TAOP - Light - Exercise: The lighting angle
Using four layers of parchment paper held on to a lamp with an elastic band to diffuse the light.. I've used a Christmas teddy bear as the subject, its fur should enable the different lighting positions to good effect. I've converted the images to mono so that colour is not a distraction when viewing the changes caused by light position. I half imagined when creating these images the best image being used in a sales brochure so the final product would help focus my mind on how these images could be used commercially
Image 1 - Light Straight on
Lighting is sufficiently diffused by facing straight onto the subject can leave the image a little flat.
Image 2 - Light level from right slightly in front
I think I may have the light a bit too close but the right side can be seen as lit more than front and the left. However the lighting angle is helping to give more shape to the subject in the image.
Image 3 - Light level from left slightly in front
The same as image 2 in fact my light positioning is slightly better and good contrast between left and right sides is created including light drop off across the front of the subject. Again I think the light is a bit close and too strong but the image can be clearly seen as a 3D subject
Image 4 - Light above and in front
The subject is perhaps not light enough at the front and shadows are created below the light source, this may not be very flattering for a human subject for a portrait but is still a creative affect to be remembered.
Image 5 - Light from directly above
Similar to image 4 above but slightly deeper shadows
Image 6 - Light from above and left
The light angle in this image has brought out a lot of contrast of shape across the face of the bear and given stronger edges on the left when compared to the right
Image 7 - Light from above and right
As image 6. The folds of the bear's jumper are different on the left than on the right and the light highlights this, in fact it even appears as if the bear has a bit of a belly :D
Image 8 - Light from slightly behind and left
The light angle in this image has created edge lighting and the fur on the bears face have texture is more evident
Image 9 - Light from behind and left
The subject has the left edges further defined than image 8 above
Image 10 - Light from further behind and left
The bear is not lit from the front and its difficult completely pick out the subject the the lighting around the head on the left side of the bears is better defined by the edge lighting
Image 11 - Light from side and left but further away from subject
This image is the best in my opinion in terms of soft lighting and creating "form", a 3D feel to the image, hence I've made this larger. In addition the light has also revealed well the texture of the bear. The softer lighting is created by moving the light source away from the subject which perhaps was a bit strong even though was diffused.
The inverse square law which is defined as “any physical law stating that some physical quantity or strength is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source of that physical quantity.”
I think this image below best describes this as in words alone it can be difficult to grasp
Exercise Learnings
a) having a single light source and different positions to the subject can create different qualities of the subject.
b) light diffusion can create softer light
c) distance from the subject can soften the light
d) distance from the subject can give a better spread of light
e) closeness to the subject can give better isolation of subject elements
f) images can be given a 3D feel and have form with good use of light as opposed to flat images
g) Multiple light sources will no doubt require much greater understand and thought
h) a simple exercise but one that has left me with a lot to think about and absorb
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