Light - moving forward

This part of the course introduced me to working with photography at night or low light photography and working with artificial lighting. I think this introduction was a very brief one.  There is a lot more out there for me to learn.  


Whilst I'm not sure that working in a studio is for me I can say that I find the idea of it more interesting and appealing than before.  I still have a lot more to learn about light and I personally don't think I'd be fulfilled as a photographer if there was a big gap in my skill set.  This gap being the use of photographic lighting.  I think photographers encounter enough restrictions in their line of work without adding a self-imposed one to that list. 


The next model I will be signing up to on this degree course is People and Place and I feel being able to work better with all forms of light will be beneficial for me.  


I have been thinking about steps forward and these are some I could take:

• Focus more on shooting with flash and look for ways in can enhance my photography
• Enrol on a studio lighting course
• Read more literature on the practical side of working with light
• Take some time between this module and the next to dedicate some time solely to working with artificial light
• Do more indoor shoots as opposed to relying on the great outdoors

What I've learnt about flash photography

Flash is a supplementary light, like your very own personal miniature sun, which fills in the detail your camera can't see.  As we know the dynamic range of the camera is much lower than our own eyes' dynamic range.

Where does flash fit in the photographic triangle?
Aperture - a correct flash exposure relies 100% on aperture.  If we dial in the aperture we want the flash will give us the correct flash-to-subject distance scale.  This is the distance the light has to be from the subject in order to get a correct exposure using the aperture you have selected.

Shutter speed - determines how much ambient light appears in the picture usually -2 stops to let enough light through.

ISO - can be increased to make the camera more sensitive to light which will enable you to extend the range of your flash.

You can get weaker light by powering down the flash.  This is helpful when the flash-to-subject distance is not practicable as in macro photography and also when you want a softer light on your subject.

High speed sync
Allows you to select faster shutter speeds.  But there is a trade off as it reduces the power of your flash.

Fill light
You can use your flash as fill light on a bright day as your camera will have problems exposing all the highlights and shadows.  This is particularly useful when shooting outdoor portraits.

Bounce flash
For softer light you can bounce your flash so the light hits the ceiling or a wall and then falls on your subject.  This produces softer light.  If you use a catchlight panel this produces a catch light in the subjects eyes and adds that little sparkle which makes a portrait.

Off camera flash
Taking your flash off the camera allows you to shape the light and get contrasting and interesting shots especially in portrait work.

Rear-Curtain Sync
Cameras focal plane shutters contain 2 curtains. The first opens when you press the shutter release button and the second curtain closes the shutter once the exposure has been recorded.
The flash usually fires when the first curtain is opened at the beginning of the exposure.  Rear-curtain sync is when you set your camera so the flash fires when the second curtain is beginning to close.  This enables you to  capture a longer exposure where motion is involved.


Manual V TTL
TTL works on the premise of sending out a 'pre-flash' an infrared beam that strikes your intended subject and then travels back to your camera telling your camera's computer how much power is needed to create a correct exposure.  This calculation is based on the camera's meter reading and as I found out when re-visiting exposure this reading doesn't always give you the results you want especially when working with blacks and whites.

In saying that TTL is brilliant when you don't have the time to set apertures and workout flash-to-subject distances for example in situations like photographing events and street photography.

I think for the moment I prefer working with manual opting for TTL when the flash is off camera.  However, I am sure that will change once I start using my flash more.

Exercise: Concentrating Light

You can may light fall on just part of a scene and have the surrounds in shadow.  This can be done by using a snoot.  This adds drama to your shot and directs the viewers interest.  


For this exercise I used a home-made snoot which I created using a black piece of card which I then attached to the flash head.  


It took a little time at first to work out where the light was falling and which angles worked best.  Here is my best  picture:

Exercise: The Lighting Angle

This exercise is all about seeing the effects of the light from different positions in relation to the object. 

For this exercise I took a similar object and shot the following sequence:

Light to the side.  The object is lit on one side with the other in shadow.

Light towards the back and to the side.  The light falls on the edge of the object giving it shape.

Backlit - the shape of the object is clear from the silhouette.

Light directly on top.  You can see the shadow underneath the object which is the same shape as the object.

Lighting on top and to the rear.  The top of the object is lit with the bottom in shade.  The shadow is a little harsh but it does give form to the object.

Lighting on top and to the front.  Small shadow with all theobject lit.  Less distracting shadow pattern.

I then had to take these shots with the light at a 45 degree angle from the object.

Side - casts more of a shadow and illuminates more of the object.

Front - shadow stretches further back.

Side and to the back

Backlit - you can see more of this than with the camera horizontal to the object.

The position that gives the best 3-dimensional effect is with the light on top or from the side.  Shooting into the light or with the object front lit makes for a pretty flat image especially is the shadows are light.

I like the side lit shots with one side in shade and the other lit.  It creates an interesting mood into an image. 

Exercise: Softening the light

For this exercise I had to arrange a still life with an object or a group of objects.  The lighting direction I chose was slightly to the side. 

As I don't have any photographic lighting, I had to improvise for this exercise and I used a builders light.  I used tracing paper as a diffuser. 

The first shot was taken with the naked light. 

Using naked light you can see the darkness of the shadows.  They are bigger in size than the actual objects. They have a sharp edge.

The shadows in comparison in this shot are much softer although still quite big they don't dominate the shot and take away from the objects.  The edges are not as sharp.

Diffusing the light softens the shadows in your photographs.  The size of the shadows in these shots is down to the angle of the light, but it does give a good example of how naked light at this angle can produce very distracting shadows. 

I should also have adjusted the exposure to over-expose for the whitish background. 

Inverse Square Law

Understanding the Inverse Square Law (ISL) is essential to managing light in photography especially flash light.  It deals with the falloff of light in relation to distance from flash to subject. 

From a physics perspective ISL relates to any physical law stating that a specified physical quantity or strenght is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source of that physcial quantity. 

In plain English, as flash-to-subject distance doubles the light reaching the subject is only 25% of the original light that left the flash.  For example, you move your subject from 5 to 10 feet away from the light source, four times the amount of light is needed to get the same exposure at 10 feet that you get at 5. 

Here are some calculations courtesy of Adorama TV.

As you see from above at 1' away from the light source you have full power of the light.  When this light reaches 8' we only have 1/64 of the amount of light.  The further away the subject is from the light source the less dramtic the light will be or the less falloff we'll have from the light source.

If we look at taking images of a white card at varying distances from our light source we can see the effect of falloff more clearly. 

At one foot away the card looks like this and if this were a person we would have a high contrast portrait.

At 16 feet away the falloff is not so noticeable and therefore we have a more evenly distributed light.  This would allow us to take a portrait where some of the background would be visible and not blown out.

The following chart shows how falloff progresses at various distances.

Understanding the effect falloff has on our images enables to explore different photpgraphic opportunities.  The nearer our subject is to the light we are able to isolate them and get a high contrast look.  The further away more background is captured and we have a softer look.

Falloff also has an effect on exposure and we may need to either move the subject to achieve a correct exposure or alter our aperture. 

Photographic Lighting

There are different types of photographic lighting:

• Built-in flash.  The built-in flash is pretty limiting with regards to using light creatively.  It generally tends to produce very harsh images and for portraits gives, as Bryan Peterson calls it, a 'deer in headlights' shot of your subject. You can soften this light by placing a diffuser in from of the light which will help reduce the brightness of the light. 

• Portable flash.  Usually referred to as a speedlight. This is better than built in because you do a lot more with it.  Depending on your flash head you should be able to swivel the head which allows you to direct the light and bounce it off the walls and ceilings for a softer and less harsh lighting effect.  You can also use it off camera on a stand or handheld which will give you more interesting shots.  In the notes for the course portable flashes are not rated very highly.  However I think that is quite harsh.  You only have to look at the work of Joe McNally and David Hobby to see how effective speedlights are. 



Nikon Speedlight





• Studio lighting - continuous.  As the name suggests these are professional studio lights that stay on continuosly.  These can be very easy and straighforward to use you just position them, turn them on and start shooting.   Studio lights can overheat especially cheap ones. You will also need some form of diffuser. Using reflectors will help you create a second light effect by bouncing your continous light of a reflector positioned the other side of your subject.

• Studio flash.  This is mains flash that plugs into the wall instead of your camera.  The modelling light on a mains flash aids you in seeing the direction the flash light will take once triggered.  These lights are generally more expensive and require a light meter (more expense) and wireless triggers.  You will need to use some form of diffuser either and umbrella or a softbox.  Softboxes have the benefit of containing the light giving you more control over it than with an umbrella.

Umbrella





Softbox







Exercise: Outdoors at night

I took the shots for this exercise in various city locations.  For this exercise I had to include the following:

•  a floodlit building
• a brightly lit store front
• a large interior with many people
• a raised view looking along a busy road. 

Here are my shots:

Floodlit cathedral

Basement restaurant

All saints shop front - not the brightest but interesting!

Doorway

I found this shot interesting because although you can't see the door clearly the light gives it shape and and a sense of mystery. 

Stratford Station just before rush hour

Shot was taken with WB - Fluorescent

Illuminated Shopfront

Westfields Shopping centre at night

The Christmas Lights

Trailing lights of a bus

Artificial light - available light

Up until now, I have always used daylight in my photography.  I suppose one of the reasons for this is because it is easier to use and free.  However, I knew that the time would come where I would be forced out of my comfort zone and I would have to tackle the world of artificial lighting. 


Tackling manual exposure for the Colour part of this course greatly enhanced my ability to take more interesting pictures.  With this in mind I am hoping that coming to grips with artificial lighting will extend the range of my photography and present me with some fresh challenges. 


To help with this part of the course, I have been reading Understanding Flash Photography by Bryan Peterson and also Light: Science and Magic.  An introduction to Photographic Lighting.  I must admit I have been amazed at how it is actually easier to use the flash manually than TTL.  I will cover more about that in another post. 

There are 2 different kinds of articificial light:

1. Available light.  This is the artificial lighting used to illuminate streets, buildings and interiors like lamps.  We can refer to this as found lighting.
2. Photographic lighting.  This is equipment that you buy to create a lighting effect.  We can think of this as deliberate lighting.

Available light can be found indoors and outdoors after dark.  There are 3 kinds:

1. Tungsten - works by heating a filament until it glows like a domestic bulb for example.  They look orange or red in colour and photograph reddish. This can be prevented by changing the white balance in our cameras.
2. Fluorescent - usually in the form of long tubes and can be found in supermarkets, offices and public places.  Although the light from these looks white it actually photographs greenish or yellowish.  This is because fluorescent lighting does not emit a full spectrum of colours. White balance can correct this.
3. Vapour - usually street lighting, floodlights in sports stadiums.  Sodium lamps look yellow and photograph green/yellow and are easy to spot.  Mercury and multi-vapour look a slightly blueish white.

Exercise: Tungsten and fluorescent lighting

For this exercise I had to find a room lit by tungsten lighting and then wait until sunset. 

When I looked out the window for a minute at the fading daylight and then looked back in the room the light was a yellowy orange colour.  It took less than a minute for my eyes to adjust and when they had the room looked a normal colour perhaps with a hint of a yellow tinge. 

Looking back out at daylight, the sky looked very blue and darker. 

I measured various points in the room with the camera's light meter.  The shutter speeds were very slow for an aperture of f/9 varying from 1.3 secs to 2 secs for a normal average exposure using ISO 200.  With the shutter wide open at f/5.6 the shutter speed was 4secs for an average exposure.  This is much too slow for handheld. 

It demonstrates that tungsten light is not very strong which I would have expected because lamps are not very bright for reading and even bigger lights on the ceiling fail to distribute a bright even light across the room.  The centre of the room underneath the light is always brightest. 

I then had to take some pictures of the room where the interior and the window with the sunset outside were visible. 

WB Auto - The room looks a little yellow

WB Daylight - the room looks orange but the outside looks a little more realistic.











WB Incandescent - looks very similar to the Auto setting. Room has a yellowish ting but is more accurate than the daylight setting.











Part 2.  Fluorescent lighting

For the second part I had to find two different interiors lit with fluorescent lighting. I had to take two images of these scenes one with the WB set to auto and the other using Fluorescent.

Although not the most interesting shots, I chose a very white background so we could see the effect of the different white balances more clearly.  In the second shot I chose a colourful composition to see if the white balance had any effect on a range of colours.

WB Auto

There is a slight green tinge to the image. I captured a white wall so this tinge could be seen clearly.

WB - Fluorescent

The green tinge is gone.  The shot is warmer and more like the way my eyes saw the scene at the time.

WB - Auto

You can see the window frame is slightly green instead of a warm cream colour.  The pink wall in the background is also a bit yellowish.

WB - Fluorescent

You can see the green and yellow tinges have been corrected.  The blue of the seats is also brighter than the shot above.

Exercise: Cloudy weather and rain

For the first part of this exercise I had to photograph the same view in sunlight and under cloud with the white balance set to daylight.  

Sunny day - this imahge is warmer and the shadows and colours stronger

Cloudy and foggy morning

Sunny day

Cloudy day - I prefer this one as it makes the subject stand out more.

Sunny - all the shadows cast from the sunlight are clearer visible.

Cloudy day - this image is extremely flat in comparison and shows no movement.

For the second part of this exercise, I needed to take three images outdoors on a cloudy, overcast day.  This had to include something with strong colour. 

I like the green colour of the nettles in this shot.  It is very vibrant and strong.

The dark day brings out the best in these paving stones.  You can also see where they've been wet from some rain which adds more character to the shot.

Red berries for my strong colour.  Without direct or harsh sunlight we get a more even distribution of colour that is richer.

For part three, I needed rain and something to stop my camera from getting wet!  That's of course if the weather would provide some rain. I prepared rain kit for my camera bag with a see through shower cap that you get in hotels to protect my camera and hood to try and keep the rain off my lens. 

Two weeks in and still no rain. So here are some images I took a couple of months ago in the rain in London.  When it rains again I will add some more shots to this blog.  Or maybe even a separate blog dedicated to RAIN!

The colours in the rain are more vibrant.  Shutter speed is slowed down by the rain which can lead to some interesting shots like the bike and bus above. 

I also the way the rain hitting the puddles has been captured in the first image. 

Lots to explore with in the rain!

Exercise: Variety with a low sun

This exercise demonstrates some of the advantages of shooting when the sun is low in the sky. 

During the winter the sun is lower in the sky that in the summer months. 

Frontal lighting
This is when the sun is behind you hitting your subject fully.  The lighting effect can be intense and the subject may reflect the sun. 

Side lighting

this is when the sun is to either side of the subject and about half of the image will be in the shadow, the other half lit. 

Back lighting

Taken towards the light.  Usually very little detail of the subject will be visible and therefore you will have a silhouette effect.

Edge lighting
This is when the shot is taken with the sun out of view of the frame but with the edge of the subject lit.  Note that rim lighting is different - it is an effect created where backlighting creates a rim of light around the subject like a halo which separates the subject from its surroundings.

There are lots of diferent lighting effects that can be created using the sun alone.  I think the easiest to find it back lighting which is something you tend to get when shooting interesting skies.  When you expose for the sky you tend to lose some or all of the foreground/landscape in the shot.  However, this type of lighting does really emphasise the shape of your subject and would be good for distinctive shapes like flowers and human silhouettes. 

Side lighting can give an interest feel to an image.  Depending on the strength of the light, side lighting can give more contrast to a shot and also make it less flat.  After all it is the shadows and highlights that give depth to a picture.

Edge lighting was difficult to get.  I don't think the image above is the best, but I do think it is a starting point.  I will look for more interesting and naturally occuring edge lighting siturations on sunny days.  Perhaps it would possible to achieve this effect by using flash or strobes.