Sarah-Jane's OCA Blog: Part 4 Light

Contrast & shadow fill

11 photographs

Set up a still life

Set up the light to the side of the object, aimed at right angles to the camera's view

Take 1 photograph without a diffuser

Take another with

Move a white card close to the subject -Take another photograph

Cover the card in foil using the shiny side - take another

Now with the opposite side - and another

Compare contrast and make notes

You can also use some black card opposite the light source if you wish to increase the contrast

Please excuse the order of these - Blogger is misbehaving and not allowing me to insert images where I want.

I have used window light, once without a diffusing material (although it was overcast, sadly so pretty diffused anyway). I made a fantastic diffuser out of the tracing paper I bought for my not terribly impressive shiny surfaces exercises. Good to have for future use. I followed the instructions and also used a proper reflector which gives the least contrast, the best reflector and the opposite side of the reflector for the black material shot. I appreciate it would be best if these were in order but I have tried three times now. All shot at 500 ISO f4 1/80 except the first which was at 400 ISO.

Crumpled shiny side

Non shiny side of foil

White card 2

Diffused

Non diffused

White card

Proper reflector

Shiny

Black material

Lighting angle

11 photographs

Move a light with diffuser round the subject
Then raise the light so it lights from above and take 3 images from directly in front, above and directly behind.

All of these are taken with camera on a tripod, 25sec 1600 ISO f5,6 using an angle-poise lamp and a white lighting umbrella (I'm not entirely sure what prompted me to do it that angle - looks like it is falling through space!) I like the side and slightly to the front best for straight this-is-an-object photography. I quite like the ones where the light is slightly behind so it lights up the handle too and like the one where the photo is taken from the front the least.

Side light, slightly to the front

Side light

Directly in front

Side light

Side from slightly behind

45 degree angle directly in front

45 directly angle above and to the left

45 degree angle and from slightly behind

45 degree angle above from the right

45 degree angle side light

45 degree angle from just behind to the right

Lit from above

Lit from behind but with a torch rather than the angle-poise light I used for the others as it was too big to fit behind.

Softening the light

2 photographs
1 with a naked bulb, one diffused - note the difference

f8, 30, separate ISOs, household lamp

I know I'm meant to like the one where I used the diffuser best. But I don't - The one with the diffuser at 1000 ISO is probably most effectively lit but I prefer the more contrasty one shot at 500 ISO with no diffuser. The shadows are softer and more gentle in the one where I used the diffuser.

Without diffuser 500 ISO

Without diffuser (taken accidentally at higher ISO)

With diffuser
1000 ISO

Outdoors at night

12-20 photographs
Various lighting situations at night preferably in a city centre

2500 ISO f.2.8 1/50s

2500 ISO f2.8 1/50s

3200 ISO f2.2 1/80s

1250 ISO f5.6 1/125s

1250 ISO f5.6 1/4s

2000 ISO F2 1/30

2000 ISO f5.6 1/20s

2000 ISO f4 1/40s

1000 ISO f2.8 1/60s

3800 ISO f5.6 1/200s

800 ISO f8 1/20s

f2.8 3200 ISO f2.8

ISO 500 f4 1/100

640 ISO f4 1/100

400 ISO f5.6 1/30

Tungsten & Fluorescent

1. 3 images Compose an image at which the interior is lit by tungsten and the exterior at dusk are both visible - take 3 images, AWB, daylight, tungsten

All of the following were shot at 200 ISO f16 1/8sec

Auto WB

Incandescent WB

Fine Weather WB

The third one is very orange, compared the middle one which is bluer. Auto seems to be a mixture of the two.

2. 4-6 images take 2/3 images identically composed set WB to auto, fluorescent and alternative fluorescent if there is one.

800 ISO f2.8 1/125 slightly yellow (quite like the colour actually)

800 ISO f5.6 1/25 a more yellow on the second fluorescent setting

500 ISO f5.6 1/125 sickly yellow

500 ISO f5.6 1/125 sickly yellow too

I like the colour in the top picture best - think I might have messed up here by photographing where there was a mixture of lighting in the shop. The second photo is too yellow although set to fluorescent setting number 2, I prefer the first setting for that light.

Weather

1. 4 - 6 images
Photograph the same view in sunlight and under cloud. Choose two or three different subjects.

200 ISO f5.6 1/4000

ISO 400 2.8 1/100 (but I tried with and without the internal ND filter and this is one with)

200 ISO f16 2000

400 ISO f5.6 125

After choosing these I noticed we were meant to keep the WB to daylight - and so will need to do that too now as I know the colours would be different and I've sort of ignored that in this selection... will do!

2. 3 - images
For the second part of the exercise take three photographs outdoors on an overcast day, make good use of enveloping, shadowless light, look for strong colour, pronounce relief.