The Importance of Lighting

Lighting is one of the most important parts of photography, after all, it is what makes up a photograph. A real photographer will always take light into account. Making sure there is plenty on a subject and enough to expose a film well.

Having a well lit subject is what most photographers aim for, this can be achieved by using several different light sources. Some ways of doing this are:

Reflectors
A reflective surface used to reflect light onto the darker side of a subject. Reflectors are simple and cheap to make. Just use tin foil and wrap it around some cardboard of something. When taking macro or studio pictures, having reflectors can turn a god picture into a great picture. The idea is to use them with a light source such as the sun or a studio light and reflect light that is going past a subject back up onto it.

Flash

A direct flash can make your subject too light and give it a 2D effect which makes it stand out from the background and seem flat. However, this is not the only way to use a flash. You can turn your flash and bounce it off a wall or surface. This side on flash can be a very desirable effect that can bring out subtle shapes such as the lines on someone’s face.

Lamp or Light
Even just a regular lamp is a great tool when shooting somewhere dark, it can flood your subject with the light you desperately need. A soft bulb will probably be better. Another option is to use two lamps or a reflector to give your subject better overall lighting.

The Sun
When it comes to the sun you just have to work with what you have. Try to get a subject well lit, but not in the direct sunlight. On a very sunny day, having your subject in the shade should be fine. On a day when the sun is less bright it may be alright to have your subject in direct sunlight. Overcast or cloudy days are great for photography because everything is evenly lit.