How to use light in outdoor photography, and what are the lighting skills?

Long before the appearance of color photography, photography artists used a very vivid word to explain the shading of photos. Photography artists know that if the light and shade are properly handled, the work will be successful; If you don't pay attention, the quality of the photos will be damaged.

"Quality" is usually difficult to explain and define. Someone saw a photo and said, "Good boy! Good quality! " Most people who hear it know what is going on. But if you ask them to say the exact meaning, I'm afraid they will all be tongue-tied. We all seem to know what quality is, but sometimes it is difficult to express it in words.

So is the contrast between light and shade. If the shadow of the photo is good, we will automatically say that it is of high quality, although we can't say why for the time being. We simply think that good tone processing means high quality, and we don't want to know how to handle it.

Whether it is oil painting, printmaking or photos, as long as it has certain practical significance, the above words also apply. If the theme of the picture is the same, then the angle of light is very important to the quality of the work, perhaps more important than any other factor. Paying attention to the effect of lighting is often the only way to distinguish ordinary photographers from excellent photographers. This is especially true for outdoor photography.

Advantages of Angle Light The simplest and most reliable way to take outdoor color photos is to use the smooth light from the photographer's back to the scene. Unfortunately, the photos taken in this way are much worse than originally thought. Even though the photos are sensitive, colorful and ideal, the whole picture is disappointing.

The reason can be said to be a common problem in photography, called "lazy light". Sometimes, this "lazy light" has an influence on most photographers.

To overcome "lazy light", the method is very simple, that is, try to shoot with cross and backlight. Its advantage is that it can give photos new life and new artistic conception. Side lighting can increase the fullness of photos, highlight the texture of the scene and produce a sense of reality. Also, color can be emphasized. Therefore, it is more attractive, and the edge light energy generated at the same time increases the artistry of the picture.

Angular light, such as backlight through smoke and dust, can produce unusual color effects. Try to pass through the long shadow light every morning and evening. When the sea of clouds churns, there will be all kinds of cross lights. When the storm is coming or just past, the cross light energy produces a moving effect.

Angular light refers to the light that forms a certain angle with the object except the front light, such as side light, backlight, 45 light and so on.

The exposure of objects illuminated by cross light and backlight usually requires more exposure than those illuminated by front light. Without any auxiliary light in the dark, the period of light is usually increased from 1/2 to 1 for side light shooting, and the aperture is increased from 1 to 2 for backlight shooting. This rule should be applied when dark details are to be preserved. If you want to have a cutting effect, don't increase the exposure.

The best way to preserve the dark details of close-up photos is to use flash or reflector instead of increasing exposure. Increasing exposure will make the highlights lose their layering. In order to preserve the details of the highlights, we should use the same exposure as the front light and add appropriate supplementary light in the dark part. On the beach, in the snow near the White House, and anywhere with natural reflectors, when shooting with cross light or backlight, the exposure of the scene is usually the same as when shooting with front light, and the details of the dark parts can be well shown. You can also use artificial reflectors or flashlights to fill the dark parts, and the effect is usually better than increasing exposure.

In order to get the best performance, people should not face the sun, and use a flash or reflector to brighten the dark part. The flash adds a good look to the girl's eyes.

In order to prevent glare and reflection, please note that angular light is in danger of increasing lens glare and reflection. The camera lens should be kept as clean as possible. Dust, fingerprints or oil stains on the lens will affect the shooting effect, especially when using angle light. In addition, it is also important to protect the lens from direct sunlight, which can be covered with a lens cover. This problem can also be solved by projecting the shadow of the hat or palm into the lens, which is very beneficial to improve the contrast and quality of the photo.

Photography is a personal hobby. Like any other art, no one can say that a photo is perfect or useless, and no one can be sure that the second person will agree with you. However, most photographers agree that the photos taken by side light and backlight are more layered than those taken by front light.