Photographic Lighting Setups
A love of photography stems from a desire to capture something in its most beautiful or interesting state. A photographer is an artist using a camera for her brush. However, the desired image is not merely the subject itself but a combination of the subject and light. Lighting is perhaps the most important accessory in photography but also the most variable and malleable. These are some basic steps to finding the best photographic lighting setup for your subject.
Instructions
1. Define your shot style. To begin with, you should have an idea of what you would like to convey with your photo. Are you shooting a cover for an architecture magazine? Are you capturing the ambiance of area nightlife? Would you like your subject to appear mysterious and brooding or carefree and playful? All of these things can be determined with the type of light, the amount of light and most importantly, the placement of the light. Dramatic photos require higher lighting contrasts while bright and colorful shots are created by softer light with fewer shadows.
2. Define your light source. Once you know what you want to say with your photo, you will need to figure out where you will get your light? There are two types of lighting sources, existing and artificial. Existing light is the light that is there at the scene. Examples of existing light would be the moon, a street lamp or a sparkler. Photos taken with existing lights are often called natural shots. These include all types of lights except bright sunlight from directly above. Artificial lights are lights that you provide and set up. These are typically studio lights or a camera flash bulb. Beautiful pictures can be captured with either source.
3. Place your main lighting source. Your main light is called your key light. Your key light defines your object by light and creates shadows based on lack of light. Aesthetic photos can be taken with only a key light depending on what type of light it is and where it is placed. Your key light can be the sun. Sunlight works best when it comes in at an angle; for this reason, sun-lit shots are generally best acquired in the early morning or before sunset. Your key light can also be a flash bulb. Flash lights often provide front lighting, meaning the light is coming from the direction of the camera. If this is your only light source, the image can appear one dimensional. Studio flash bulbs can be set up to light from an angle and controlled remotely.
4. Place your alternate lighting sources. Because the presence of light always creates shadows, in most cases, you will need to offset them. A fill light, a secondary light often placed opposite the key light, can fill in those shadows. The fill light also provides the ratio of light, meaning the difference between the amount of light from the key light and the amount of light from the fill light. A higher ratio, or higher contrast, creates more dramatic shots. A lower ratio, with a lower contrast, also called soft lighting, provides shots that are very evenly lit. Other alternate lighting can come from back lights. These are lights that are placed behind the subject facing toward the camera. Back lights keep a human subject from squinting and can also create silhouettes or a mystical effect.
5. Play with your light. When all is said and done, art is truly objective. Artistic shots can be taken in almost any light, at any angle, depending on the effect you are trying to create. It is very important to experiment with different light sources combined with different angles and distances to your subject. Using these variables along with the exposure settings on your camera, you can create an infinite amount of diverse and stunning photos.
