Understanding photography

Understanding photography | the direction of light

Guang Shun-

Divergent light: also called front light or flat light, the direction of the light illuminating the object is the same as that of the camera lens, and the shadow of the photographed object is on the back.

Advantages: The subject receives light evenly, has no obvious shadow, has high scene saturation, transparent picture and bright color, is suitable for taking colorful shadows of flowers and landscapes, and can weaken wrinkles and some flaws when shooting people, making people look younger.

Disadvantages: due to the lack of shadows, it is not conducive to the three-dimensional sense and space sense of the scene, and the painting is relatively dull.

Side lights—

Side light: the direction in which light illuminates an object. When it forms a 90-degree angle with the camera lens direction, the shadow of the subject is on the other side.

Advantages: the light-receiving surface and backlight surface of the subject account for half respectively, with strong contrast between light and dark, distinct layers and strong three-dimensional sense, which can well highlight the concave and convex changes on the surface of the subject, such as highlighting the wrinkles on the face of the elderly, and strengthening the vicissitudes of time and the three-dimensional sense of the five senses.

Disadvantages: it is half bright and half dark, and the details of the dark part are missing, giving people a feeling of "yin and yang face" and "tough guy", which is generally less used to shoot women.

Backlight-

Backlight: the direction of light shining on the object is opposite to that of the camera lens, and the shadow of the photographed object is on the front.

Advantages: the back of the subject is illuminated, and it is easy to separate the subject from the background. There is a strong sense of space, which can well express the outline of the subject, so there are photos called silhouette light and backlight, which often give people a warm and fresh feeling.

Disadvantages: Because the back of the subject receives light, the front of the subject is dark. Remember to fill in the light when taking portraits, otherwise it will form a big black face, unless it is silhouette shooting, and because the light source is directly facing the camera or the subject is dark, it is easy to lose focus.

Side lighting—

Side light: the light source is located on the front of the main body, between the side light and the included angle of the side light.

Advantages: It has both sidelight effect and fairing effect, the main body receives light in a large area, but not in a small area, the contrast between light and shade is moderate, and the layering is rich, which can well express the three-dimensional sense and texture of the object. It is a common plastic lamp for photography.

Disadvantages: it is necessary to control the hardness of the light source to avoid excessive contrast between light and dark, such as avoiding strong sunlight around noon and sunny days.

Side backlight—

Side backlight: the light source is located on the back of the main body, between the central angle of the backlight and the side light.

Advantages: It has both sidelight effect and backlight effect, the picture has distinct layers, strong three-dimensional sense and spatial sense, and it can well separate the subject from the background, so it is a light position with strong expressive force.

Disadvantages: Because the light source still shines from the back of the subject, there will still be some shadows on the front of the subject, especially when shooting people, people's faces need to be filled up.

Ceiling lamp-

Top light: also known as cold light, the light source shines downward from above the main body, forming a shadow below the main body.

Advantages: It is often used in movies and plays to express the atmosphere of the country. It can also be used as an auxiliary light to illuminate and outline the top of the subject.

Disadvantages: the dome light has the effect of uglifying characters and is not suitable for everyday portraits.

Bottom light—

Bottom light: also known as foot light and ghost light, the light source shines from below the main body and forms a shadow above the main body.

Advantages: it can offset the shadow of the top light, play a decorative role in modeling, and can also express and render the atmosphere of specific light sources, such as bonfires, lake reflections, etc., which can highlight the strange atmosphere when used alone.

Disadvantages: when shooting people, the chin and nostrils are bright and prominent, and the head is compressed, which is very scary. Not used for daily portrait photography.