What is sidelight and what role does it play in photography?

Side light refers to the light that can outline the shape of the object on the subject, usually brighter than the background and brighter than the main light. It is used to outline the subject in photographic works, so that the subject is separated from the background in brightness, so that the subject has a clear outline and the aesthetic feeling of the picture form is increased.

Side light has the following obvious characteristics and modeling advantages: first, it emphasizes the depth of space and explains the hierarchical relationship between far and near objects. The second is to artificially distinguish the relationship between the subject and the environment and background. The third is to form a sense of status between subjects. The fourth is to express a strong atmosphere. The fifth is to explain and reflect the properties of transparent and translucent objects.

Then there are several shooting methods for the effect of "side light" in portrait photography. First, shoot with a side backlight. The side backlight and the total backlight are relative, that is, the difference between the direction in which the light is directed to you or the direction in which it is "obliquely directed" is generally within the range of half an hour to one hour after sunrise, and it is ideal before sunset. It is enough to emphasize the "inverse" here. It is not necessary to stick to how many angles it must be, but to pay attention to it according to the local conditions at that time.

Second, point-focus shooting. This is very important. Focus on the person's head and face, and if it is more accurate, focus on the eyes, and avoid using multiple focuses. If the technology is skilled enough, it will be more OK to focus with a single point.

Third, large aperture shooting. The use of large aperture can make the depth of field smaller and highlight the dominant position of the characters. You can also blur the background and make the picture more charming and dreamy. Generally, it should be set at around 3-5.6, but not too big, such as 1.0, 1.2. Too large aperture requires higher focus, which makes shooting more difficult. It is generally not recommended to use large aperture to the extreme.