Lighting is essential to capture good images, in fact, without light, no photo.Light is so important to photography that the word itself says, “Photo?In Greek does light mean? And? Spelling?It means writing. Photographing without light is like writing without ink.
The field of light is what will define you as a photographer, because the way a photo is illuminated changes its message, that is, how the viewer will interpret its content.
- “There are photographic moments when the light is ‘unalterable’.
- And you have to enjoy it to the fullest.
- In other situations.
- For example in the studio.
- Lighting can be fully controlled.
- David Prakel? Lighting.
In today’s article, we’ll look at 23 tips and ideas for you to enjoy and use light to make the most of your creativity.
Before you start reading and applying the different tips, you need to review some concepts so you can better enjoy each of them:
What light? As I mentioned earlier, light is the reason for the photograph and without it it would not be possible to capture a scene in an image, the light hits the objects and when it bounces off them, it is captured by the sensor of your camera, as it is captured by the human eye.Beyond all the physical and technical aspects, light is just that, the reason for photography.
Lighting: If light is the raison d’eor of photography, the lighting is that of the photographer, the lighting consists of modeling the light, directing it and bouncing it strongly, not only capturing it with the sensor of your camera, but also transmitting meaning.and give character to the whole photograph. Mastering the light is what will define you as a photographer.
“The mastery of light is a prerequisite for controlling the final result in photography.David Bailey (photographer)
Color: Color is determined by two factors: the wavelength of light (color temperature) and the object’s own color.What does that mean? That color depends not only on the color of the object itself, but also on the light that influences it, if you make a green projector shine on a white object, it will no longer be white, or at least not in front of it.them?eyes?sensor.
This is where the white balance begins to take on importance because, the way the scene is illuminated to be photographed (natural light, fluorescent, flash, etc.), will capture the colors of it in one tone or another.the article “If the term scares you?” White balance?Need to read this article?
Color temperature: Have you probably heard or read the phrases?Hot light, and ‘cold light’. These expressions respond to what is known as the “color temperature”.And this means, in a very simple way, that the “color” that the light has is measured in Kelvin degrees as follows:
In the following image, you can see how the same photo changes completely when the color temperature of the photo changes:
Natural light is no more or less than sunlight, so its quality varies depending on the time of day, where the photographs are taken, the time of year and the weather.
Como fotógrafo, el mejor atributo con el que puedes llegar a contar a la hora de trabajar con luz natural es la paciencia. Al no poder modificar las condiciones de la luz, deberás de elegir el momento en el que la luz natural es la correcta para tus fotografías, pero ten en cuenta que puede que dicho momento solo ocurra en una determinada estación del año o a una determinada hora y por unos pocos minutos.
Photographing in natural light will require you to be aware of certain aspects that will help you achieve the best results:
1) Enjoy the seasons: the light varies considerably depending on the time of year, depending on the season you are in, the angle and intensity of the sunlight will change depending on its position.
Cada estación tiene luz y colores muy particulares: en invierno la temperatura de color y el ángulo en el que esta incide es más bajo generando colores no tan saturados y sombras más pronunciadas. En verano la temperatura del color es más elevada y el ángulo más pronunciado, por lo que la luz es dura y los colores más saturados.
Una misma fotografía tomada en distintas épocas del año trasmitirá mensajes diferentes al espectador. Fíjate en la imagen siguiente y podrás comprenderlo mejor:
2) Take pictures at any time: as the hours of the day go by varies the color, intensity, angle of incidence and even the direction of light, there is no better time than another to go out and take pictures, everything will depend on the story you want to tell.
However, keep in mind that at both sunrise and sunset, when the sun appears or disappears on the horizon, the so-called “golden hour” occurs.If you go out and take pictures right away, you’ll get “more attractive” photos..
Direct sunlight can take flat, overly contrasting photographs, so they don’t end up pleasing the observer’s view.The solution to this problem is to model the light using reflectors and screens.
At night, what conveys the message in your photos is how you use light to illuminate in so much darkness.Despite being one of your worst enemies, you can turn him into a powerful ally learning to enlighten the unexpected.
Now if you only go out in the afternoon to take pictures, you can become an expert at it, but you still have a lot of time to take advantage of. Taking pictures at any time will help you understand how light varies from moment to moment.
3) Depending on the location: it is not the same light with which you can work in a seaside city as on top of a mountain: the lighting conditions change noticeably depending on where the photographs are taken.
The light at the top of a mountain is direct, hard, bluish and with lots of ultraviolet light that will make distant views misty even if there is not a single cloud in the sky.
The sea and the beach act as a gigantic reflector of the sun, so it is usually the favorite place of photographers thanks to the light conditions.
In a city, tall buildings block direct light but reflect it to unexpected places, generating very attractive shadows and contrasts so you can capture them with your camera.
4) Depending on the weather: rain, snow, sun, clouds, etc. After or during the rain, it will be a challenge to capture the different brightnesses of the light present in the scene.Cloudy days are ideal for working in dim light throughout the scene.If you are looking for strong lights and strong contrasts, sunny days will be ideal for you.
5) Moods: Thanks to the different stages that go through sunlight over the hours and seasons, it is possible to convey a series of feelings and moods that will make the viewer feel immersed in your photograph.Try to recreate the different atmospheres in your photographs.of each of the scenes he works with.
The available light is all around you at any time and will be useful for taking your photos.Your job as a photographer is to make the most of the light you have to take amazing photographs.
The available light has a special feature: all the light sources you can find don’t have the same tone, intensity and temperature, so make sure they all coexist in harmony in your photos.
Here is a list of some tips that will be useful when working with the different types of lights you can find in your life as a photographer:
1) Flames and candles: candles, candles and bonfires emit a very particular and attractive golden light due to the low color temperature of the light they emit, in fact it is the lowest of all lighting sources, with them you can make your own?Golden hour? But without leaving the house.
Taking stunning photos with this type of lighting as the only light source can be a rather complicated task because of the low intensity of the light they emit: it concentrates around the flame but quickly extinguishes in the environment.the results can be amazing and very spectacular.
Again, you should be careful with your camera’s white balance if you want the colors to render faithfully without losing their original tone.
Get a good tripod or build your own and get ready to defeat your worst enemy: darkness.
2) Incandescent lamps: called daily “projectors”, emit their light by heating a fine tungsten filament, hence its name.Like candles, the light they emit has a yellow-orange hue that gives a feeling of warmth and a very touch Special lighting effect in your photographs, which even if they fall into disuse because of the energy consumption they represent, you can get them in any store or hardware store.
You can use some cheap desk lamps and tungsten bulbs to build your own studio at home and photograph still lifes with materials you would normally throw away.Check out the article “Do-it-yourself photography: how to assemble home photo accessories?”to get ideas.
3) Fluorescent lamps: fluorescent tubes or energy-efficient lamps are an ally of nature but can become a real headache for photographers, although you may not notice it, the light emitted by such lamps is not continuous, i.e. flashes and their light is not pleasant at all: a greenish color.
Don’t despair! Fortunately, you can adjust the white balance of your digital camera to “Fluorescent” to correct the tones of an illuminated scene with them.
However, they are excellent for photographing small objects and are very useful for working in still lifes and in the studio thanks to the large lighting surface, their diffused light and their ease of portability.
4) Urban lighting: cities, especially large cities, are an inexhaustible source of light that is very attractive so you can make the most of it. The streetlights, windows, cars, stained glass windows of buildings, are very attractive to the eye and have a special charm.
You can use storefront light such as night light windows, take advantage of streetlight light rays or car headlights for amazing photos.
5) Neon: Neon lights have been and will be a fetish for photographers like you who are starting to figure out how to light up a scene to take stunning pictures.Thanks to the amount of colors and its intensity, it will be almost impossible for you to walk past a neon sign and not take a picture of it.
You can get very creative photos using simple techniques like “double exposure”.Don’t you know what it’s about? Don’t worry, Mario has prepared an excellent article with which you can master it: Detailed guide to getting started in double exposure photography?
This type of lighting is ideal on rainy days: the colors of these reflected in puddles and drops are excellent reasons to photograph.
6) Concerts: Have you seen how amazing concert photographs are?The results that can be obtained through reflectors and smoke scenes are really amazing and most importantly, you won’t need the most sophisticated camera to make them.
Concerts are an ideal place to enjoy the lighting, if you can access and be close to the stage, of course: colors, rays of light, contrasts, shadows, smoke are luxury ingredients for a spectacular photograph.
I recommend you check out the article “Tips and tricks to master concert photography?”if you want to become an expert in this type of photography.
7) Flash: The flash is one of the most versatile, powerful and easy-to-move light sources you can rely on.You can photograph them directly on subjects or objects to be photographed, or you can bounce or blur them as you see fit..
Once you’ve learned to master it, the flash will be your adventure companion thanks to the possibilities it offers you when it comes to illuminating a certain scene.
There are different types, brands and models but don’t worry, you will find everything you need to know to understand how it works in the article:?Everything you need to know about Flash? And if you already have yours and know how to use it, I recommend you take a look at the “Tips for Better Flash Use”.
In terms of lighting and lighting there are some techniques that you can not ignore when taking your photos, not only can you use the light to illuminate a certain scene, but you can make it the protagonist of the whole photograph How?Read the following articles:
There are situations where you can model light however you want, such as in studio photography, and others where you have to arm yourself with patience and wait for the light to be where you want, as in landscape photography.
Whatever your situation, and taking advantage of the knowledge of light you just acquired, I leave you a series of tips and ideas so that you can use light as another creative element when composing your photographs:
1) Approach the windows: if you want to give a different look to your photos but do not have any accessories or studio lighting to do so, you can enjoy the natural light that enters through the nearest window.
2) Dare to model the light: be the genius behind the scenes, not just the photographer!Cheer up and use reflectors, flashes and jellies when taking your photos. If you don’t have the equipment, don’t worry, you can do it yourself.
3) Don’t be afraid of reflections: a reflection or unwanted reflection can ruin a beautiful photo, but a well-used reflection as a creative element will make your photos more attractive.
4) Incorporate the sun into your photos: don’t think of the sun as a source of natural light: try to include it in your photos as one more element when it comes to reinforcing the message or sensations that transmit to the viewer.
5) Light as the protagonist: light is not only the raison d’eer of photography, but it can also be the protagonist, when choosing which elements to include remembers that light is a great protagonist, don’t you believe me?Pay attention to the following image.
6) Anímate a lo abstracto: la fotografía abstracta es el tipo de fotografía en donde no hay reglas: anímate a romperlas y a llevar al extremo tu creatividad. La fotografía abstracta es el campo ideal para que utilices la luz como el elemento creativo central en pos de capturar formas, colores, diseños y texturas y lograr fotografías increíbles.
7) Look for the contrasts: the light propagates in a straight line, so there are shadows and with them contrasts, the more lateral the light you work with, whether you can handle it or not, the more textures and contrasts you will get.If the photo below had been taken at noon, all the charm would have been lost, the light would reach every corner, making the photograph flat and without textures.
8) Reflections: in a mirror, a puddle of water or on a polished surface, the light will always be reflected at a reverse angle to the incidence, pay attention to the following image: you will notice that the windows are perfectly reflected in the water but vice versa of the originals.This is another of the properties of light that you must know to understand how light behaves.
9) Aprende del trabajo de otros: una de las mejores formas de aprender es observando el trabajo de otros pero no solo viendo fotografías, sino analizándolas. Seguramente ves muchísimas fotografías día a día, pero ¿lo has hecho con detenimiento? Las buenas fotografías están cargadas de mensajes, líneas y diseños, tómate tu tiempo para observarlas y aprender de ellas.
There is no perfect light, but each type of lighting is perfect depending on the time, place and message you want to convey.The way a photograph is illuminated conveys the essence of the message.
Your challenge as a photographer is to learn to adapt to light conditions that you can’t model and master those situations where you control everything.
Creativity is like luck, you have to go with it. If you sit in your chair waiting for a wonderful idea to magically fall off you, you’re unlikely to get the results you expect. The best way to stimulate creativity is by working with light, waste, taking photos and analyzing the results in search of the perfect photo.
Did you like the article? Please recommend it.