Basic knowledge of photographic tone

Light has soft and hard properties, that is, light quality Strong light will produce a hard tone picture, and soft light will produce a soft tone picture. Shadow tone is the keynote of photographic works, including the light and dark level of the picture, the contrast between reality and reality, color and so on. The expression of shadow tone can make the viewer feel the flow and change of light. The lines, shapes, colors and other elements in the picture are all reflected by hue.

So what is the logical relationship between light quality and hue? It's actually quite simple. The images formed by strong light are mostly hard tones, while those formed by soft light are mostly soft tones. And high school low-key is defined by identifying the amount of light.

Black and white photography can generally be divided into high-profile, low-key and medium-tone. A high-profile picture means that the tone levels from white to light gray account for most of the picture, plus a small amount of dark color. High-profile works can give people a clear and light feeling, but with different situations, they can also produce a bleak and desolate feeling. Color photos are different in tone, and the overall picture is bright and light in color, which belongs to high-value works.

First, strong light

Strong light refers to stiff light with strong directivity and high illuminance, which can make the light-receiving surface of the subject form a great contrast with the backlight surface, leaving an obvious projection. Hard light shooting characters is suitable for expressing their courage, upward and perseverance. Hard light is suitable for expressing the texture level and three-dimensional sense of things, and the picture can give people a lively feeling. However, hard light is not delicate and soft enough for things, so props such as soft umbrellas and reflectors can be used to weaken the intensity of hard light irradiation when shooting.

In the picture below, strong sunlight enters from the window, and the window frame casts a shadow on the ground. The picture is bright and dark, and the tone is vivid.

Model: Canon EOS6D lens: EF 70-200mMF/2.8L ISUM Shutter speed: 1/3200s aperture: F2.8 focal length: 100 mm ISO: 200 exposure compensation: 0.0EV white balance: automatic metering: spot metering.

Second, soft light

Soft light refers to soft scattered light, which has weak directivity and low illumination. The contrast between the light receiving surface and the backlight surface of the subject is not great, so there is no obvious projection. Soft light is not prominent in the layering and three-dimensional sense of things, but it can show the pattern and color of the main body softly and delicately. Soft light can be obtained by hard light scattering.

The picture below was taken in cloudy weather, and the sun's rays were blocked by clouds to form scattered lighting. The lakeside scenery is soft, and the colors and details are exquisite. Under the scattered light, the picture does not form obvious highlights and projections, which is not conducive to the performance of three-dimensional sense. In view of this, photographers use wide-angle lenses to emphasize the sense of depth and space in the picture.

Model: Canon EOS60.0EVD lens: ef16-35 MMF/2.8L Ⅱ USM shutter speed:11600s aperture: F5.6 focal length: 18mm ISO: 100 exposure compensation: 0.

Third, the tone is tough.

According to the contrast between light and dark, the tone of the picture can be divided into hard tone and soft tone. Hard-light pictures have a large contrast between light and dark, which can highlight the three-dimensional sense and layering of things. Hard-tone pictures have strong light and bright colors. Hard-tuned pictures can be taken in clear weather and direct sunlight. Hard tones can show the outline of things, which is beneficial to show the vitality of nature and the picture is full of life.

The following picture was taken in bright sunlight, with a large contrast between light and shade, and belongs to a hard tone picture. Because of the different ups and downs, the colored terraces have bright and dark parts, with prominent three-dimensional layering and lively overall tone.

Model: Canon EOS60Da lens: EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM shutter speed: 1/30s aperture: f1/focal length: 95mm ISO: 100 exposure compensation: 0.0EV white balance: automatic metering: partial metering.

The picture below is a hard tone picture. The intensity of sunlight is strong and the light quality is hard, which can outline the light and shade levels of branches and leaves. The leaves irradiated by light are bright, while the leaves not irradiated are in the shadow, which makes the picture rich in color and better shows the vigorous vitality of plants.

Model: Canon EOS60Da lens: EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM shutter speed: 1/500s aperture: F5.6 focal length: 105mm ISO: 200 exposure compensation: 0.0EV white balance: automatic metering: spot metering.

Fourth, soft tunes.

Soft-tone images are mostly illuminated by soft light, with small contrast between light and shade, harmonious color contrast, rich transition and delicate texture. Pictures with soft colors have less projection and weak stereoscopic impression, which can give people a soft feeling. Soft scattered light is often used when shooting soft-tone pictures, which has small light ratio and weak directivity and intensity. It is best to choose cloudy or cloudy weather for outdoor shooting. The lighting source for indoor shooting should be mainly soft and even smooth light, and it is most suitable to use soft umbrella or soft mirror to soften the picture.

The picture below belongs to soft tones, and there is no obvious contrast between light and shade. Lotus and lotus leaves are soft and true in color and delicate in texture.

Model: Canon EOS 60D lens: EF 24- 105 MMF/4Lisum shutter speed:1125s aperture: F5.6 focal length: 100 mm ISO: 400 exposure compensation: 0.0EV white balance: manual metering: central key metering.

Fifth, high profile.

Color photos are different in tone, and the overall picture is bright and light in color, which belongs to high-value works. When shooting high-profile works, you should generally choose a light background to highlight the background. But be careful to avoid highlight overflow.

In the picture below, the sun is shining, and the buildings and furniture are all light-colored, forming a high-profile picture that gives people a bright and comfortable feeling.

Model: Canon EOS 5D Markⅲ III lens: ef16-35mm f/2.8l Ⅱ USM shutter speed: 1/500s aperture: F 10 focal length: 18mm ISO: 100 exposure compensation: 0.0EV white balance.

Sixth, keep a low profile

Low-key means that dark gray to black tone levels account for most of the picture, plus a small amount of white tones as a contrast. Low-key works can give people a calm and calm feeling, but with the different situations, they will also have a feeling of horror.

The picture below is a low-key work with many shadows, from dark gray to black, which is far more than light color, showing the quiet and introverted character of the characters. In the dark background, you can highlight the theme of light.

Model: Canon EOS- 1D X lens: Ef24-105 mm f/4Lisum shutter speed:1160s aperture: F 16 focal length: 55mm ISO: 100.

When shooting low-key works, you should generally choose a darker background to make the subject produce more shadows as much as possible. During exposure, it is necessary to measure the light according to the bright part of the subject, so that the bright part is expressed in a moderate or slightly dark tone, and the shadow part becomes the tone of the dark part of the picture.

The picture below is a low-key work, taken on a cloudy day. Buildings and sculptures are dark in color, with more dark layers than light layers. Photographers measure the light in the air and adjust the exposure to make the picture darker.

Model: Canon EOS60D lens: ef16-35mm f/2.8L Ⅱ USM shutter speed: 1/800s aperture: F 14 focal length: 24mm ISO: 1250 exposure compensation: 0.0EV white balance: automatic metering: center key.

Seven, the middle tone

Intermediate tone is also called intermediate gray tone, that is, the tone of the picture is mainly gray, and the tone is between high-key and low-key. The picture level is delicate and rich, and the subject can be truly restored by the difference of image, color and light. Midtones are good at blurring the outline of objects, creating a soft and quiet aesthetic feeling, which is conducive to expressing the natural landscape, especially rain, fog, clouds and smoke.

The following picture is dominated by the gray tone between white and black, which belongs to the middle tone work. The outline of the scene is vague, the tone is soft, the misty texture and the light and shade level of the mountain have been well expressed.

Model: Canon EOS 60Da lens: EF28- 105mmf/4-5.6 USM shutter speed: 1/40.0EVs aperture: f1/focal length: 90miso:100 exposure compensation: 0.

The timbre composition of alto works is neither biased nor dark, which can give people a visual feeling that is neither dull nor dignified. Photographic works generally belong to this kind, and the way of using light is also more casual.

The tone below belongs to the middle tone, and the color scale is neither too dark nor too bright. The light used for shooting is more casual, and the photographer highlights the palace lantern through the contrast between reality and reality.

Model: Canon EOS 650D lens: EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM shutter speed: 1/50s aperture: F3.5 focal length: 163mm ISO: 200 exposure compensation: 0.0EV white balance: automatic metering: spot metering.