Assignment #3

"Light"
T-max 100

This assignment encourages you to look at light and notice it in a way that you might not have done before. Below is a list of different lighting situations -- see how many you can achieve. Practice, as usual, is the key.

  1. Front Light: Produces a picture much as we expect "real life" to look like. The light usually comes from behind the photographer and lights the front of the subject. Shadows will be behind the subject, so perceived depth is diminished. Usually not recommended for portraits, as it tends to produce shadows around the eyes and under the nose of the subject.
  2. Back Light: Produces a picture where the subject can have glowing edges. Be sure to measure off the subject up close, else you will end up with a silhouette. In a non-portrait situation, such as a landscape, pictures can be very dramatic; shadows will fall towards the foreground of the picture, with the subject itself in shadow.
  3. Side Light: Shadows are long and deep, emphasizing depth and texture. Light comes from either the left or right of the subject. When the sun is low in the sky, side-lighting is emphasized dramatically.
  4. Diffused Light: Produces a shadow-less picture. Light comes from either sunlight that is obscured by clouds, or is bounced off of other objects, such as a light-colored wall, concrete floor, or professional reflector.
  5. Point Source of Light: The light is the subject in these pictures. Experiment with different sources -- lamps, fires, candles, etc. Be sure to meter appropriately. Try unusual situations, such as photographing candlelight outside during the day.
  6. Time Exposure: This produces streaks of light, a technique especially effective with the head- and tail-lights of cars. Be sure to have a tripod, or other means of holding the camera steady, as this procedure will require an exposure of a second or more. You can also try painting with light -- using a light source such as a flashlight, write or draw on a dark surface.
  7. Silhouette: This will produce a photograph that shows the shape, but not the detail, of your subject. The light comes from behind the subject. An easy way to achieve a silhouette is when the sun is close to the horizon and the background is the sky. Be sure to meter the background for the exposure.

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