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08/29/2002 07:02:18 PM · #1 |
Light quality can be characterized by how "hard" or "soft" the shadow produced by an instrument appears. The quality of light produced by an instrument is determined by the physical size (not the intensity) of the light source used. In general, the larger, more diffused the light source, the softer the light quality. Typically, a diffusion material, such as frost or a silk, might be placed in front of a lighting instrument to increase the working (physical) size of a light source. (When light transmits through a diffusion material, the illuminated diffusion material then becomes the acting light source.)
A sharp, well-defined shadow edge (hard light), like that which is produced by the sun, is most often produced by a small light source.
A softer, less-defined shadow edge (soft light) like that of a cloudy day, is most often produced by a larger, more diffused light source.
Professional photographers use umbrellas or 'soft boxes.' If you do not have an umbrella or a softbox (which is a nylon box that fits over your light and has a white panel for diffusion), there are many other ways to create softer light qualities. Attaching tissue paper over your light will soften the light quality slightly. Placing a large diffusion panel (silk or white sheet) in front of the source, or bouncing the light off of a white wall, ceiling or white card, will produce a dramatically softer light quality.
Again, the physical size of the light source is directly related to the quality of light produced. So, ideally, one should consider the appropriate light quality for a shot or scene prior to setting up the lighting. For example, hard light may not be considered a natural light quality for many interior scenes (such as an office with four white walls and overhead fluorescent lighting).
HARD LIGHT VS. SOFT LIGHT
There is no hard-fast rule as to when to use hard or soft light for a shot or scene. Creating a particular light quality is a judgment call, and there are no wrong or right answers. There are, however, characteristics that are inherent to both hard and soft light, and one must constantly weight the pros and cons of each prior to lighting a scene.
In general, hard light is easily controlled by using screens or sheets to keep light from spilling into unwanted areas, and it can be used to produce dramatic shadows and attractive lighting effects for film or video. When lighting people with hard light, one must carefully consider the placement of the light source in order to produce appealing results on camera. An ill-placed open-faced light can produce unkind results on even the most photogenic persons.
The use of softer light sources can be more forgiving when lighting people, but softer, diffused sources can be much more difficult to control. Diffused light disperses in many directions, and although the light quality may be desirable for a particular shot or scene, the uncontrolled spill light from a diffused source can ruin even the best of shots. Much of lighting has to do with directing the viewer's eye around the screen, and when spill light from your main light sources contaminates the background of your shot, the lighting can appear haphazard and lose visual impact. Once again, careful consideration of your light placement can dramatically improve the results of your lighting
:)
* This message has been edited by the author on 8/29/2002 11:50:39 PM. |
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08/29/2002 08:26:48 PM · #2 |
Many thanks, magnetic. Good explanation. Especially the last two paragraphs.
Good lighting seems to me the most rewarding but also most difficult to handle influence on a photo. I wish I had something better than my desktop lamp ;-) But the sun still seems to me to be the best light source for photography.
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08/29/2002 10:07:19 PM · #3 |
Dang. I finally got a flash to attach to my camera because my lighting is always bad on indoor shots. Unfortunately, this challenge doesn't isn't a great opportunity for indoor shots.
Thanks for the advice! I understand lighting for the most part, but I'm not sure exactly what I should be buying/borrowing to use for my "studio" shots. What light sources work? |
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08/29/2002 11:23:24 PM · #4 |
Originally posted by magnetic9999:
A sharp, well-defined shadow edge (hard light), like that which is produced by the sun, is most often produced by a small light source.
First, thanks! To say that was well written and informative would be like saying Beethoven's 5th was "a catchy tune"...
But I have a question... Does the distance of the light sorce affect this as well? I'm wondering this because the Sun isn't really all that small... Is it the perceived size of the source that actually matters?
Thanks again!
* This message has been edited by the author on 8/29/2002 11:23:12 PM. |
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08/30/2002 12:53:51 AM · #5 |
Originally posted by myqyl:
Originally posted by magnetic9999:
[i]A sharp, well-defined shadow edge (hard light), like that which is produced by the sun, is most often produced by a small light source.
But I have a question... Does the distance of the light sorce affect this as well? I'm wondering this because the Sun isn't really all that small... Is it the perceived size of the source that actually matters?
Thanks again[/i]
Yes, it's the apparent size of the light source as viewed from the subject's position. But intensity and color (wavelengths) of the light are a factor in shadow sharpness,too. Don't forget about opacity/diffusion capacity of the air (plus, smog, smoke, steam, etc.).
Try putting a light bulb (or tennis ball) on a fencepost or something, and see how far away you have to sun until it would just cover the sun...it will probably look kinda small...
* This message has been edited by the author on 8/30/2002 12:53:10 AM. |
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08/30/2002 08:54:33 AM · #6 |
Magnetic9999,
A very informative post. Thanks for taking the time and sharing this with the rest of us.
Autool |
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08/30/2002 11:50:16 AM · #7 |
myqyl said
I'm wondering this because the Sun isn't really all that small...
LOL - Says it all really. :)
Was a great post, though Magnetic - very informative and useful. Thanks for posting it.
John |
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08/30/2002 12:01:51 PM · #8 |
yes. perceived size is what matters. there is a whole relationship between actual size and distance, or apparent size.
Originally posted by myqyl:
Originally posted by magnetic9999:
[i]A sharp, well-defined shadow edge (hard light), like that which is produced by the sun, is most often produced by a small light source.
First, thanks! To say that was well written and informative would be like saying Beethoven's 5th was "a catchy tune"...
But I have a question... Does the distance of the light sorce affect this as well? I'm wondering this because the Sun isn't really all that small... Is it the perceived size of the source that actually matters?
Thanks again[/i]
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08/30/2002 12:17:01 PM · #9 |
ive gotten really good results with inexpensive tungsten-halogen desk lamps bought from such places as ikea. you can point them easily, and a real plus is that their spectral output is very consistent so cameras that have manual white balance can be set to work with them, and produce really clean neutral colors. the downside is these don't work real well with moving subjects - they're dim enough to require tripod and slow shutter speeds. But not a problem with still life pictures :).
a step up in power are construction work lights like from home depot or even walmart. they often can be clamped on and can be very bright (250-500W). their color output isnt as clean as the halogens; they have a greater tendency towards red light, but can still be used to get good results, esp again if you have a good wb control.
for diffusion, you can diffuser material in different strengths and tones from a good camera store this is analagous to putting paper or TP over your bulb.
I prefer to use sheets of linen or silk. i got one of those portable closet adjustable frames, and I hang sheets from it and then put a light behind it. Put the light far enough behind a hanging sheet and the sheet becomes a very very large soft light source. This is how I made the background for my Pencil and Advertisement challenge shots.
When I get a chance I'll post some examples of the same subjects shot with hard and soft light...
hope this information is helpful ..
Originally posted by indigo997:
Dang. I finally got a flash to attach to my camera because my lighting is always bad on indoor shots. Unfortunately, this challenge doesn't isn't a great opportunity for indoor shots.
Thanks for the advice! I understand lighting for the most part, but I'm not sure exactly what I should be buying/borrowing to use for my "studio" shots. What light sources work?
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08/30/2002 02:41:40 PM · #10 |
Thanks! I'd like some examples of what other ppl are using for light sources.
Unfortunately, we don't have an IKEA nearby. I LOVE to shop there when I'm in Sweden. Electrical items aren't the easiest thing to bring home though because I have to change the outlet plug.
I had thought about using some work lights, but I'm afraid they'll get really hot. |
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08/30/2002 06:03:59 PM · #11 |
Originally posted by indigo997:
Thanks! I'd like some examples of what other ppl are using for light sources.
Indigo, there's an Ikea in Houston.. closer to you than Sweeden! hehe
Lights.. I've been trying to learn a thing or two about lighting the last few months. One of the first things I tried playing around with was buying a photography umbrella to play around with reflected and diffused light. I had some okay results firing my hot-shoe mounted flash off to the side of the camera into the umbrella pointed at the subject (me). For $20, I got my light source away from the camera and made it fairly soft and diffused.
After playing around with various flash diffusion techniques, I decided to try a little "real" studio lighting. There's a company called "Alien Bees" (www.alienbees.com) that makes reasonably priced studio stobes that aren't quite "pro" quality. I got a "B400" (their lowest power model) with a stand and a couple of other trinkets for about $300. The strobe can be fired with either a sync cord (don't know if the G2 has a PC connector?) or with the built-in optical strobe (you fire an on-camera flash, and the strobes sees it and fires). [note: you have to be careful, if your camera/flash generates a "pre-flash" for exposure calculation, you need to able to disable that]
This was basically a learning expense for me - it's not like I'm taking studio portraits or anything. And you need several lights to really start doing fun things. But having a studio strobe around opens up a lot of possibilities, especially if you also have an external flash as well.
Oh, I also tried playing around with some home-depot halogen work lights that I had in the garage. I think I paid $30 for those, with a stand, so that was certainly the more economical route! But.. they generate a lot of heat, don't allow for adjusting the output, and aren't as cool as studio strobes! :)
Chris
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