subject: Still Photography And Lighting [print this page] Taking quality photographs is an art to say the least. It is not just point and click. Good lighting is important in capturing the perfect photo. Adding lights and angling properly is only part of the battle, but the camera being used is also integral. There are many ways to use lighting apparatus depending on the goal of your photo. The purpose of your photo and your subject will determine the type of lighting you want to use.
What does knowing the subject mean?
Stills can encompass many things or individuals. Shooting a model in high fashion will require different lighting than shooting a book cover. Direct lighting may be necessary for shooting things such as fruit bowls or vehicles.
How can I change the lighting or make it more dramatic?
Most photographers use things like reflectors that are either silver or white or they will use boards that are black to create shadow effects. Black will create shadows while white will absorb shadows. Changing the angles of lighting might also be an option. A term in photography for using regular household bulbs for the lighting rather than the big florescent lamps is known as tungsten light. As a rule of thumb most cameras on the market today are made for bright lighting.
How do I know how to position my lighting?
There are actually two common kinds of set-ups that will not require a lot of light. Using the first set-up you will only need two lights. One is about six feet away from the object of the photograph and it will be placed at a 45 degree angle. Light number two is going to be focused on the background. To make the model or the object of the photo stand out the background should be white which will visually separate the object from the background. If you don't use a white background, it will turn out gray. You may want to try having one light shot through the umbrella, while another is shot toward the background. The umbrella creates overhead lighting with the box above the object or model. The model may hold a reflector to prevent unwanted shadows.
