How to Take Better Photos by Understanding Directional Light
One of my unfulfilled dreams is to teach photography. So today I am attempting to fulfill it by presenting you with this blog post on exploring the fascinating subject of directional lighting and how to use it to improve your photography! Is anyone still with me?
I put together this little teacup example to show the various types of lighting that I will be attempting to explain today. All three photos were taken at the exact same location - the only thing that changed was my position in relationship to the light. Lighting is the foundation of photography, so if you want to take better photos start with using better light!
1. Front Light
Front light is the most basic type of lighting and (in my opinion) the easiest to master. In this example, I was kneeling behind the table with the window behind me. Front lighting yields vibrant colors and is a great option if you're looking to create a photo with minimal shadows and even lighting.
This is an example of front lighting!
2. Backlighting
The light comes from behind the subject and create a "rim" of light around your subject. In this example I was kneeling in front of the table with the window in front of me
Notice how the shadow on the table is in front of the teacups. Whenever you want to back light a scene just stand in the apex of the shadow and the light will be behind your subject.
These photos are an example of backlighting. Take note of the rim light that creates a halo effect behind her hair, sometimes backlight is referred to as "halo light" because it look's slightly angelic. Backlighting, like front lighting, often yields soft and even light for portraits but keep in mind the face will be in shadow and It's essential to have something that reflects light back into your subject's face.
Backlighting is my favorite, I like to use it to make my photos look airy and bright!
But backlight can also yield, unsightly haze, or sunflare as well as exposure problems and focusing issues. Don't be discouraged if you don't get it right on the first try! In my opinion backlight is the hardest to master, but yields one of the pretties results!
3. Side Lighting
You guessed it - side lighting is lighting that comes from the side. . .pretty self explanatory. For this image I was kneeling to the side of the table with the window to my left. Notice how the teacups are brighter on the left side and get darker toward the right? That's the effect of side light! Fun Fact: Side lighting is also referred to as Rembrandt lighting because Rembrandt would use this type of lighting to give his paintings a more dimensional look.
I don't use "typical" side lighting in my work since it tends to create a "dramatic" or "moody" effect. But I do use side light with a reflector to soften the shadows and to give side lighting a soft look.
In the photos below my subject was right next to a window and I used a reflector to bounce a little more light into the scene.
The best way to learn light is to experiment with it! If you'd like to up your photography game, grab a couple objects and place them on a table in front of a window that has sufficient sunlight coming through it (make sure any in house lights are turned off) and walk around the table with the objects and view the from all angles. See if you can distinguish one type of light from the other! Extra tip: Use a piece of white paper as a reflector to bounce light back into the subject and watch how it changes the shadows!
If you want to read about how I chose the best time to take pictures at, you're in luck because I wrote a whole entire blog post on just that! You can read it here: how I choose the best time of day to take pictures.
If you have any questions on lighting feel free to leave a comment or to send me an email at hello@carleymarie.com and I'll be sure to reply!
xoxo
Carley