Various lights of Photography

                              Various lights of Photography

Natural Light

If you want to use natural light in your photography, it's important to understand the angle of

the sun and how that will affect your composition. For example, for most of the day, the sun is

directly overtop so your subject will be lit from above. A sunny day without clouds will result in
more intense shadows, while a sky full of clouds will diffuse the sunlight so that the contrast of
light on your subject is less harsh.
For natural lighting that is softer, you may want to make use of the hours closest to sunrise and
sunset, when the sun will be off to a slight angle as opposed to directly above your subject, and
the brightness of the sun may be less extreme.

Front Light

Front light occurs when the light source is directly in front of your subject. Since the light is not
at an angle, this can result in a limited amount of shadows. The light will be spread evenly
across the photo, with no section more or less exposed than the rest.
Flat light can be good for portraits, especially if your subject has wrinkles or blemishes that they
want to de-emphasize. However, if you are attempting to create a portrait that shows a lot of
personality, front lighting will not provide the detail you need in order to bring the subject's
character to life.
Another benefit of using front lighting is if you are exploring symmetry photography, as the lack
of shadows helps to make both sides of the face appear more symmetrical.

Backlight

Backlit photos are when the light source is behind the subject, with the subject in between the

light and your camera. This can be a great opportunity to play with silhouette and long shadows

in your photography. The potential downside to backlit photos is that the white balance will be

off, resulting in a loss of detail in your subject. This works well for silhouettes, but if you still

want to see some detail on your subject, this is the time to pull out your light diffuser to reflect

some of the light from the background onto the front of the subject.

Soft Light

Soft lighting occurs when your light source is diffused, so that the effect is more subtle than it

would be with a direct source of light. By using soft light, you will end up with less intense

shadows, if any at all, and a lower contrast between the darks and lights in your photo.

If you are working in a photography studio, you can use a diffusion panel between the light

source and your subject. This could even be a light-colored curtain over the window to diffuse

the natural sunlight coming in. If you are shooting outside, soft light will occur naturally on an

overcast day, as the clouds in the sky diffuse the direct light from the sun. By keeping the light

soft, you can achieve a more youthful appearance in your portrait photography.

Hard Light

The opposite of soft or diffused light, hard lighting is when your light source is pointed directly

at your subject. It results in high contrast and intensity, bright whites and dark shadow, and is

often created by making use of the midday sun. You can also manufacture this type of light in

your studio by using a spotlight or other source of light that is not diffused.

Rim Light

Rim light can be created using a form of backlighting, where the light is at an angle from behind

or above. The light will hit your subject in a way that creates a glowing outline or highlight

around the subject, depending on the direction that your light is coming from. This technique is

useful for distinguishing the subject from the background by providing definition.

Position your light source above and behind your subject and adjust until you see the light rim

appear. A higher contrast will bring out the rim light while a low contrast will dull the overall

effect. If you're not getting enough of the detail on the front of your subject, pull out a reflector

to bring sufficient lighting to their features.

Loop Lighting

Loop lighting is a specific technique used for portraits. The name refers to a "loop" of shadow

from the nose on the cheek. It is generally considered a less dramatic and intense option for

portraits than some of the other options listed.

Loop lighting is pretty universally flattering, so if you have multiple portrait appointments

or mini sessions in one day, this is a great trick to pull out of your pocket. Position your light

slightly higher than the model's eye level and at a 45-degree angle. You can experiment with a

more or less defined loop by moving the light up and down, and can adjust the intensity of the

shadow by moving the light closer or farther away from the subject.

Broad Lighting

Often used for graduation photos, broad light for photography is a type of side lighting where

the side of the model closest to the camera is lit, and the side farther away is in shadow. This

technique can be useful for a subject with a thinner face, as the side with the light on it will

appear larger than the side in shadow, resulting in a fuller face. Position your model's face at an

angle, turned slightly away from the camera, to achieve this look.

Short Lighting

Short lighting is pretty much the exact opposite of broad lighting. In this case, the side of the

face that is closest to the camera is in shadow, whereas the farthest side is in the light. Instead

of creating a fuller face shape, short lighting will thin out the face, so be cautious of how and

when you make use of both of these techniques.

Butterfly Lighting

Like loop lighting, butterfly lighting is named after the specific type of shadow that is created on

your models face. Position your light in front and above your subject to create a butterfly-

shaped shadow under their nose. This lighting is often seen in glamour shots and headshots. It

will also serve to highlight the other facial features with the same level of severity, which can be

great for accentuating high cheekbones, but may not be useful if your model has deep-set eyes

as it can result in too much shadow under the eyes.

Split Lighting

When the light hits your subject at a 90-degree angle that is called split lighting. This results in a

straight line down the center of your subject's face, with one side entirely lit and the other side

completely in shadow. This is a great option for a dramatic portrait, particularly if you are using

a hard light as opposed to soft.

Rembrandt Lighting

This style of lighting is named after the way that Rembrandt used light in his portrait paintings.

It is a type of side lighting, similar to split lighting, except that the side of the face that is in

shadow has a triangle of light under the eye. This can be highly effective in making a two-

dimensional image appear three dimensional.