Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Lighting & Shadow Photography Ideas

Lighting & Shadow Photography Ideas

The lighting and shadows within a photograph tell a story by creating a particular mood. Learning to control these factors during a shoot is vital to producing an intense image, and will save time when editing. While certainly useful to have, professional lighting is not necessary for every great photograph. If you add the following ideas to your already existing list, and continue to discover your own, you can take stunning photographs just about anywhere, using your camera as your only tool.

Break of Dawn

    Find sophisticated beauty in common things.
    Find sophisticated beauty in common things.

    Dawn is magical, as it introduces the earliest sunshine of the day. The brand new feeling washes over us, and can appear in your photos as well. Plan your timing so that you are ready to shoot a good hour before the sun rises. Head for the trees. Framing the edges of the trunk and branches to allow the new sun to minimally peek through produces a warm and hopeful photo. The sunlight at dawn is very specific, and if you look at landscape objects as a natural picture frame, you will have instant classics.

The Magic Hour of Dusk

    Everything is simple, from the landscape to the lighting.
    Everything is simple, from the landscape to the lighting.

    Often called "sweet light," the hour before the sun sets is extremely powerful to a photographer. Plan ahead with your location, travel time and preferably an enthusiastic female model. Arrange for the model to wear a simple white dress. A backdrop consisting of a continuous pattern or texture will work beautifully. This could be a tall hedge, solid fence, brick wall or even sunflowers. As your model poses in a relaxed, asymmetrical fashion, watch as the warm sunset bathes her surroundings in a golden glow, allowing the simplicity of her clothing to pop out of the photo.

Film Noir Patterns

    Intense lighting can be mysterious yet inviting.
    Intense lighting can be mysterious yet inviting.

    The draw of the film noir genre is the contrast and sharply defined lighting it showcases. To capture this quality, it's best to utilize natural lighting that is bright, but not glaring. If you are indoors, be sure to get that vintage shot of a dark interior with blinds partially open, sunlight streaming in. If you have a model, find an intricately patterned object, and ask a friend to hold it in different angles between the sun and your model, as the reflections cover random parts of her clothing and body.

Evening Stars

    A family gathered around a campfire appears magical with this lighting.
    A family gathered around a campfire appears magical with this lighting.

    A couple meanders through town, late at night. It is quiet, mysterious and romantic. A family sits around a bonfire late at night. It might not always be quiet, but it feels mysterious and romantic. Find the light source for each situation and place the subjects around it. Position the downtown couple, preferably in simple evening wear, beneath a fancy old streetlight. Locate this previous to the shoot, for ease and comfort to the models. Ask them to behave naturally, and quietly snap away as they talk to each other. The faces captured in the bonfire idea should be illuminated by the fire source. Use a tripod to keep their faces steady for great detail, and watch as the dark night disappears into the background, making those glowing faces appear as extra special.

Shadow Play

    Shadows of people are surreal and fun.
    Shadows of people are surreal and fun.

    Playful and compelling, a self-portrait taken of your shadow is the easiest photography trick in the book. Try to do this at dusk or dawn, when the sun is very low in the sky, as this will create an elongated shadow. If you position yourself on a brick driveway or sidewalk, you will be creating even more shadows within the photo, making it even more intriguing.


Lighting & Shadow Photography Ideas

The lighting and shadows within a photograph tell a story by creating a particular mood. Learning to control these factors during a shoot is vital to producing an intense image, and will save time when editing. While certainly useful to have, professional lighting is not necessary for every great photograph. If you add the following ideas to your already existing list, and continue to discover your own, you can take stunning photographs just about anywhere, using your camera as your only tool.

Break of Dawn

    Find sophisticated beauty in common things.
    Find sophisticated beauty in common things.

    Dawn is magical, as it introduces the earliest sunshine of the day. The brand new feeling washes over us, and can appear in your photos as well. Plan your timing so that you are ready to shoot a good hour before the sun rises. Head for the trees. Framing the edges of the trunk and branches to allow the new sun to minimally peek through produces a warm and hopeful photo. The sunlight at dawn is very specific, and if you look at landscape objects as a natural picture frame, you will have instant classics.

The Magic Hour of Dusk

    Everything is simple, from the landscape to the lighting.
    Everything is simple, from the landscape to the lighting.

    Often called "sweet light," the hour before the sun sets is extremely powerful to a photographer. Plan ahead with your location, travel time and preferably an enthusiastic female model. Arrange for the model to wear a simple white dress. A backdrop consisting of a continuous pattern or texture will work beautifully. This could be a tall hedge, solid fence, brick wall or even sunflowers. As your model poses in a relaxed, asymmetrical fashion, watch as the warm sunset bathes her surroundings in a golden glow, allowing the simplicity of her clothing to pop out of the photo.

Film Noir Patterns

    Intense lighting can be mysterious yet inviting.
    Intense lighting can be mysterious yet inviting.

    The draw of the film noir genre is the contrast and sharply defined lighting it showcases. To capture this quality, it's best to utilize natural lighting that is bright, but not glaring. If you are indoors, be sure to get that vintage shot of a dark interior with blinds partially open, sunlight streaming in. If you have a model, find an intricately patterned object, and ask a friend to hold it in different angles between the sun and your model, as the reflections cover random parts of her clothing and body.

Evening Stars

    A family gathered around a campfire appears magical with this lighting.
    A family gathered around a campfire appears magical with this lighting.

    A couple meanders through town, late at night. It is quiet, mysterious and romantic. A family sits around a bonfire late at night. It might not always be quiet, but it feels mysterious and romantic. Find the light source for each situation and place the subjects around it. Position the downtown couple, preferably in simple evening wear, beneath a fancy old streetlight. Locate this previous to the shoot, for ease and comfort to the models. Ask them to behave naturally, and quietly snap away as they talk to each other. The faces captured in the bonfire idea should be illuminated by the fire source. Use a tripod to keep their faces steady for great detail, and watch as the dark night disappears into the background, making those glowing faces appear as extra special.

Shadow Play

    Shadows of people are surreal and fun.
    Shadows of people are surreal and fun.

    Playful and compelling, a self-portrait taken of your shadow is the easiest photography trick in the book. Try to do this at dusk or dawn, when the sun is very low in the sky, as this will create an elongated shadow. If you position yourself on a brick driveway or sidewalk, you will be creating even more shadows within the photo, making it even more intriguing.



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