specular | | | | How is all this information useful? All of the above is a |
| 5. Diffuse | | | | guide to lighting your subject material, using either direct |
| 6. Direction | | | | control or Indirect control. Address all of these qualities |
| Brightness | | | | and you have constructed your lighting environment for |
| Brightness is the intensity level of radiating (the sun) or | | | | your photo. Answer the following questions on the |
| reflected light (from a wall). The brightness levels can | | | | qualities of light: |
| be discussed in scale by light, mean and dark. | | | | 1. What quality are you going to use; specular, diffuse |
| Brightness is also measurable by a light meter both by | | | | or a combination? |
| radiant (or incident) and reflected light. Brightness is one | | | | 2. In what direction is the light coming from? Do you |
| aspect of light that can be measured in stops, and this | | | | need to modify this? |
| means that it's a quality that can be adjusted at many | | | | 3. What is the light and shade correlation? Is this |
| stages of the photographic process. | | | | contrast satisfactory? |
| Contrast | | | | 4. Is the brightness suitable for your requirements? |
| The contrast characteristic of light is constantly | | | | 5. Do you require color neutrality or effects? |
| variable and is the differentiation between the various | | | | The answers to the above have just provided you |
| brightness of different subject material in the scene. It | | | | with your lighting control plan! |
| is variable because of the alternating nature of light | | | | |